Indian consumers never had it so good. Those wanting premium international cosmetics, apparel or gadgets do not have to seek favours from relatives or friends settled or visiting abroad or wait to make a foreign trip or even have to throng high-end malls. They can now simply select and order online and get it delivered to their homes in Indian currency.

Global EasyBuy (GEB), touted as the international online shopping destination — launched by eBay India — aims to provides Indian shoppers with instant access to an 18 million products, in categories from bath and accessories to fragrance to fashion, apparel and accessories and brands such as Prada, Michael Kors, Diane Von Furstenberg, Salvatore Ferragamo, Urban Decay, Fragrances by Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton, Kate Moss, Sarah Jessica Parker, Valentino, Emilio Pucci and Laurel Burch.

According an ebay official, the service has evoked “enormous response” from customers across India including buyers from small towns in Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. “It’s nothing short of a retail innovations,” says eBay India director (marketing) Kashyap Vadapalli. He said Global EasyBuy enables Indian shoppers to purchase from international eBay sites and pay a single price inclusive of product cost, shipping and any applicable duties in Indian Rupees and get assured doorstep delivery, within 15 days. The customer will get the money back if the home delivery is not completed, he said.

To complete a purchase, a user has to log on to www.ebay.in/GEB, browse through the products on offer, click on ‘Buy It Now’ to purchase the selected item and pay using PaisaPay eBay’s secure payment gateway or through credit cards, debit cards or online bank transfer.

Asked if inability to touch and feel the product would affect online sales, Vadapalli said all item listed by sellers are accompanied by two or three pictures and a comprehensive product description, which includes sizes and specifications. “This enables the consumer to gauge whether the product is what they are looking for. An eBayer can also ask the seller additional questions before buying and review the seller’s feedback score or online reputation,” he said. Lifestyle categories such as clothing and shoes are particularly popular with savvy eCommerce shoppers due to the variety of brands made available to the buyer, Vadapalli added.

The company has registered purchases from 160 cities in India including smaller towns such as Kohima, Port Blair and Una. Based on early trends, Vadapalli said consumers in New Delhi and Chennai were buying more of cell and PDA phones whereas Mumbai was purchasing mostly fashion while Pune and Bangalore were interested in IT gadgets and computer peripherals.

Online shopping as a trend is catching up fast because of ease of use and variety of choice. With eBay’s now opening up an India specific window to the world, such a trend is likely to grow.

mamtasharma@mydigitalfc.com