The success of Hero bikes online showcases the potential that the automotive sector has in the online space which is valued at around Rs. 1000 crores in the near future.
Google’s Great Online Shopping Festival (GOSF) is a 72 hour extravaganza wherein e-commerce websites come together and provide massive discounts on products ranging from apparel to automotive. With the rising trend in online shopping, Hero MotoCorp was quick to join in on the new phenomena and retailed its range of two-wheelers online in association with Snapdeal.com. Under the shopping festival, Hero actually managed to retail 700 bikes online selling 200 bikes in the first two days, while the demand peaked on the last day of the festival as it sold 500 bikes within 8 hours.
A seriously positive number for an experimental sales platform, Hero’s success goes on to show the potential the online space has for the automotive sector in the country. The Indian two-wheeler giant had listed its entire product portfolio online including the HF Dawn, HF Deluxe, Splendor series, Glamour, Hunk, Pleasure and Maestro as well as the flagship Karizma twins. Under the GOSF offer, Hero was also providing free insurance and Rs. 1000/- worth Snapdeal vouchers that sweetened the deal further. Ensuring that the buying experience remains the same, customers who have purchased the vehicles online will be entitled to all the benefits including warranty and service from the dealerships.
Retailing two-wheelers online is not relatively new in the country. Mahindra already retails its range of two-wheelers on Snapdeal, while the company also commenced accepting bookings online for the all-new Mahindra Scorpio ahead of its launch. Hero too retails its electric range online which needs no registration and can be directly purchased. The automotive sector is still growing in the country and has a lot of potential in the online space. With more products and accessories being available, Snapdeal values the segment at around Rs. 1000 crores for the total value of goods sold at a given time in the near future.
