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Tag: online shopping

  • Amazon rakes in $187.8 billion in Q4-Because breaking records is a habit

    Amazon rakes in $187.8 billion in Q4-Because breaking records is a habit

    MUMBAI: Jeff Bezos may be off enjoying space tourism, but Amazon is still launching financial rockets. The retail and tech giant didn’t just end 2024 on a high note—it dropped a financial mixtape that went platinum. With a blockbuster fourth quarter, Amazon smashed expectations, delivering record-breaking revenue, sky-high profits, and a holiday shopping season that made Santa look like an amateur.

    Amazon reported net sales of $187.8 billion in Q4, marking a 10 per cent year-over-year (YoY) increase, with north America leading the charge at $115.6 billion. Meanwhile, AWS, Amazon’s cloud computing juggernaut, flexed its muscle with a 19 per cent YoY jump, raking in $28.8 billion.

    Profits weren’t just strong—they were Amazon-strong. Operating income skyrocketed to $21.2 billion, up from $13.2 billion in Q4 2023, while net income nearly doubled to $20.0 billion-or $1.86 per diluted share. Amazon’s international segment pulled off an impressive turnaround, swinging from a $400 million loss last year to a $1.3 billion profit.

    For the full year, Amazon’s revenue soared to $638 billion, an 11 per cent increase from 2023, with AWS contributing $107.6 billion. North America’s sales hit $387.5 billion, while international revenue climbed to $142.9 billion. Operating income more than doubled to $68.6 billion, cementing Amazon’s digital dominance.

    Amazon’s free cash flow swelled to $38.2 billion, up from $36.8 billion last year, while operating cash flow leapt 36 per cent to $115.9 billion. The company stepped up investments, pumping $82.9 billion into fulfillment, technology, and AWS infrastructure.

    Meanwhile, advertising revenue proved a bright spot, growing 18 per cent YoY to $17.3 billion-a clear sign that Amazon’s ad business is going toe-to-toe with industry giants. At the same time, third-party seller services surged 9 per cent to $47.5 billion, highlighting Amazon’s commitment to its marketplace model.

    Reflecting on the company’s record-breaking year, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy remarked, “2024 was a transformational year for Amazon, with innovation at the core of our growth. From AWS advancements to Prime’s fastest-ever deliveries, we are building for the future.”

    Looking ahead, Amazon projects Q1 2025 net sales between $151 billion and $155.5 billion, signaling 5-9 per cent growth, despite a $2.1 billion currency headwind. Operating income is expected to land between $14 billion and $18 billion, as the company strikes a balance between profitability and reinvestment.

    With Amazon delivering results like a Prime package on express shipping, 2025 is already shaping up to be another blockbuster year.

  • Lenskart launches Hooper Creatr: Customisable eyewear for kids’ comfort

    Lenskart launches Hooper Creatr: Customisable eyewear for kids’ comfort

    Mumbai: Lenskart introduces Hooper Creatr, a customisable eyewear collection crafted to let kids express their style while prioritising comfort and eye health. Specifically designed for young, active wearers, Hooper Creatr turns glasses into a canvas for creativity, providing fully customizable frames to meet children’s unique personalities and preferences.

    Hooper Creatr frames allow kids to choose every detail, from adjustable temple tips and interchangeable nose pads to durable Flexi hinges. Built with soft, cushioned nose pads, these frames ensure a snug, all-day fit, making them as practical as they are fun. With children’s myopia on the rise, the collection also supports myopia-control lenses, offering a functional solution that prioritises eye health without compromising on style.

    Lenskart, founder & CEO, Peyush Bansal explained the personal inspiration behind Hooper Creatr, saying, “As a parent, I know how important it is to make eyewear both practical and enjoyable for kids. Hooper Creatr is a project very close to my heart because it’s not just about vision correction—it’s about giving children the opportunity to express themselves through their glasses. We’ve designed Hooper Creatr to grow with kids, ensuring that their frames are not only comfortable today but also supportive of their eye health in the long run as they manage myopia.”

     

  • Global Creator Network wins AJIO’s social and content mandate

    Global Creator Network wins AJIO’s social and content mandate

    Mumbai: On Tuesday, Ajio announced the hiring of OML Entertainment’s branded content arm, Global Creator Network (GCN), to handle its social and content mandate. This new collaboration will bring a spunk, verve, bold and fresh perspective to Ajio’s digital communication.

    In line with its brand philosophy—celebrating fearlessness and uniqueness-Ajio is constantly looking to bring a fresh, current, and accessible perspective to personal style. GCN, with its industry expertise and talent network, will look after end-to-end executions of campaigns and content that will help Ajio stay ahead of the competition.

    GCN will work to design and craft innovative, engaging, and effective content for Ajio in tune with the current trends and tastes. Ajio, a fashion and lifestyle brand, is Reliance Retail’s digital commerce initiative and is the ultimate fashion destination for styles that are handpicked, on-trend, and at prices that are the best you’ll find anywhere.

    As a part of the mandate, GCN will build a robust brand strategy, creative first social campaigns with IPs, creator activations, and enable the brand to build a community of like-minded people across various social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. The digital marketing communication will be designed to elevate the brand’s presence in the minds of the consumers using effective branded content strategies.

    Commenting on the win, GCN senior vice president of branded content Devarshi Shah, said, “As a team, we are excited to be associated with a popular and loved brand like Ajio. It would be interesting to build a fresh line of digital communication strategies that are futuristic yet relevant in today’s time. Our focus will be to create meaningful, innovative, and fresh content strategies. The aim is to keep the brand ahead of the competition with campaigns that click.”

  • GUEST ARTICLE: Myths vs Reality: Are consumers really getting more discounts during the holiday season’s online sales?

    GUEST ARTICLE: Myths vs Reality: Are consumers really getting more discounts during the holiday season’s online sales?

    Mumbai: Are you ready to go on a shopping spree, or already done with one? Exhilarating discounts are unleashing the shopaholic personalities residing within each one of us. On the contrary, there is a possibility that non-shoppers have succumbed to the marketing blitzkrieg as well.

    Let us take a moment to look closely at the entire “festive season sale” hoo-ha from the standpoint of brands and consumers.

    With the culmination of the first round of holiday and festive e-commerce sales, online platforms recorded a nearly 5.4X spike in daily sales overall. A 3X boost in e-commerce shipment volumes was also witnessed during the sale period compared to days when business as usual prevailed.

    Do brands really indulge in deeper discounting during the festive season, or is it just another hoax? An Ace Turtle report suggests the average selling price of products on e-commerce websites drops by a mere 17 per cent during the sale period compared to the non-festive season.

    Grant Thornton Bharat national sector leader of consumer and retail Naveen Malpani said that e-commerce portals have witnessed sale amounts nearing three billion dollars (Rs 24,500 crore) in the initial four days of the festive sale, accounting for about 60 per cent of the anticipated GMV (gross merchandise value, a measure of total sales) for the first festive sale and pushing the overall daily GMV to about 5.4X.

    The consumer perspective

    While consumers get a chance to obtain hands-on products from top brands and the latest fashion at a lower price, many e-commerce apps offer a bundled package to avail such discounts, so consumers end up spending more than their budget.

    Moreover, multiple offers have time constraints attached to them, which means you might get a discount of 20 per cent in the daytime, but the same product can be bought for 50 per cent during late hours. This is nothing short of an opportunity lost. It’s imperative to know the discount percentage pre and post the sales start. You might be buying products at the same discount even in sales too.

    For instance, a report by Ace Turtle suggests that the average discount on normal days is 47 per cent, which marginally increases to 50 per cent during the sale period. Thus, it might be a myth that brands engage in hefty discounting during festivities or holiday sales compared to non-sale periods.

    Several e-commerce platforms launch sales events at the same time. Comparison among these apps is the key to clinching the best offer in a world where the customer is always spoilt for choice.

    What’s in for brands/e-comm companies?

    It helps e-commerce companies build an emotional connection with existing and potential consumers as the sales are now aligned with big festivals or events like Diwali, Holi, Christmas, or New Year.

    Brands can structure their narratives bearing in mind consumer behaviour during festivals. Also, brands should reach out to consumers well in advance before the festive season and not when it is at its peak.

    Demographic-based marketing during specific festivals can help with new customer acquisitions, primarily from tier-II and III towns and cities. E-comm companies bridge the gaps between existing and newly launched brands and these consumers. Customised offerings and personalisation help gain loyal customers and retain them for a longer time. Moreover, holiday sales help in clearing their old stocks and generating a substantial-top line with slightly lower margins.

    Conclusion  

    The holiday/festival season can benefit consumers, provided they act smart and do proper research before making a final purchase.

    It’s a win-win situation for both the brands and e-commerce sites as it helps in clearing their stocks while acquiring new users from remote areas, thanks to the deeper internet penetration in tier-III towns. A report by India’s retail and e-commerce trends highlighted that India’s e-commerce growth in FY22 was driven by consumers from tier-II and tier-III cities. Moreover, the growth was majorly attributable to the D2C (direct-to-consumer) segment.

    The author of this article is AdCounty Media global mobile business head Kumar Saurav.

  • Meesho clocks 87.6 lakh orders on day one of festive season sale

    Meesho clocks 87.6 lakh orders on day one of festive season sale

    Mumbai: Meesho recorded 87.6 lakh orders on the first day of its festive season event, ‘Mega Blockbuster Sale.’ This is the highest number of orders recorded by the company on a single day. It reached 80 per cent from day one of the previous year’s sale.

    On the first day of the ‘Mega Blockbuster Sale,’ tier two, three, and four cities accounted for 85 per cent of orders from Meesho. Reaffirming its continued commitment to underserved users with different needs around selection and affordability, the company saw consumers from deep corners of the country, such as Jamnagar, Alappuzha, Chhindwara, Davengere, Hassan, Gopalganj, Guwahati, Siwan, Thanjavur, and Ambikapur.

    With a wide assortment of Rs 6.5 crore active product listings at the lowest prices, the sale exemplifies Meesho’s mission towards democratising e-commerce for everyone.

    Fashion, beauty, personal care, home, kitchen, and electronic accessories were the top-selling categories on day one, while consumers bought everything from sarees to analogue watches, jewellery sets, mobile cases/covers, bluetooth headphones, choppers, and peelers in record volumes to fulfil their festive shopping aspirations.

    Meesho’s industry-first initiatives like zero commission and zero penalty have been instrumental in getting India’s small businesses online. The first day of the Meesho ‘Mega Blockbuster Sale’ saw a 360 per cent increase in seller participation from the previous year, with nearly 75 per cent coming from tier two markets and beyond. Ahead of the festive season, Meesho created a robust training programme on its supplier learning hub and is educating sellers on everything from demand forecasting to order volume management.

    Meesho chief experience officer of business Utkrishta Kumar said, “The ‘Mega Blockbuster Sale’ has started on a high trajectory with a very strong response on day one. This performance is a reflection of the unmatched value sellers and consumers get on our platform and a validation of our relentless efforts towards democratising internet commerce. We are humbled to have had a far-reaching impact in the deepest corners of the country, with 85 per cent of orders and 75 per cent of sellers coming from tier two or higher cities. We will continue to fuel the discoverability of hyperlocal businesses and products, empower MSMEs, and further boost accessibility and affordability for our heterogenous base of consumers.”

  • Meesho to strengthen its presence in the regional markets

    Meesho to strengthen its presence in the regional markets

    Mumbai: The fastest growing internet commerce platform, Meesho, has announced the addition of eight new vernacular languages to its platform in line with its mission to democratise internet commerce for everyone.

    The move comes just ahead of the festive season, when millions of users from all corners of the country are expected to transact on the platform.

    These additional languages are Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia. Meesho customers can now select their preferred language for accessing account and product information, placing and tracking orders, and making payments on Android phones.

    To ensure an accurate and authentic experience in these new languages, Meesho derived key insights from user research and worked closely with expert linguists. The team chose commonly used words over full translation to mirror everyday language and make the shopping experience seamless. For example, the literal translation for the word “required” in Hindi is “anivarya,” but “zaroori” is more widely understood. In total, around 33,000 English words were translated into each of these eight languages.

    Last year, Meesho introduced Hindi as a language option on the platform, which has seen a high adoption rate of 20 per cent so far.

    The majority of Meesho customers come from tier 2+ cities like Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Jamshedpur and non-Hindi-speaking states, where English or Hindi may not always be the language of choice. Hence, this latest initiative will boost Meesho’s adoption in these areas and further simplify the online shopping experience for millions of customers.

    Speaking on of the development, Meesho founder and CTO Sanjeev Barnwal said, “It is important to note that 50 per cent of our users are new to e-commerce and have probably never transacted on such platforms before. By introducing vernacular languages on the platform, Meesho aims to eliminate language barriers. This is a natural step in our journey to becoming the single shopping destination for the next billion users in India. Our teams have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that the platform is 100 per cent accurate and relevant in all these 8 vernacular languages.”

  • GUEST ARTICLE: Four mistakes Indian brands make with promo codes

    GUEST ARTICLE: Four mistakes Indian brands make with promo codes

    Mumbai: Promo codes—the backbone of partner marketing—are highly powerful marketing tools. When used correctly, they have the potential to attract new customers while also rewarding existing ones for their loyalty. Many brands understand this—according to Coupon WhiteLabel, a company that creates coupon pages for hundreds of companies around the world and drives traffic to them, the number of promo code online-purchases in India in the first half of 2022 increased by more than 40 per cent.

    Even so, many brands still don’t know how to properly work with promo codes. Analysing their customer data, Coupon WhiteLabel came up with a list of the most common mistakes brands make when using promo codes—and how to avoid them.

    Mistake #1: Treating promo codes as a last minute solution

    Promo codes can provide a great last minute boost to sales for brands that want to clear excess stock. But to be truly effective, promo codes need to be integrated into a brand’s entire sales and communication strategy.

    Promo codes are a vital part of a healthy sales strategy, mostly because they offer real incentives to the customer right at the end of the decision journey. But when used correctly as part of a comprehensive plan, they can variously deliver new customers, help launch new products, boost sales during a slump, or increase visibility during a peak sales season.

    Mistake #2: Assuming that promo codes work fine on their own

    It’s clear that promo codes can help increase sales, but they are not miracle workers. Unless your brand is offering truly massive discounts, promo codes are most effective when they can be contextualised within a customer’s life. By connecting your brand (and the promo code’s discount) to a holiday, seasonal event, or trend, you can improve your brand’s emotional connection with the customer.

    Brands should be continuously analysing their customers’ reasons for purchase: why do people buy our product? What are there holidays, seasonal events, or trends that tie in well with my product? In a normal year, there are thousands of events that can amplify the power of a promo code. From New Year’s resolutions to spring springing, graduation season, festival season, wedding season, back-to-school season, autumn (pumpkin spice latte anyone? ), and the holidays, brands should create a calendar of events that correspond to their product offering and consider how these times can fit into their overall message.

    Mistake #3: Disregarding deal hunters

    An estimated 35 per cent of customers use coupons that the brand did not give them directly, instead using promo codes they found by searching on the internet on third-party platforms and websites. This represents a certain loss of control for you—a third of your customers are at risk of finding a better deal elsewhere, being frustrated by expired promo codes, or something else that results in a bad experience.

    How can you reconnect those customers with your brand? Coupon WhiteLabel’s data shows that additional coupon sites launched by the service in collaboration with brands help bring most of these customers back under the control of the brand. This allows the brand to better manage the customer experience and focus their attention back on the desired products.

    Mistake #4: Prioritising a short-term sales boost over building long-term loyalty

    Promo codes are a tried-and-true way to boost sales by taking a bit of a hit to your margins. But if you take the time to foster an emotional, long-term connection with the customer, you can reap the lasting benefits of customer loyalty.

    Instead of just looking at promo codes as a way to trade a bit of your profit margins in exchange for a sales boost, you can instead consider promo codes as a way of building rapport with the customer. Offering special promo codes for different groups can help make your customers feel like they’re important to you. Take a look at your customer demographics and consider offering tailor-made promo codes to different groups within your customer base—this can be especially effective when targeting lower-income groups like college students, public servants, or senior citizens. That being said, high-income groups also love a good discount, so don’t leave them out—instead, consider linking the discount to a larger cart size.

    In each of these cases, the promo code will be most effective when combined with a clear and well-planned communication campaign aimed at the group(s) you’re targeting.

    Why promo codes are right for your Indian business

    When used correctly, promo codes are a great way to incentivise conversion. As ecommerce booms in the wake of the pandemic, brands in India and beyond should take a thoughtful look at their online strategy and ask themselves how they can get the most out of their promo codes.

    The author of the article is Admitad India country manager Neha Kulwal.

  • 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.

  • Flipkart’s ‘end of season sale’ observes sale of fashion brands & label

    Flipkart’s ‘end of season sale’ observes sale of fashion brands & label

    Mumbai: Flipkart’s end of season sale 2022 is now concluded. The insights from the sale show that India loved shopping for fashion brands and labels as sellers from across the country serving millions of customers.  

    Millions of customers shop for fashion, accessories and lifestyle products pushing forward the economic growth for lakhs of sellers.  

    Customers in cities such as Bengaluru, Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Guwahati and Muzaffarpur clocked the highest engagement. The platform witnessed a strong response from the states of Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra followed by Bihar and West Bengal.

    The live commerce initiative also saw close to 100 hours of engagement via live and video commerce, with live shows run by sellers that had maximum engagement and appealed the most to Bharat audience. Women fashion, kid’s clothing categories and footwear categories saw maximum engagement from customers during their live videos.

    This EOSS 2022 also saw the debut of a 24×7 live commerce initiative that connected brands, sellers and influencers with customers engaging in real-time. Over 10,000 brands and 2,00,000 sellers came together to offer 10 lakh+ styles of fashionable apparel and accessories for men, women and children.

    The weeklong event, from 10-17 June, saw customers across the country refreshing their wardrobes with the highest uptick in men’s t-shirts, jeans, formal & wedding wear, women’s western wear, sarees, shoes, luggage, handbags, shoes and watches. With the oncoming monsoon and pick-up of travel, raincoats, backpacks, handbags, suitcases and duffle bags saw a bolstered traction.

    As children across the country head back to school, increased demand for uniforms, badges and black shoes was also witnessed. Black was the most-shopped for colour with over 16 lakh+ units sold.

    Western wear contributed to almost half of the demand pie which saw brands such as Puma, Adidas, U.S. Polo Assn., Roadster and Highlander being most preferred by customers.

    As Indians become more health conscious, fitness and health products emerged as priority buys for consumers with over 70 per cent of purchases accounting for sports goods including — running, gym, badminton and cricket shoes. Most purchases were made for western clothes with elevated demand for men’s casual T-shirts and formalwear while women preferred ethnic clothing and sarees as the new go-to fad. The top searched keyword this season was shoes.

    Commenting on this, Flipkart Fashion senior director Abhishek Maloo said, “This year’s end of season sale has been steeped in the spirit of the comeback of fashion, as we saw a resurgence in consumption and a drastic increase in engagement post the pandemic. We have continued to serve our customers with an expansive range of offerings supported by technology-led innovations such as 24×7 Live commerce, for the first time, enriching their shopping experience. Our efforts to uplift the entire fashion ecosystem also ushered in growth for thousands of homegrown fashion brands and sellers across the country. We are overwhelmed by the tremendous success of this end of season sale and are confident that this will further propel growth for Flipkart’s Fashion portfolio.”

  • 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.