E-retailers: Increasing sales increasing losses

As we all know this is an era of e-commerce. Humongous efforts are made by e- retailers to lore customers online by offering them huge discounts, cashbacks, amazing offers and what not.

The thing to notice here is these discounts are not trade discounts, companies like flipkart, snapdeal, Amazon are incurring huge operating losses on these deals.  In lay mans language they are paying you to buy some product from their site. These companies are in huge losses.

Flipkart Vs Amazon Vs Snapdeal - Revenues & Losses Comparison

Please note that the revenue figures above are not the price of products sold, their revenues come from commissions they get from sellers or listing fees that they charge to list the products on their site.

As we all know they are not in business of charity and no business can run on losses for long time. So what's their game plan ??

Wel they plan to destroy the concept of physical markets like shopping malls, marts, retail shops wherever people go to buy stuff. By using deep pockets of their venture capitalist they shower money so that people develop habit of buying stuff only from online websites.

What are the negative effects of this? Firstly small retailers & marts who don't have deep pockets will vanish due to losses. Secondly heavy discounts and offers will not allow new startups to enter the industry. Thirdly and most importantly these sites might not be charging you for buy/sale transaction through their sites right now but they will in future.

Let me throw some light on their bisinrss strategy. Its a brilliant idea no doubt, its the same idea which Mark Zuckerberg used for Facebook; focusing majorly on increasing customer base in starting years by offering free services and satisfying customers need to the fullest. But there are also businesses which used same idea and were burned to the ground eg: spicejet. This idea is heavily dependent upon masses, however people have a tendency of going for the better choice, that means whoever gives a better deal he will have the customer. Now in tryimg to lore more and more customers to their sites E-commerce giants are badly trapped in their own game as no one (Flipkart or Amazon or Snapdeal) even after incurring so much losses can stop providing these discounts, if they do then competitors take their customers. The ultimate losers are venture capitalists who are bleeding cash. According to me there is only one way out for the venture capitalists, a mutual agreement between companies.  If not, then the ultimate questions is

How long can they sustain like this ?

I can't cheer others

You say you can't cheer others. What is cheering ? How can someone change other's mood ?

One of my dear friend once told me that she doesn't know how to cheer up people. 'Mujey logo ko manana nahi ata.' If someone is sad or depressed around me then I just leave him/her alone.

This was one of the most unorthodox thing I had ever heard. Normally people try to console or help the depressed person so that he or she can sail over such grim. Other's try to share their sorrow and show that they are there for him/her.

She might sound unconventional or a cold hearted girl however she is not. She does not console anybody because she fears that she might worsen their mood rather then making them feel better. She just doesn't understand what to talk or say.

So she leaves that depressed people alone, thinking he/she will recover sooner without her. I believe, sometimes only an attempt of a friend gives boost to a person feeling low.

Sometimes even the simplest thing acts as healing agent. If you really care for that person you will be able to lighten their hearts. Here I m not talking about mood swings where sometimes people want to be alone.

My friend Just ask yourself one thing if you are depressed or you are feeling low will you not want your dearest friend to come up to you and cheer you up? Will you like them if they ignore you, if they stay unaffected or they leave you alone when you are sad or depressed.

If no, then try to cheer up people you care for. Because in life what you give is what you get.

My first crush

Friends, My first crush is different than most. Not because it’s more special but rather because its unique.

26 march 2008 1^st day of 11^th standard when a blue eyed girl walked into my life. 5.5 feet tall, vivid complexion, silky black hairs. Her Roll no. was 28, she wore a white skirt, white shirt with red hair band. It was her 1^st day of school, watching her walk to her seat is the most found memory I have of her, all the wilens, guitars started in my mind…. Needless to say I was spell bound by her beauty so much so that all my midterm results went for a toss. Maa ka ladla begard gaya tha… A glimpse of her made my day. Staring her was my hobby and following her was my passion. Initially I could never approach her, slowly we started talking and on a school trip I took her out for a dinner….  I thought Yes, but NO there I got to know that she is my best friend’s girlfriend.

My heart was broken. I asked god, why me god ? why me ? I liked one girl and you took her away even before giving me any chance. I was completely shattered; I acted like a piece of useless furniture.

Then Amir khan came to my rescue, he said life m 3 cheejo k beech nahi bhagne ka bus, train or chokiri, 1 gaye dusri ate hai , 2 gali teesri ate hai. So I gathered all the strength I had left, I focused my energy for my final term and I passed with flying colors.

Having a crush on someone is one the most exhilarating/ mesmerizing experience. Even though it may be silly and immature you get in touch with your emotions you never knew … you could feel. I guarantee you, you can never feel that by reading romantic novels or watching romantic movies. You can only feel it when your heart starts beating for someone else.

Think & Thrive

Think think think you should always be thinking, planning, focusing, aiming for the future endeavors. You should develop a habit of thinking specially between the age 22-29. Because thinking makes your vision clear and helps you in developing a thought process which helps to build an ideology and principle. Your actions are results of your thoughts and thoughts must be developed in order to implement what you desires. 

Take thinking as an exercise and I ll say it is the most important exercise of your life because only thinking will craft your future, only then you will be able to understand your options and grab the opportunities. 

Only then you will not regret wherever you will be in future.

Thinking is a continuous process you can not say my exams are over I ll wait for my results and then plan for my future. No my friend, no matter the result negative or positive you should not stop thinking because thinking is a habit and only at this faze of your life you can inculcate this habit which will became your USP for life. I know plans will change, you will face setbacks but don't get disappointed, there is no living soul on earth who has not faced failure in his life. We are mortals we can not pen down our future however we can try. We can replan, rethink and strive again.

I am not saying to always keep thinking about the future and forget the present and stop having fun. I am a party lover, masti khor myself. What i intend to say is that at this stage of your life your career, your ambition should be at the driving seat and amusement should be at back seat. 

Friends we all get one life so we should thrive for whatever we desire. In the end we should not repent that we are not left with any options.

- inspired by my friend Gaurav Singh

Why teddy bear

I always used to think that only kids play with teddy bears. But man !!  girls keep surprising me. Guys you won't believe middle aged women loves teddy specially when it is gifted by their boyfriends. And i am talking about all kinds of girls loving, caring, angry, tom boy, every girl likes that   thing. They love  doing stuff like keeping their teddies clean, hugging & kissing and even sleeping with teddies. Each girl has a gang of teddies of all sizes and colors. They all have different names like tedda, gollu, honey.

But Why why girls ? What's in the teddy ? Don't you think you are too old for playing with teddies ? After knowing this i felt even getting ready in 2 hrs for school is justified.

I was keen to find the answer to this teddy, most of my friends could not say anything they just like it there is no reason to it.
Finally I asked the same question to my sister she just asked me one question why do guys love Ferrari ? And There I had my answer. Sis you rock.

Free Advice

India is home for 120 million people, we come from different backgrounds, caste, religion, region, community however we all have one thing in common, we all are experts in giving free advises.

It does not matter whether we know that person or not we like to give our expert opinions to them. People in India like to lecture and go on and on for things about which they have no fucking idea. They don't know the situation in which he or she is, neither they know the background of the problem but then to miraculously they will come up with solutions and not just one but MANY.

Funny part is people giving expert advices don't even follow their own advise when they get into the same situation.
Like its said - "Its always convenient to say than do".

I know every Indian has being on both receiving as well as advising end. People please understand "free ka gyan kisi ko acha nahi lagta". Kindly understand the situation and then speak. I understand that we definitely have good intentions, we want to help others, what i mean is we should be aware of all facts before advising someone .

Also we should never provide free advises to a stranger, colleague or a person with whom we are not that jelled up. Frequently unasked unnecessary advices only bring down our own image in front of that person.

Lets aspire to be the one others look up for valuable advices rather then being a person who speaks a lot and people don't give a dam about whatever he says.

So, No more free advices. Speak wisely. Act promptly.

My Last Supper in Mumbai

I consider myself to be a grown up man. Someone who knows the reality of the world. Someone who can put his emotions aside and judge the situation according to facts and circumstances. But sometimes believing in fantasy is better than being realistic.

I am doing CA internship in Mumbai which is going to end soon and I will be heading back home, my native town. I have a bunch of very special people whom I ll miss a lot. I too like others have made promises with my friends to meet once every year, to go on a vacation with them. However I know all these vows are fantasies, this is the last time after which I won't be seeing most of my bestest best buddies again. Such thoughts are noxious knowing you can't have better friends like you have now, knowing some part of you dies when you part with them.

I wish I could be optimistic like others. Like People who live in present and believes in their future. That way I could also live these last moments, enjoy my last supper rather than thinking about the coming tragedy.

To my friends reading this, I love you all from the bottom of my heart. The time we spend together is the best time of my life. 

No matter the time or distance between us you will stay in my heart forever.