Flipkart - Indigenous Amazon
Flipkart - Indigenous Amazon
Introduction
e-Commerce is catching on rapidly and Indian companies are not far behind. If the world has Amazon, it also has Flipkart. Flipkart is India’s indigenous Amazon. It has revolutionized online shopping in India. From a company that began under the leadership of Binny and Sachin Bansal to a 4,500 employee strong organization, Flipkart has come a long way. For those who wonder about the future of ecommerce in India, domestic companies such as Flipkart are capturing the market and proving to be India’s answer to Amazon and eBay.
Viewpoint
• Flipkart has changed the way people shop. Its massive customer base and professional services bear testimony to the fact that ecommerce has come of age in India. This Bangalore based company was started in the year 2007. It sells nearly 50,000 items per day. Its loyal customer base is constantly expanding and it is becoming a popular choice for those who are tech savvy shoppers as well as newcomers to the online shopping experience.
• Sachin and Binny are alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology at Delhi and they have worked with leading ecommerce giants such as Amazon before embarking on their own venture. Flipkart was conceived and launched by them to provide Indians with a site that can ship any type of products to you in a matter of days. Flipkart also provides safe and secure payment gateways so that online transactions can be conducted with the maximum of ease and minimum of fuss.
• Flipkart is currently growing at a stupendous rate. Daily sales total more than $5 million and convenient payment options such as cash on delivery have made Flipkart a popular choice among India’s urban centres and small towns.
• The Flipkart website is easy to navigate and it is ideal for those who want to utilize the convenience of online shopping and payment. The awesome customer experience provided by this online shopping company has endeared it to millions of customers in India.
• Offline, conventional stores are unable to provide services that can rival Flipkart. This online shopping site is most popular because of its sizeable discounts to consumers. Flipkart has captured a lion’s share of the market due to its discounted prices for a host of products such as watches, jewellery, books and cookware which make it a leading choice for consumers throughout the country. Flipkart exploits the advantages of being an online ecommerce store. It passes on savings in the form of discounts to its consumers as its infrastructural costs are very low.
Conclusion
While some argue that because Flipkart offers discounts, it is successful, the truth is very different. If discounts were the main attraction, Amazon would be just as popular because it can offer greater discounts as it can absorb more losses due to its massive size and funds base.
However, Flipkart also understands the sensitivities of the Indian consumer. It has a very efficient customer sales division and it also provides email and SMS alerts to all its customers regarding ongoing discounts. Flipkart has capitalized on its strengths and become India’s indigenous Amazon. In the coming years, it will continue to prosper. It has recently been provided with millions of dollars to expand its business further.
Discussion
- Flipkart - Indigenous Amazon -Farhana Afreen (04/03/14)
Flipkart - indigenous Amazon
When Amazon launched it Indian site, there were numerous questions being discussed everywhere if it would be able to overtake Flipkart in the country. It is almost a year that Amazon entered Indian market and yet people by and large prefer their indigenous Flipkart. Amazon is largely preferred choice of people in US and UK but in India, nothing compares to the reliability and ease that we get with Flipkart. It won’t be wrong to say that Flipkart is our indigenous Amazon.
Both the founders of Amazon, Sachin and Binny, had worked for Amazon before founding Flipkart. Hence, they have a very superior idea of how Amazon functions. They have used their work experience very well to establish an elated e-shopping trend in India by starting Flipkart.
Amazon might be the older and well established giant in the e-commerce business but they cannot say the same for Indian market. Flipkart, on the other hand, was created keeping in mind the interests and preference of the Indian consumers. Amazon has a lot to learn about the fluctuating minds of Indian housewives before it can compare to Flipkart.
There are many other e-commerce websites as well in India. Some were established soon after Flipkart gained popularity and some are new yet enticing. However, none can compare to the trust and reliability that we Indian have while placing an order at Flipkart.
The fact that Flipkart is a purely indigenous brand also affects its competition with Amazon. They have this benefit over Amazon about the acquaintance of selling goods in India and dealing with the customers. When e-commerce first began, there were doubts in the minds of people about the authentication of goods and reliability of service offered. With time, people began admiring the business of Flipkart and customer satisfaction led them to sore new heights to the extent of becoming the most popular e-commerce site in India. Why would people want to try a new service when the older one is dependable and satisfying?
The prices offered at Flipkart is also satisfying to Indian consumers who compare with other sites offering the same products. It is found that usually they offer the best prices and the most flattering discounts. For some products, it can even be said that Amazon charges a little more than the price of the same product at Flipkart. If these are the measures that Amazon is taking to come to the level of Flipkart in India, it still has a long way to go before it begins to get the attention of Indian consumers who shop online.
There is a reliability that people have developed with the payment procedures at Flipkart. Their services and delivery duration is also better handled by the indigenous company that is better acquainted with the proceedings and challenges. Even if Amazon promises secure payment methods and similar services, it will have to do something additionally to prove their worth to the already enticed Indian consumers.
Better offers and discounts at Amazon could be one way of drawing the crowd towards itself; however that could lead to a loss for the company. And, of course, there are more and more e-commerce sites being developed and promoted in India which means there are many more competitors to deal with.
