Trade has been one of the activities, which triggered imperialism,
revolution and creation of history in many parts of the world (East India
Company?). Traditionally trade in brick-and-mortar world happen at market
places. With easy access to Internet, a replication of similar model online was
inevitable.
How can a person in Tumkur sell Pet Food to people in Manipur or Ahmedabad? How can I buy
mirrors in Kanchipuram or bean bags and nose pins in Jalandar online? How would
I find the appropriate sellers in the first place?
Ebay (http://ebay.in)
has pioneered the application of Internet-based technologies to bring buyers
and sellers together in an online marketplace.
The registered sellers and buyers meet each other here. Any individual or a business
can sell their products on ebay. The primary mode of selling is through auction, but there is also an option to sell
the products immediately for a fixed price. The good part is that one can sell
their products for overseas customers as well. Once a product listed by a
seller is bought, the seller takes the responsibility of packing and shipping
the item to the buyer. One can find used,
refurbished and brand new products on this site.
One would get a good perspective of what people would be buying in
different corners of India, if insights are drawn from online marketplaces like
ebay. I could not think of people buying fishing hooks, floaters and gas
lighters online! Are you curious to know what folks from different parts of
India are buying? You want to know which products are sold, bought, imported
and exported from different hubs in India? Check out the e-census guide
prepared by ebay India at http://shopping.ebay.in/census/eBay_Census_Guide_2011.pdf.
If this guide does not bring smiles on your face, ping me :-)
eBay, which started in USA in 1995, marked their presence in India
through acquisition of bazee.com.
There are also more focused smaller players such as www.ladyblush.com that are growing rapidly with a loyal customer base
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