Online shopping has made life rather convenient for frequent shoppers. This convenience was previously only reserved for fashion and sportswear brands but eventually, it found its way to the religious market. Our culture and traditions have been filled with festivals that celebrate life, gods and family. As a result, products were made specifically for these celebrations.
Once festive products started to gain popularity, brands started to see the potential of having an online marketplace for the same. As a result, one can now buy essentials for any festival without moving an inch. The online market for festive essentials is always at its highest capacity during festivals like Diwali, Holi and of course, the upcoming Raksha Bandhan.
So, with the story of the internet and religion out of the way. Let’s get into why you should buy Rakhis online and why you shouldn’t. Some points are specific to just Rakhi while others are generic to all.
Pro’s
- Convenience – Let’s get the obvious out of the way. It’s so much easier than heading to a crowded store in the unbearable heat and bargaining a lower price for yourself. When it comes to buying a Rakhi online, all you have to do is type…. That’s it. No bargaining, no standing in line, no waiting in traffic.
- Variety – The sheer number of options you have to choose from will get you dizzy. Whether the variety you want is in terms of price, make or design, you can find it! All be it with a bit of extra searching.
- Delivery – This is easily the biggest pro of buying Rakhis online. You can have these Rakhi’s sent home or to another address with just a few clicks of the button. No need to hire any third-party service as the brands have already done that for you. This means, you can not only send Rakhi’s within in India but to other countries too! This back in the day was considered a luxury only the wealthy could afford. Now, it’s a service most people can avail. I say “most” because it’s still not the cheapest service to avail.
- Reviews – Online reviews of products are plentiful. Which means you have a basis to judge the level of quality by the experience of other users. However, these reviews have a downside which I’ll get to in my cons.
Cons
- Fake Reviews – Unfortunately, while having online reviews to refer to are great, a lot of them if not all of them are fake. Brands use internal sources to put up fake reviews in an attempt to make their product more appealing.
- Damages – This is not true for Rakhi’s as they aren’t usually subject to impact damage, but it is true for other gifts you send on Rakhi. For example, if you buy a gift box, there is a small chance it won’t be handled with care and as a result, there is bound to be some damage.
- Refund Issues – In case of failed deliveries, especially during festive times where high volumes are being exchanged, you might face an issue in having your money refunded. While getting your money back is an eventuality, it ruins the convenience factor of online delivery.
So, keep these pros and cons in mind and evaluate whether you prefer buying Rakhi’s online or in person. After all, there is a certain charm to visiting local markets in festive times and picking out the perfect Rakhi for your brother. This charm can never be felt online.