ITV

Category: e-commerce

  • Diwali Dhamaka Week flags off on Amazon.in

    Diwali Dhamaka Week flags off on Amazon.in

    MUMBAI: The Diwali Dhamaka Week flagged off today morning on Amazon.in. Every day of the week, there will be great deals across hundreds of products from all categories enabling  Amazon.in customers  to make great savings on their Diwali shopping every hour. Amazon.in will be introducing new Lighting Deals every hour starting 7am to 6pm.  In addition, the next seven days will also witness launch of new categories, access to exclusive selection and many new surprises each day.
     
    “Customers can look forward to Amazon.in as their one-stop Diwali shopping destination this week. Each of the seven days, we will offer our customers in India the great savings on thousands of products every hour,” says Amit Agarwal, Country Manager & VP, Amazon India. “We have been receiving an overwhelming response from customers since morning for the deals & offers that are being introduced every hour as part of the Diwali Dhamaka Week,” adds Amit.
     
    Some of the exciting offers that customers can look forward to in the Diwali Dhamaka Week include –
     
    •         Rs. 2000 off on Kindle Paperwhite
    •         Flat 20% off on laptops
    •         Flat 30% off on mobiles
    •         FLAT 40% off or more on luggage & bags from brands like  American Tourister, Wildcraft, Puma and more
    •         Flat 25% off or more on Home & Kitchen products
    •         Upto 70% off on Books
    •         Flat 55% off on Handbags
    •         Flat 50% off on Shoes
    •         Flat 60% , 50%, 40% off on Men, Women & Kids wear respectively
    •         Flat 50% off on Jewellery
    •         Flat 50% off or more on 1000+ watches from Timex , Giordano, Maxima Eg0 and more
    •         Upto 40% off on Video Games
    •         Flat 40% off on Sports, Fitness & Outdoor products
    And more
    Some important deals coming up tomorrow include –
    •         25% off on Philips HD4419 2300-Watt Smooth and Ribbed Plate Table Grill
    •         23% off on Samsung Multi Function Wireless Printer
    •         30% off on Easyfit Adult Diapers (Large)
    •         34% off on Canon Lide 110 Flatbed Scanner
    •         Philips HL 7720 750-Watt 3-Jar Mixer Grinder
    All deals are available for a limited time and till stocks last. Customers can join the waitlist on deals that are 100% claimed and Amazon.in will alert them when that deal becomes available again.
     
    Special festive packaging
     
    Amazon.in has introduced special festive design packaging for this Diwali season. The festive design packaging has been launched in select but most frequently used sizes. Customers can shop for Diwali gifts on Amazon.in and get them delivered in these special packages without requiring to gift wrap them.
     
    Exclusive Offers
     
    Customers continue to enjoy exclusive access to  some of the most sought-after products like the Micromax Canvas A1 with Android One™, the Canon Powershot SX520 camera, Blackberry Passport, Hidesign’s new ICONIC range for both men & women, Timex Weekender collection of watches, audio products from House of Marley, etc.  
    Customers should download the Amazon Shopping app and visit often to keep track of exciting offers every hour!
    Women customers have a lot going for them this Karwa Chauth as Amazon.in has curated  a special Ethnic Jewellery for Karwa Chauthand a Jewellery Gift Store for them this week to celebrate the festival

     

  • Amazon reportedly in talks to buy Jabong in India

    Amazon reportedly in talks to buy Jabong in India

    MUMBAI: With the rivalry rising in the e-commerce space, it looks like the Indian arm of Amazon is ready to heat it up a notch.  The e-tailer is reportedly in talks with Indian fashion site Jabong to acquire it.

     

    According to a report in a leading daily, the talks are at a preliminary stage and despite being valued at around $500 million in a recent regulatory filing, Jabong is holding out for $700 million as it reports to have multiple suitors.

     

    Denying commenting on the speculations, Amazon said, “We do not comment on anything we may or may not do in the future.”

     

    The report quoted a person working with the US e-tailer as saying that Jabong was ideal for acquisition since Flipkart had acquired Myntra in May for around $330 million.

     

    Flipkart-Myntra reportedly has 50 per cent of India’s online fashion retail market share with Jabong at 25 per cent.

     

    Amazon CEO Jeff Bozos had promised to invest $2 billion in its India operations with a big chunk of it going towards acquisitions.

     

    Fashion e-tailer Jabong is part of a global group after its investors German venture capital group Rocket Internet and with Swedish investor Kinnevik announcing a merger of five emerging market fashion start-ups. The merged entity is called Global Fashion Group (GFG) and worth about worth 2.7 billion euros or around Rs 21,000 crore.

     

    The company’s CEO Arun Chandra Mohan has also been pretty optimistic about the company’s outlook and had said in a recent interview to the paper said, “I believe the valuation of my company is going to be significant. We are going to be a billion dollar business.”

     

    Amazon India started offering fashion products on its marketplace in May, and an acquisition offers a swift route to scaling up. In the US, Amazon chose a similar strategy to improve its fashion credentials by buying Zappos in 2009. 

  • Amazon to get its first physical store soon

    Amazon to get its first physical store soon

    MUMBAI: Amazon.com, the online giant may soon open its first physical store, at a prime site in Midtown Manhattan, according to The Wall Street Journal.

     

    It would be the first brick-and-mortar outlet in its 20-year history and attempt by Amazon to connect with customers in the physical world.

     

    Expected to open in time for the holiday shopping season, the store may also display Amazon’s proprietary products, such as its Kindle line of e-readers and tablets, Fire smartphones and video-streaming boxes. If the store takes off, Amazon may also expand to other cities, the Journal reported.

     

    The leading e-commerce platform plans to open its first full-fledged store across from the Empire State Building, at 7 West 34th Street, the report added. The site will double as a mini-warehouse to support same-day delivery, returns and order pickups within New York.

     

    A store would mark a significant move for an online retailer that has capitalised on its Internet business model and the cost-savings of doing away with a vast physical network.

     

    In recent years however, the company’s CEO Jeff Bezos has led a number of initiatives that have mandated a physical presence in cities. The company has also on occasion set up pop-up stores in malls, though those have been rare.

     

    Amazon also has set up large metal lockers in convenience stores and parking garages around the country to accommodate deliveries and returns. The lockers don’t offer same-day delivery, however. The lockers have been a popular option, and Amazon has expanded them to a number of cities, including overseas, after initially just offering them in Seattle.

     

  • Future Group to now tie up with an e-commerce site

    Future Group to now tie up with an e-commerce site

    MUMBAI: A day after lashing out at e-commerce sites such as Flipkart for undercutting prices, Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani said that he would announce his ‘exclusive e-commerce partner’ soon, according to media reports.

     

    As per the reports, Biyani agreed that he met Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos in Delhi last week, hinting that he might partner with Amazon to sell its private labels.

     

    “We discussed many things like the macro environment, the prime minister and so on,” Biyani told a leading business newspaper talking about his meeting with Bezos.

     

    “We can learn a lot of things from e-commerce players regarding their supply chain and logistics, sourcing and so on,” Biyani added.

     

    The buzz is also that Biyani is expected to meet other e-commerce players for a tie-up.

     

    The group would first take its fashion products online, followed by FMCG, general merchandise, food and others, he further said.

     

    The reports also add, “While tying up with e-commerce portal is a ‘brand strategy’ Biyani said, the group’s own omni channel strategy, set to go live after Diwali, is a retail strategy or extension of his physical stores. He said the group’s omni channel strategy will work simultaneously along with retailing on e-commerce partner.”

     

    As part of the omni strategy, the group’s electronics format, Ezone, is expected to go online first, followed by premium food chain Foodhall and hypermarket chain Big Bazaar, a group executive further revealed.

     

    Biyani recently came out strongly against the strategy of e-com firms, accusing them of predatory pricing backed with foreign funding.

     

    Media reports quoted him saying, “Laws in this country do not allow sales below cost price. This is anti-competitive. We (at Big Bazaar and other retail brands) never sell below cost price.”

     

    The future group also launched ad blitz, lashing out at the e-commerce portals with taglines like, “No deal can win the trust of a billion people, you have to earn it.”

     

    His comments came after Flipkart announced that it clocked record sales of $100 million (Rs 610 crore) in just 10 hours of its Big Billion Day sale on 6 October. Rival Snapdeal also claimed to have matched it with its chief saying the portal saw sales of over Rs 1 crore per minute.

     

    But the Flipkart Big Billion Day was far from perfect, the e-commerce portal later apologised for the glitches encountered admitting its ‘failure’ in living upto the expectations of its customers. Acknowledging that it was not adequately prepared for the sheer scale of the event, Flipkart promised to come better prepared next time.

     

    Targeting the e-retailer after it released the apology letter, Future group released another ad with the tagline ‘You can’t take a nation for granted even for a day.’

     

    Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) too has expressed concerns over huge discounts being offered by e-commerce firms. It has asked the Commerce and Industry Ministry to take steps to monitor and regulate online businesses.

  • Quikr Collaborates with Blind Relief Association to Empower the Blind

    Quikr Collaborates with Blind Relief Association to Empower the Blind

    MUMBAI: Quikr, India’s number one online classifieds company and Blind Relief Association, Delhi (BRAD), a premier NGO serving in the field of education and training of the blind, today announced a long term collaboration to support the visually impaired people by offering them training opportunities with Quikr.

     

    According to the agreement signed on the World Sight Day, the selected trainee-agents will contribute to the company’s day to day operations.

     

    The 10 visually impaired trainee-agents inducted will perform assigned tasks for Quikr. They will be trained to verify ad listings posted by the customers on Quikr, to ensure that the data and information listed is confirmed and accurate.  The Quikr team is working very closely with the Blind Relief Association team to ensure that they are well trained and equipped to understand this rapidly evolving category and can add value in ensuring a high quality of listings on the site.

     

    Commenting on this initiative, Founder and CEO of Quikr Pranay Chulet said, “Quikr is honoured to enter into this alliance with the Blind Relief Association of Delhi. We recognise that there is a prevalent notion that blindness and vision impairment rob people of their self reliance, and on the occasion of World Sight Day, we seek to change that mindset by bringing out the potential of these individuals. With the correct training, we will provide them with job opportunities which will build their confidence by working with a fast growing internet company.”

     

    Talking about the partnership, Hony Executive Secretary of Blind Relief Association Kailash Chandra Pande, said, “It is a privilege for us to be associated with a company like Quikr which is such a powerful brand in the online space. With this opportunity, we are providing these individuals with quality training and work experience which will hone their capabilities. This is a great way to give these youngsters the confidence and skills required to navigate in the workforce.”

  • #BigBillionDay sale blunder: Flipkart apologises, govt probes

    #BigBillionDay sale blunder: Flipkart apologises, govt probes

    MUMBAI: The sale that was touted as the biggest sale in India by shoppers across the country seems to have disappointed many. With a mile long complaint list which included everything from server errors to price issues, abrupt cancellations among others, the dissatisfied and disgruntled customers backlashed on social media, with hashtags branding them as ‘Flopkart’ trending.

     

    A day after the failure of the the Big Billion Day Flipkart founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal apologised for the chaotic and unpleasant experiences faces by the customers on 6 October.

     

    “Yesterday was a big day for us. And we really wanted it to be a great day for you. But at the end of the day, we know your experience was less than pleasant. We did not live up to the promises we made and for that we are really and truly sorry,” the Bansals, wrote in a joint email to customers.

     

    The e-commerce firm said 1.5 million people shopped at its portal on 6 October to take benefit of the one-day sale scheme. The company claimed it sold products worth over Rs 600 crore in just 10 hours under the scheme. The company had announced deep discounts for products in over 70 categories.

     

    “And though we saw unprecedented interest in our products and traffic like never before, we also realised that we were not adequately prepared for the sheer scale of the event. We didn’t source enough products and deals in advance to cater to your requirements,” the founders said.

     

    They added that the load on server led to intermittent outages that impacted shopping experience on the website.

     

    Flipkart had deployed nearly 5,000 servers and had prepared for 20 times the traffic growth – but the volume of traffic at different times of the day was much higher than this, the mail revealed.

     

    Talking about the out-of-stock issues, the founders reckoned, “We had ensured availability, anywhere from hundreds to a few lakh units for various products, but it was nowhere near the actual demand. We promise to plan much better for future promotions and ensure that we minimise the out-of-stock issues.”

     

    The e-mail further stated, “We realise that this breaks the trust our customers have put in us. We are truly sorry for this and will ensure that this never happens again.”

     

    “Everything that we have achieved at Flipkart is purely on the basis of our customer’s trust and faith…We failed to live up to this promise and would like to apologise once again to every single customer for our failure,” the founders concluded.

     

    Not only customers complained against the Big Billion Day sale, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has also sought a probe into the business model and trade practices of e-commerce companies to find out how they are offering huge discounts during the ongoing festive season. It also demanded setting up of a special task force of experts to conduct an in depth probe of working of such companies.

     

    Also according to media reports, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman expressed concerns over Flipkart flash sale controversy.

     

    “We have received many inputs regarding Flipkart episode. Lot of concern has been expressed and we will look into it,” Sitharaman said.

     

    After receiving many complaints regarding the Big Billion Day sale, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman commented, “We have received many inputs. Lot of concerns have been expressed. We will study the matter… Whether there is a need for a separate policy or some kind of clarification is needed, we will make it clear soon,” the reports added.

  • #BigBillionDay sale blunder: Flipkart apologises, govt probes

    #BigBillionDay sale blunder: Flipkart apologises, govt probes

    MUMBAI: The sale that was touted as the biggest sale in India by shoppers across the country seems to have disappointed many. With a mile long complaint list which included everything from server errors to price issues, abrupt cancellations among others, the dissatisfied and disgruntled customers backlashed on social media, with hashtags branding them as ‘Flopkart’ trending.

     

    A day after the failure of the the Big Billion Day Flipkart founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal apologised for the chaotic and unpleasant experiences faces by the customers on 6 October.

     

    “Yesterday was a big day for us. And we really wanted it to be a great day for you. But at the end of the day, we know your experience was less than pleasant. We did not live up to the promises we made and for that we are really and truly sorry,” the Bansals, wrote in a joint email to customers.

     

    The e-commerce firm said 1.5 million people shopped at its portal on 6 October to take benefit of the one-day sale scheme. The company claimed it sold products worth over Rs 600 crore in just 10 hours under the scheme. The company had announced deep discounts for products in over 70 categories.

     

    “And though we saw unprecedented interest in our products and traffic like never before, we also realised that we were not adequately prepared for the sheer scale of the event. We didn’t source enough products and deals in advance to cater to your requirements,” the founders said.

     

    They added that the load on server led to intermittent outages that impacted shopping experience on the website.

     

    Flipkart had deployed nearly 5,000 servers and had prepared for 20 times the traffic growth – but the volume of traffic at different times of the day was much higher than this, the mail revealed.

     

    Talking about the out-of-stock issues, the founders reckoned, “We had ensured availability, anywhere from hundreds to a few lakh units for various products, but it was nowhere near the actual demand. We promise to plan much better for future promotions and ensure that we minimise the out-of-stock issues.”

     

    The e-mail further stated, “We realise that this breaks the trust our customers have put in us. We are truly sorry for this and will ensure that this never happens again.”

     

    “Everything that we have achieved at Flipkart is purely on the basis of our customer’s trust and faith…We failed to live up to this promise and would like to apologise once again to every single customer for our failure,” the founders concluded.

     

    Not only customers complained against the Big Billion Day sale, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has also sought a probe into the business model and trade practices of e-commerce companies to find out how they are offering huge discounts during the ongoing festive season. It also demanded setting up of a special task force of experts to conduct an in depth probe of working of such companies.

     

    Also according to media reports, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman expressed concerns over Flipkart flash sale controversy.

     

    “We have received many inputs regarding Flipkart episode. Lot of concern has been expressed and we will look into it,” Sitharaman said.

     

    After receiving many complaints regarding the Big Billion Day sale, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman commented, “We have received many inputs. Lot of concerns have been expressed. We will study the matter… Whether there is a need for a separate policy or some kind of clarification is needed, we will make it clear soon,” the reports added.

  • Integration with Bigg Boss season 8 gets 1 million new visitors on Snapdeal

    Integration with Bigg Boss season 8 gets 1 million new visitors on Snapdeal

    NEW DELHI: Snapdeal.com witnessed over 1 million incremental visits as a result of its innovative programming integration on Bigg Boss Season 8. In September, 2014 Snapdeal.com, India’s largest online marketplace, announced its association with COLORS’ popular reality show Bigg Boss Season 8 as its title sponsor. Since the launch of the show, Snapdeal.com together with COLORS has introduced a series of seamless integrations which have engaged both the contestants and viewers.

     

    As a part of the first phase of the programming integration, Snapdeal.com was seen as an integral part of the Bigg Boss house (episode13 aired on 03 October 2014), where the contestants were seen competing for points through specially designed tasks and using them to purchase products. A special shopping experience was created for the contestants through an interface showcasing products that were essential for sustenance in the house across the consumer durables and electronics categories. Through this integration, viewers got an opportunity to see the Bigg Boss contestants shop on India’s most trusted digital marketplace and also experience Snapdeal.com’s Diwali Bumper Sale.

     

    Talking about the partnership, Snapdeal.com Senior Vice President Marketing Sandeep Komaravelly said, “This partnership was a strategic move to integrate closely with one of the most popular shows on television. Bigg Boss is a popular show and widely viewed across the country. We saw this as the perfect opportunity to reach out to as well as increase our consumer base by engaging with them directly in their homes. The response that we have received till now is encouraging, and we are looking forward to receiving the same in the future as well.”

     

    Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “Bigg Boss Season 8 is only getting bigger and better with every season. Joining hands with Snapdeal has given us the window to go beyond conventional integration ideas that will not only enhance the overall viewing experience for the audience but also help our sponsor to reach out to a wider audience base. In addition to the above, a special opportunity has been created for Bigg Boss fans to buy exclusive Bigg Boss merchandise from the Snapdeal website. The creation of such opportunities for our viewers as well as Snapdeal customers will enable us to draw synergies which will translate into a win-win situation for both parties. As the weeks progress, we aim to further build our partnership with multiple consumer engagement activities.”

     

    Further, Snapdeal.com has for the first time in India, also introduced a first-of-its-kind Bigg Boss merchandise store on its website where Bigg Boss aficionados can now own memorabilia from their favorite show. A wide range of products have been specially designed which will be available to consumers on: http://www.snapdeal.com/offers/bigg-boss-merchandise.

     

    Last week Snapdeal.com launched the “Order Order” contest for its customers. This contest allows consumers to be a part of the show directly wherein they have to select a quirky product for one of the contestants of the Bigg Boss House while citing a reason for doing so. Every week the customer who selects the most interesting combination of the product and reason, will get the opportunity of a lifetime to speak with host Salman Khan as well as one Bigg Boss contestant. For more details, log on to www.biggboss.snapdeal.com.

     

    Snapdeal.com together with Colors has many interesting programming integrations lined up and as the show progresses, viewers will get to engage more closely with the show via Snapdeal.com.

  • Alcatel’s smartphone ‘Onetouch Fire C’ launches on Flipkart’s Big Billion Day Sale

    Alcatel’s smartphone ‘Onetouch Fire C’ launches on Flipkart’s Big Billion Day Sale

    BENGALURU:  A number of companies have said that they are working on the $20-25 smartphone for India. Alcatel Onetouch (Alcatel) has come in close with a smartphone that seems to have features that just about slot it into the smartphone category, a little above the features phone at a price of Rs 1990, or a little more than $30 – the ‘Onetouch Fire C’.

     

    The company is targeting first time users of smartphones that want to upgrade from the basic or the features phone in a very price sensitive market like India. The Onetouch Fire C will be available exclusively through Flipkart starting 6 October, or Flipkart’s Big Billion Day (Sale Day), for which the company has initiated a huge multimedia campaign. Flipkart feels that a lot of first time internet users will access the net on the Big Billion Day and hence push up sales of Onetouch Fire C. Flipkart has not planned a special campaign for individual products which include a Lenovo launch on 6 December 2014.

     

    However, Alcatel plans to push the Onetouch Fire C digitally for now, and through the print media sometime around Diwali. Its creatives are done globally, while media buying is through Ad Syndicate and Zenith Optimedia.

     

    “Even today, 71 per cent of market in India is feature phones, while 29 per cent is smartphones. Of that 29 per cent, between 30-40 per cent of the market is for the Rs 5000 or lower smartphone, and it is this market that we are targeting primarily with the Fire C,” said Alcatel Onetouch regional director APAC BU Praveen Valecha. The Onetouch Fire C is a 2G phone and the company is likely to come up with an upgraded low cost model sometime in November or December this year, which could have 3G or even 4G capability.

     

    “As a launch partner for Firefox OS, we know that our customers love its simple user interface and smooth navigation. We see a great deal of opportunity to bring these benefits to more consumers on a greater variety of devices at most affordable price and we are sure of success as it’s an innovative product selling on Flipkart, India’s largest e-commerce platform,” said Valecha.

     

    Here’s what a press release has to say about the Onetouch Fire C:

     

    Offering Firefox OS features at entry-level price; the Fire C is a pocket-sized smartphone that is designed to make sharing simple. Its 3.5” HVGA screen and 1 GHZ processor offer smooth and fast Firefox OS apps experience. Complete with mobile broadband and stereo FM radio RDS, the Fire C2G offers all of the features needed to capture, share and enjoy content. Firefox is totally a web HTML based OS which gives best user experience on-the-go. It constitutes marketplace and best adaptive applications search along with rich media and social messaging apps support. A unique dynamic UI will be a big plus for the phone.

     

    Key features include:

    Onetouch Fire C – 2G: OS version – Firefox 1.3, Compact, pocket friendly design,  3.5” HVGA display, dual sim, 1.0 GHz, 1.3 MP camera; Colour – bluish black and dark chocolate; Multilingual support – English, Bangla, Tamil and Hindi languages.

  • Snapdeal, now bringing shopping to the small screen

    Snapdeal, now bringing shopping to the small screen

    MUMBAI: Looking at the growth of e-commerce sector in India, shopping at a click of a button seems to be the favourite pastime of the millions in the country.

     

    To make the most of it, e-retailer Snapdeal has gone a step further and formed a 50:50 joint venture with Den Networks to extend its reach to television home shopping audiences.

     

    The entities are together setting up a TV channel, which will be used as a marketplace platform for facilitating the sale of branded and unbranded merchandise and services, including vouchers offered by third-party sellers on Snapdeal.

     

    A source from Snapdeal says, “Snapdeal is not only trying to provide for consumers in the metros but also for people in tier II tier III cities and beyond. The current retail environment doesn’t cater to the smaller cities.”

     

    “Digital marketing can really bring a lot of depth in our plans and communications when it comes to top few tier cities but when you really want to go deep down in community, to the next round of cities, television is a medium to choose. Digital is definitely going up and providing great reserves, but television still remains one of the primary mediums,” the source adds.

     

    Snapdeal, which currently has over 30,000 vendors on its platform, will get direct access to millions of households in one go through this collaboration.

     

    Based out of Delhi, Den Networks reaches an estimated 13 million households in over 200 cities across 13 states in the country.

     

    Speaking about the reason behind its association with Den Networks, the source states, “They are the best partners for us in terms of ideation, speed of moving ahead and also the kind of household that they had, so all of that fell in place perfectly for us.”

     

    A separate team is taking care of the channel, which will be headquartered in Delhi. The channel will have full-fledged distribution across the country in the coming six to seven months, adds the source.

     

    After raising $12 million in its first round of funding in January 2011, the company has so far raised $340 million from PE firms. Started in February 2010 by Kunal Bahl along with Rohit Bansal, the company witnessed phenomenal growth in 2013-14, growing 600 per cent, making it one of the fastest growing e-commerce companies in India.

     

    Snapdeal’s rival HomeShop18.com, part owned by media major Network18, has a combined reach of over 250 million consumers coming through its integrated television, internet and mobile device channels.

     

    HomeShop18 recently filed its prospectus to raise a total of $75 million through a listing on the New York Stock Exchange including an offer for sale by some shareholders such as its CEO and parent Network18.