ITV

Tag: E-commerce

  • Amazon buys robot vacuum maker iRobot for $1.7 billion

    Amazon buys robot vacuum maker iRobot for $1.7 billion

    Mumbai: Amazon is all set to expand its collection of smart home appliances. It has announced plans to acquire the vacuum maker, iRobot, for approximately $1.7 billion.

    iRobot is famous for its list of smart home appliances, including the Roomba vacuum, the Astro robot, and the Ring security camera, among others.

    GlobalData Retail managing director Neil Saunders said, “The move is part of Amazon’s bid to own part of the home space through services and accelerate its growth beyond retail. A slew of home-cleaning robots adds to the company’s tech arsenal, making it more involved in consumers’ lives beyond static things like voice control. The latest line of Roombas use sensors to map—and remember—a home’s floor plan, offering a trove of data that Amazon could potentially integrate with its other products.”

    Amazon will acquire iRobot for $61 per share in an all-cash transaction, including iRobot’s net debt. The company has total current debt of approximately $332.1 million as of 2 July.

    This is not the first time that Amazon has made a move in this space. It has been aggressively tackling the robotics space in the decade since it acquired Kiva Systems. Last year, Amazon also unveiled the Astro Robot at an introductory price of $1,000.

    Speaking about this acquisition, Amazon Devices SVP Dave Limp said, “We know that saving time matters, and chores take precious time that can be better spent doing something that customers love.”

    He also added, “Over many years, the iRobot team has proven its ability to reinvent how people clean with products that are incredibly practical and inventive—from cleaning when and where customers want while avoiding common obstacles in the home, to automatically emptying the collection bin. Customers love iRobot products—and I’m excited to work with the iRobot team to invent ways that make customers’ lives easier and more enjoyable.”

    iRobot CEO Colin Angle commented, “Since we started iRobot, our team has been on a mission to create innovative, practical products that make customers’ lives easier, leading to inventions like the Roomba and iRobot OS.”

    “Amazon shares our passion for building thoughtful innovations that empower people to do more at home, and I cannot think of a better place for our team to continue our mission. I’m hugely excited to be a part of Amazon and to see what we can build together for customers in the years ahead,” he added.

    The deal is subject to approval by shareholders and regulators. Upon completion, iRobot’s CEO, Colin Angle, will remain in his position.

  • Antrangii TV’s Vibhu Agarwal forays into e-commerce biz with Ullu 99

    Antrangii TV’s Vibhu Agarwal forays into e-commerce biz with Ullu 99

    Mumbai: Ullu app, Atrangii TV and App founder & CEO Vibhu Agarwal announced the launch of an e-commerce platform, Ullu 99  on Thursday. It includes all categories and brands, with an initial line of products like apparel, footwear, accessories, health, and hygiene, with a ship-and-drop module.

    The platform’s USP is to increase penetration by offering fixed price points and value-added services across the entire nation. Due to the recent and significant growth of online shopping, e-commerce firms have successfully increased their market share relative to the retail sector, making a significant contribution to the world economy.

    The prices of the goods on Ullu 99 will range from Rs 99 to Rs 899, giving customers not only a wide selection of goods but also competitive pricing. While orders can only be placed on the platform’s website, customers can connect with each other via social media (Facebook and Instagram).

    Agarwal said, “Most people in today’s time are dependent on online shopping platforms, and these platforms have become even more prominent since the pandemic. In a strategic move to enter this highly lucrative and competitive space, our newest venture, Ullu 99, will provide customers with great quality products at amazing prices.”

    He further added, “We’ve seen great success with our entertainment ventures, and we now look forward to offering value to shoppers in the e-commerce space as well. We hope customers shop and take advantage of the affordable prices across a variety of products.”

    The company wants to target the Indian market segment that seeks out quality at competitive prices with a clear vision to expand throughout the country. By the end of 2022, the company hopes to have 200 million active customers, up from its current subscriber base of 89 million.

  • Pepperfry appoints Nishant Kumar as vice president & national head of studios

    Pepperfry appoints Nishant Kumar as vice president & national head of studios

    Mumbai: E-commerce furniture and home goods company Pepperfry announced the appointment of Nishant Kumar as the vice president & national head of studios. Kumar will be spearheading the expansion of Pepperfry’s studio footprint across the country. His appointment is effective immediately and he will be based at the company’s office in Mumbai.

    Kumar comes to Pepperfry with 21 years of experience working in sales, business strategies, financial planning, operations, and zonal planning. In his previous stint with Vodafone-Idea, Kumar was managing an ecosystem of 2700 retail stores. At Pepperfry all studio regional managers will now report to Kumar.

    He is a postgraduate in marketing from Welingkar Institute of Management and holds a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from IHMCTAN, Kolkata.  

    On the appointment, Pepperfry co-founder & COO Ashish Shah said, “Nishant joins the team with vast experience in managing a large footprint of retail stores and has an impressive track record of leading businesses during a hyper-expansion phase. With his expertise, we aim to strengthen our omnichannel capabilities for our customers and provide them with a visual, highly engaging, and interactive shopping experience. It gives me great delight to welcome him, and l am looking forward to work with him in transforming the furniture retail landscape in India.”

    On his new role, Kumar said, “I am delighted to join Pepperfry and super enthusiastic to be a part of the company’s mission – To spark a feeling called home across the world. I look forward to making significant contributions in charting a high growth path for the stellar Studio business at Pepperfry.”

    Omnichannel is a very big strategy for the brand and Pepperfry Studios are a key consumer touchpoint. Pepperfry Studios operate in two formats – COCO (company owned and company operated) and FOFO (Franchise owned and Franchise operated), and are located at prominent locations across respective cities. The company has a good omnichannel footprint in India with 180+ studios in 90+ cities. 

  • Content consumption on OTT apps increases the growth of smartphone users, finds ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor research

    Content consumption on OTT apps increases the growth of smartphone users, finds ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor research

    Mumbai: Over 50 percent of smartphone users in the metros are planning to replace their gadgets within the next six months, according to a research conducted by the OTT platform ZEE5.

    In its fourth edition knowledge series ‘ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor’ report, the video streaming platform highlighted the latest trends prevailing in the Indian smartphone industry.

    The ZEE5 research discovered the consumption of an exciting and wide variety of content on OTT apps is another new driver for this upward movement. The post-covid trend is to grab the latest model; with latest features’ scoring well above price as the key motivator.

    The research also found that brand reputation, features and technology are the leading factors that determine consumers’ preferences. Moreover, two out of five viewers intend to purchase a phone which costs Rs 30,000 or above; with a higher tendency among the 35-44 age group. Besides uncovering the fascinating new consumer behaviour and the contrasting preferences between metro and non-metro consumers in their smartphones’ purchase and usage, the ‘ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor – Smartphones Consumer Insights and Trends Report’ also highlighted the symbiotic relationship between smartphones and OTT platforms.

    Launching the report, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises chief operations officer – revenue Rajiv Bakshi said, “By deep diving into the smartphones segment, we have unearthed amazing new insights on user behaviour which can lead the brand marketers to attract millions of customers eager to upgrade and replace their smartphones. We hope this report will act as a guidebook for marketeers and smartphone brands and serve to be distinctive for the industry at large. Marketers and business leaders can use these findings to make smarter business decisions and hyper-target campaigns utilising the ZEE5 platform to connect with audiences in 12 languages.”

    The report also said that 70 per cent of the non-metro respondents are inclined to buy their next smartphone online. The research revealed that men are more brand conscious and have twice the share of women consumers in the Rs 50,000+ segment. Women appear price and deal-conscious & dominate the Rs 10,000 segment.  

    ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor report also uncovered transformative consumer behaviour, attitudes, and aspirations across multiple industries ranging from e-commerce, EdTech, and online gaming to smartphones, presenting an unmatched opportunity to advertisers to access a hyper-enriched predisposed audience cohort across multiple demographics and geographies.

  • Street Wear Cosmetics relaunches & expands its product portfolio

    Street Wear Cosmetics relaunches & expands its product portfolio

    Mumbai: Street Wear announced that it is relaunching with a focus on high-quality products backed by the brand idea #NodoubtNoLimits. The brand aims to give every consumer the confidence to celebrate their individual beauty & values, unlike other brands which believe in celebrating celebrities. 

    To amplify the relaunch, Street Wear will engage in an influencer campaign with the theme #Lipsdontshy and will be working with influencers, and bloggers across social media platforms, where they can express their creativity through lip art. Furthermore, a powerful brand video will also be launched to bring the brand essence alive by reinstating the significance of expressing and embracing one’s uniqueness at home, work, or on the streets.

    The new range of products spans multiple make-up categories, using unique formulations extremely suitable for the Indian skin type and in sync with the aspirations of the highly aware new-age consumers who embrace new ideas. Its all new long wear stay-on foundation, which has an oil-free formula, is sweat-free and long lasting, will allow consumers to face the world confidently.

    The products will be available on all major e-commerce platforms and retail stores across India. Streetwear is also entering a unique distribution partnership with Nykaa D.

    Commenting on the relaunch, Umesh Modi Group chairman Umesh Modi said, “We continue to invest in the Indian beauty market with the best of global brands. With the new look Street Wear, we offer the modern consumers with not only world class products but also a brand they connect with – the one which makes them break the stereotypes on beauty, gender, skin colour, roles & behaviour. Street Wear will continue innovating and launching many new colour cosmetics products in the coming months.”

  • Flipkart rolls out new campaign ‘FlipGirl’ to make product deliveries faster in India

    Flipkart rolls out new campaign ‘FlipGirl’ to make product deliveries faster in India

    Mumbai: India’s leading homegrown e-commerce platform, Flipkart, has rolled out a new campaign featuring bollywood actress Alia Bhatt  in the avatar of a ‘FlipGirl’, as the ‘superhero’ protagonist, for the Indian shopper seeking a saviour to affirm their ‘wishlist’.

    Conceptualized by McCann World Group, the campaign shows Alia Bhatt as ‘FlipGirl’ who comes to the rescue of millions of online patrons across the country.

    The 360-degree campaign leverages a judicious mix of channels to reach its dynamic set of consumers in multiple languages across demographics.

    Flipkart has strengthened its communication as a trusted e-commerce partner for millions of consumers across the country as it unveiled its promise of ‘Super products at super prices with super speed’ and the campaign communicates the same.

    It also aims to communicate Flipkart’s commitment to democratizing e-commerce and premium brands, making them accessible through faster delivery across the country, establishing itself as the go-to destination for consumer needs. In a very fun way, the campaign brings forward the fact that products across categories, including mobiles and electronics, fashion & lifestyle, home accessories & beauty, are made available conveniently and delivered to customers’ doorsteps across the country.

    Dressed in a cape with Flipkart’s signature blue and yellow colours, Alia, as a ‘FlipGirl’, has a sharp eye to avert any danger and help people in need. While saving them from dangers, she also saves the day by offering them advice to shop on Flipkart for ‘Super products at super prices with super speed’.

    Talking about the new positioning, Flipkart vice-president marketing Dushyanth Jayanty said, “Since its inception, Flipkart has promised and delivered a great selection at fantastic value delivered at speed. And this has only gotten stronger. This is what we wanted to remind shoppers of – they can count on Flipkart to save their day. ‘FlipGirl’ embodies this for us, and Alia Bhatt’s fantastic skills have brought that to life. So next time, users do not have to compromise on selection or speed to get fantastic value – they can listen to FlipGirl and just shop on Flipkart!”

    Adding to it, Flipkart senior vice president and head of supply chain Hemant Badri said, “Flipkart’s robust supply chain is established across the country where products are received from the seller and then packed & delivered safely to the customers. As the festive season kicks in, customers across the country are looking for a companion who can help them answer their need for fast delivery without compromising on product quality and selection. Our robust tech-enabled supply chain will ensure one-hour delivery to same-day delivery across pin codes, and the FlipGirl concept communicates that to millions of customers across the country.”

    Alia Bhatt expressed, “Flipkart as a brand is very close to my heart. As an actor, it is important that our characters and stories reach the remotest parts of India. Similarly, Flipkart’s FlipGirl will ensure fast deliveries across all corners of India, making it easier for all of us to shop online. I am extremely delighted to portray FlipGirl with this unique ad campaign which helps people affirm their evolving shopping needs.”

  • NFTICally unveils Comearth to drive e-commerce in the Metaverse

    NFTICally unveils Comearth to drive e-commerce in the Metaverse

    MUMBAI: Global Web3 E-Commerce SaaS platform NFTically has launched  Comearth. This is a destination for commerce in the Metaverse. Comearth, a 3D immersive virtual environment, will be powered by NFTically’s “Web3 E-Commerce Engine ” & backed by the trust and decentralization of the Polygon Blockchain. In Comearth, brands, enterprises, content creators, and celebrities will be able to purchase their virtual spaces / virtual real estate as Comearth’s “Citizens” and launch the e-commerce experiences for their customers, consumers and followers.

     The metaverse has the potential to be a $13 trillion ecosystem within a decade. The e-commerce industry also is expected to expand at a CAGR of 22.9 percent between the years 2020-2027 to size over $16.2 trillion. Exploring the intersection of two burgeoning markets, Polygon co-founders Sandeep Nailwal & Jaynti Kanani, Coinbase CPO Surojit Chatterjee, Unacademy co-founders Gaurav Munjal, and Roman Saini, Indian film-maker Subhash Ghai, Actor Kunal Kapoor, Capital X’s Cindy Bi, Nazara’s Nitish Mittersain have invested in NFTICALLY to build a 3D immersive metaverse ecosystem that would power e-commerce for 100,000 brands & individuals by 2025.

    NFTically founder & CEO Toshendra Sharma said, “Web3 is the next generation of the internet, which will profoundly impact e-commerce solutions. Comearth will bring a fully-immersive DIY layer to e-commerce and enable immersive hyper-personalisation for everyone. We intend to democratise and facilitate mass Web3 adoption & bridge the gap between web3 and web2 E-Commerce.”

     The launch was graced by NFTICALLY’s advisors and partners including film writer-director, producer, Subhash Ghai, Mafatlal Group vice-chairman Priyavrata Mafatlal, Kulturemint director Govind Singh Sandhu and The Blockchain Council CEO Pradeep Aswal. They reflected upon the perspectives of brands getting empowered with Comearth for augmenting retail and consumer experiences.

     Comearth comprises different sizes of land parcels that cater to businesses and industries ranging from large to small enterprises, celebrities, and individuals. It will act as a global marketplace for goods (digital, physical, and phygital) and services (within and outside of the Metaverse) & facilitate e-commerce and lead generation. The land parcels can be purchased as NFTs and are governed by the smart contracts deployed on top of Polygon Blockchain. The comprehensive DIY tools empower the landowners to start their metaverse venture in minutes and will be accessible by mobile, laptops, and VR devices.

     Polygon Studios Metaverse lead Brian Trunzo said, “Polygon Studios is pleased to welcome Comearth as a valued partner into the ecosystem. Their easy-to-use and powerful suite of tooling brings brands and rights holders closer to their audiences — a key aspect of facilitating broader Web3 adoption”.

  • NCLAT dismisses Amazon’s appeal against suspension of transaction with Future Group

    NCLAT dismisses Amazon’s appeal against suspension of transaction with Future Group

    MUMBAI: The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has dismissed Amazon’s appeal against the suspension of transaction with Future Group, and upheld the Rs 200 crore penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI). It has directed the US-based e-commerce major to pay the amount within 45 days. Amazon can challenge the NCLAT order in the Supreme Court.

    Last week, the NCLT adjourned the hearing of Amazon’s petition opposing the initiation of insolvency proceedings against debt-ridden Future Retail during a virtual hearing in the matter.

    Earlier, this year in January, US giant Amazon Holdings NV had moved the NCLAT against the CCI. Its case is against CCI’s 17 December where the anti-trust watchdog had suspended and revoked its approval for the deal with Future Group alleging misrepresentation.

    As per the anti-trust watchdog’s 17 December order, Amazon was fined Rs 202 crore by CCI for allegedly misrepresenting and suppressing information while seeking regulatory approval in 2019 to buy a stake in Future Group.

    The move followed a Delhi High Court judgement on 5 January that suspended Amazon’s arbitration proceedings in Singapore against estranged partner Future Group for contract violations, giving the debt-ridden Indian retailer a reprieve.

    The high court had pushed the arbitration proceedings owing to the CCI order. As per the CCI’s 57-page order, it said that the approval for the Amazon -Future deal would be kept in abeyance.

  • Online shopping scam victims down to 74%: Report

    Online shopping scam victims down to 74%: Report

    Mumbai: The number of online scams and frauds drastically increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, a recent report revealed that the percentage of online shopping scam victims has come down to 74 per cent globally compared to 78 per cent in 2020.

    Online retailers came across various fraud schemes in 2021. Among all the fraud schemes, “friendly fraud” scheme was by far the most prevalent. According to Banklesstimes.com analysis, the emergence of e-commerce during the pandemic increased the possibility of fraudulent activities. “About three-quarters of online traders globally have reported a net increase in fraud attempts since 2019,” said the report.

    In a statement, Banlesstimes.com’s Jonathan Merry said, “The number of victims is reducing. The restoration of normalcy after Covid-19 might be a factor. Now, retailers are also cautious, thus making it difficult for fraudsters to pull off their scams.”

    According to the data, the highest number of online fraud activities were recorded in Latin America and Asia-Pacific regions.

    Because of the presence of online fraudsters, the need for online retailers to manage these attacks has never been greater. So far, more than nine out of ten businesses believe that combating E-commerce fraud is essential to their success.

  • Flipkart launches new Ad films for #BachonKaKhel campaign

    Flipkart launches new Ad films for #BachonKaKhel campaign

    Mumbai: Flipkart has launched three new ad films under its ongoing campaign #BachonKaKhel to highlight the industry-first benefits and policies introduced for 4.2 lakh sellers.

    Conceptualized by Art-E MediaTech, in phase 3 of the Bachon Ka Khel campaign, the films are set around crucial seller touchpoints where Bijendra Kala, now established as an expert Flipkart seller in the campaign’s films, motivates other sellers with the benefits of taking their business online through Flipkart.

    The film showcases benefits such as getting the fastest payments in the industry; ease of onboarding in 10 minutes, and listing and cataloging through an entertaining demo by the child artist Divyansh Dwivedi.

    In April, Flipkart introduced a slew of marketplace policy changes and new capabilities under Flipkart EDGE, as a part of its ongoing efforts to build an inclusive e-commerce ecosystem and contribute to the growth, prosperity, and empowerment of its sellers. The benefits include a 10-minutes hassle-free onboarding process, easy listing on the Flipkart marketplace with artificial intelligence (AI)-based innovations, and fast payments in 7-10 days. The #BachonKaKhel campaign amplifies these offerings to drive awareness among sellers about the ease of doing business on Flipkart.

    Speaking of the ad film launch, Flipkart senior director and head-marketplace Jagjeet Harode said, “As a homegrown e-commerce marketplace, we are constantly innovating and bringing new solutions to empower our seller partners from across the country. In this digital commerce era, we want to handhold and nurture MSMEs from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, who are ambitious and are looking to unlock their growth potential. Through the ‘Bachon Ka Khel’ campaign, we aim to educate the seller community about the ease of doing business with Flipkart in a simple and efficient manner.”

    Art-E MediaTech co-founder and chief business officer Rohit Sakunia said, “For us, the task at hand was to retain the impact and relevance of the characters and their roles as portrayed in the first two series of Bachon Ka Khel campaign. At the same time, we wanted the viewers to feel the air of change in not only the e-commerce platform but also in the way it positively impacts the sellers. With a fresh set-up and more new characters than the previous ones, these films are a whole new story of the way the Flipkart Seller Hub is changing the dynamics of online selling in India, by placing the seller and entrepreneur community in the centre of focus of these innovations.”