Hyderabad/New Delhi: A recent study conducted on shopping loyalists across mobile/electronics and appliances, shows post-unlock leading to festive and end-of-year shopping, categories such as fitness gadgets/products, cleanliness and smart kitchen appliances have made a comeback. Also, despite online shopping gaining popularity, shopping for large appliances is still being preferred at offline channels. This was revealed in a consumer shopping study conducted jointly by India’s largest multi-brand loyalty program, PAYBACK and its digital research partner, Unomer. The study examined the sentiments and outlook of around 3,000 respondents regarding preferences in shopping from the time of first unlock to festive/year-end season. The respondents chosen were frequent shoppers for mobile, electronics and appliances in the past 2 years, in the age group of 25 to 50 years across 12 cities including all Metros and Tier 1 cities, with varying income thresholds.

In the Mobile & Electronics category, when asked what they had bought-since-unlock and what they planned-to-buy-soon, consumer interest on Mobiles saw a decline of 21% (38% bought vs 30% planned-to-buy), Headphones/Earphones a decline of 43% (37% bought vs 21% planned-to-buy) and Laptop/Computers a decline of 6% (30% bought vs 20% planned-to-buy). On the other hand, Smartwatch & fitness gadgets registered a growth of 38% (16% bought vs 22% planned-to-buy). Similarly, Cameras & Tablets saw an improvement in interest by 33% and 28% respectively, although on a smaller base. In terms of the channel of purchase, 76% shoppers indicated that they preferred online channels.

Responses gathered in the Small appliances category for Home & Kitchen indicate that consumers continue to go for Hygiene and Comfort products for convenience and ease of doing chores at home. Kitchen Appliances (Mixer/grinder, Food processor, Air fryer, Water Purifier) see continued interest with a marginal growth of 3% (36% bought vs 37% planned-to-buy), while Cleaning Appliances (Vacuum Cleaners, Robotic Cleaners) are seeing a whopping 55% growth (11% bought vs 17% planned-to-buy). Other categories were largely flat or saw a decline, particularly, Sanitizer machines 35% decline (14% bought vs 9% planned-to-buy). Furthermore, for small appliances, the mode of shopping is equally split between offline & online platforms.

Large Appliances & Television sets are seeing a tremendous interest, with almost every category showing a positive bias. Some of the under-penetrated categories like Dishwasher, show a rise of 60% (5% bought vs 8% planned-to-buy), Microwave, a rise of 50% (8% bought vs 12% planned-to-buy), followed by Television (27%), Air Conditioners (22%), Refrigerators (10%), Washing Machines (8%) and so on.

In terms of the channel of purchase, shoppers for large appliances prefer offline over online, although online is not far behind. 

Finally, when it comes to shopping budget, large appliances category is the popular choice with over two-third shoppers willing to spend similar or higher vis-a-vis last year. For electronics and small appliances, shopping budget is marginally less or almost the same.

Non-buyers in all the above categories, are primarily concerned about Safety Measure at the stores (46%), while they also wait for Offers & deals (48%).

Giving a perspective on the consumer shopping survey, Mr. Ramakant Khandelwal, CMO, PAYBACK India, says, “Our consumer studies are geared to capture the sentiments of loyal customers for their preferred shopping categories. We have witnessed major shifts in the consumer trends over the past few quarters. We started this series in September this year and have covered all major consumer categories. The current study on Electronics and Appliances points to consumers looking to upgrade to appliances that make their housekeeping chores easy and convenient, and they are increasingly looking outwards to fitness and travel purchases. We hope that our findings enable brands to further hone their marketing strategies.”

Also sharing his thoughts on the survey, Vinay Bapna, CEO, Unomer, said “Constant innovation and lifestyle changes are fueling the growth in electronics and appliances. Brands and manufacturers need to keep a close tab on preferences and choices consumers are making – especially in the context of the on-going Covid scenario where gadgets are becoming essential to work, household, studies, personal activities and leisure. This joint report from PAYBACK and Unomer provides a window into the consumer’s mind relating to their interest, perceptions and aspirations for electronics and appliances. It’s unique in how the insights have been generated using highly reliable and accurate data on past consumer spending and future intentions and desires.”

PAYBACK members are loyal on several spend categories and the platform has been collaborating with top brands to decide the right customer engagement and retention strategies. With a 360-degree understanding of shopping behavior across key categories like travel, groceries, fuel, entertainment, apparel, electronics and more, PAYBACK India is creating opportunities for brands to leverage these insights and craft the right strategies.