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To brother, with love
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Courier companies and internet sites have made life easier for brothers and sisters to send rakhis and gifts for Rakshabandhan. MANGALA RAMAMOORTHY finds out more
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SIBLING BONDING Online and offline shopping touches its peak before rakhi
Nothing can be more depressing for a sister than to know that the precious rakhi she mailed her brother, who lives abroad or somewhere else within the country hasn't reached him on time.
The same applies to a brother who realises that his dear sister hasn't received the rakhi gift he spent hours looking for. But now times have changed, and so have to the mediums of delivery.
One no longer needs to spend sleepless nights and pray that your brother or sister gets their dues on the special day. Courier companies and websites are taking over our postal service to promptly deliver rakhis and gifts across the globe, with a traditional touch. And what more, most of them have come up with special packages, discounts and free gifts to make the occasion even special. If there are some that offer free shipping, then there are others who offer to hand deliver the rakhi in a specially handcrafted box, along with all the requisite kalash, roli and a greeting card.
"Since our basic idea is to connect with the customers, we felt it would be a good idea to introduce special packages for Rakhi. And for their convenience we are also giving them a Rs. 250 voucher for their next shipment. This year, by August 9, we hope to make at least a few thousand deliveries across the globe," says Chandrasekhar Pitre, Head Marketing, DHL.
K. Prabhakar, President and CEO, XPS express delivery service, which promises to deliver rakhis anywhere within 48 hours, acknowledges that these services have caught up with people very well.
"We have been in this service over seven year now and this year we have had over 3000 bookings so far," he adds.
These offers may be the companies' tactics to lure the customers, but people are definitely not complaining. "Occasions like Rakhi are an opportunity for companies to cash in. Nowadays nearly every family has at least one person staying abroad. Couriers companies and websites are a more practical way of sending rakhis and gifts as you are assured it will reach on time. It is also a matter of convenience.
Till last year, my mother-in-law used to post rakhi to her brother staying outside, but this year we decide to send it through a website," explains Priyanka Ganeriwal Allahabadi, a wedding planner.
As the generation goes more net savy, internet has become an extremely viable means of buying and delivering rakhis and gifts. Available are an array of products and rakhis to choose from and at many sites at discounted prices. "We have seen a continuous improvement in the number of consumers who send rakhis and gifts over the years.
And that's because we offer a huge range of rakhi gifts, from experienced sellers, to choose from that can be delivered to over 500 towns across the country," says Manish Agarwal, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Rediff.
Priyanka is glad that she needn't worry about the rakhi reaching on time. Technology also ensures that one can keep track of the parcel till it reaches its destination, either on the site or by making a call.
"I get the information about the status of my packet on my mobile itself. So I didn't really bother about it," she says.
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