Indian smartphone buyers prefer Flipkart over Amazon: IDC

Online shoppers in India prefers home-grown e-tailer Flipkart as their first choice to buy a smartphone from. On the other hand, Amazon becomes the first choice for the purchase of premium phones.

According to a research study from the International Data Corp (IDC), online consumers consider Flipkart as their first choice when it comes to buying affordable smartphones, whereas for a phone priced above 30k they like to buy it from its rival Amazon, said the Consumer PULSE research study.

Almost 33 per cent of the consumers factor in the availability of good deals and the latest specification or feature while buying a new smartphone. This is largely due to marketing by e-tailers.

Indian consumers are now catching up with online shopping primarily due to its convenience. Around 40 per cent of consumers prefer online channel, added the study.

Among the elements influencing consumer behaviour, word of mouth is considered most prominent. Shoppers also like to read an online review before making the final decision.

The study further found OnePlus as a most preferred premium android brand. For almost 90 per cent of buyers looking for smartphones in this category, the first choice is OnePlus, said the study.

As far as the mode of payment is concerned, the use of EMI options has increased, followed closely by the use of Debit/Credit cards.

Reliance Digital stores, in offline, emerged as a strong choice for buying premium end devices owing to the availability of better discounts and offers and store presence across India.

The study was conducted in eight cities with a sample size of 1700 consumers.