With better education, burgeoning economy and increased disposable
income, people in India are looking at health, fitness and beauty more
consciously. Health is certainly a top-priority for any family member and
especially the bread winner. Fitness, which was perceived to be more for the
Bollywood and Cricket stars, is understood as state of mind and body for one
and all. Beauty is associated with both women and men these days.
Traditionally, people were used to more physical hard work and the
fitness levels were obviously high. As the options to travel and eat-out were
limited, the scope to become ill has come down (or rather increased?).
Consulting a doctor and a pathologist, if something is perceived to be not
right, used to be a norm.
In modern days, checking blood pressure and diabetes is a child's
play and no one bothers to see a doctor for the same. There are self-use
devices, which can help with the task. These devices were available only
outside India a few years back, but they are available even online now.
Oral hygiene and Eye Care are the terms that one learn feverishly
for exams during school days and forgets them conveniently till they hear about
the word 'Insurance'. There are e-commerce sites like HealthKart which offer these products online
now.
Beauty and personal care products were available only in cities some
time back. But things have changed:
- Make-up is not meant only for occasions like marriage, it's a daily need especially for corporate women.
- Thanks to advertisements, people are conscious about dandruff and hair-fall; hair-care is a commonly used word now.
- Who wouldn't want a smooth and fair skin? Special skin-care is a necessity for many.
- Bath is becoming more of a pleasure activity with bath-tubs, body oils, bath-gels and bath bubbles.
- While showing respect by touching feet is declining, ironically there are plenty of products available to pamper one's feet - like feet scrub, insoles, gels, powders and stones.
With growing needs across different segments (men, women, seniors)
in the country, there was a good business case to setup online stores with the
beauty and personal care products. Websites like 365Gorgeous and MedPlusBeauty offer products for medical
and beauty purposes.
There is no denial that human body needs proteins, minerals and
vitamins for efficient functioning of all the organs. People are taking to the
gyms to improve their body fitness (maintain body mass index, reduce body fat,
improve stamina) for longevity with little illness. There is increasing
awareness about taking extra nutrients before and after regular exercises to
reach fitness goals. There are sites like MyNutraMart,
which sell these nutrient supplements online.
If I am a frequent user of certain beauty, fitness, personal care or
medical products (not regular medicines, but the ones available online without
prescription), there is comfort and convenience to order them online every
time. Is it not?