Flipkart takes a peep into digital Indian's abode

This supports the growing relevance of consumers’ preference to shop home related products online, leading the home category in Flipkart to almost double in the last 12 months.  

 

Flipkart’s facts show how shopping patterns today reflect the kind of lives individuals lead; which is a manifestation of individual personalities.

 

Amitesh Jha, Vice President – Home at Flipkart, said, “Since the launch of our home category including furniture, we have seen some interesting purchasing trends, culled and analyzed from the data that has been gathered through this time. The upcoming Flipkart Home Sale Days is a packaging of this learning and understanding of customer requirements specific to the category.” He further added, “The theme for this edition of Flipkart Home Sale Days is inspired by these insights, which indicate a huge shift reflecting the personality of our customers.”

 

Some of the key findings of this study are:

 

·         Homes are turning into a reflection of one’s personality – Triggered by beliefs, practices, hobbies, aesthetic values and choice of life, consumers now prefer to purchase products that reflect their personality. Through the study, Flipkart outlined five categories of personalities: Mobile savvy, traditional/conventional, creative/artistic, single & simple, well-travelled

 

·         Emerging DIY culture replacing handyman – The study interestingly reveals that people are eager to reduce their dependency on plumbers, carpenters, electricians, etc. to get simple jobs done. They prefer buying DIY tool kits which also enable them to embark on a journey to become new-age crafters. BOSCH DIY kits are one of the hottest selling items on Flipkart

 

 

·         Open kitchens, merging rooms, a fashion quotient at home – Today most houses are designed with open kitchens to make a room look spacious. This has led to purchase of colorful and multipurpose products to ensure the room is presentable at all times. Cookware that serves as serve ware in variations of colors and designs such as red, neon green, yellow and orange; have seen a significant rise on the platform. Stainless steel and mirror finish microwaves and oven toaster grills are picking up as a contemporary kitchen appliance trend

 

 

·         Wall art paves way for Indian art market growth – Today consumers prefer purchasing monochromatic decals in colourful and varied designs to give a room an interesting and thematic look. 3D wall stickers are a favourite amongst new home buyers. Paintings are still a favourite amongst city dwellers of Rajasthan, Punjab, Jaipur and Udaipur where these cities are known for their heritage

 

 

·         Home décor is still a major gifting option – Indian’s are known to gift items that are durable and usable by most members of a household. Home décor and furnishing is a preferred gifting option amongst many households especially to newly married couples and families who have bought new houses

 

 

·         Carpets are back in vogue – The segment contributes to 15% sales of home furnishings on Flipkart. Indian’s are going back to the 90’s where carpets were given prime importance. Today, consumers are willing to spend to give a cozy look and feel to rooms, where carpets are now available in their preferred fabric, sizes, aesthetic appeal and price points – budget as well as premium buys

 

·         Curtains go simple – Readymade curtains have seen a spike of 10-12% in the last one year and contributes to 20% of overall sales in the home furnishing category – the second highest after bedsheets! Given the hassle of purchasing fabric from offline stores and getting it stitched to suit one's specifications has seen sales of readymade curtains increasing. The study also indicates that purchase of sheer and black out curtains as a combination is on a rise as consumers prefer to have ventilated and natural light setting during the day and prefer cutting out street lights and roving eyes in the night

 

·         Luxury is on the rise – Pubbing at home is catching up which is clearly indicative by the increase in purchase of compact bars, ice buckets, glassware, bar stools, etc. Consumers who bought these products also bought soft LED decorative lighting which helps transfer the mood to a pub look and feel. LED decorative lights have shot up 6 times over the last one year

 

·         Indian’s choose quality even while asleep – Today consumers are choosing ‘thread counts’ over brands to determine the quality of a bed sheet. Thread count refers to the quantity of threads woven in one square inch. A specific set of consumers now prefer bed sheets with a minimum thread count of 140, thereby leading to superior quality

 

 

·         TVs have gone smart and so have large appliances: Smart technology is on the rise as Smart grade A+ panels dominate the TVs' market horizon. Fully automatic washing machines, smart microwave and ovens are becoming popular day by day as they help make daily chores easier. Also, the geographical reach of these products has been growing considerably with masses looking to have access to these modern appliances. Convertible refrigerators have a huge uptake wherein customers can convert fridge into freezer and vice versa. This caters to changing needs and lifestyles. Mini refrigerators on the other hand are quite popular and best suited amongst bachelors. 

 

Based on these popular purchase patterns, Flipkart is holding the biggest home sale, Flipkart Home Sale Days from 15th to 17th July.