Earlier this month, Flipkart announced a new B2B marketplace, after having acquired the entirety of Walmart’s wholesale business in India last month, and named the project “Flipkart Wholesale.” Today, the company is announcing a major expansion to the project, by launching the platform in 12 new Indian cities ahead of the festive season– Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Mysore, Chandigarh Tricity, Meerut, Agra, Jaipur, Thane-Bhiwandi-Ulhasnagar, Greater Mumbai, Vasai-Virar-Mira-Bhayanadar, Thane (Kalyan-Dombivli) and Thane (Navi Mumbai).
With this, Kirana store and MSME owners in these regions will be able to leverage Flipkart’s expansive ecosystem to expand their reach to new customers through online channels. The company is only expanding the fashion category to these regions, which is Flipkart Wholesale’s only offering as of yet. However, the platform had announced plans to expand its offerings at launch, and hopes to include categories such as Home & Kitchen and Grocery by the end of the year.
And it goes without saying, the customers of Flipkart Wholesale-the Kirana and MSME owners, will have access to easy credit facilities in partnership with leading banks and NBFCs to manage cash flow, as well as a wide range of Flipkart assured quality products. Moreover, they will also be able to make use of simple and convenient order returns, and speedy product delivery directly to their shops with an easy order tracking facility.
All of this is being in time for the festive season, which brings a chance for exceptional growth with it. In fact, Adarsh Menon, Senior Vice President and Head – Flipkart Wholesale notes, “As we enter the festive season, we are excited to be scaling up our offerings across 12 cities, aiming to create more opportunities for MSMEs and Kiranas.”
Now, partnering shops will have the chance to leverage the strong merchandising experience of the Flipkart Wholesale team, as the company continues to develop and nurture a model that puts the needs of kiranas and MSMEs at the centre of Flipkart Wholesale’s business.
