Amazon, Flipkart offer discounts to clear stocks ahead of GST roll-out

Some industry insiders say that orders may become normal only by the time Diwali comes around

E-commerce vendors in India, like their offline counterparts, are going all out to liquidate stocks ahead of the roll-out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on July 1 as they fear incurring losses due to the new tax regime.

Sellers are even asking e-commerce marketplaces such as Amazon and Flipkart to host sales this month to get rid of existing inventory. Currently, vendors are placing orders for products from manufacturers or dealers only after receiving confirmations rather than ordering in bulk and selling the stock over time.

"There is no question of selling online or offline, it’s the same