Indian eCommerce segment is witnessing fierce competition with the biggest names fighting for the top spot. All of India’s multi-billion valued e-commerce companies are introducing new features at some point of time to stay ahead of competition. In a similar move, ShopClues has now introduced a new feature which allows customers to chat directly with seller.
ShopClues, which claims to be India’s first managed market, has introduced a feature called “Connect” through which customers will now be able to chat with the merchants directly so that they can talk about additional information on product, price and availability etc., segments which Indian are extremely cautious of while buying stuff.
It also enables buyers to engage directly with sellers in their vicinity to negotiate delivery timelines, ask for details on warranty, returns etc., leading to optimal customer satisfaction. This feature is similar to what the Chinese eCommerce giant – Alibaba is offering on its platform.
This feature will now enable users to make more informed decision about purchasing a product. In case of any dispute related to damaged product or wrong product being delivered, customer can directly contact seller and send photos of the same for quicker dispute resolution.
The feature is currently available via company’s Android application. Whenever a seller responds to query, customer receives a push notification on their smartphone. Sellers can currently chat with the buyer from the chat panel of their Store Manager. Soon, the company will also launch an app for merchants to chat directly from their mobile devices.
With the ShopClues Connect feature, we have elevated the purchase experience manifold. By connecting with local retailers, buyers get more assurance when making a purchase. The new version will have added dimensions to our ‘bargain’ feature in the future by allowing merchants to create real-time discounts for a buyer and improve the shopping experience as a whole.
said Sanjay Sethi, Co-founder and CEO, ShopClues
Founded in 2011, ShopClues claims to have more than 2,50,000 merchants on its platform and have listed over 3 crore products. Till now, it has raised $116.3 million in 5 funding rounds from Sandeep Aggarwal, Nexus Venture Partners, LionBird, Helion Venture Partners and Tiger Global Management.
