Retailopia | Ecommerce News

Snapdeal is sold to Flipkart or Paytm ? Talks are on !

2017-03-22T22:55:00.000+05:30

It is too early to comment who will be strengthening the ecommerce muscle by buying a unicorn like Snapdeal. Talks are on of selling Snapdeal to Flipkart or Paytm but all the three companies have denied it. The whole discussion came into picture when Softbank decided to talk about $50 million of bridge finance to support this initiative This news first came out in an online daily newspaper The Mint.

Your information is incorrect and without basis. We are making decisive progress in our journey towards profitability and all our efforts are aligned in this direction. the spokesperson said in an email to Mint.

Earlier this year, Snapdeal has laid off over 600 employees to restructure its business and wanted to become profitable . This Financial year Snapdeal has reported a loss of $14.93 million.

Who is buying Snapdeal - Paytm or Flipkart ?

Let's examine who will be the potential beneficiary of this deal if it happens. Recently Flipkart has raise $1billion to stay in competition with Amazon, Snapdeal and Paytm . While PayTm is quite new entrant in the market with Paytm mall app - ecommerce arm of Paytm but it is backed by Alibaba. Alibaba holds 40% equity in Paytm ecommerce business and it has also funded Snapdeal (though the stake is only 3%) .

Verdict : There are high chances of Snapdeal to be acquired by Paytm instead of Flipkart

If this happens, Flipkart will loose this battle and it will question its survival.

Microsoft and Flipkart announced Big partnership on AI and Cloud platform

2017-02-20T20:18:00.000+05:30

On Monday, February 20, 2017, Microsoft and Flipkart, India’s leading marketplace, announced a strategic partnership to provide consumers in India with the best online shopping service. As a first step in the broad collaboration between the two companies, Flipkart will adopt Microsoft Azure as its exclusive public cloud platform. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Flipkart Group CEO Binny Bansal announced the news today at an event in Bengaluru.

“At Microsoft, we aim to empower every Indian and every Indian organization with technology and key to this is forging strategic partnerships with innovative companies like Flipkart,” said Satya Nadella - Microsoft CEO. “Combining Microsoft's cloud platform and AI capabilities with Flipkart’s existing services and data assets, will enable Flipkart to accelerate its digital transformation in e-commerce and deliver new customer experiences.”

Binny Bansal and Satya Nadella

“Flipkart has always been committed to its vision of transforming commerce in India through technology. Given Microsoft’s strong reputation in cloud computing, coupled with scale and reliability, this partnership allows us to leverage our combined strength and knowledge of technology, e-commerce and markets to make online shopping more relevant and enriching for customers,” said Binny Bansal, Group CEO and Co-Founder, Flipkart.

Flipkart’s partnership with Microsoft is aimed at jointly accelerating the digital transformation of e-commerce and creating personalized experiences for customers. With Flipkart, Microsoft gains a partner with deep expertise in online marketplaces and customer data. With Microsoft, Flipkart has a global tech leader as a partner, with a powerful and trusted cloud offering, advanced AI and analytics capabilities.

Nikesh Arora IIT BHU Alumni Quits Soft Bank

2016-06-21T19:46:00.000+05:30

Nikesh Arora ,an IIT BHU Alumni, highest paid Indian and president of Soft Bank, quits today. "Masayoshi Son, Chairman & CEO of SBG, had been considering Arora as a strong candidate for succession. Son's intention was to keep leading the Group in various aspects for the time being, while Arora wished to start taking over the lead in a few years' time. The difference of expected timelines between the two leads to Arora's resignation from the position of Representative Director and Director of SBG with the expiration of the term of office and his next steps," SoftBank said in a statement.

“I was thinking of handing over my job as CEO when I turn 60, but thought maybe I’m still a bit too young, and still have energy to continue,” the 58-year-old Mr. Son said.

Mr. Arora said he will remain as an adviser to SoftBank. “This will allow me to think about my next move,” Mr. Arora said.

Alibaba plans direct entry to India. Do Flipkart and Amazon need to worry ?

2016-04-03T13:18:00.002+05:30

Good news for consumers especially for those who are ordering from Alibaba (China) and wait for their products to arrive after 45 days . Many of Indian online consumers order directly from Alibaba as the cost advantage is huge (almost as low as 20% - 30% of the price you get it from Flipkart and Amazon) . They get their products from Aliexpress (Alibaba logistics arm) after 45 days.

" We buy electronics items quite frequently from Alibaba and the prices are very low compare to Indian online retailers", said a frequent buyer from India.

Many traders get their product directly from Alibaba after paying import duty and still it is quite cheap. They sell these products on Indian marketplace like Flipkart and Amazon.

If you see the math, it is quite simple . Flipkart and Amazon charge approximately 20% commission from the sellers. Sellers add his markup price on top of delivery charges , transaction charges plus market place commission, import duty from China, seller from Alibaba also get charged substantial commissions.

In this entire ecommerce game , many middle men are involve and Rs 100 worth of good finally get sold at Rs. 700-800.

With Alibaba entering into Indian Market, we assume this gap is going to shrink and consumers will save some money .

Gujarat Government Imposed Taxes for Ecommerce

2016-04-03T12:46:00.000+05:30

In a recent development , Gujarat govt has decided to impose taxes on ecommerce companies for the goods entering to the state. Though the tax slab and the amount hasn't been decided.

This came as an amendment of the current bill passed in the Gujarat state assembly. The bill amended the present Act of 2001 that did not cover ecommerce transactions. As per the government the previous bill affected the local traders as the goods on ecommerce websites were sold at a much cheaper price as no taxes were levied on these goods.

While presenting the bill , state Finance Minister Saurabh Patel said, "Due to the recent development in the field of online purchase, web-based software applications or through tele-shopping platforms, which does not attract any tax under the present Act, local businesses were adversely affected. "

As per the bill, the word importer as specified in the present Act, now also covers those who bring or facilitate to bring any specified goods for consumption, use or sale in Gujarat from any part of the country using online platforms. Further, such importer is now liable to collect the tax from the person (consumer) for whom the goods are brought and pay it to the government in a prescribed manner, as per the bill.

Flipkart: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori Venture into Healthcare Startup

2016-03-23T11:09:00.000+05:30

Ex-Flipkart duo Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori joined together to startup a new venture and this time it is healthcare. Mukesh Bansal was head of commerce in Flipkart and Ankit Nagori was chief Business officer . Both of the them are next in line after Sachin and Binny Bansals in Flipkart. They are pooling $5M to startup this healthcare , fitness and sports venture . Company will be formed in next month and launch of Mobile app will be in next year.

Commenting on the new venture Ankit Nagori said, " The spending towards healthcare, fitness and sports will be close to 7-8% of Indian GDP . Our aim is to touch and improve billions lives. We will keep focus on other ventures into Education and skill development also."

"We have a good relationship with Flipkart and we discussed with all key stakeholder what we want to do. There is lot to do in India to improve and organize businesses. We are looking at 10 years horizon for betterment of these businesses. " said Mukesh Bansal.

Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori left Flipkart , almost a months ago in February post as a part of restructuring process where Binny Bansal taken charge as CEO of Flipkart.

SnapDeal goof up delivery became HUL Marketing Opportunity

2014-11-04T00:23:00.000+05:30

Snapdeal Goof up

Recently, Snapdeal goofs up delivery of Samsung galaxy duo mobile phone. The phone Mr Laxminarayan Krishnamurthy wanted to gift his wife on her birthday. Instead of samsung mobile he has received an old kitchen soap. Imagine a customer reaction. See what he has written on his facebook wall and the post got viral and till now it has got 20,524 shares on Facebook. Imagine how many people the post might have reached. The rough estimates of the reach could be around 40 to 50 lac people. (just an estimate)

Nothing much to say about Snapdeal, when you see mouthshut reviews and customer complaints. This is not new. We have earlier faced the similar issue with Snapdeal where they were not able to deliver a printer and in another instance they have sent a defective tricycle for my kid.

Read More : Buying From SnapDeal : Think Twice.

But Hindustan Lever Limited has converted this a nice marketing opportunity to reach out. They have sent a Samsung Galaxy Duo along with 2 bottles of Liquid Kitchen Soap. Hats off to the brain behind it.

HUL sent Samsung Galaxy Duo along with 2 bottles of Utensils Liquid Soap

Snapdeal is advertising heavily on TV channels, Prints and through electronic medium to get new customers but many people have been rubbed off on the wrong side.

HUL has taught a new lesson of how to leverage and do some of the marketing activities with mere less than Rs. 20,000.

Apologies, From Flipkart : Mail Sent to All Customers

2014-10-07T21:51:00.002+05:30

Flipkart has sent a mail to all its customers. It's good. Flipkart has learnt post Mi3 debacle where lot of customers would like to buy the product . Flipkart has started communicating to customers. It is like Narendra Modi Style. Communicate with your Audience . Always be in Touch. Below is the mail Content.

Dear Customer,

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 that 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.

It took enormous effort from everyone at Flipkart, many months of preparation and pushing our capabilities and systems to the limit to be able to create this day. We were looking at fulfilling the dreams of millions of Indian consumers through deals and offers we had painstakingly put together for months.

And though we saw unprecedented interest in our products and traffic like never before, we also realized 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. To add to this, the load on our server led to intermittent outages, further impacting your shopping experience on our site.

An unprecedented 1.5 million people shopped at Flipkart yesterday. While we stand humbled by the sheer faith that such a large number of customers have shown in us, we are unhappy that we were unable to live up to the expectations of millions more who wanted to buy from us yesterday.

And this is not acceptable to us.

Delighting you, and every single one of our customers, is absolutely the top most priority for Flipkart and we have worked very hard over the last seven years to earn your trust. Yesterday, we failed that trust. We have learnt some valuable lessons from this and have started working doubly hard to address all the issues that cropped up during this sale.

Price Changes As we were preparing various deals and promotional pricing in the lead up to the sale, the pricing of several products got changed to their non-discounted rates for a few hours. 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.

Out-of-stock Issues We ran out of the stock for many products within a few minutes (and in some cases, seconds) of the sale going live. For example, most of our special deals were sold out as soon as they went live. 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.

Cancellations We had large number of people buying specific products simultaneously. This led to some instances of an order getting over-booked for a product that was sold out just a few seconds ago. We are working round-the-clock to ensure availability of additional units for these products and will do our level best to ensure that we minimise any cancellations.

Website Issues We realise that the shopping experience for many of you was frustrating due to errors and unavailability of the website at times. We had deployed nearly 5000 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. We are continuing to significantly scale up all our back end systems so that we do a much, much better job next time.

Everything that we have achieved at Flipkart is purely on the basis of our customer's trust and faith. This is why we come to work each day and continue to remain extremely passionate about building the best possible customer experience for Indian consumers. We failed to live up to this promise yesterday and would like to apologise once again to every single customer for our failure.

Thank you.

Sachin and Binny

Flipkart Big Billion Day Sale - $100 million -10 hours

2014-10-07T12:30:00.000+05:30

3 weeks effort of big billion day sales by Flipkart has come to an end on same day within 10 hours of its launched . Orders - over 300,000 , Sales - $100 million in 10 hours. Flipkart has achieved its target and reached a mark of $100 million well before 1 day and put a full stop and not expecting order. Sachin and Binny Bansal , Co-founders of Flipkart confirmed in Media.

It is not the first time Flipkart has achieved targets well in advanced . Earlier it has already sold Motorola Mobile Phones MotoE and MotoG (exclusively on Flipkart). They have achieved the sales less than the time they promised to Motorola.

Similarly, Mi3 from Xiomi, China's third largest maker of mobile phones was the biggest success for Flipkart. The product was well received in India because of the specifications and Price. According to Sources, Flipkart has sold over 30,000 to 40,000 mobile phone in few tranches .

This is going to be the strategy of many ecommerce player in India. Create a big campaign well in advance to let people know about it. Spend lot of money on marketing to make the D day very successful. It is like a bollywood movie, where lot of money being spend on marketing to run a movie on 4000+ screen for a week to make it 150+ cr sale.

Big Billion Day - War is Personal among Flipkart Amazon Snapdeal

2014-10-07T12:06:00.003+05:30

It is getting personal now between Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal. All heavy weights of Ecommerce players are fighting a tough battle and this time it is Big Billion Day. While Flipkart has launched big billion day sale on diwali festive season from last 3 weeks. the big billion day campaign is hijacked by amazon.in, yes. the domain of bigbillionday.com redirecting to Amazon.in. Snapdeal is also not behind . You can see the adverts floating around it. This is a very intense war. Funding is huge for all three and all of them want to be bigger than other two.

Snapdeal ad read “For others it’s a big day. For us, today is no different.”

While Amazon is running Mission to Mars campaign Oct 6-8 , 2014

This is not the first time when this kind of war has come out openly in public. Flipkart has put some hoarding nearby Banglore airport when Jeff Bezos , the Man behind amazon landed in India Silicon Valley came down in Bangalore.

Ecommerce Battle in India is Getting Tough

2014-10-06T16:23:00.000+05:30

With the novel government polishing the present India predominantly in economy and defense, India is eagerly encrypting the changes on it whose outputs are expected to be the unbeatable assets for future. The recent reports claimed on the economic growth evidently are the optimistic benchmarks for the anticipated hike in development succeeding shortly. Within this short time, the influence of economic growth spread out so far has brought various changes in the e- commerce sector too. The unexpected emergence of the great entrepreneurs of the country and their successful step in to the e commerce battle field are the so called boosts for the growing e commerce.

To prevail and succeed in the e- commerce sector was once believed to be the monopoly of the global giant Amazon. The recent report says that the question of the accelerated growth of the 4 major national sectors Flipcart, Snapdeal, e bay & Myntra shortly will threaten the base of Amazon India. Even though the firm flipkart was believed to be the great opponent of the label in the country, the phonemenas undertaken so far were pleasing for the strengthened growth of Amazon in India to which the tie up of Moorthy was a boost which backed out the position of FLipkart and Snapdeal to a vivid extend.

But there came something to cherish up the the desi firms to capture their place and establish themselves in the country. The Infosys gumming with the global giant was exactly balanced on the other side by Wipro - a meaningful combination with Snapdeal. It is a matter of great concern rather a great question for the before the Indian e commerce that who will prevail further ? whether Moorthy and his catemaran partnership with Amazon or Asim premji with his maximum investments in Myntra & Snapdeal.

Myntra which is then inturn the organ of Flipkart again gained its spirit preparing Flipkart regain its power to face the new battle with more no of opponents .Snapdeal adding up its name with the entry of Wipro will also successfully compete with the 2 giants as the recent news delivered a precise information of Ratan Tata’s investing in the online marketplace at Snapdeal.com though the amount of investment is not out so far. The entry of the renowned and the respected one is called for its new phase, a kettle of fish for both the company and the e commerce market, for which the battleground preparation should cross up more and more new- new tactful ways.

Mobile has taken over Web on e-retail in U.K.

2014-09-02T22:53:00.003+05:30

Mobile Devices driving Sales

Tablet and Smart phones have taken over web when it comes to selling online (e-retail) in UK. Over 52% of traffic is coming though mobile devices. In terms of Sales, 36% of sales come through mobile devices (out of which 82% comes through Tablets and 18% through Smart Phones). According to Quarterly Bench marking Report (May 2014 to July 2014) done by U.K. e-retail association Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) and Capgemini. The report captures online traffic and sales of top 40 U.K. retailers.

IMRG chief information officer Tina Spooner said: "With over half of all e-retail traffic now coming via smartphones and tablet devices, the latest results reveal a huge landmark in the growth of mobile commerce.

"Considering that as recently as 2010 mobile visits to e-retail sites accounted for less than 3% of traffic, this latest milestone represents staggering growth of 2,000% over the past four years."These results clearly demonstrate that retailers' investment in mobile optimisation is encouraging consumers to adopt mobile devices as a shopping platform."

On Overall sales no. , Reports show that over 24.2 GBP spent on online sales out of which 8.7 GBP spent using Tablet and Smart phones.

Cashkaro : A Blend of Coupons, Referrals and Cashback

2014-08-31T22:28:00.000+05:30

For people obsessed with shopping more than ever and for those who are proud of their bargaining skills, online retail stores or the new generation e-commerce sites have given them a reason to rejoice. With a modest entry into the Indian retail market, many of the e-commerce websites have already managed to garner great turnovers, drive sales and make revenues.

Shopping, for Indians a decade back was all about heading to the nearest marketplace where one would first stroll down the market lane carefully marking down the stores with the best deals available. Only to later step into the same store and further bargain to bring down the prices. Happiness at that moment seems to overshadow the amount spent on shopping over and over again, even if one saves only a meagre amount.

Decoding the need of a country obsessed with shopping, e-commerce start-ups such as Flipkart, Amazon, Myntra, Jabong, Snapdeal, Zovi etc. entered the online retails sector paving way for the many more following. The first few years may not have fetched that good results but almost after half a decade of planned investments and rigorous promotions, the big boys in the business finally made it large.

A virtual web store, which till now was a concept was materialized to become the next big thing within the Indian e-retail sector. From a user count of thousand initially, today the online retail stores cater to more than a million customers each day.

What made this concept of online shopping click is the universal principle to be followed by the services sector, i.e. ‘customer convenience and satisfaction’.

· A virtual warehouse with near endless list of products to choose from wooed the population to start purchasing over the internet. From clothing & accessories line up, electronics, mobiles & computers to groceries, essential toiletries & personal care products and even travel tickets. No more cat fight for the same product, but just a click is what one needs to get a desired product.
Genuine product of first hand quality is what gets delivered at your doorsteps even before you think it’s time. Access to product images with an all-round view, user reviews and online ratings helps a user to be sure about the product before actually picking it up.
Ease of payment options to make payments gives the online retailers an edge over the offline retailers. The payment procedure trimmed down to just a matter of clicks enables the users to pay by Cash on Delivery, Online payment/Net banking or EMI payments allows customers to shop freely.
24/7 customer care support, dedicated helplines and e-mailer provide advice, solution and resolution to those in need. Home delivery and product returns are the add-on features which have made shopping online much more convenient than purchasing from a normal store

However, what give the online retail majors an edge over the offline retailers is the discounted rates and the free coupons provided. The think tanks at these retail stores managed to break into what an Indian shopper would want while shopping? And the answer is ‘Discount and even more discount’!

Shopping deals up on an online retail website does wonders and draws a sea of user traffic from out there. The discounted sales such as clearance sales, flash sale and festive sales etc. feature round the year giving eager/ogling shoppers a chance to grab the best for cheap deals.

With this I’ll stop talking about the changing market trends in India and the booming online retail sector and move on to the next.

So, if you were thinking that this is all what e-commerce has, then welcome to the world of Coupons and Cashback! I will not be surprised when you get to know that one can now get assured Cashback and Coupon on shopping.

“Earn money on whatever you spend”

Say hello to Cashkaro.com! India’s largest Cashback & Coupon site. Cashkaro.com a start-up cashback site is almost a year old now and it already has a strong hold in the category. Unlike the other deal sites which provide discount coupons, Cashkaro is quite unique than the rest as it actually provides extra Cashback every time one shops. Thus you earn money when spend on your shopping.

Partnering with 500+ retailers providing services across India, Cashkaro has already paid off more than 1 crore as Cashback to its users. The Cashback paid comes from the referral fee Cashkaro.com earns from an online retailer for promoting and generating traffic and sales for the respective retailer. It’s not just about Cashback but Cashkaro also promotes and distributes discount coupons and voucher codes exclusively for the user. Thus, it helps one save money on every shopping.

To avail the best out of this service, visit Cashkaro.com and register. Check for a preferred retailer’s store page from 500+ major retailers on Cashkaro’s website and choose the category you want to shop from. Once you click on a mentioned deal, you are further redirected to the retailer’s website. Indulge in shopping as you please while your Cashback gets automatically added into your Cashkaro account.

Till the time you shop via Cashkaro you will receive Cashback for all your transactions. 500+ retailers like Myntra, Jabong, Amazon, Naaptol, etc and a 1000 more categories including books, apparels, electronics, tickets, personal care and many more to choose from. You save on everything you buy. This is Midas touch.

A treat for online shoppers and a must try for all those who look forward to shop online.

Myntra - A Jackpot for Flipkart ?

2014-08-29T20:50:00.000+05:30

Myntra is now striving the best to keep it’s promise of establishing itself in the realm of e-commerce fashion market by its great contributions and innovative ideas that it adopted within a short span of time to prove the excellence. As the CEO of the company once told that the fledging e – commerce market will shortly see the consolidated emergence of each company individually over the 2 years.

The present success of the fashion company makes it evident that it has crossed leaps and bounds of success. Even though some time before, in May, Myntra was taken off by Flipkart which was expected to fade out the grace of the firm. Myntra hardly established its root deep under the basement of the giant Flipkart. It is now the head and the most dominant in the present e- commerce sector holding a space of 60% in the online sector thus acquiring the top portfolio in flip kart. Both the entities together is expected tos contribute a $2 billion in the online purchase and fashion sector by the end of 2016.

There were initially obsolete chaos and critics fastened among the mass, when came the first sprout up of the news of Flipkart’s acquisition of Myntra. But the recent news of the large income and the combined analysis of the economic hike in the company proves the decision made as worthy and the best of the best that Flipkart has ever made. The mutual symbiotic relationship of Myntra and the Flipkart is the existing evidence of the perfect integrity made for the benefit of the 2 extreme isles in the online sector. Let it be pre or post , Myntra has managed to stick to its name ‘ the best street player’ in fashion purchase sector.Myntra is such a great counterpart that supports and aids Flipkart to establish itself in the field of fashion and it can be rather considered as a perfect bridging labels between consumers and the luxury.

With a rise in the consciousness of prêt and the urge for western style, the people are in search of such most user-friendly, easily reachable- best choice granting units. This was in turn realized by Myntra to dig up more potential to satisfy the today’s needs and the tomorrow’s expectations. Thus the tactics found out were well utilized by the label to emerge as a vertical player in the market. For Flip kart, Myntra in it’s grab is like a fish in kettle which is evident from the recent news about Flipkart, its rise of investment particularly in the fashion sector. It has committed to putting a worthy amount of 100 million $in the sector where Myntra can be a king. Flushed with cash, huge investments are done at present to improve the distribution capability, software efficiency, collections in the fashion online purchase platforms etc. It is anticipated that within a short time, fashion will grow undoubtfully to acquire the online market, may be the reason for why Flipkart sorted to acquire Myntra .Positively Flipkart is on an adventure to hunt its prey in the fashion and trendy sector with its arrow the Myntra.

Still the entrepreneurs of Myntra are there in search of something to improve the existing standard, sorting new- new methodologies. At Myntra, the CEO Banzal is busy now to create a strong fashion DNA for the future, finding novel methods to attract the fashion conscious community of India, for which he recently came up with a fascinating show, service style conducted recently which was presided by Nargis Fakhri, the bollywood actress, a telephonic prototype for grantings tips for the perfect look. The collected a good feedback which was more than enough for him to judge the present fashion maniac extend in the country. The recently made choice of the brand ambassadors Kangana Ranaut and Ranveer Singh is also an evident tactful move of the firm to acquire the support of the common. It is expected that the forthcoming product launches in Myntra – Flipkart will create a lot of buss among the fashion maniacs.

This Article has been written by Aparna Vijayan

Local Registration - A New Tectic for Amazon

2014-08-18T19:40:00.002+05:30

Amazon, the giant in e -commerce is now ready with its new tactic to gain more customers. Some time before the idea put forward for “local registration” was one such preceding move to create an output that aimed at well planned establishment of the company in the mobile market. Yes, it succeeded in its attempt and came up with “Amazon local register”. However this time what the company renders is not the conventional style – the introduction of new mobile types or stores, but a technology that could obviously contribute to a multidimensional trustworthy money transfer mechanism. Recently the system came to the mobile payment market, taking companies such as square and PayPal here. The label is a combination of a secure card reader, which must be purchased for US$10, and a free mobile app. Together, they offer a platform that allows businesses to accept credit and debit card payments using smart phones or tablet. The introductory fees for sign up on or before of 31 is 1.75 percent per card swipe which is expected to last till January 1, 2016 after which the standard rate of 2.75 percent will apply. The system enables a free deposit of the fund in a bank the very next business day.

Signing up to the new system is very easy as always, the user will be asked to create account, buy the card reader and download the mobile app from the free store of Amazon, apple or Google play. The cards will be obviously available in Amazon and then in staples too. The app is highly compatible with Kindle Fire tablets, the new Fire phone, Apple devices running I OS 7, and certain Android Smartphone. According to Vlad Zachary, Amazon is expected to hit a high popularity amongst all the e-commerce competitors by the introduction of the so called system. “The sellers who avoided the online approach due to lack of trust may consider switching on to Amazon local register at least by 2016” he says.

Yet for now the system may remain unclear and inert but it is expected to obviously sprout up as Amazon is one such trustworthy website with lot of customer support and as far as the initiatives are concerned, they are a pair of perfect boost for the forthcoming mobile payment technology which the company is going to influence. “Undoubtfully, Amazon is such a company that has ample resources and new services accompanied by trustworthy customer service counterparts, hence acquiring the proper establishment in the new system is quite easy” says chaudhary, Managing director of the global equity research.

For Amazon the local register is not only a new innovative system that is getting introduced, but also is a method to more revenue. It is off no doubt that the small businesses will flock to the websites as for the customers the past experiences with handling Amazon payment were easy, free, fast and liable. Amidst of the revenue and the competing perspective, it can also be firmly considered as an introduction of a trendy approach that will fasten Amazon’s image as a trendsetter which may encourage others to follow up. It is recently reported that the e commerce giant is meeting second quarter losses, whilst the news spread up Amazon is never looking back but is busy with its optimistic quest for customer supportive and trendy techo – reforms that is the one reason claimed always for the company’s success.

Amazon in a battle for ebooks

2014-08-18T19:35:00.000+05:30

Amazon, which has been sometime involved in the battle of ebook prices was expected to prepare itself for uprooting the created discrepancies in the cool functioning of the system, whilst the recent news of Amazon’s cancellation of the preorders from Disney has worsened the present situation which is a sign of Amazon’s direct entry for a dispute with the publisher Disney. Despite the heat it has taken up from the authors and publishers in the ebook pricing fight, Amazon doesn’t seem to get deprived from the battlefield or there are no clues of any attempted compromises. The e –commerce giant is not even a bit shook or is ready to reform the present aggressive strategy which it has adopted recently. Whereas the company might be feeling a little stung as it has the need to explain itself to the customers to gather up the required support and hence to polish its fame.

With the battle against Hachette over the pricing issue, already there where chaos created in the whole functioning of the company, which rather had created an opportunity for the competitors existing. But the e – commerce giant seems to remain well determined and confident to move with the system as it gained sufficient supports from the consumer side. Even though for Amazon , the system of rendering e books for free is a justifiable policy when viewed favorable to the costumers ,it on other side creates lot of negative pre-assumptions amongst the publishers as it is claimed by the writers and publishers that the less cost of system will reduce the value of the books.

Earlier this year Amazon stopped taking preorders for Hachette books that lengthened delivery times and reduced discounts for books published by Hachette. “The recent battle to take on Disney in turn will create lot of troubles for the customers “says an analyst .But Amazon on the other hand has revealed that they will never give up for the fight for reasonable e-books and the message is already passed by the company through an appeal to the readers."We know making books more affordable is good for book culture," the company said, dismissing the argument that lower e-book prices devalue books. Amidst of all the ongoing fights Amazon’s actions against Hachette have splitted the authors' community to a vivid extend .Hundreds of well-known authors including Stephen King and James Patterson criticized both parties.

"The bottom line for everybody in this soap opera is money, “says Mike Jude, Stratecast consumer communication services program manager at Frost &Sullivan .Amazon would try to make more money, so as Hachette” he added. He intimated before the media that the 2 parties will have to face the expected responses ,as the authors are getting screwed up. An analysis on the company’s income recently showed that the company is meeting with an evident decline of income, the Q2 earnings report of Amazon listed a larger-than-expected loss of US$126 million and the company has projected a loss of more than $800 million in Q3.

“Amazon’s fight with Disney is a tactic to attain more profit” says Jude as he added that “if that wasn’t so, a giant like Amazon will never get indulged in something like this”. however for Amazon s if the transaction volume is important, For Disney the market will remain inelastic to price, as no one will attempt to get copies more than one for a book. Yet for Disney the hope that the government libraries give can be quite consoling.

It is a matter of great dismay and a rather doubtful phenomenon too, that Amazon has histories of such cancellation of preorders. In May it stopped taking preorders from Warner Home video movies during a dispute with Time Warner. There are also reports that some years back it stopped with the McMillan Company too. Hence, the dispute with Disney can be considered as a yet another goal for Amazon ready for a triumphant strike as Amazon always urges for the publishers to work for them directly and on the other side it is as evident as that , Disney is that autonomous power that has the potential to break Amazon.”The short term policies of Amazon excel in consumer friendly approach but the long-term is quite unpredictable cautioned “Jude.

Yet amidst of all tactics and weird dramas, the question of justice and loyalty remains obsolete in the money minded world.

What, The Indian Ecommerce Worries?

2014-08-03T18:56:00.000+05:30

Amazon, the giant in the e-commerce market is trying to stay unique as always and hence strengthening itself backing out other opponents by winning the customers through its unbeatable customer supporting services. The vice president and principal analyst of the Forrester research, madam Julie was quite deadly astonished and rather excited when she tweeted the amazing experience of shopping in Amazon enabled through the fire service. The US m-commerce is thereby firmly expected to move on a rather faster pace to increase the expected sum of $100M in the end of 2014 ‘whilst the new battleground for retailers is the MOBILE MOMENT- the point in space and time when a customer pulls out her phone to get something that she needs immediately needs and in context `says Julie. The mini sprout ups in the various other countries by Amazon representatives have also recently extended Amazon’s hold up in other countries on which a favorable number of customers rely hence strengthening the share holders an optimistic expectation to establish themselves in the countries which threatens the national retailers.

With Amazon ramping up its presence in India, two local online retailers are preparing for tougher competition with separate deals worth a combined $400 million. Flipkart, India's largest online retailer had announced its acquisition of a majority stake in online fashion retailer Myntrassss in a deal worth about $300 million. In a separate deal, local online retailer Snap deal has raised $100 million from five investors to defend itself against the increasing rely of customers in Amazon. Whereas Amazon is preparing to win market share in India's fast-growing e-commerce industry. "Amazon is scaling up .... Much faster than expected and that is forcing everyone from retailers to investors in these companies to re-think," said Ashish Jhalani, founder of e-tailing India, a retail consultancy.

"The sentiment here at the moment is about survival, it's about now or never," he said.

Bangalore-based Flipkart, set up by two ex-Amazon employees in 2007, has sought to grow its presence in the online fashion segment while Amazon freshens the experience of shopping both in m and e commerce by its continual updates and improvements.‘ It’s always hard to be first in market, what Amazon has created with Firefly is impressive, Amazon understand the potential, says an experienced customer with a smile.

While the Indian e- commerce is extending its proximity to the shopping experience of Amazon, the nightmare of the Indian e- commerce giants, the recent news on Infosys’s next big bet gave the finishing touches to the expected strong establishment of the abroad e- commerce in India. It is reported that the software giant of India Infosys has its plan to make an entry into the e-commerce space with the global giant Amazon. NRN will route his investments through his firm, Catamaran Ventures. When contacted Catamaran confirmed the development. Arjun Ramegowda Narayanswamy who heads Catamaran Ventures said, "Catamaran is partnering with Amazon Asia to offer services that help offline sellers and SMBs in India to get online and to take advantage of the fast-growing online customer base in the country." Since FDI in e-commerce is not allowed in India, sources suggest that Amazon and Catamaran have consulted top legal firms and hence formed such ventures which don’t fall under FDI restrictions.

Amazon, which entered India, recently operates itself as a third party marketplace operator, providing platform for others to sell, instead of selling directly because of the FDI restrictions in the e-commerce sector. The recent information’s favoring. Amazon is the clear cut evidence of its expected emergence in the Indian commerce which on the other hand is truly catastrophic as it is obviously expected more than a percentile that the Indian retailers will never back out in preparing themselves for the coming e-commerce battle which is as evident from the new renovations that were brought sin their websites.

The Article has been written by Aparna Vijayan

Choose from top 20 Ecommerce Platforms

2014-06-22T20:14:00.000+05:30

Enterprise/
Custom

Magento

PrestaShop

Shopify

Miva Merchant

Volusion

BigCommerce

CS-Cart

3dcart

CoreCommerce

Pinnacle Cart

OpenCart

Yahoo! Store

TomatoCart

X-Cart

WooCommerce

WordPress

Zen Cart

CubeCart

ekmPowershop

FoxyCart

ProStores

ChotuChaiWala.com: Taking Bombay’s Cutting Chai Online!

2014-05-30T21:37:00.000+05:30

It is often said about Bombay that the most magical of stories find its roots in this charming city. It is a place which witnesses a co-existence of 12 million people from all walks of life. The poor and the rich, the big and the small, the old and the young – this city houses them all. Amidst all of them, one group of people who have been an integral part of Mumbai’s culture are the city’s famed chaiwalas, or tea vendors.

Mumbaikars have always loved their tea, and that is the reason why thousands of chaiwalasline the streets everyday to serve the city its favourite drink. Everyone loves a sip or two, be it executives discussing strategies while puffing on a cigarette or labourers taking a break after toiling hard in the summer sun.

The Idea

We’ve always been fascinated by the organized nature of the chaiwalas. From sunrise to sunset, they cater to hundreds of customers everyday. In addition, they also follow a strict timetable of tea deliveries to offices and residences in their locality. Their discipline was the inspiration behind the conception of ChotuChaiWala.com.

At Zepo, being an eCommerce website building platform, we took up the initiative of better connecting the chaiwalas of Mumbai to its residents. With more than 1000 online stores running on Zepo, probably the only category missing was a chai ki dukaan!

Wouldn’t it be awesome if everyone in Mumbai could order tea online while sitting at home or at work? Not only would it be great for the tea lovers, but also for the chaiwalas who could get hundreds of new customers through the internet. Because after all, who likes to shop offline anymore, right?

The Execution

Once the basic plan was chalked out, we got to work. We picked Bandra as our first destination to start out from, simply because it is one of the biggest business centers in Mumbai. We approached many tea vendors in and around the famous Linking Road and put forward our idea to them.

Within a couple of days, we had 4 chaiwalas ready to pitch in together and purchase an online store from us. Because they weren’t that tech savvy, we helped them build their website completely within a day. We uploaded their photos, added their ‘products’ and ChotuChaiWala.com was up and running. We also provided them with customized T Shirts and paper cups to help them market their online store to their customers.

List of Online Shopping Sites in USA

2014-04-19T15:45:00.003+05:30

Here is a list of Best Online Shopping Sites in USA. This is the list of 2014 Online Shopping E- commerce Website in United States of America.

Hottest U.S. Internet and Mobile Retail Sites in 2013, 2012, and 2011

1800Contacts.com
1-800-flowers.com
3floz.com
4thStreetCookie.com
AbesMarket.com
Abesofmaine.com
Abt.com
AceHardware.com
Alice.com
Amazon.com
AmericanApparel.com
AmericanEagle.com
AnnTaylor.com
Apple.com
Apple app store
Ariat.com
Armaniexchange.com
Art.com
Asos.com
Avery.com
BabiesRUs.com
BabyBot.com
BabySteals.com
Bareescentuals.com
Barnes & noble mobile
Barnesandnoble.com
BaubleBar.com
Beachmint.com
Beautychoice.com
BebeStore.com.br
BenefitCosmetics.com
Benjaminmoore.com
Bergdorfgoodman.com
BestBuy.com
BetterWorldBooks.com
Blaircandy.com
Blank-label.com
Blinds.com
Bluefly.com
BlueNile.com
Bonobos
Brooks Brothers
Burberry.com
Burton.com
Buy.com
Cabelas.com
Carters.com
Case-Mate.com
CellarThief.com
Chacos.com
ChainLove.com
Clinique.com
Christianbook.com
Coach.com
Computergeeks.com
CoolComputerBags.com
CrateandBarrel.com
CreateMyChocolate.com
Crocs.com
Cuisinart.com
DavidsBridal.com
DestinationXL.com
Diapers.com
Dress365days.com
DSW.com
Dvf.com
Ebags.com
Ebay mobile
Eddiebauer.com
EdibleArrangements.com
ElieTahari.com
Eshakti.com
Esteelauder.com
Evo.com
Express.com
Eyefly.com
Fab.com
Fandango.com
Fashionplaytes.com
FatBrainToys.com
Folica.com
Freepeople.com
FreshPair.com
Gaiam.com
Gnc.com
Gourmetgiftbaskets.com
Groupon.com
Hallmark.com
Hallwines.com
Headsets.com
Heels.com
Hockeymonkey.com
Homedepot.com
Ibex.com
Ideeli.com
Igigi.com
IKEA.com
IntelligentsiaCoffee.com
Jamesallen.com
JCrew.com
JPBoden
JustFab.com
Karmaloop.com
Katespade.com
Levi.com
Lightsonline.com
Lillypulitzer.com
Lowes.com
Lululemon.com
Mec.ca
Modcloth.com
MrPorter.com
MusiciansFriend.com
NastyGal.com
Neatco.com
Neimanmarcus.com
Nike.com
Nordstrom.com
Northerntool.com
OfaKind.com
Organize.com
Orvis.com
Pacsun.com
Patagonia.com
Pbteen.com
Pcconnection.com
Peapod.com
Pgestore.com
Piperlime.gap.com
Powells.com
PrepSportswear.com
QVC.com
Reallygoodstuff.com
Reebok.com
Revzilla.com
Roxy.com
Scentiments.com
Sears.com
Sheplers.com
ShirtsMyWay.com
Shop.CallawayGolf.com
Shop.Mattel.com
Shop.Meetmark.com
ShopBop.com
Shoplet.com
Shopnbc.com mobile
Shoptiques.com
Smashbox.com
Sonystyle.com
SpreadShirt.com
Store.theflip.com
The Catholic Company mobile
TheLimited.com
Thinkgeek.com
Threadless.com
Tom’s.com
Tommy Hilfiger Mobile
Toolking.com
Totsy.com
TrunkClub.com
UnderArmour.com
Walgreens.com
Walmart.com
Weddingpaperdivas.com
Wine.com

Amazon India Surpassed Flipkart and Snapdeal

2014-04-07T23:20:00.000+05:30

Amazon India has shown its muscle power to Indian Ecommerce giants Flipkart and Snapdeal. Yes you read it right. In just 8-10 months of time, Amazon has shown that they are the world leader when it comes to Marketplace model. They have tied up with thousands of Dealer/Merchant and bringing them on-board across 20 categories. They claimed to have over 15 million products in Amazon.in, while Flipkart and Snapdeal have 10 million and 4 million respectively.

Flipkart has already hit $1bn mark in revenue and Snapdeal is next in line and may reach a $1bn mark in next year or so, but you can't ignore amazon that has already exceeded in no. of products. This may be a worry for Indian poster boys of ecommerce [Binny and Sachin Bansal] along with VCs (Accel Partners and Tiger Global). Recent news/rumours about Flipkart and Myntra are going to join hand may be one of the reason to fight back with the global giant. We can't ignore this news , as out of all the VCs who have invested in Flipkart and Myntra, two of them have invested in both the venture and might have good stake.

According to a english daily newspaper , Online fashion retailer Myntra's co-founder and CEO Mukesh Bansal is open to getting a strategic investor on board, a move which could trigger a deal with Flipkart as early as this month, making it the biggest consolidation move in the Indian e-commerce market.

Consolidation is on the Card. Battle is between Top Indian Ecommerce Player Flipkart + Myntra Vs Amazon.

Stay tuned for more details.

List of Open Source Ecommerce Software

2014-03-25T22:39:00.002+05:30

Open Source Ecommerce Platforms

Open-source e-commerce softwares provide entire web store application or part of a web store like shopping cart. These softwares have features such as shopping cart functionality and product catalogs that enable store owners to set up, run and maintain online stores. Typically, Open-source e-commerce softwares are available for free, however, other fees may exist for varying types of memberships. Small size companies where transaction volumes are low adopt open-source software and it has been a mainstream activity for almost more than five years. But many large enterprises are wary of adopting open-source e-commerce for large-scale and midsize e-commercesites, because of concerns over reliability in supporting large transaction volumes. Scalability and security are the major bottleneck for large-scale transactional sites.

List of Open Source Software

AgoraCart
Apache OFBiz
Avetti
BigFish
Broadleaf Commerce
Commerce Guys (Drupal Commerce)
CubeCart
dashCommerce
Interchange
JadaSite
LiteCommerce
Magento
Nexternal
osCommerce
PrestaShop
Shopizer
SoftSlate Commerce
TomatoCart
VirtueMart
Zen Cart

Website Review of Amazon.in

2014-03-20T20:01:00.000+05:30

AMAZON.in is a flagship of the largest online retail store; Amazon.com. The parent company is an international e-commerce company that has its operations in many countries and it ships some products from one country to another. It started off as an online bookstore but entered into many other products category very soon. Amazon seller services private limited is the affiliate in India which operates Amazon.in and manages the operations of Amazon.com in India. The vision of company is to create the biggest market place for its customers who can buy anything from this market that too at affordable prices and having total quality guarantee.

PRODUCT GAMUT

The store is the largest online store present as on date and has a product collection that no one can duplicate. You name the product category and it is present at Amazon.in.

Electronics

Books

Computers and accessories

Home and Kitchen furnishing

Baby products

Beauty and health

Apparels for men and women

Lifestyle products for men and women

Mobiles and Tablets

Music CD’s, DVD’s

USER INTERFACE

There is a full store dictionary present in the home page of the portal wherein each and every product is divided categorically and has been arranged chronologically. In such a user friendly set up finding the required product becomes very easy and hassle free. At the home page itself one can find the most searched items in a product category again making a search very easy for the customers. For example one can find music under different category mentioned like international music, Indian classical and such.

UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION

There is one very unique feature of the store. It keeps issuing one product under huge discount offer and names it as the deal of the day and also it shows the upcoming deals with in a few hours. If the product is of your use, you can accordingly plan the purchase. There are about a list of 12 products that shows in the upcoming list, on a daily basis.

SHIPPING AND RETURN POLICIES

The shipment of goods takes about week’s time to reach the required destination. A bare minimum charge of Rs 49 is charged for the goods below worth Rs 500 and it is free for purchase made above the mentioned amount. There are few limited period offers also wherein one can get free delivery for shopping done during that period. For urgent delivery like one or two days one will have to pay Rs 99 and Rs 79, irrespective of the purchase amount. One can return the goods within a time frame of 7 days to 30 days depending upon the good. For example beauty items needs to be returned within 7 days and one can return watches within 30 days of delivery.

IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTIONS

Amazon.in can strive to increase its reach in terms of delivery area so that many people can get access to the market place.

SUMMARY

The store was a pioneer in the field of online stores and over the period it has established as a full-fledged market place wherein shopping has become very easy. There are no hassles while shopping from the store. This store is the best online retail solution that a customer can ask for.

Amazon.in also provides deal and offers on laptop, mobile, tab and accessories. If you want to get more discounts on amazon products visit CouponzGuru or can use amazon India coupons and save the money while shopping from amazon.

The Visual Generation & The eCommerce Revolution: Tips & Technologies for Victory

2014-03-16T22:48:00.000+05:30

You might have a great website, selling great products, but if you don’t have a compelling visual experience online, you might soon be struggling to keep up with your competitors.

Visual Innovation

According to Kissmetrics, 93% of consumers place visual appearance above all other factors when shopping online. So how does this affect online retailers? Well, the same as product placement and store layout does in bricks-and-mortar stores. As always, it is a case of fight or flight for retailers, with global competition and technological changes confirming the need for visual innovation on eCommerce sites.

Emotional Connection

It seems that online retailers sometimes forget that people have always communicated in a visual manner, dating as far back as the days of prehistoric cave painting.

Nowadays, we connect emotionally to images more than video, audio or text. People make decisions and take action quicker when prompted by images, rather than by reading a lot of text. According to Hubspot, 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual, and visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text.

So why is there a need for a visual revolution? It’s simple. eCommerce sites are yet to perfect the art of visual display as well as physical stores have, and now there is a generation demanding it.

Visual Revolution

The demographic ranging from ages 18-34, are the driving force behind the visual revolution that is and must take place in eCommerce. This key demographic is part of a new ‘visual generation’ that is driven even more so than the generations before them by visual imagery. We all know how the saying goes: a picture is worth a thousand words. This could not be truer in today’s society where images have become even more popular reinforced by the ability to take and share photos with smartphone cameras. WeSEE report that 40% of consumers aged 35 and under have used their mobile devices to take photographs of products in-store that they wish to purchase later on. Why wouldn’t online retailers quickly encourage and even influence this behaviour?

The visual generation readily adopt new shopping technologies but they are hungry for more to further enable their online and mobile shopping. Research confirms that at least 40% of young consumers expect a richer visual experience while shopping online. These shoppers are not only more visual in their web usage, but it is a part of their inherent nature to share their shopping and purchasing ideas with friends, hence the demand for greater visual technologies in eCommerce.

Visual Technologies

If you want to make your site more appealing to shoppers, the time is now to put your visual foot first. Here are some technologies that allow online retailers to engage and delight the visual generation.

Interactive display’s such as Show. See. Sold. powered by thereitis, help shoppers browse an entire collection finding items that catch their eye, while increasing time on site, conversion and average spend for online stores. Online shoppers can spin, zoom and click through items delivering a more immersive interactive experience.

Zoom technologies like Magic Toolbox allow online retailers to showcase their products up-close in stunning detail, providing a rich visual experience for site visitors that is second only to physically viewing the product.

With Visual Shopping Engine’s like PicCommerce, customers can visually search online stores by colour and shape, meaning that shoppers can enjoy a shopping experience closer to the sophisticated outfit matching and color coordination experiences that happen when shopping in the real world.

Now over to you. What will you be doing to target the visual generation? Leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts.

Author Bio

Shaylee Rogers is the Marketing Coordinator for thereitis Show. See. Sold.

The Rise of Tablet Shopping and What Online Retailers Need to Know About it

2014-03-16T22:42:00.003+05:30

With the advancements of today’s technology, online is becoming the norm for many shoppers. In a recent survey in Britain, 29% of respondents stated that online shopping is the ‘best tech development of our time’. They mean it as well with eMarketer forecasting that the global eCommerce trade is expected to increase by 20.1% this year to reach $1.5 trillion, and with 70% of shoppers claiming to prefer online over real world shopping
.

Customer experience will always be a hot topic in the world of eCommerce. Online retailers aiming to maintain competitiveness need to live and breathe by the fact that not only is the customer king, but customer experience is the key to the kingdom. This is why time needs to be invested providing the best possible experience for site visitors.

But when it comes to customer experience on tablet devices, there is more than meets the eye.

Tablets are undergoing a massive increase in popularity with a resulting flow-through to online shopping. Average spend and conversion rates are higher on tablets than other mobile devices. With their larger screens making it easy to pinch and zoom for detailed product views, search and web browsing, and their small, easy to handle size providing a comfortable and enjoyable experience, this should be of no surprise to eCommerce operators.

A recent study by Adobe indicated that tablet shoppers are three times more likely to make a purchase over mobile phone users, with average spend also 50 percent higher than desktop users.

These statistics highlight the need for a greater focus on the tablet customer experience. Research shows that great shopping experiences lead to increased conversions, higher spend and higher levels of customer loyalty and return. But are retailers ready for the surge in tablet commerce? Many tablet shopping sites report customers being dissatisfied with site usability compared to desktop versions.

Tablet users are known to spend more time interacting and engaging with content and media. In addition to making the tablet experience as intuitive as possible, online retailers should consider adding features that users can interact with, as studies show that tablet users will spend more time on a site with these features before making a purchase.

For example, Show. See. Sold. is an interactive display for eCommerce that not only increases time on site, but also conversion and average spend, whilst giving an enjoyable experience they look forward to returning to. Interactivity and the display of more images in the one view create an environment that promotes discovery and search. This improved user experience is the key to the improved uplift and key metrics for Show. See. Sold.

It is apparent that retailers who are not optimizing for tablet shopping are missing opportunities and will continue to do so until they make the tablet experience a priority.