Croma, India’s first omnichannel electronics retailer, has unveiled its consumer electronics shopping trends for the last year. The observations are based on close monitoring of the consumer purchases made in the last year. ‘Croma’s 2021 Unboxed’ decodes key consumer trends observed, based on shopping behavior at Croma stores and croma.com.
It also highlighted a marked shift in consumer shopping patterns by noting that digital channels grew four times faster than offline channels. There was an uptick in the sale of advantage accessories. In a world where everyone appears to be living in virtual reality, Croma noted how consumers bought 20 adaptors almost every hour owing to the work-and-learn-from-home culture with a quarter of Indian buying earphones also going wireless by opting for ‘Truly Wireless’ earphones. The ‘Burp to Burpees’ trend also noticed a strong uptick with health-conscious consumers buying fitness wearables in comparison to microwaves.
In terms of everyday essential gadgets, Croma reported that 4 out of 10 consumers opted for blue-colored smartphones and Soundbar became the fastest-growing home audio gadget this year for promising a delightful experience. Along the same lines, Indians also went big with 55 inch TVs clocking the highest growth, as living rooms converted to make-shift theatres. More and more Indians are attracted to game nights and the PS5 console bagged the title of the ‘most elusive gadget’, with huge global demand and chip shortages playing havoc with supplies.
An increasing number of Indians switched to buying more number of coffee-makers owing to the work from home culture. And with health and hygiene being at the forefront of everything, Indians washed clothes equal to the weight of 22,000 dinosaurs during the year, naturally leading to a rise in the number of washing machines sold. Men have also grown more concerned about their appearances with 13 men buying grooming products for every woman purchaser.
Besides these ongoing trends, Croma’s 2021 Unboxed also revealed that regional and urban-specific cultures played a significant role in influencing consumer choices in electronics. Mumbaikars topped the list of most gaming laptops purchased this year while Bangaloreans bought the most dishwashers. People in Hyderabad bought the most quantities of table fans this year while those in Kolkata bought the maximum number of gadgets together with extended warranties. Sticking to their heritage and tradition, people in Ahmedabad continue to prefer making their own flour, with Amdavadis topping the flour mill purchase league.
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