Category: e-commerce

Flipkart to roll out video streaming for members of Plus loyalty program

MUMBAI: Amid the fierce battle of existing players, the Indian over-the-top (OTT) market is going to see the entry of another player. Walmart Inc.’s Flipkart is planning to roll out video streaming for members of its Flipkart Plus loyalty program by September.

According to a report by Bloomberg Quint, the service is now in beta stage. Moreover, it will enter the market ahead of the Diwali season. It will help the e-commerce platform to catch up with its main rival Amazon which houses award-winning shows such as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for global audiences and popular shows in local languages like Mirzapur.

Initially, Flipkart will rely on licensed content from Walt Disney Co., local studios like Balaji Telefilms. It won’t take the route of burning cash for original content first. Rather, it would bring in-house content later.

Flipkart Plus video-streaming will come free just like its no-subscription fee loyalty program unlike Amazon where it has subscription for prime members. According to the report, Flipkart shoppers can become members by amassing 300 “super coins,” at a rate of 2 for every Rs 100 ($1.40) spent on its platform. Back in 2018, Walmart paid $16 billion for control of Indian e-commerce platform Flipkart.

August 6, 2019
Product Videos boost sales on Snapdeal – 30% rise in sales for listings with videos; small sellers gain

MUMBAI: Snapdeal, India’s leading online marketplace, has added a wide range of product videos on its app. Placed under ‘SD TV’, the ten-second short videos showcase key features and utility of the featured products.

Snapdeal is focused on the needs of value-conscious buyers in India. Over the past two years, it has vastly expanded the range of value-priced merchandize, including popular regional brands and seller-branded products, which directly fulfill the price & functionality needs of the audience.

To help buyers make an engaging and informed buying decision for these products, Snapdeal has launched videos of these products, which helps users get access to high-quality visuals of the product from all angles. More than 75% of Snapdeal’s buyers are from Tier 2 & 3 cities and the product videos help overcome language and literacy barriers.

“We have created a huge & growing library of short-format videos to help users get an enhanced idea about the functionality of a product, which is quite important given that a significant number of products that we sell may be lesser known seller-brands or a product that has consumer has never seen before,” said a Snapdeal spokesperson.

The videos also help buyers discover new and interesting products, which is aligned with Snapdeal’s positioning to provide a fun and engaging discovery-led online experience for its users.

“Videos have helped us drive sales. Ten-second videos of products are far more captivating and help buyers to make decisions faster than static pictures of the products concerned,” added Snapdeal spokesperson. The product videos have boosted sales of featured products by an average of 30%.

The product videos are a boon for seller brands given that they cannot afford to showcase their products in expensive advertisements in print and on TV. Snapdeal not only provides a platform for them to showcase their products better but also shoots the videos for them.

The market for value-priced merchandize is worth nearly USD 163 billion and only about 1-2% of this is online, compared to the 10-40% online penetration for branded products like mobiles, electronics, etc.

Popular products include USB air coolers, 14-in-1 choppers, compact shoe racks, mobile phone stand with a magnifier for the bigger screen experience etc.

More than 70 million users visit Snapdeal every month to browse through and buy from nearly 200 million SKUs listed by nearly 500,000 registered sellers. In the last two years alone, the company has seen 60,000+ new seller partners come on board adding over 50 Million new listings.

August 1, 2019
Twitter launches #Tweetups to bring the power of global conversations to life

MUMBAI: Twitter serves the public conversation, and is the best way to see what’s happening in India and to talk about it. Fostering conversation and dialogue across various topics has the potential of catalysing cultural exchange, and in order to bring this to life, Twitter has launched Global #Tweetups.

#Tweetups aim to take the online conversation offline, breaking down barriers between diverse cultures and ethnicities through the power of conversation.

Twitter has partnered with Shared_Studios (@sharedstudios) to create immersive portals where people can connect to others in an almost life-like, full-screen experience. Shared_Studios has activated #Tweetups in 40 locations across the globe, from New York to Nairobi, Seoul to Sao Paulo and Los Angeles to London. In India, it is located in Delhi at Select CITYWALK in Saket enabling anyone to walk into this portal, and instantly talk with another person across the world about anything under the sun.

#Tweetups will stay live till 4th of August, and while live will host a series of curated, experiential activities, including group conversations, bursts of music and dance, and topical discussions around women empowerment and other shared interests. Conversations in these #Tweetups will be started and moderated by local curators.

Some of the conversations to look forward to:

● On July 30th, the cast of the upcoming movie Khandaani Shafakhana, Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha), Varun Sharma (@varunsharma90) and rapper Badshah (@Its_Badshah) will have a conversation in line with their movie’s campaign ‘Baat toh Karo’, which seeks to open up and normalise the dialogue around sex and sexuality. You can also follow @sonakshisinha as she will go live from her Twitter handle sharing the experience.

● On August 2nd, Ananya Pandey (@ananyapandayy) will be talking about online bullying and the importance of sensitising people towards online health in line with her initiative, SO+ (SocialPositive).

Follow all the action by searching for the hashtag #Tweetups, and visit Select CITYWALK to connect with someone from another country, in another time zone and have a conversation.

July 30, 2019
Amazon revenue rises 20% y-o-y to touch $63.4 bn

MUMBAI: Jeff Bezos-led Amazon reported mixed second quarter results as it missed earnings estimates but beat estimates on revenues. The e-commerce giant reported earnings per share (EPS) of $5.22 in contrast to $5.55 expected EPS. At the same time, it posted revenues of $63.4 billion while market estimation was $62.52 billion.

Amazon’s revenue rose 20 per cent Y-o-Y, compared to rebound 16.8 per cent in the first quarter, which was the slowest in four years. However, Amazon’s net income of $2.6 billion was the lowest since the second quarter of last year.

The company has guided net sales to be between $66 billion and $70 billion, or to grow between 17 per cent and 24 per cent compared with third quarter 2018. This guidance anticipates an unfavourable impact of approximately 30 basis points from foreign exchange rates. Operating income has been expected to be between $2.1 billion and $3.1 billion, compared with $3.7 billion in the same quarter of last year.

Amazon’s highest growing business, Amazon Web Services reported 37 per cent growth, slipping from 41 per cent in the previous quarter. The revenue of its “other” category, including its increasingly important online ad business, climbed 37 per cent to $3 billion. However, international sales grew 12 per cent to $16.4 billion.

“Customers are responding to Prime’s move to one-day delivery — we’ve received a lot of positive feedback and seen accelerating sales growth,” said Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos.

“Free one-day delivery is now available to Prime members on more than ten million items, and we’re just getting started. A big thank you to the team for continuing to make life easier for customers,” he added.

While Prime Video premiered the Jonas Brothers documentary Chasing Happiness, and Original Series Good Omens, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, it will debut new Original Series The Boys, from creators Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, on 26 July and Carnival Row, starring Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne, on 30 August.

July 26, 2019
Jio furthers its commitment to reduce gender gap in digital adoption

MUMBAI: Jio, the world’s largest mobile data network, has today announced that it has partnered with GSMA’s Connected Women Initiative to bridge the gender gap in digital adoption and digital literacy among women in India. Jio and GSMA will work towards empowering more women with increased access to, and use of, life-enhancing digital services.

The recent accelerated adoption of mobile and internet technologies has changed how people engage, educate and entertain. However, the gender gap in mobile adoption in India persists due to a lack of access, affordability and inclusion in the digital revolution. Since its inception, Jio has been committed to address this gap by offering equal opportunities to one and all.

As a part of the Connected Women Initiative, GSMA works with mobile operators and their partners globally to address the barriers that women face in accessing and using mobile internet and mobile money services. GSMA and the service providers can together deliver significant socio-economic benefits and transform the lives of countless women while unlocking this substantial market opportunity for the mobile industry.

Speaking about Jio’s focus on digital inclusion, Isha Ambani, Director, Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, said, “The growth of mobile and internet technologies over the past decade has been rapid and remarkable. It offers an incredible opportunity to empower women and transform lives with increased access to information and education, aiding financial inclusion and providing life-enhancing services and employment opportunities. This is the reason why Jio was conceived, and we have committed ourselves to making this dream come true for all Indians.”

India’s own smartphone, the JioPhone, is a major step towards digital inclusion, bringing several first-time mobile users in the fold of digital life. Available at Rs 501 (approximately $7) with unlimited voice and data services at an unparalleled price of Rs 49 a month (less than $1), JioPhone is encouraging and enabling more and more people to try digital services.

Jio has also partnered with several Government-led initiatives to digitally empower millions of women in the country.

July 15, 2019
LinkedIn partners with ESPN to launch Office Sports Quiz

MUMBAI: LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network in association with ESPN, the one-stop destination for all things sports, today, announced the launch of the LinkedIn ESPN Office Sports Quiz for working professionals. The registrations for this joint initiative for corporates across the country are open.

The consumer insights gathered by ESPN indicate that sport has been one of the top discussion topics amongst white-collar business professionals. The multisport LinkedIn ESPN Office Sports Quiz is an attempt to provide a platform to these discerning sports fans in offices and workspaces to demonstrate their sports knowledge, unique skills as a team, passion for sport and get rewarded for it.

“People often find inspiration for their personal and professional lives from the sports they follow. We are really excited to partner with ESPN for the Office Sports quiz, to see our members collaborate with each other, enjoy a common interest, and spur a sense of community at the workplace. At LinkedIn, we believe in helping our members become better professionals and this is an interesting way to encourage passions, connections, and conversations beyond the workplace,” says Srividya Gopani, Director – Brand and Consumer Marketing, APAC and China at LinkedIn.

The LinkedIn ESPN Office Sports Quiz comprises two rounds. The first round will be conducted online over three weeks on www.ESPN.in followed by the second round including semi-final and final to be played offline on July 17, 2019, in Mumbai. Gaurav Kapur, a popular television presenter, actor, and ex-IPL host will anchor the second round. The on-ground show will be shot in a full-blown studio with multi-cam set up to produce full HD quality video content and rolled out on ESPN platforms, ESPN.in & ESPNcricinfo.

The winning team will get an all-expense paid trip to England to watch an English Football League match live from the stadium.

Akshaya Kolhe, Head of Sales, ESPN, said, “ESPN is continually engaging with sports fans through various interactive shows and engaging fun content to keep their passion for sports alive. We all have grown up participating in quiz competitions and sports quizzes, it is our attempt to bring back the same flavor and

competitiveness for the present-day fans. By making it multi-sports including cricket, our attempt is to tap the ever-increasing multisport interest in India”

To be eligible to participate in the quiz, the applicants will have to form a team of two within the same organization and register here. The applicants can register in any of the three weeks but will have to play the quiz any day within that particular week.

June 28, 2019
Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma receives the Horasis-KPMG Indian Business Leader of the Year award for Entrepreneurship

MUMBAI: Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder-CEO of Paytm, India’s digital payments leader, has been felicitated with “Business Leader of the Year Award for Entrepreneurship” by Horasis- KPMG. The award ceremony was held in Segovia, Spain and was attended by global business leaders and corporates.

From being a small-town boy from Aligarh who bought second-hand tech magazines to the founder of one of India’s most trusted technology brands, Vijay Shekhar Sharma has come a long way. His conviction could win Jack Ma (Alibaba Group), Masayoshi Son (Softbank) and Warren Buffett (Berkshire Hathway) to invest in his firm.

Paytm is India’s only super app which has all online and offline payment use-cases, it’s success has also become a Harvard case study, making India proud. His achievements include building India’s first profitable payments bank and fastest growing wealth management offering with Paytm Money. His success inspires a whole generation of entrepreneurs — those who may not necessarily have a pedigree background — but who believe that they can dream big even if they are from a village with patchy internet or mobile connectivity. Paytm’s business growth has attracted various global companies to replicate its model to expand its presence in India.

Looking forward to a cashless India, Vijay’s dream is to bring half a billion Indians to the mainstream economy. His dream is to build India’s first $100 Bn firm, a company that would make the nation proud.

June 26, 2019
Airtel boosts its digital content portfolio – launches ‘Airtel Books’ to bring an exciting reading experience to smartphone users

MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s leading telecommunications services provider, today launched a new app – Airtel Books to bring an exciting collection of e-books to smartphone users. With this, Airtel has further diversified its fast growing digital content portfolio to add to its popular offerings like Wynk Music and Airtel TV.

Available to both Airtel and non-Airtel customers in iOS and Android, Airtel Books will initially offer over 70,000 titles from leading Indian and international authors. Latest launches like Mind Without Fear from Rajat Gupta are part of the exciting collection. Airtel Books plans to rapidly expand its e-books collection by partnering with leading publishers as well as leveraging its strategic partnership with Juggernaut Books.

All Airtel Books users will get a complimentary 30 day trial to experience the app and can access ‘Free’ titles from the Readers Club. Airtel smartphone customers will also enjoy a one-time special benefit of being able to access any five ‘Paid’ titles from the Readers Club, which has a collection of over 5000 e-books.

Airtel Books has a subscription service called, Reader’s Club which is priced at Rs. 129 for 6 months and Rs. 199 for 12 months. Customers can also buy books on a per book basis with best-in-class offers.

Sameer Batra, CEO – Content & Apps, Bharti Airtel said: “Airtel Books is another major milestone in our journey towards building a world-class digital content portfolio. E-books is a fast growing segment along with music and video, thanks to large screen smartphones becoming the cornerstone of digital lifestyle. We are delighted to roll out this initiative and take it to the smartphone users across India through our deep distribution reach. As we have demonstrated with Wynk Music and Airtel TV, our aim is to use deep customer science to curate great reading content for our users and add to their smartphone experience on our best-in-class network.”

Chiki Sarkar, Co-Founder, Juggernaut Books said, “Reaching the growing smartphone users in the country and getting them phone friendly books at low prices has been the reason Juggernaut was set up. Our association with Airtel has helped really make this vision come alive.”

Some of the popular authors on Airtel Books are Twinkle Khanna, Sourav Ganguly, Rajdeep Sardesai, Sunny Leone, Arundhati Roy, Devdutt Pattnaik, Preeti Shenoy, Yashwant Sinha, Kanhaiya Kumar, Raghuram Rajan, Rujuta Diwekar, Perumal Murugan, Benyamin and Rajat Gupta.

Alongside these names, Airtel Books also offers a large catalogue of stories from as short as five pages across a range of genres – crime, love, sex and romance, business, history and politics, fitness, diet, spirituality and classics.

April 3, 2019
Smart Shirt on Snapdeal to launch soon

MUMBAI: Snapdeal has started pre-registration for a new smart shirt on its website. The “Smart Shirt” on Snapdeal, will allow users to change the colour of the shirt through a mobile app.

Technology has come a long way. Things which were impossible to even imagine have become reality now. Every now and then, we see brands launching new products using the latest technology. Gone will be the days when you had to carry multiple shirts or bother about sweat.

This smart shirt can really do wonders for people who find it difficult to spend money on buying expensive clothes. It’ll be made with special fibre, the shirt is lightweight, comfortable and is machine washable as per instructions provided with the garment. If you are interested in getting hold of this smart-shirt, visit https://www.snapdeal.com/offers/smartshirt2019

The smart shirt is a useful and fun use of cutting-edge technology. It will allow users to switch from office mode to evening mode, without having to carry extra garments. This smart shirt can really do wonders for people who find it difficult to carry multiple clothes. We are eagerly awaiting to lay our hands on this one.

Snapdeal already has a very interesting collection of cool products such as automatic toothpaste dispensers, ninja tool kits, fruit cutters, travel tool kits, portable blenders, portable tyre pumps, USB water coolers, fans, magic balloons, mini fans.

March 29, 2019
Enjoy the shades of Summer with Snapdeal’s women fashion store

MUMBAI: Snapdeal, India’s leading online marketplace, today launched its Summer Store with an exquisite selection of products for women to upgrade their wardrobe in style, at affordable prices.

The Snapdeal Summer Store offers the finest collection of sarees, stitched kurtis, palazzo and pants in vibrant summer hues. It also has a variety of items on sale with the country’s best fashion jewellery, wrist watches, exquisite fragrances and bags, presenting the latest trends of the fashion industry.

For ones who love to flaunt western outfits, the curated store offers a huge variety of dresses, gowns, tops, tunics, jeans, jeggings and tights. A range of casual shoes, loafers, ballerinas, heels, flat slip-ons and sandals are also available at attractive price points.

The curated store has a large variety of scarfs, stoles and sunglasses to bring in the summer in style.

Shoppers can save more by availing bank offers. Bank of Baroda credit card users get additional 15% discount and HDFC debit card users get 5% cashback.

Here are the glimpses of the sale:

Bhagalpuri silk, chiffon sarees: minimum discount of upto 40%

Dress and Gowns: starting at Rs.399

Kurtas and stitched kurtis: discount between 50-80%

Tops & Tunics: Under Rs.499

Trouser & Denim: Starting Rs.349

Palazzos and Pants: Starting Rs.299

Heels: starting Rs.349

Flats & sandals: starting Rs.249

Casual Shoes: Starting Rs.399

Ballerinas: starting Rs.399

Innerwear: Under Rs.599

Handbags & Clutches: Under Rs.599

Sunglasses: 30%-80% Off

Fragrances: Min 40% off

Wrist Watches: 20%-80% Off

Stoles & scarves: Starting Rs.249

Traditional and Fashion Jewelry: Under Rs.499

March 25, 2019