Google partners Indian shopping sites for 'Cyber Monday'
Google has teamed up with various Indian e-commerce sites to hold a one-day online sale as part of its efforts to encourage first-time online shoppers to buy.
According to a Times of India report Tuesday, Google India partnered various e-commerce players including Flipkart, Snapdeal, Homeshop18, Indiatimes Shopping, and makemytrip, to hold the "Great Online Shopping Festival" next Wednesday.
The newspaper said the sale will be similar to "Cyber Monday" sale in the United States, where online retailers would slash prices on the Monday after Thanksgiving to boost sales in the holiday season.
In the report, Rajan Anandan, managing director and vice president of sales and operations at Google India, said: "The initiative is aimed at encouraging shoppers to adopt online shopping with a focus to reach out to first-time online buyers. The participating companies will also offer special deals on their Web site for first-time buyers."
Besides listing participating e-commerce sites, the Great Online Shopping Festival portal also features tips for first-time online shoppers to allay their worry about purchasing on the Internet. One of the tips informs online shoppers some retailers provide cash-on-delivery services so customers do not need to enter their credit card or debit card details online.
A December 2011 report from ComScore noted 3 in 5 Internet users in India shopped online.