Flipkart moves closer to going app-only

Flipkart has made several of the products on its website available only via a download of its app, reports Tech in Asia

Flipkart, India’s ecommerce behemoth, appears to have moved closer to going app-only. Several products on Flipkart’s website are now available exclusively through its app. The ‘app-only’ sticker started showing up about a month ago, but now it’s spreading like a rash across several product categories.
 

This comes months after fashion portal Myntra, which Flipkart acquired last year, went app-only, denying access through either a desktop or mobile browser. Since then, there’s been a perception that it’s only a matter of time before Flipkart follows suit. Now it has taken the next step to testing the waters on the app-only model.
 

There’s been a lot of negative reaction to Flipkart forcing consumers to download the Myntra app if they want to continue shopping on the fashion marketplace.
 

Competitive advantage

But Flipkart clearly sees a competitive advantage in going app-only. “Think of all the hardware and software features that one can leverage, like the camera, contacts, and location, to understand the user’s context and deliver an experience that is deeply personalised,” said Mukesh Bansal, CEO of Myntra and head of commerce for Flipkart, when Myntra went app-only. Flipkart is sitting on an even bigger goldmine of user data which it can leverage better on the app.
 

Three-quarters of Flipkart’s traffic comes from its mobile apps, because most people in India access the internet through smartphones. Not surprisingly, Flipkart has been on a promotional blitz through ads, offers, and social media to get more people to install its app instead of shopping on its website. It hired German digital marketing firm Glispa to increase its app’s exposure, and track loyal users who go beyond mere browsing to buying products.

This is an excerpt from Tech in Asia. You can read the full article here.