E-commerce firms Flipkart, Amazon to host flagship sale events from Sept 27
Source: Business Standard
E-commerce firm Flipkart said that it would start its annual flagship shopping event, The Big Billion Days (TBBD) 2024, on September 27 and continue till October 6, 2024, with early access for Flipkart Plus and VIP members starting on September 26.
Rival company Amazon India also said on Monday that its ‘Amazon Great Indian Festival’ (AGIF) will start from September 27, 2024, with a 24-hour early access for Prime members.
As part of the festive preparations to cater to rising demand across India, Flipkart has launched 11 new fulfilment centres (FCs) across nine cities in the run-up to TBBD, bringing the total number of FCs in India to 83. This development has directly generated over 1 lakh new jobs across its supply chain in India. The firm said this reflects its commitment to socio-economic development, as it remains deeply focused on enabling employment opportunities.
“As India’s festive season begins, we remain committed to creating value for the entire nation – from customers seeking affordability to sellers and local manufacturers scaling their reach,” said Kalyan Krishnamurthy, chief executive officer, Flipkart Group. “This year’s ‘The Big Billion Days’ will once again redefine the possibilities of e-commerce by driving inclusivity, innovation and sustainable growth across the board. Our vision remains steadfast in playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of India’s digital economy,” added Krishnamurthy.
GenAI
Flipkart has also implemented new tech innovations for the event. Several new video commerce engagements are expected to go live closer to TBBD. Brands and sellers will be opening their best offers with live commerce this year.
The firm has come up with Flippi 2.0. This is a GenAI-powered chat assistant that helps customers get answers to any shopping-related queries they have, in a hassle-free conversational manner.
There are also GenAI-enabled 3D product explainer videos. These are videos with 3D visualisation of products and their features with voiceovers for enhanced product understanding.
There is also a feature that allows users to try on watches virtually on their wrists to boost their purchase confidence.
This TBBD will see 20 per cent higher seller rewards and new customer constructs to help sellers maximise their growth potential during the festive season.
Ahead of the 11th edition of TBBD, 4,500 sellers participated in Seller Conclaves held across India, as part of Flipkart’s Pan-India initiative aimed at boosting opportunities for over 1.4 million entrepreneurs and sellers.
Flipkart is poised to meet the festive demand for same-day delivery with over 2 lakh stock keeping units (SKUs), across over 20 cities ahead of The Big Billion Days 2024.
With the increasing focus on the importance of faster and more reliable deliveries across both metros and non-metros, Flipkart has deepened its logistical capabilities.
The company’s value commerce platform, Shopsy, will give customers access to 160 million products.
Amazon said that customers can get attractive deals on the widest selection of products, at great value, with the convenience of fast and reliable delivery.
“The Amazon Great Indian Festival 2024 promises to offer customers a wide selection, brand new product launches, great deals, a convenient shopping experience, fast and reliable deliveries, easy and flexible payment options and much more,” said Saurabh Srivastava, vice president, Amazon India. “Together we will spread the excitement of festive preparation for millions of households across India.”
This festive season, Amazon has also announced a significant reduction in selling fees across multiple product categories on the marketplace. Effective September 9, 2024, the fee reductions have given a timely boost to sellers as they prepare for the festive season. With the changes, sellers on Amazon India will benefit from a drop in selling fees ranging from 3 per cent to 12 per cent across various product categories.
Last year, e-commerce retailers garnered sales worth about Rs 90,000 crore during the festival season, 18 to 20 per cent higher than in 2022, according to an earlier report by Redseer. This was driven by about 140 million shoppers who were expected to be transacting online at least once during the festival month.
Flipkart witnessed a record 1.4 billion customer visits during its flagship festival sales event “The Big Billion Days” (TBBD) 2023. The event, which started on October 8 (with early access for VIP and Plus customers from October 7), ended on October 15.
Amazon India’s Great Indian Festival (GIF), which also began on the same day with access for Prime members beginning a day earlier, generated a record 95 million customer visits in 48 hours.
E-commerce firm Meesho has launched its annual ‘Mega Blockbuster Sale 2024’ campaign, offering the best prices and deals of the year.
First Published: Sep 16 2024 | 6:46 PM IST
