Online buying is set to witness a boost this year on the back of attractive deals and aggressive marketing with average online purchases expected to increase by 78 per cent in 2016 from 66 per cent in 2015, a study said.

According to a joint study by Assocham and PwC, “As many as 55 million consumers purchased something online in 2015 and the number is expected to grow to 80 million this year with better infrastructure in terms of logistics, broadband and Internet-ready devices.”

At present, the overall e-commerce industry is valued at $25 billion. It has been growing at a compounded annual growth rate of about 35-40 per cent and is expected to cross the $100-billion mark in five years, the study added.

Last year, bags, apparel, cosmetics had found many takers and an increase in spending was also registered for categories such as watches and artificial jewellery.

“The smartphone and tablet shoppers will be strong growth drivers. Mobile phones already account for 11 per cent of e-commerce sales, and their share will jump to 25 per cent by 2017,” the study added.

Computer and consumer electronics, along with apparel and accessories, account for the bulk of retail e-commerce sales.

These will contribute 40 per cent of the total retail e-commerce sales in 2016 from the current level of 35 per cent, it said.

Other factors contributing to the growth of e-commerce include aggressive merchandising and discounting from flash sales and daily deals, more online loyalty programmes and increasing popularity of smartphones and tablet computers among consumers, the study added.

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