Amazon is all set to hold one of its most significant festive sales in India for 2024. Amazon’s Great Indian Festival sale will kickstart for customers on September 27. However, Prime members can get early access to the deals and discounts starting September 26, 2024, at midnight, like always. The e-commerce giant is projecting itself as the one-stop solution for India’s festive shopping spree with a mix of heavy discounts, exclusive product launches, easy financing options, bank offers, exchange bonuses, and more.
However, this year’s sale will be special for both the brand and the customers. The company has introduced many interesting services that make the shopping experience easier, more comprehensive and comfortable. Gadgets360 got a chance to speak to Ranjit Babu, Director of Consumer Electronics, Amazon India regarding the upcoming sale, services offered by the brand, and more. Here’s what you need to know.
Easy Upgrades Across Categories
Amazon is heavily focused on simplifying the upgrade process this time. “We are making it easy for customers to upgrade, and this applies across categories,” Babu said. The brand offers customers the option to buy products with no-cost EMIs even if they don’t have a credit card through its Amazon Pay Later facility.
“Even if you don’t have a credit card or you don’t want to use a credit card, Amazon Pay Later is super simple to use. You go and enter a few details like your PAN number, and within a matter of few minutes or maybe a few seconds, you will get a loan amount instantly granted to you, which you can use to make that purchase happen,” he added.
Ranjit Babu, Director, Consumer Electronics, Amazon India talks about how Amazon is making it easier for customers to upgrade.
Amazon is giving some incredible smartphone deals during the Amazon Great Indian Festival sale. The Amazon spokesperson told Gadgets360 that there is an extremely high interest among Indian customers in owning an Apple device. To help them upgrade, Amazon will offer the iPhone 13 for as low as Rs 37,999, including bank offers. On top of that, the phone can be purchased with 12-month EMI options through Amazon PayLater, making it a compelling offer for customers looking to upgrade.
However, this is not it. Amazon has something in store, even if you are looking for a good Android device. The company will be offering some fantastic deals on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. “This Diwali, we’re bringing it at the lowest price ever, which is incredibly low. It’s Rs 69,999 net of offers,” Babu further added.
Customers Looking for a Theatre-like Experience at Home
There is a boom in Smart TVs and home appliance purchases during the festive season. “All the electronics categories and upgrades are what is happening. A lot of customers are today seeing the need to upgrade and we’re making it very easy for them through exchange, EMIs, installation, and more,” Babu asserted.
The customer is now looking to upgrade to a theatre-like experience at home. This is primarily because the customers want to consume high-quality OTT content right from the comfort of their homes. “So they want large screens, great display quality, surround sound, and a complete home theatre experience. All of these things today are available at much more affordable prices than ever before. So that is one significant trend that we are seeing,” Ranjit Babu said.
More interestingly, customers are now choosing to have multiple Smart TVs in their homes. “Today, customers are not just willing to upgrade for the theatre-like experience. They’re willing to have more than one screen at home, which is something you typically see in other developed markets,” he added.
Babu believes there will be much traction in the Smart TV space this time. First, there will be a high demand for large-screen Smart TVs. There is a huge demand for 55-inch and Plus models during the sale. The brand noticed this trend in Prime Day, Independence Day, and other major sales.
To further enhance the experience, Amazon is also offering a Jio AirFiber connection for the purchase of Smart TVs. “If you buy any TV on Amazon in this festive season and you choose to pay just Rs 10 extra, you’ll get a Jio Airfiber connection with the installation completely waived off coupled with some special offers and a connection with over 700 channels available,” he said.
Phone Setup Service, Delivery, Installation, and Protection Plans
Amazon has introduced a slew of services to take the experience a notch ahead. One of these is the Amazon’s Phone Setup Service. Through this service, an Amazon representative will come to your home, provide a quick demo of the smartphone, help with data transfer, and walk you through the basics. “We’re expanding that to over 300+ cities for the first time as we are entering the festive season,” he further added.
Amazon has also expanded its scheduled installation and delivery service to more cities than ever before. “We’ve always had scheduled installation and delivery, but this year, we’ve expanded it to more cities. So, when you buy an appliance, you can schedule the date and time for delivery and installation that fits your convenience,” the spokesperson explained,” he explained.
Moreover, customers can also opt for a Unified Delivery and Installation service where a single team handles both the delivery and installation of the product in one visit. “One or two people will come to your house, deliver the product, install it, and give a demo—all in one go. It makes life much easier for customers,” he added.
In addition, Amazon offers discounts on extended warranties and protection plans for large appliances, which cover accidental damage or malfunction.
AI and Smartphones: Still Very Early Days
Ranjit Babu says that smartphones launched with AI features in India do attract some attention from customers. “There is customer interest in AI features, especially in high-end phones like the Samsung Galaxy and the new iPhone models,” he observed.
However, he believes that it is still early to know the specification applications of AI in smartphones. “We have seen some of it. There is customer interest in a whole bunch of areas. So it does look like something that customers are thinking about when they want to make a purchase decision,” he said.