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With the advent of online retailing, old movies and classics are selling more, elbowing out new-age blockbusters.
Of late, Indian e-commerce portals are seeing more demand for old movies and classics than new releases, across all languages and genres.
Flipkart gaining
India’s largest online retailer Flipkart, for instance, is witnessing a monthly 15 per cent increase in the number of customers buying classic and old movies.
“Classics account for about eight per cent of our monthly movie sales,” Mr Ankit Nagori, Vice-President, Retail, Flipkart.com, said. Movies like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron and other NFDC movies are really doing well, Mr Nagori pointed out.
Moviemart.com, one of India’s biggest movie rental/retail portals, sells about 3,000 DVDs of old movies a month, the company Founder and CEO, Mr Suresh Mansharamani, said. According to him, old movies form over 70 per cent of the demand at Moviemart.
“Customers get a huge spread of choices online which practically no physical store can offer, and it is easier to choose as one can look by year, title or director,” Mr Ankur Bisen, Associate Vice-President, Retail & Consumer Products, Technopak Advisors, said.
Given the demand, companies are going beyond mere stocking and retailing movies to lure the connoisseurs.
“We are thinking of buying rights for old and classic movies, and certain old movies which were never released on DVDs,” Mr Mansharamani of Moviemart said. “We think there is good potential in the segment and we would like to specialise in this,” he added.
Digital versions
Flipkart too always encourages suppliers “to release digitally re-mastered versions of old classics,” Mr Nagori said.
Also, Flipkart showcases its collection through different sections on the Web site and has come up with specialty stores like ‘Bollywood through the Ages’ within the movies category, for the ease of customers, he said.
While free movie download sites and specialised movie channels on TV are causing concern for e-commerce players, “Classics will always remain the toast of all centuries,” Mr K. Vaitheeswaran, Founder and CEO of Indiaplaza.com, said.
“Classic movies are cults, and are inspiration for many modern movies,” he added.
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