The advent of technology has completely redefined both fashion and shopping. What is trending is now available to everyone in a few clicks of the mouse or a few taps of their fingers courtesy of various online websites and their mobile apps, that keep you abreast of the latest fads in fashion and make buying stuff as easy as never before.
India — with its huge purchasing power — of course features as an important prize in the field with almost all international players such as Alibaba, Amazon along with several homespun ones such as Jabong and Myntra competing to woo the Indian customer.
However, Myntra will no longer have a stake in the e-retailer battle that takes place over our personal computers as India’s biggest fashion seller finally confirmed its decision to shut down its website and to go app-only starting May 15th.
According to a company statement “We believe fashion is a very personal experience. Your sense of style, the brands you wear, the trends you choose to follow are unique to you. What inspires you to look good changes and evolves every day. The best fashion experience is truly personalised and engaging one that is only possible through the device that is closest to you. A device that understands you — your mobile,”
The company — which was acquired just last year by retail giant Flipkart — had been musing over the decision since the past few months, so it doesn’t really come as a surprise, even more so when you stop to consider the fact that the mobile app accounts for almost 90 percent of the retailer’s traffic and 70 percent of the total revenue generated.
The decision to shut down the desktop website means that the company can allocate more resources towards developing its mobile platform which according to the company “is the future of shopping”.
The mobile app — which will now be receiving the complete and undivided attention of the folks over at Myntra — will be undergoing several major changes including a brand new UI along with personalization options such as hand-picked recommendations based upon your likes, information about the latest celeb looks, DIY hacks and offers from your favorite brands — all in a single space.
However, the decision has also caused many raised eyebrow among the online community with a section of consumers labeling the decision as hasty and ill-judged.
The main argument against the decision is associated to the fact that while the younger generation certainly rely on their smartphones for almost everything, the generation above 40 still looks upon purchasing things as a somewhat daunting task, and one they prefer to tackle using their desktops — if they venture into the virtual world at all that is.
Either way, one thing is almost certain, the decision to completely pack off the desktop website is going to cost Myntra some of its customers who will have no trouble finding other, similar websites who will be all too eager to offer their services. What remains to be seen however, is whether the push Myntra will be making for its app manages to cover the lost ground or if the decision turns out to be a huge mistake.
Stay Tuned!!
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