ITV

Category: e-commerce

  • Flipkart joins hands with PC Jeweller

    Flipkart joins hands with PC Jeweller

    MUMBAI: Continuing the string of announcements, Flipkart has now joined hands with jewellery retailer PC Jeweller to create a platform for online jewellery shopping, reported PTI. “With the aim to revolutionise the trend of jewellery buying in India, this partnership will provide an online go-to platform for the shoppers,” both the companies said in a statement.

     

    The focus will be on the replicating the comfort, convenience and brilliance that is associated with shopping at a PC Jeweller’s large format showroom online on Flipkart, it also added.

     

    PC Jeweller executive director and chief operating officer RK Sharma said, “We are focussed on our online jewellery brand WearYourShine by PC Jeweller and going forward, we would also like to work with Flipkart towards creating a seamless offline-online integration wherein customers get a flexibility to buy online and exchange or return offline across over 46 showrooms of PC Jeweller.”

     

    “We see online jewellery sales becoming a huge market in the next few years, contributing a good share to our business,” he added.

     

    Flipkart’s deep data analytics and online cataloguing assistance will further refine the online shopping experience.

     

    Flipkart retail senior VP Kalyan Krishnamurthy said, “Our access to the country’s largest customer base allows us to predict market needs and list new products on our site that we feel will cater to current customer demands. We are confident that precious jewellery, as a category, has huge potential if done right.”

     

    “The association of Flipkart and PC Jewellers, both names that are trusted widely by customers, is well positioned to take online jewellery shopping to the next level,” he added.

  • Celebrate ‘Mission to Mars’ with Amazon.in

    Celebrate ‘Mission to Mars’ with Amazon.in

    MUMBAI: In celebration of India’s successful Magalyaan mission, Amazon.in, has announced the launch of ‘Mission to Mars’ weekend for customers in India from 4th-6th October 2014. The Mission to Mars weekend will see out-of-the-world deals and great saving for customers in addition to the everyday great deals & savings that are ongoing as part of the Online Shopping Dhamaka on www.amazon.in this festive month.

     

    “We are very proud on the successful completion of India’s Mars mission. It is a great achievement for India and we are celebrating this success by hosting a ‘Mission to Mars’ weekend between October 4th -6th for our customers,” says Amit Agarwal, Country Manager & VP, Amazon India.

     

    The ‘Mission to Mars’ weekend will begin on 4 October offering customers a weekend full of out-of-the-world deals that will add immense excitement to their festive shopping.

     

    “We have witnessed a fabulous response in the first week of our Online Shopping Dhamaka. We wish to make Week 2 much more exciting by offering customers great deals and savings every day during the festival shopping peak. There has been a 250%  increase  in the number of customers who have taken advantage of the deals on the Amazon.in in the last one week.

     

    The Top 5 categories of last week were Customer Electronics (including PC), Books, Home & Kitchen, Health and Personal Care and Baby. The Micromax Canvas A1 was one of the top selling products last week. Amazon.in is on track to selling 100K units of the device in less than two weeks of its launch and is by far the best selling phone on Amazon.in. Amazon.in also sold more than 75 thousand cans of Coke Zero in less than a week of its launch; iPhone sales witnessed a 5x jump in sales while customers bought twice the number of books during the 1st week of the Online Shopping Dhamaka.

     

    As the Online Shopping Dhamaka enters its 2nd week, customers can save big everyday and get great deals on thousands of top-selling products. Customers can enjoy –

     

    •             Flat 40% off on branded watches

    •             Flat 50% off on movie titles

    •             Flat 50% or more off on Shoes

    •             Flat 30% off on Pet Supplies

    •             Flat 30% off on Diapers

     

    Customers will get to enjoy exclusive access to new brands and products that are set to launch on Amazon.in this week. In addition, customers can benefit from several cash back offers.

     

    Customers can find more deals on http://www.amazon.in/Gifts-Store which has huge savings across a variety of Amazon.in categories – i.e home décor, electronics, kitchen appliances, video games, apparels, jewellery and more.

     

    Customers on www.amazon.in and Amazon’s mobile shopping application can shop anywhere with ease and confidence from over 18 million products across a broad range of departments including Books; eBooks & Tablets; Movies & TV shows; Kindle Devices, Computers & Accessories; Mobiles & Accessories; Consumer Electronics; Toys & Games; Baby Products; Health and Personal Care products; Watches; Fashion Jewelry; Home & Kitchen products; Beauty Products; Video Games; Music; Luggage & Bags; Handbags & Clutches; Sports, Fitness & Outdoor equipment; Shoes; Men’s, Women’s & Kid’s wear; Pet Supplies; Gift Cards. Customers across several cities in India are increasingly enjoying Amazon’s guaranteed next-day delivery on more than 325,000 products fulfilled by Amazon.

     

    All customers on www.amazon.in benefit from a safe and secure ordering experience, convenient electronic payments, Cash on Delivery, no-risk hassle-free returns policy, Amazon’s 24×7 customer service support, and a globally recognized and comprehensive 100% purchase protection provided by Amazon’s A-to-Z Guarantee.

  • Jabong unveils an exclusive collection ‘Alia Bhatt for Jabong’

    Jabong unveils an exclusive collection ‘Alia Bhatt for Jabong’

    MUMBAI: After Karan Johar and Shilpa Shetty, it’s now Alia Bhatt who has turned designer. Alia Bhatt has joined hands with Jabong.com to launch her line of apparel ‘Alia Bhatt for Jabong’, which will retail exclusively on the portal.

     

    The new collection was launched today at a fashion show at Four Seasons in Mumbai where she showcased her collection on the ramp as designer and showstopper.

     

    While Jabong is known for its association with movie stars like the fair and lovely girl Yami Gautam and the Heropanti famed Kirti Sanonas, this is the first time Jabong has launched an entire line fashioned by an iconic star.

     

    Commenting on the launch of the collection Jabong.com founder and CEO Arun Chandra Mohan said, “We have been looking for someone who is young, confident, stylish and has a great connect with the youth, who better than Alia Bhatt who has ingenious sense of style and knack for fashion to be associated with. We are happy to introduce Alia Bhatt’s collection exclusively on Jabong.  This new collection is all about catering to the needs of young girls who want to make a style statement.”

     

     The collection is designed by Bhatt herself and befits the actress’s personal sense of style. The apparel range targeting the GenY includes bohemian line, the casual denim line or clubbing / party line, ripped jeans, leather jackets and floral. The collection makes a direct connect with Alia’s wardrobe. The collection also includes shoes for young girls.

     

    Bhatt said, “I’ve had a great time creating a fashion line with Jabong; the shoot we did with Farrokh Chothia was very special and exactly how I imagined. And now comes the best part, sharing the experience and the brand with my fans and everyone out there who just loves clothes. Online shopping is the new rage which is enhancing the shopping experience altogether, and Jabong has the ability and the reach to deliver the experience right to your doorstep.”

     

    Having tied up with designer Rohit Bal, and having launched some leading international fashion brands like Miss Selfridge, River Island, the online e-tailer is looking for many more A-class designer collections and global fashion brand launches this year. 

  • Shilpa Shetty partners with Homeshop 18 for new saree collection

    Shilpa Shetty partners with Homeshop 18 for new saree collection

    MUMBAI: Shilpa Shetty, known for her immaculate dressing sense, has added a new feather to her cap. She has now turned into a designer and has launched her fashion brand Shilpa Shetty Kundra (SSK).

     

    The collection has been exclusively announced in partnership with HomeShop 18 and was launched at a special event in the capital recently. Shetty also walked the ramp wearing a sari from her new collection.

     

    Talking about the launch, she tweeted, “Excited to launch SSK sarees with India’s fav shopping channel. My first sari from the SSK line for Home shop 18 will be available from the 11 october.”

     

    Shetty also added, “In this exclusive collaboration, I’ve enjoyed experimenting with unique styles to suit different tastes. The SSK collection has been designed keeping in mind an Indian ethos with a modern twist, light fabrics and embellishments enhancing their richness, with the biggest prerequisite being budget-friendliness.”

     

    Sarees contribute to more than 25 per cent of the entire lifestyle range at HomeShop18 and the partnership with a film celebrity will further boost its brand presence.

     

    “We are adding to the festive cheer with our partnership with Shilpa Shetty Kundra for SSK line of designer sarees. It offers our customers a premium collection at affordable prices,” HomeShop18 CEO Sundeep Malhotra told PTI.

     

    Besides, the firm also aims to tap the growing interest for premium apparel from small cities like Dhanbad, Gulbarga, Gaya, Gorakhpur, etc.

     

    The firm launched India’s first 24 hour home shopping TV channel in 2008, while it ventured into online shopping in 2011 and introduced mobile shopping in 2013.

     

    Besides entering the fashion world, Shetty has also tried her hands in film production. She along with husband Raj Kundra co-produced the film Dhishkiyaoo in 2014.

     

  • We obsess about customer, not competition, says Jeff Bezos

    We obsess about customer, not competition, says Jeff Bezos

    MUMBAI: With the battle brewing in the e-commerce segment, the sector is making headlines every day; the latest being of Amazom chairman Jeff Bezos’s four-day visit to India.

     

    To make his business intentions in India clear, Bezos, who is on his second visit to India, carried out a road show on a supply truck at the premises of a shopping mall in Bangalore on 28 August handing a $2 billion cheque to Amazon India VP and country manager Amit Agarwal. This is by far the biggest expansion money from overseas that has come from a multi-national.

     

    According to the media reports, while handing the cheque, he said, “Amazon has unveiled a $2 billion investment in the country … we’ll work to better what Indians love most in shopping — vast selection, competitive pricing and fast delivery.”

     

    Amazon had announced a $2billion investment in India barely a day after homegrown Flipkart raised $1 bn from private investors.

    As per the reports, Bezos added that the cash pile will be spent on building performance centers, upgrading logistics services, developing the mobile platform and new tools and techniques to help the small and medium businesses.

     

    Amazon’s interest in the small and medium enterprises has been echoed by several homegrown e-tailers. While Snapdeal recently announced that it was inching close to the 100,000-seller mark, Flipkart has been tying up with industry bodies like FISME and NCDPD to penetrate the SME clusters.

     

    In an initiative called Amazon OneonOne, Bezos also had luncheon with about 100 customers on 28 September in order to find their views and opinions about the site and if there were any recommendations.

     

    According to various media reports, Bezos also indicated that policy hurdles in India is not impacting the company’s investment plans for the country. India is yet to allow FDI in online retail. Another issue is lack of clarity in tax laws that are impacting the company’s functioning in various states.

     

    Amazon’s main rivals in India are Bangalore-based Flipkart and Snapdeal, the Delhi-based company that counts eBay, Azim Premji and Ratan Tata as investors. Together, they have sold goods worth more than $4 billion, with Flipkart alone estimated to have crossed $2 billion. Alibaba, too, is keen on India, and the Chinese company has the money, experience and ambition to succeed here.

     

    Talking about the competition, Bezos also reportedly said, “We have a long history of obsessing over customers rather than competition.”

     

    With revenue of nearly $75 billion in 2013 the giant online retail site has a market value of $150 billion. It also runs a fast growing cloud computing business called Amazon Web Services and makes Kindle tablets and Fire smartphones. Bezos, in his personal capacity, bought The Washington Post newspaper last year. In India, Amazon started its technology operation first and employs a total of about 12,000 staff at offices in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi.

     

  • Tata Group to be the ‘Alibaba’ of India?

    Tata Group to be the ‘Alibaba’ of India?

    MUMBAI: The multiple investments made by its chairman emeritus Ratan Tata in e-tail and the steep rise in the e-commerce industry seems to have inspired the Tata Group too, which is now reportedly planning a big entry into the e-commerce space with a marketplace-based model.

     

    The Economic Times reported that the site will be headed by its subsidiary Tata industries and that Tata is modeling its business on Tmall.com, which is the marketplace in the Alibaba Group.

     

    The new marketplace business, modelling on Alibaba’s Tmall.com, would allow third-party sellers on the platform. It would help generate revenues by charging a fee or commission from merchants, who will use the platform.

     

    The yet-to-be-named venture is likely to be rolled out in 2015, and will initially showcase Tata’s existing retail chain brands such as Westside, Croma and Star Bazaar. Tata is also planning to tie up with its partner Zara, which only sells online through its own sites.

     

    It will also allow other merchants to sell alongside Tata’s various units. The group has already reportedly begun enrolling vendors and hiring people, the report added.

     

    Tata already has a substantial presence in real-world retail, including joint ventures with Britain’s Tesco, Spain’s Zara and coffee chain Starbucks. Last month Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, bought a stake in Snapdeal and online jewellery retailer Bluestone.

     

    India’s e-commerce market has been booming in recent years with market leader Flipkart clocking a valuation of $7 billion in a July funding round when it raised $1 billion from a clutch of existing investors and a day later, Amazon announced plans to invest $2 billion in India.

     

    Also, India’s online retail business is expected to surge to between $19 billion and 38 billion, from about $2.3 billion in annual sales now. Enticed by the potential, other business houses like Reliance Industries and Aditya Birla Group have reportedly been hinting at forays into the e-commerce space but have not revealed any concrete plans so far.

  • Junglee.com 2.0: From a comparison site to a marketplace

    Junglee.com 2.0: From a comparison site to a marketplace

    MUMBAI: Growing at 30 per cent since FY09 and aiming at becoming an $18 billion industry by FY15, the e-commerce players have been making non-stop headlines for quite some time now.

     

    With the steep rise in online usage, Amazon is now focusing more on its first entry into India, Junglee.com. Launched in 2012 by the global e-commerce giant, Junglee.com provided price comparisons for consumers. However, things have changed now.

     

    The site has now turned into a marketplace offering services like ‘Buy on Junglee’ and ‘Sell on Junglee’. The site has also launched an app to provide easier access to customers.

     

    Explaining the origin of the site, Amazon India VP and country manager Amit Agarwal says, “In the fast growing online shopping market, the profusion of options led to a need for a shopping guide that can help online shoppers navigate through the maze of options. To bridge this gap, we launched Junglee.com in 2012.”

     

    “Junglee enables customers to find and discover products from online and offline retailers in India. Junglee organises massive selection and multiple buying options from hundreds of sellers, and leverages Amazon’s proven technologies and millions of customer reviews to help customers make smart purchase decisions,” he adds.

     

    The portal offers customers access to more than three crore products with over six crore customer reviews and thousands of seller reviews. It has more than 2,300 online shopping sites and 1 lakh offline stores listed.

     

    Talking about the new features, Junglee.com GM Mahendra Nerurkar says, “With ‘Buy on Junglee’, we are helping sellers and customers improve their engagement with each other further and help convert leads at the time of intent.”

     

    He also added that Junglee had rebranded its Product Ads service to ‘Sell on Junglee’, earlier this year. It was particularly targeted at smaller retailers, who would get a chance to list their products on the site.

     

    Agarwal reckons, “Statistics say that 25 per cent of all online shoppers first visit comparison sites. 45 per cent tend to buy from offline stores after comparing online. This is what has driven offline stores to aspire to be on Junglee.com.”

     

    Besides, the site also allows consumers to sell their old and used products through its tie-up with Quikr.com.

     

    “Through our tie-up with Quikr.com, we also introduced product listings from offline store as well as across pre-owned products,” Nerurkar reckoned.

     

    Currently even though listing products on Junglee is free, they charge a fee per transaction for products that are bought using ‘Buy on Junglee’ facility. It is estimated that Junglee will be charging a flat rate of 5 per cent as part of a promotional offer that lasts till 31 May 2015. Rates will vary from five to 15 per cent after that.

     

    These features make Junglee a marketplace, along with a comparison site, and it is this strategy that will help Amazon India have an edge over its rivals. However, players such as Flipkart and Snapdeal have not yet listed themselves on Junglee.

     

    In addition, they also recently announced the launch of Junglee mobile app for android smartphones. This launch makes it convenient for customers to check prices of over 3.1 crore products anywhere through the easy to use app. 

     

    “The app enables shoppers to search across online and local sellers together as well as compare prices across new and used products, all in one place. It also includes an auto-suggest feature, filters to help refine results by brand, price, item condition, discount, average customer review and more attributes,” says Agarwal.

     

    Adding to that Nerurkar reveals, “The app has started trending on Google Play among apps from all categories. Within a month of launch, the app has been downloaded by over two lakh customers. We will continue to add new features to the app and help more customers check prices from anywhere using the app.”

     

    On an average, the site witnesses about 15 million sessions per month.

     

    Talking about future plans,  Agarwal comments, “Our vision for Junglee is to enable customers to determine where to buy anything, anywhere (online or offline, within or outside India). It’s a neutral and unbiased platform. At one place, customers can find the best offers on leading online e-commerce web sites such as Amazon.in, Jabong, HomeShop18, Indiatimes Shopping, Infibeam and hundreds of others.”

     

    Junglee.com has emerged as the number one search and comparison shopping site in India as per comScore and has occupied the top position on comScore charts for eight quarters in a row starting September 2012.

  • Zomato acquires Gastronauci.pl

    Zomato acquires Gastronauci.pl

    Zomato has acquired Poland’s restaurant search service, Gastronauci.

     

    Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal said, “Ola and the Gastronauci team have built an excellent product that has a significant mind share in Poland. We are very happy to welcome Gastronauci into the Zomato family. Both Zomato and Gastronauci are committed towards building the best platform possible to connect users and the restaurant industry. We are excited to work on building an integrated product combining our technology with Gastronauci’s exhaustive reach in Poland.”

     

    The team at Gastronauci will be working closely with the Zomato team following the acquisition.

     

    “We have had great success in building a strong and engaging user base for Gastronauci in Poland since 2007. This is an exciting new chapter for us and we look forward to working with Zomato and use their technology and product expertise to bring a new enhanced experience for both consumers and merchants,” said Gastronauci founder and CEO Ola Lazar.

     

    Zomato international operations director Pramod Rao added, “We are planning to expand into multiple geographies in the immediate future and expansion in Europe is one of our key focus areas. We are delighted to have Gastronauci on board and look forward to strengthening our presence further in Central and Eastern Europe.”

     

    Zomato has been aggressively expanding its global presence over the past two quarters, while also strengthening its presence in existing 16 markets. In August 2014, Zomato acquired Lunchtime.cz and Obedovat.sk, the Czech Republic’s and Slovakia’s most popular restaurant guides respectively, for a combined amount of $3.25 million. Shortly before that, in July 2014, Zomato acquired MenuMania, the leading restaurant discovery service in New Zealand. The three acquisitions in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland are strategic moves to establish Zomato’s presence as a leader in the restaurant discovery space in central and eastern Europe.

  • New ‘gourmet category’ coming soon on Snapdeal

    New ‘gourmet category’ coming soon on Snapdeal

    MUMBAI: Continuing its category expansion spree, Delhi-based e-retailer Snapdeal.com has become the first online major to enter into non perishable food category. In a deal with the veteran chef Sanjeev Kapoor, the e-commerce company will soon offer a gourmet section to its customers.

     

    The industry pioneer, also known to author various cookbooks will be working closely with the website to launch the category.

     

    Talking about his latest venture with Snapdeal.com, Kapoor said, “This collaboration will bring good quality products to India at par with the rest of the world. People here find it difficult to find good gourmet products, through this tie-up, we will be able to provide excellent products to the customers.

     

    “All my endeavors are in line with the aim to glorify the richness of our food culture and to keep alive the traditions of the Indian kitchen. This new association with Snapdeal.com will now enable people across the country to order products like snacks, confectionery, international groceries, exotic dry fruits and nuts at their doorstep just with a simple click of a button,” he added

     

    The gourmet category will launched with chef’s brand WonderChef which already sells some of its products on the site.

     

    The section will include assortment of food products and beverages including ready to cook items, spreads and jams, wide range of Indian and international groceries, confectionery, chocolates and desserts.

     

    Snapdeal VP fashion Amit Maheshwari said, “This launch will further strengthen Snapdeal’s leadership as a marketplace and a destination of choice for all kind of products across categories which fulfill customers’ both home and business requirements.”

     

    The chef added, “We have been dealing with Snapdeal at a strategic level with our brand WonderChef which has seen huge success on the portal. So when they approached us this new deal and we jumped on board.”

     

    Even though the chef did not comment on how much the deal is worth, he added that if someone as credible as Ratan Tata is trusts the site, it’s not tough to take that extra leap of faith.

     

    Recently Snapdeal also tied up with Tata homes to sell houses online and also entered into a partnership with Croma to sell its electronics products online. Ratan Tata, the former chairman of salt-to-steel Tata conglomerate also bought a stake in the online retailer.

  • Quikr raises Rs 365 crore for future expansion

    Quikr raises Rs 365 crore for future expansion

    Mumbai: Valued at around Rs 1800 crore, the online classifieds platform, Quikr has raised Rs 365 crore in the latest round of funding. The investment was led by new investor Tiger Global Management, a global investment firm, with participation from its current investors.

     

    The company, which has so far received funding of around Rs 1,300 crore since its inception in 2008, will use the funds towards product development and further expansion of its mobile business, Quikr said in a statement.

     

    Commenting on the latest funding, Quicker founder and CEO Pranay Chulet said, “The explosive growth in mobile Internet is fundamentally reshaping the Indian classified Internet market, and we are well positioned to be at the forefront of this growth.”

     

    “This funding round is a powerful validation of our local knowledge and connections, skilled execution and quality management team. We are excited to welcome Tiger Global to Quikr as we continue to further grow our platform,” he added.

     

    The Mumbai-based company’s current investors include Kinnevik, Matrix Partners India, Nokia Growth Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, Omidyar Network, Warburg Pincus and eBay Inc.

     

    In the previous round of funding held in March, Quikr was valued at about Rs 1,525 crore. At that time, the company had raised Rs 550 crore in an investment round led by Swedish investment firm Investment Kinnevik.

     

    Talking about the new investment, Tiger Global Management partner Lee Fixel said, “Quikr has grown rapidly to become one of India’s major classifieds players with a deep understanding of the local market. By leveraging the company’s strengths as a local player, Quikr has seized a tremendous opportunity in a rapidly growing market. We look forward to supporting the Quikr team.”

     

    Quikr records 30 million users a month across 940 cities in India. These consumers come to Quikr to sell, buy, rent or find products and services in a variety of categories including mobile phones, household goods, cars, real estate, jobs, services and education.