eRetailer Flipkart launches marketplace platform

Bengaluru-based e-commerce platform Flipkart today said it had launched Flipkart Marketplace to provide access to its daily 1-million visitor traffic large and small sellers.

Flipkart is one of the largest e-commerce platforms in India and has been operational since 2007. With over 16 categories and a slew of innovative features, it is also one of the few Indian e-commerce platforms with a digital store -Flyte.

The Flipkart Marketplace platform is essentially a virtual mall giving shoppers access to multiple brands and sellers under one roof. this will enable shoppers to compare sellers and get the best prices at varied service levels for most products.

According to the eretailer, Flipkart Marketplace would take online shopping to the masses. While on the one hand it provides more choices at competitive prices, it also serves as the foundation for entrepreneurship to flourish without having to worry about investing in any physical or virtual infrastructure and yet access millions of customers across the country with just a click.

"In the last 12 months, more than 80 million unique visitors have come to Flipkart. Five out of six online Indians visit our website. Sellers on Flipkart will get access to this vast user base - which is akin to the footfall in prime retail spaces in the top 10 cities of the country," says Sachin Bansal, CEO and co-founder, Flipkart.

In terms of enabling the SME community, Marketplace will now allow smaller players to transact on the same platform as larger established retailers and help them garner business intelligence by understanding their position vis-a-vis competition based on factors such as pricing, offers, deals,etc.

"With Flipkart being the pioneer of Indian e-commerce, I was waiting for it to step onto this platform," says Prashanth U K, owner of Advaith Inc. - Bangalore-based consumer electronics retailer. I see Marketplace as a long-term profitable venture for me."

To start with Flipkart has taken on-board 50 sellers who sell books, media, and consumer electronics categories. Clothes, shoes and other categories will follow soon.