Flipkart Wholesale launches digital platform for Kiranas in fashion segment

Plans to expand to 20 other cities and tap other areas such as groceries and general merchandise

Flipkart Wholesale, the digital business to business marketplace of e-commerce giant Flipkart Group, on Wednesday launched its operations with the aim of transforming the kirana retail ecosystem by leveraging technology. It would connect local manufacturers with retailers and bring the entire wholesale marketplace at their fingertips using technology.

The platform is currently available for fashion retailers, especially footwear and apparel, in Gurugram, Delhi and Bengaluru, with plans to expand to Mumbai. By this year-end, Flipkart Wholesale plans to expand to 20 more cities and in categories such as home and kitchen and grocery. The B2B digital platform that is accessible to retailers via the app on Google Play Store, aims to rope in over 300 strategic partners and have over 200,000 listings in two months. Additionally, the platform will enable the onboarding of 50 brands and over 250 local manufacturers in the coming days.

“Flipkart Wholesale is built on the core value proposition of bringing prosperity to Indian kiranas and MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) by making their business easier using technology,” said Adarsh Menon, senior vice-president and head, Flipkart Wholesale. “Whether in grocery, general merchandise or fashion, these businesses will have one-stop access to an extensive selection of products with attractive schemes and incentives, supplemented with data-driven recommendations for stock selection, delivered via a fast and reliable network to drive greater efficiencies.”

At a time when Covid-19 is significantly impacting businesses, Menon said Flipkart Wholesale’s platform has become more important, as kiranas and MSMEs are almost the backbone of the economy. “So anything that we do to grow their business faster, improve their profitability and make life easier for them, helps in the overall economic revival for them and for the country,” said Menon.

Flipkart Wholesale customers will have access to an easy credit facility to manage cash flow. They would also get access to a wide range of Flipkart assured quality products. The other benefits include simple and convenient order returns and speedy product delivery directly to their shops with an easy order tracking facility.

Flipkart Wholesale customers will also be able to leverage micro-market level B2B and B2C insights from the Flipkart ecosystem. This would help it to better understand customer demands specific to their area so that they can buy and sell the right products. 

In July, Flipkart strengthened its wholesale presence with the acquisition of Walmart India, which operates the Best Price cash-and-carry business. Flipkart Wholesale will draw on the strong merchandising experience of the Best Price team. This includes its strong relationships with brands, deep expertise in servicing kiranas and over 12 years of experience in operating Best Price stores. The company said this will provide invaluable insights and on-ground expertise to further develop and nurture a model that puts the needs of kiranas and MSMEs at the centre of Flipkart Wholesale’s business.

The move will help Flipkart take on Amazon and JioMart. Both companies are rapidly bringing kiranas and local shops onto their platforms.Only 7 per cent of the $1.2-trillion retail market is online, and these players are aggressively eyeing the remaining 93 per cent.