Amazon eyes bumper sales

MUMBAI: Amazon is gearing up for a bigger spike in festive sales this year as the rejigging of GST slabs will make a range of products cheaper for consumers, boosting spending by the salaried class, many of whom scout for online deals when shopping for products, more so in the case of big-ticket items.

Smartphones, electronics and durables are typically the most purchased products during festivals apart from ethnic apparel which is the go-to wear for festive. “We expect the festive sales to be bigger than last year. Consumers anyway have a habit of delaying big-ticket purchases till sales start and this time due to the GST cuts, the trend has accelerated. With a reduction in GST on millions of products along with exciting deals planned by sellers, customers can look forward to great savings this festive season,” Saurabh Srivastava, VP, categories at Amazon India told TOI.The govt’s move to ease registration process under the new GST regime as part of which sellers will no longer have to keep a registered office in every state is a “game changer,” Srivastava said, adding that it will reduce shipping costs for small sellers and increase their speed of delivery.Amazon has already started updating its system to enable sellers to pass on the GST benefits to consumers from Sept 22.