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Akash Saikia (real name), a sales executive, is among those who believe in convenience. The 24-year-old bachelor from New Delhi is a frequent shopper online and buys literally everything … umm … huh … er … even condoms, there!
Great deals
“Asking for a pack of condoms can turn really embarrassing at times. This is where portals score. I often buy them from Tradus.com. They have great deals on branded stuff and have lot of varieties. I am not shy about buying from the pharmacy but online portals make it easy to check the available options,” Saikia says.
There are many others like him, mostly youngsters. Online sales of condoms, though a small fraction now, are picking up, and for a very simple reason: the convenience of shopping in the privacy of your home.
Hitherto, condoms were something that you asked for in hushed tones while glancing furtively at other shoppers at your not-so-friendly-neighbourhood chemist. The whole idea was to finish the buying without any embarrassing interruptions and exit quickly.
About 80 per cent of condom sales happen across the counter. But online sales have already garnered about 10 per cent share over the past one year. This is expected to grow further in the coming years, given the need for privacy and discretion, says Vishal Vyas, Senior Manager (Marketing), TTK Protective.
MANY MERCHANTS
Several online players such as healthkart, buymecondoms, bodypixels, cilory, condombazaar, condomking and flybyknight are selling condoms and other sex-related products at huge discounts and with informative content.
Even J. K. Ansell, part of Raymond Group, which makes the Kamasutra brand of condoms, gets about one per cent of its sales online and expects them to touch 5 per cent in another three years.
More information online
“Online volumes are going up because customers are looking for more information and brands and comparison of prices, which they can find easily online. Also, women are increasingly buying online as they are getting more conscious and aware,” said Tej Kapoor, Vice-President, Tradus.com, an online portal. Kapoor said that women make up 30 per cent of online condom shoppers.
Interestingly, volumes from small towns are also rising.
> Priyanka.pani@thehindu.co.in
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