When Myntra chose to go'app only', they must have raised quite a few eyebrows with the internet marketing pundits. Reason being, it was a gamble. And a huge one at that. Specially with international heavyweights like Amazon and eBay still shying away from the'app only' approach.
Let's quickly look at the pros and cons of the'app only' model. For one, it offers the convenience of'shopping on the go' to the user. Secondly, .umm.it.kinda.well . that's about the size of it. For the life of me I can't think of another advantage. In fact come to think of it, even this turns into a disadvantage if the user isn't disciplined enough to keep a tab on'impulsive' purchasing.
Now onto the disadvantages. Firstly, the user compromises on all his data(remember the dialogue during app installation where we authorise the app to access all our email ids, numbers, files, photos, music, hard drive content, blah blah) which is now at the sole discretion of the app, to use or abuse. Needless to say, this data gets compromised too often as evinced by the uncontrollable spam that finds its way into our inboxes.
Secondly, ecommerce sites, especially in India are notorious for withholding even the bare minimum info required for listing a product. There is no excuse for example, for oversight on things like warranty or even wattage(for an electronic product). Well the app format makes it even simpler for them to hide details, encouraging the phenomenon of'buy in haste and repent at leisure'. Thirdly, internet speeds in India are still far from being snappy enough for basic browsing, let alone downloading HD product photos or negotiating with overburdened payment gateways, leading to excruciating wait times and failed payments. The 150 buck supposedly'1GB 3G pack' used by most of the junta just doesn't cut it. There are other disadvantages like the damage to the eyes prolonged use of mobile devices may cause or the risks associated with loss/theft of the mobile device for the moment, let's not even get started on these.
Of courses, Indian laws, or the absence of them, make it easy for ecommerce portals to exploit the situation and milk us to the best of their ability. This is just the tip of the iceberg which is big enough to cause losses of titanic proportions. And even if it's all a part of the learning curve, do all of us need to get mugged before we realise the gravity of the situtation?
Yeh'Aapki Dukaan' hai ya'App ki Dukaan'? What say?
