Online retailers hope to see cash registers ringing in what is being seen as India’s own ‘Cyber Monday’, the US shopping extravaganza, or ‘Singles Day’ in China.

Companies such as Flipkart, eBay, and Snapdeal see a multi-fold increase in sales in the second edition of the Great Online Shopping Festival. The three-day festival kicked off on Wednesday with over 200 partners offering a variety of deals.

The question is: Will the rising internet penetration and affordable smartphones turn the buzz around the Google festival into roaring sales as has happened with similar fests in China and the US this year. Experts see an online sales surge coming from the large number of small cities that now have a limited array of goods on offer at brick-and-mortar outlets.

Aasheesh Mediratta, CEO, Fashionandyou.com, said though last year was lacklustre, the company expects three-four times jump in sales this year. The site will be offering a flat 25 per cent discount.

According to diamond jewellery e-tailer BlueStone’s founder Gaurav Kushawaha, the Google festival provides good visibility and introduces the brand to a wider audience. Another e-tailer, Juvalia and You, expects a sharp increase in traffic and has even launched a mobile app for the festival.

Apart from clothing, footwear, jewellery and accessories, a large number of clicks are expected for home furnishings and furniture this year.

Narasimha Jayakumar, COO and Business Head, HomeShop18, said that last year the company saw a 150 per cent jump in traffic and a 200 per cent growth in sales in just 24 hours. “This year the shopping window is three days. Such shopping festivals add credibility to e-retail and spread awareness. We hope to get 25 per cent more new users this time,” he added.

Unlike in 2012, this year payment solution providers such as PayU India and cashback sites such as Cashkaro.com and coupondunia are participating to offer additional shopping experience to over 3.5 million expected consumers.

Sandeep Komaravelly, Vice-President, Marketing, Snapdeal.com, said this year the company has expanded the product assortment on the site to over four million products and expects to double its average daily sales during Google festival.

>priyanka.pani@thehindu.co.in

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