Gifts just a click away

Jushmi Barooah, owner of the jewellery store Caitanya Creations, which allows you to shop online as well, admits that online shopping is here to stay. "Our collection is funky, quirky and has a high-end brand value attached to it.u00a0

Our target audience for the jewellery line is someone who has a bold style statement and someone who isn't scared to experiment."u00a0

The Guide likes: The website is clutter-free and the product range is varied.

Shop In On It offers apparel, funky accessories and knick-knacks for Gen X and Y. Namrata Kothari, the website founder, says that the site was conceptualised as a guide to what's going on in the city. "We eventually branched out to the shopping sector as well. The target audience includes individuals who are funky, fun, young and trendy," she says. The website is offering special New Year discounts and they send online vouchers to customers that enables them to avail of a 10% discount.u00a0

The website also has a section where each designer mentions something unique about their brand.u00a0

The Guide likes: A thumbs-up for the funky website design; it's young and vivacious. The website has a knick-knack section, which you must check out. There are about 25 to 30 brands that are available on the website. We especially liked the Beer Clock which says, "There's no time to waste when you're wasted all the time". Perfect for the New Year, we say.u00a0

When it comes to shirts, most men face a problem with the fitting. Peprismine is a customised men's apparel website that offers shirts for every occasion. Anuj Ramachandra, co-founder, Peprismine, says, "My brother Anup, my mother Girija and I co-founded Peprismine with an aim to eradicate the fitting problem. The customers really appreciated our efforts but had various suggestions about the delivery timings.u00a0

We have customised sizes. For the New Year, we have special party shirts and formal party wear as well. Since it is a fairly new concept, we do not take measurements from the customers. Instead, we take suggestions regarding collar sizes and height according to which we decide the appropriate size." The website is simple and easy-to-use. But wouldn't you prefer a perfect fitting shirt rather than five badly-fitted ones?

The Guide likes: The Red Blush and Yorker Shine Shirts are good to look at. We wish they would add a u00a0trousers and men's accessories section as well.u00a0

If you are looking for exclusive gifting options, check out Gifting Ideas. The have specially-designed collections which include award-winning products as well. Suvir Kullar, director, Gifting Ideas, says, "We have tried to offer products that are different from the ordinary. We don't want our customers to think that they have something that is not exclusive.u00a0

Our website aims to deliver items that have a wow factor. Some of our designs are award-winning as well and are exclusively available on the site." The website also has a special testimonial feature which has comments from their clients. A look through these testimonials can give you an idea of what to buy and what not to buy.u00a0

The Guide likes: They have items ranging from Rs 12 to Rs 15,000 to appeal to everyone. The look of the website is clean and the items on sale are categorised into three sections namely category, price and advanced search. We absolutely love the Christmas special soft toys and the star gazer.

If you want a gift for your boss or one of your colleagues, a laptop skin might be an apt choice. It is formal yet exuberates a funky vibe. Akash Sachdeva, founder and marketing head, The Skin Mantra, says, "The idea for the website originated when I was looking for a laptop skin. I looked for it in Mumbai's Lamington Road and in Delhi but I realised that the only way to procure them was by ordering them from abroad. Eventually, I got the material and started manufacturing them myself.u00a0

It took off from there. We believe that laptop skins, as a product, have a shelf-life of 3 to 4 months which is why we come up with new designs every week. Our products are great in terms of quality and are very reasonably-priced." The website has a clutter-free look and offers ample choice. There are categories such as nature, music and cartoon characters to choose from.

The Guide likes: We find the Rasta Bob Marley skin and the Johnny Bravo skin irresistible. The prices are well within budget and they make customised skins as well.