Flipkart launches Shopsy to enable over 25 mn online entrepreneurs by 2023

Walmart-owned e-commerce firm Flipkart has launched Shopsy, an app that will enable Indians to start their online businesses without any investment. With the ability to influence their local network and fulfil their aspirations, users of Shopsy will be able to share catalogues of a wide selection of 15 crore products offered by Flipkart sellers. These range across fashion, beauty, mobiles, electronics and home, with potential customers via popular social media and messaging apps.

“Over the last many years, Flipkart has been committed to contributing towards creating direct and indirect employment opportunities across the country,” said Prakash Sikaria, Senior Vice President - Growth and Monetization, Flipkart. “Shopsy is launched to further that vision and provide additional earning opportunities for millions of enterprising Indians. Now, anyone from anywhere can start their online business with zero investment.”

With Shopsy, Flipkart aims to enable over 25 million online entrepreneurs by 2023 as they reap the benefits of digital commerce. It is opening up its years of e-commerce expertise for Indian entrepreneurs. Users can simply register on the Shopsy app using their phone numbers and begin their online entrepreneurial journey. Budding entrepreneurs can now set up their business as long as they have access to a network of people that trust them, without the hassle of investment, inventory or logistics management.

“Entrepreneurs now will utilize Flipkart's catalogue, established delivery networks, and infrastructure to bring reliability and speed,” said Sikaria. “These benefits will help them enhance the end consumers' experience, which in turn help them grow their business."

These users can share catalogues with potential customers via popular social media and messaging apps, place orders on their behalf and earn commissions on the transactions. The commission percentage will vary depending on the category of products being ordered. This platform aims at providing new to digital commerce consumers access to products by simplifying the process through interactions with a trusted person.

Many online users in India do not transact online due to two key challenges - Trust and Simplicity. Globally, ‘distributed commerce’ as a channel has helped solve these problems and has seen tremendous growth. Shopsy’s objective is to power e-commerce for communities and third-party channels where these users spend time/trust.

Further, with the onset of the pandemic, several individual entrepreneurs have struggled to realise their ambitions and faced logistical on-ground challenges that stalled their businesses to take off. The pandemic has further induced a structural shift in the way entrepreneurs conduct business, consumers shop and persuaded many small and micro businesses to adopt digital commerce to remain profitable. This has also created a huge opportunity for innovative e-commerce models that helps these businesses become digital brands, catering to pan India customer bases.