ITV

Category: e-commerce

  • Make your online business Work

    Make your online business Work

    It’s no good really having an online business that doesn’t do well. You want your online business to flourish and to rake in sales and revenue while you sleep.

    Today’s consumers are disgruntled, hard-to-please people, and somehow you’ll have to let them see that what you’ve got to offer is something wonderful, something that will delight them.

    Know what you want to sell

    Once you’ve done all the planning, and your online business is up and running, how can you be sure to set your business on a course for future success? Starting an online business requires you first knowing what you’re going to sell and to whom.

    Also, pricing is most important and you’ll have to do market research and benchmark against competitors on what is a fair price. And what about invoicing? How many entrepreneurs don’t struggle to get paid on time? There are luckily online apps for easy accounting and invoicing, but what happens when you’re at a loss as to how to actually get started with your online business? It’s jolly hard work and there’s a whole lot of things that need to be done at the right time to make it work.

    Get a solid foundation for future online success

    It’s why Shopify, an eCommerce platform makes it so easy for you to set up your online store. It’s a leading commerce platform that can be of assistance to businesses of all sizes.

    Assuming that you’ve chosen products to sell, the next step is –

    • Finding suppliers. With dropshipping you don’t hassle with upfront inventory costs or shipping logistics because with dropshipping, products are sent directly to your customers from the wholesaler.

    • When it comes to choosing a domain name, it has to be a name that is unforgettable and that represents your niche ideally.

    • You’ll also need to create a marketing plan and use it to achieve your marketing goals. This marketing plan is important because it guides your business and helps you understand its goals in terms of financial reports, what services it offers, what its sales reports look like. It will help you see what can work and what won’t work for your online business.

    Your plan should also include a summary outlining who your direct competition is and what advantages you have over them.

    • Blogging too, is a good way to drive traffic to your store, because customers love to read about the product and services they’re interested in. Writing useful content and putting it on various channels gives a good chance for promoting your product.

    • You want to know how to actually reach your true, interested customers and you’ll discover how to with Search Engine Optimization – SEO – or on social media.

    It’s all so easy

    Whatever your online business is – music, pet products, flowers, jewelry or something else, the platform can help you sell your products. Simply read their terms of service and benefits because they’re there to launch and manage your online store, allowing beginners to create an online store without coding, without software installation and without hosting services.

  • Snapdeal resumes services in 96 cities for essential goods

    Snapdeal resumes services in 96 cities for essential goods

    MUMBAI: E-commerce marketplace Snapdeal has resumed operations in 96 cities covering more than 15,000 pin codes. 

    Other than metro cities, the list also covers smaller cities like Agra, Bhopal, Dehradun, Jalandhar, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jaipur, Kota, Nashik, Patna, Raipur, Surat etc.

    The current operations cover essential goods in high demand and include grocery items like rice, tea, coffee, atta etc. Also, supplies of household cleaning supplies are being prioritised.

    To boost supplies, Snapdeal has tied up with local grocers and wholesalers to make fast intra-city deliveries. It is also tying up with local Kisan Mandis in metro cities so that staples like pulses, salt, sugar, cooking oil and other packaged food items like biscuits, juices can be made available locally in a cost-effective manner.

    While the inter-city movement of goods has now resumed, Snapdeal has also focused a lot of effort in the last week to build supplies for deliveries within the city. This has helped it continue supplies even as stocks in transit were stuck on the road and in warehouses across the country.

    Snapdeal has made available disposable masks in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida & Ghaziabad and is seeking to expand the availability to select other cities. The demand for masks far exceeds the supply and sellers are replenishing stocks as fast as they can so that more buyers can be serviced. The availability of sanitizers is expected to improve later this week.

    While Snapdeal continues to accept orders for both essential and non-essential goods, the delivery for the latter is planned post the lockdown period.

    A large number of orders have been placed for Glucose monitors, sugar testing strips, BP monitors, etc that users across smaller cities use regularly to manage ongoing medical conditions. Snapdeal plans to deliver these on priority as soon as these stocks reach the destinations cities.

    “Accounting for the supply chain disruptions, we have focused on strengthening local operations. Currently, we are prioritising deliveries of essentials and other deliveries will commence once the lockdown restrictions are lifted,” a Snapdeal spokesperson added.

    As a measure of immediate contribution, all Snapdeal employees have decided to donate a day's salary to the PM-CARES fund that seeks to provide emergency assistance to those in distress due to the on-going lockdown.

  • OnePlus TV witnessed commendable sales across both online and offline platforms

    OnePlus TV witnessed commendable sales across both online and offline platforms

    MUMBAI: OnePlus’ recently launched product OnePlus Android TV has witnessed sales across both online and offline platforms. The company has emerged as the best-selling premium brand in both smart TV and smartphone categories on Amazon and offline partner stores.

    The company announced on Friday said it has gained a record ₹1,500 crore in gross merchandise value (GMV) worth of sales during the ongoing Diwali sales across platforms.

    "We are humbled by the degree of enthusiasm our community members and customers across India have shown towards our new products, leading us to achieve these remarkable results," OnePlus India general manager Vikas Agarwal, said in a statement.

  • Snapdeal traffic grows 61% in a year, now India’s third-largest marketplace

    Snapdeal traffic grows 61% in a year, now India’s third-largest marketplace

    MUMBAI: Snapdeal’s web & mobile sites has more than tripled from 27 million monthly visits in October 2017 to more than 87 million visits in September 2019, reveals a latest SimilarWeb data report. As per the data, in the last one year, Snapdeal’s traffic has grown 61 per cent to cross 87 million monthly visits in September 2019 to its web and mobile sites.

    Snapdeal with its 848 million visits in the last 12 months is now the third-largest marketplace in India, more than four times the size of #4*, which with 205 million visits in the last 12 months is a distant #4 in the Indian market.

    As per the brand, this gain in the reach and popularity has been a result of its steady focus on the mass segment of the e-commerce market in India.

    Pursuant to its Snapdeal 2.0 strategy unveiled in August 2017, Snapdeal sharpened its focus on the needs of the value-conscious buyers in India. This market of 400 million potential buyers is the fastest-growing segment in Indian e-commerce.

    Consistent with its focus on the value segment, more than 90 per cent of Snapdeal’s users come from the small towns and cities of India.

    As per a recent tweet by Snapdeal’s CEO and co-founder Kunal Bahl, the company saw its highest-ever monthly transacting users in September 2019. In the on-going Diwali sales, Snapdeal’s order volumes grew 52 per cent over last Diwali and volumes doubled in more than 120 cities across India.

    Snapdeal’s total monthly traffic across the web, mobile site and app at nearly 150-180 million is expected to cross 220 million in October 2019 with the on-going festive season. With the success of its 2.0 strategy, Snapdeal has established itself as a strong #3 in the Indian market, with a leadership position in the Bharat-focused value segment.

    Snapdeal’s growth is based on a strategy of pursuing growth basis healthy unit economics while simultaneously maximising the operating efficiency of the marketplace. This is reflected in its audited financials for the FY 2019-19, released in July 2019.

    Snapdeal’s consolidated revenues grew by 73 per cent (from Rs 535.9 Cr in FY 18 to Rs 925.3 crore in FY19). Simultaneously, it also reduced its loss by 71 per cent (from Rs 611 Cr in FY 18 to Rs 186 Cr in FY 19).

    Snapdeal CEO & co-founder Kunal Bahl said, “The growing volumes on Snapdeal are built on a sound and granular understanding of the importance of value in Bharat-focused e-commerce. Our ability to build scale along with favorable unit economics gives Snapdeal an immense competitive advantage.”

    Snapdeal’s growth in traffic, increase in volumes is also due to the deepening of its focus on value-priced merchandise. In the last two years, Snapdeal has added 60,000+ new seller partners, who have added over 50 million new listings through a structured engagement aimed at building a deep assortment of products relevant for value-savvy buyers. Snapdeal now has more than 500,000 registered seller-partners, who have more than 200 million listings on the marketplace.

  • Snapdeal witnessed 50% growth over last year from two Diwali sale editions

    Snapdeal witnessed 50% growth over last year from two Diwali sale editions

    MUMBAI: Snapdeal, one of India’s largest value-focused online marketplaces, concluded the first two of its Bharat-focused Diwali sales on a high note. Snapdeal witnessed a 50 per cent growth over last year from the first two sale editions of this year and is confident of the momentum continuing in the third and final Snap-Diwali sale.

    Two out of every five buyers who bought in the Diwali sales came back for another purchase during the ongoing sales to take advantage of the attractive offers.

    For Snapdeal, the strong performance this Diwali continues, with orders consistently at more than 1.5 times that of last Diwali. Nearly 90 per cent of the orders received on the marketplace so far were from non-metro cities like Nagpur, Surat, Vijayawada, Chandigarh, Panaji, Jamshedpur, Shimla,  Guwahati, Roorkee, Hazaribagh, Khammam, Tezpur etc.

    The first time users surged across cities like Nashik, Surat, Chandigarh, Panaji, and Guwahati and the overall growth in first time users was 2.3 times YoY.

    Working closely with its seller-partners & logistics companies, Snapdeal has already shipped out 97 per cent of the Diwali sale orders so that orders are delivered ahead of the upcoming festivities.

    An interesting trend that emerged this year is of buyers from metro hubs like Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata using Snapdeal to send Diwali gifts for their families back home in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, and Himachal Pradesh. These gifts were sent to small towns like Khalgaon & Sangrampur in Bihar, Tato in Odisha, Rampur in Himachal Pradesh etc.

    According to Snapdeal, “The trend of users buying gifts on Snapdeal and sending it to their families back home is something that started last year and has grown sharply this year. The volume of such gifts has already tripled this year and we expect more such orders over the next few days.”

    “The range of festivals starting with Karva Chauth and followed by Dhanteras, Diwali, Bhaiya Dooj and Chhath Puja have become important gifting occasions. Many of our users who stay away from their families, find and ship their gifts home via Snapdeal. We are privileged to be connecting loved ones with their families on these festive occasions.”

    Highest trending products for gifts sent home: 

    ●        Clothes for family members constituted 60 per cent of the gift items, with Sarees, sweaters and childrens’ garments accounting for the bulk of this.

    ●        Home use products like Steel utensil sets, copper flask-tumbler, quilts, blankets and bed sheets accounted for nearly 20 per cent of the gifts category.

    ●        The other popular items shipped home by family members in big cities included set of 3-watches, duffel bags, mini bluetooth speakers, earphones, Rechargeable LED lights, mosquito nets and Toran door hangings.

    Overall Sale:

    ●        Home, kitchen and fashion categories were key drivers of repeat purchases.

    ●        Festive fashion, electronic accessories, Diwali lights, traditional Diwali decorations and home products continued to be strong sellers in the Diwali Sales.

    ●        2 out of 5 buyers who bought in current Diwali sale came back for another purchase

    ●        97% of orders received already shipped.

    The third & final Snap-Diwali sale for the festive season will commence on 18 October and will conclude on 20 October 2019.

  • Flipkart announces the launch of ‘Flipkart Video Originals’

    Flipkart announces the launch of ‘Flipkart Video Originals’

    MUMBAI: Flipkart, India’s leading e-commerce marketplace today announced its foray into offering original video content with the launch of ‘Flipkart Video Originals’. Integrated within the Flipkart Video platform, which was launched in August this year, Flipkart Video Originals will be produced by some of the best creators in the industry and curated especially for the Flipkart platform. 

    The first creator to join the platform is Academy Award winner Guneet Monga. Guneet is on board as the official creator and curator of short stories for the platform, helping bring to life new-age storytelling for millions of people. Understanding the entertainment needs of today’s consumers, Flipkart Video Originals will make available bespoke snackable content that is both mobile-first and interactive in nature. Unlike other video offerings available today, Flipkart is integrating compelling technology in entertainment, for the widest consumer base which penetrates into the deepest parts of the country, where the possibilities are endless.

    In the months to come, Flipkart will work with renowned industry talent and production houses such as Studio Next, Frames and Sikhya Productions, to bring forth first-of-its-kind content across genres and languages. The first original series ‘Backbenchers’ hosted by Farah Khan goes live later this month and will feature an array of India’s most-loved celebrities, engaging in nostalgic banter, which will have the audience coming back for more.

    Speaking about Flipkart Video Originals, Flipkart Vice President – Growth & Monetization Prakash Sikaria said, “Our singular focus at Flipkart is to bring value to the lives of our consumers, through carefully tailored and curated offerings. When we launched our Video platform earlier this year, our agenda was clear and we were keen to play a role in on-boarding new customers who are not necessarily new to the internet, but are new to e-commerce. Within the first two months of the launch of Flipkart Video, we are overwhelmed with the positive response we have received from consumers. Encouraged by this, we are launching our next content offering – ‘Flipkart Video Originals’. There is an existing gap that needs to be filled and at Flipkart, we saw an opportunity to create great video content which is easier for people to consume, that is mobile-first. From short stories created by award-winning producers, to entertainment shows featuring the leading talent from Bollywood, we believe that our platform will have something special for every consumer. We envisage our original content to resonate strongly with people across the country, as we usher in a new era of mobile-first video content.”

    Speaking about her partnership with Flipkart Video Originals, Oscar Winning producer Guneet Monga, said, “Flipkart Video is offering a great platform for content creators to engage with a customer base of over 160 million people across India, through a unique story telling format. I am excited to be collaborating with Flipkart to cater to today's demand of short-form content, at the convenience of mobile phones. With accepting audience like today's, it is exciting to make diverse films. It's great to witness that Flipkart Video Originals is enabling film makers to share their stories."

    When Flipkart launched its video platform earlier in 2019, it truly democratised content for Bharat. Most consumers’ first touch point with the internet is through online video content, and in India, primarily via mobile. Flipkart truly believes that great content, if made available to a wider base of consumers, specially the ones who are new to e-commerce but not necessarily the internet, can play a key role in helping them access e-commerce effectively. Flipkart Video Originals as an offering has been curated for consumers who are constantly looking out for new and better ways to spend their time online.

  • Snapdeal Snap Diwali Sale: price cuts on smartphones below 5,000

    Snapdeal Snap Diwali Sale: price cuts on smartphones below 5,000

    MUMBAI: Snapdeal’s 3-day Snap Diwali sale begins today.  The sale has deals on affordable smartphones under Rs 5000. A range of colour feature phones starting 299 will also be available on sale.

    Here are the top mobile deals in the Snap Diwali Sale:

    The LG Spirit is listed at a price of Rs 3404. Outside of the sale deals, the phone is priced starting at Rs. 13,500. Its a basic smartphone with 8MP rear camera and 1.3GHz quad-core processor.

    There is also a range of iVoomi phones on discount. These include iVoomi iPro, iVoomi Z1, and iVoomi i2 lite. iVoomi iPro is listed at Rs 2499 for the 16gb variant and will be available in platinum gold colour. The iVoomi Z1 will go on sale for Rs 4199. The phone has 13 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera. iVoomi i2 lite is discounted for Rs 4999. It has a great battery capacity of 4000mAh. 

    The sale will also see colour feature phones starting for as low as Rs 299. Popular ones include flap phone Blackbear i7 trio priced at Rs 1369, game phone Muphone M210, and iKall K14 priced at Rs 299.

    Power banks in 10,000 mAh will cost as low as Rs 429. Screen magnifier is the most popular mobile accessory on Snapdeal. It can enlarge the smartphone screen up to 4 times for a better viewing experience. It's available for Rs 369. 

    Snapdeal has attractive bank offers of up to 25% on phones and accessories. Punjab National Bank users get a 25% discount. Rupay and Bank of Baroda card users can avail up to a 20% discount. Federal Bank and RBL card users also get up to 15% off. MobiKwik users get a 15% supercash.

  • ‘Vodafone Eco Ponds’ are back for an environment-friendly ganesh visarjan in pune

    ‘Vodafone Eco Ponds’ are back for an environment-friendly ganesh visarjan in pune

    MUMBAI: After a phenomenal response to the ‘Vodafone Eco Ponds’ initiative during Ganeshotsav 2017 and 2018, Vodafone Idea Limited is back with ‘Vodafone Eco Ponds’ 2019, for Punekars to bid good bye to Lord Ganesha in an eco-friendly way.

    Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most awaited festivals and is marked with the installation of the deity's idol at home and at elaborate pandals. Each year, over 75 lakh Ganesha idols made of Plaster of Paris, are immersed in water bodies in and around Pune at the end of the 11-day festival, contributing several environmental hazards. Immersion of idols generally made of Plaster of Paris (PoP), disturb the aquatic ecosystem and is a major cause of water pollution.

    Now people are getting more aware of the adverse effects and have been looking to adopt solutions to prevent pollution while permitting them to continue with their social/religious practices.

    ‘Vodafone Eco Ponds’ initiative was born out of the determination to find an environment friendly solution that will preserve the sanctity surrounding Ganeshotsav and take the pressure off the natural water bodies. Conceived in partnership with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), ‘Vodafone Eco Ponds’ in Pune have been used for immersing over 8,100 Ganesha idols, since Ganeshotsav 2017.

    This year, Vodafone Idea Ltd. will set up eco-ponds at four Vodafone stores and will deploy promoters to facilitate the visarjan and monitor the activity. Additionally, two mobile eco-ponds will be sent out in the city for residents of Housing societies to carry out the visarjan in an eco-friendly way within their premises.

    Commenting on the environment-friendly initiative, Rajendra Chourasia, Business Head – Maharashtra & Goa, Vodafone Idea Limited said, “Ganeshotsav is one of the most celebrated festivals in Pune. As much as we enjoy celebrating the festival, we are aware of the impact the immersion of idols leaves on the environment. We are extremely happy to support PMC and NCL for the third consecutive year with our ‘Vodafone Eco-Ponds’ initiative to enable Punekars to give an environment-friendly farewell to their beloved Ganpati Bappa. On this occasion, I wish all our Vodafone Idea customers, a very happy and blessed Ganesh Chaturthi.”

    Starting 3rd September, Vodafone Eco Ponds’ will be available at Vodafone stores at Aundh Road, Kharadi, Wakdewadi, and NIBM Road. ‘Bappa’ devotees can also search for the closest ‘Vodafone Eco Pond’ by using Maps or dial 7391000000 for information on the locations.

    ‘Vodafone Eco Ponds’ have helped recycle 34 tons of PoP and generated 2.7 lakh litres of fertiliser in the last two years. This resource was subsequently distributed to farmers in Maharashtra for their fields.

  • Celebrate a Nature-Friendly ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ with Snapdeal

    Celebrate a Nature-Friendly ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ with Snapdeal

    MUMBAI: Snapdeal, India’s leading online marketplace, today announced the launch of its specially curated Ganesh Chaturthi store on its platform. The special one-stop store has the finest collection of pooja essentials like pooja thalis, gold coins, Ganesh idols, and Ganesh merchandise products like t-shirts, pens and keychains, at attractive price points.   

    The highlight of this store is environmentally friendly Ganesh idols which are made of cow dung, natural soil, clay, and other sustainable materials. These idols are hollow from within or filled with manure, soil or seeds. The idols are attractive and do not leave a chemical trail harming the environment.

    The commonly used idols are made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) and are decorated with paints having high lead and mercury content. The materials are extremely harmful to the water bodies and deteriorate the marine ecosystem. 

    Besides eco-friendly Ganesh idols, Snapdeal has introduced Ganesh lamp lights to brighten the corners and spread light on the festivities. The selection offers attractive and colorful Ganesh lamps for décor and lighting on the auspicious occasion. 

    In addition to these, there is a festive offer discount on Ganesh paintings and tapestry silver coins and bars, dry fruits, chocolates, sweets, ethnic wear, and traditional jewelry. 

    Snapdeal offers customers a wide range of inimitable products at lucrative rates with up to 80% discount on the selected range. MobiKwik users get an additional 15% supercash.

    Here is a glimpse of the selection offered: 
    1.    Pooja Accessories: The online store offers a wide range of pooja accessories like Pooja thalis, incense sticks, chowkis, kalash etc. with price range starting Rs 199.
    2.    Ganesh Idols: The curated store offers beautiful eco-friendly Ganesh idols with up to 80% discount. 
    3.    For your Taste buds: Dry Fruits including almonds, cashews, nuts, etc. are also available with discount up to 60%, sweets, and chocolates with discounts of up to 20%. 
    4.    Silver Coins and bars: The online store provides a discounted price of up to 60%off on the selection of silver coins and bars. 
    5.    Ethnic Wear for Women: Traditional sarees with minimum discount of 50% off and stylish kurtis up to 80% off are also available for festive wear. 
    6.    Ganesh Merchandise- Merchandise products like Ganesh keychain, t-shirts, stickers, pens, and gold-plated locker are also available on the curated online store. 
    7.    Traditional Jewelry: Starting from Rs 179 onwards, the store offers attractive ornamental wear for the occasion.
     

  • Flipkart Video ropes in Neha Toteja as senior director and head

    Flipkart Video ropes in Neha Toteja as senior director and head

    MUMBAI: E-commerce giant Flipkart has appointed Neha Toteja as Flipkart Video senior director and head. She will be P&L owner for Flipkart's upcoming video OTT service Flipkart Video as has been updated on her Linkendin profile.

    Toteja will be leading a cross-functional team to build a premium, personalised and curated content viewing experience for Flipkart's customers.

    The leader of the upcoming player in the crowded Indian streaming market has an experience of nearly two decades. She has had stints at several companies like Fox, Reliance Entertainment, EY, Times Network, Star TV Network. Prior to her current role, she was associated with international e-commerce giant Amazon.

    Toteja holds a prestigious MBA degree from the premium institution London School of Economics and Political Science.