Introduction
Festive Face-off: Behind Flipkart Amazon’s Ambitions : India, a land of festivities witnesses strong festive participations during the October to December quarter every year. Although the festivities in this land of innovation never takes a pause but this period brings out bonanza, not just for customers but also the ecommerce behemoths in the likes of Flipkart and Amazon. Indian ecommerce is a testimony in itself as to how it nurtures not just the customers but also the entire ecosystem, not just especially around the festive season but on a daily basis. From Flipkart’s 14 Lakh seller foothold to Amazon’s huge chunk of regonal seller penetation showcases the testament to growth and responsibility.
Supply Chain and Response
Each year, the boardrooms of such companies take massive bets and outflows huge amount of money into different media led activities largely focusing on the consumer sentiment in the communications via Press releases or campaigns. As per a recent story, Logistics sector is investing $1 bn to prep for festive e-commerce bonanza, and as per another report, Flipkart and Amazon had hired lakhs of people via seasonal jobs to ramp up supply chain prior to the festive sales i.e., The Big Billion Days and Grear Indian Festivals and other companies have followed the pursuit. At present companies like Ekart which is the logistics arm of Flipkart delivered around 120 million packets per month, in an Interview to Logistics Insider, he explained how Ekart is making best use of resources to reach new territories.
As per a recent report by Redseer consultancy, E-tailing in India is expected to grow 5x to $300 bn by 2030, while another research by Google-Temasek finds extreme potential in India’s digital economy. In a recent article, Hemant Badri, Senior Vice President and Head of Supply Chain, Customer Experience, and ReCommerce at Flipkart Group mentioned how rapidly logistics companies are embracing technology to optimize costs and service their customers better. The KPMG report also points out that about 56 percent of Indian logistics companies are using map-based solutions for shipment monitoring. Internet-of-things, automation, electric vehicles, and location technology are among the logistics industry’s key priorities. The report cites the example of an AI-driven freight platform helping fleet owners reduce costs by providing real-time visibility in the supply chain and eliminating cargo theft, improving delays and detention, driver safety, and vendor collaboration with IoT and analytics.
Exploring New Paths with Fresh Squad and existing flagships!
Every year, Amazon and Flipkart come up with Great Indian Festival and The Big Billion Days respectively and unlike every time, there is something different to offer to the customer, be it deals or redefining experience, with time, companies have found new ways to interact with the customers, be it with the help of Artificial Intelligence features or interactive app experiences, they have left no stone unturned
Amazon’s Metaverse
Flipkart- Flipverse 2.0
Flipkart this time took a way forward to announce new offerings such as Spoyl, Flippi, or the swipscreen experiences, all these were additions to the already existing Flipverse, a truly branded metaverse experience. Watch Flipkart’s CTO, Jeyendran Venugopalan speak about the offerings:
GenZ, is definitely not a new niche but for e-commerce companies, this has become their way to profitability or the next big market along with the already tapping Tuer 2+ cities. Flipkart’s launch of Spoyl or Amazon’s GezZ pivot, both companies having deep pockets are doubling down on the GenZ wallet, an announcement especially before the festive season began makes it time bound yet everlasting.
“Gen Z shoppers already make up over 25% of Flipkart fashion’s customer base today. Some 10-15 years from now, we want to be more relevant than what we are today and Spoyl is a step in that direction. Gen Z is making a very big role in making decisions for the entire household as well“
Sandeep Karwa Vice President, Flipkart Fashion
“Gen Z shoppers are actively embracing online shopping solutions like outfit builder, virtual try-ons. They perceive technology as a means to help them make informed shopping decisions. We are seeing increasing demand from metropolitan markets like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and more for this cohort“
Saurabh Srivastava, Head and Director, Amazon Fashion India
The Number Game@Flipkart
In a remarkable achievement, Flipkart reported an overwhelming 1.4 billion customer visits during the first eight days of its flagship festive season sale, The Big Billion Days.
Consumer Sentiment Soars
Deliveries Beyond Boundaries
Flipkart demonstrated its commitment to customer reach by successfully delivering products to remote regions across India. Areas such as Andaman, Hayuliang (Arunachal Pradesh), Choglamsar (Ladakh), Kutch (Gujarat), and Longewala (Rajasthan) experienced significant deliveries during the festival.
Women Wishmasters and Kirana Partners Shine
This year marked a notable increase in the participation of women wishmasters, constituting the largest fleet compared to previous editions of The Big Billion Days. Flipkart’s Kirana partners played a crucial role, delivering over four million packages in the festival’s initial four days.
Samarth Program Empowering Artisan Community
Under its Samarth program, Flipkart witnessed a six-fold growth in its artisan community compared to the pre-festive period. This initiative contributes to the empowerment and growth of local artisans.
Relevant and Latest Facts about Flipkart :
- Flipkart’s Big Billion Days is one of the largest e-commerce sales events in the world.
- In 2022, Flipkart recorded over 2 billion customer visits during TBBD.
- Flipkart’s kirana program has over 2 lakh kirana partners across India.
- Flipkart’s Samarth program has over 70,000 artisans onboarded.
- Flipkart’s supply chain employs over 2.5 lakh people.
Flipkart’s Big Billion Days 2023 was a success for all stakeholders involved. Customers benefited from attractive discounts and deals, while sellers enjoyed increased sales and reach. Flipkart’s employees worked tirelessly to make the event a success, and the company’s partners also played a vital ro
“We continue to spread festive cheer by creating 1 lakh new job opportunities across our supply chain, including fulfillment centers, sortation centers and delivery hubs. We strengthened another pillar of the Indian retail ecosystem by expanding our kirana program, and this year, over 4 million deliveries were made by these partners in the initial days of TBBD. This truly reflects the impact Flipkart has made on the ecosystem, where year after year, we have witnessed millions of individuals embrace the power of digital commerce,”
Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO, Flipkart Group
“The first 48 hours of Amazon Great Indian Festival 2023 has been absolutely remarkable! We are elated to witness the biggest ever opening with record customer visits, and highest number of Prime members shopping during the 24 hours of Prime Early Access. I’m thrilled to share our customer transactions and orders were the highest ever for Amazon.in, along with highest seller participation, and most product launches from top brands.
Manish Tiwary, Vice President and Country Manager, Amazon India
The Care Diversity
Each company today, wants to be seen in the Diversity and inclusion space, such are the efforts for companies like Amazon, Flipkart and Tatas, these behemoths, continuously wants to be in conversation around these topics as they bring a sense of belongingness and responsibility, create positive a sund stained messaging, not just in the festive season but regularly.
Conclusion
The festive season in India is a golden opportunity for ecommerce companies to showcase their offerings and woo the customers with attractive deals and discounts. Flipkart and Amazon are the two dominant players in this market, and they spare no effort to outdo each other and win the loyalty of the customers. They invest heavily in marketing, logistics, technology, and customer service to ensure a smooth and satisfying shopping experience. However, they also face challenges such as regulatory hurdles, supply chain disruptions, and rising competition from other players. The festive season is a crucial test for these companies to prove their mettle and establish their leadership in the Indian ecommerce industry, their is no single winner in the battle, and that should be the case for a healthy competition.
If you like the blog and do not forget to support me and give me valuable feedback using the required links embedded. Do not forget to share the blog using the buttons below and waiting for your valuable comments and ratings too,
