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Yesterday, <a href="https://factordaily.com/amazon-future-group/">news broke</a> that <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> was planning to buy a 10% stake in the <keyword id="6354851" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail">retail</keyword> arm of Future Group, an Indian conglomerate headed by Kishore Biyani. The move highlights Amazon India’s ambitions in the brick-and-mortar retail space, and follows its acquisition of a 5% stake in Shoppers Stop last September. Given that foreign companies are barred from directly investing in India’s multi-brand retail space, as <keyword id="80487" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="walmart">Walmart</keyword> knows all too well, Amazon has to make its investment through an entity that is registered as a foreign portfolio investor. It is also limited to a 10% stake. Talks between the two companies commenced <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/retail/kishore-biyani-explores-future-groups-journey-with-amazon/articleshow/62798408.cms">in January</a>. The $600 million deal, if it goes through, will be significant for India’s retail market. Future Retail Ltd includes the company’s Big Bazaar, Easyday and Foodhall brand of supermarkets. The companies already have <a href="https://www.amazon.in/b?ie=UTF8&amp;node=8520579031">a strategic alliance</a> in place, wherein Amazon sells clothes on its online platform from Future Retail’s fashion brands. With the deal, Amazon can give Future Retail’s <keyword id="35621" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-commerce">e-commerce</keyword> and sourcing operations a leg up while gaining access to the latter’s extensive customer base and supply chain network. Amazon wants to expand its grocery businesses in India and a tie-up with Future Retail, which sources a large portion of its sales from the food and grocery segment, can achieve that. Amazon’s potential consolidation of a multi-channel approach to India’s retail market, with a special focus on grocery, comes hot on the heels of US competitor Walmart’s $16 billion acquisition of <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword>, India’s largest e-commerce firm. Walmart, <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/walmart-flipkart-deal-signals-churn-in-e-grocery/1174255/">which has its own plans for India’s food and grocery market</a>, is also said to be in talks to buy a stake in Future Retail, although sources revealed that Amazon was a frontrunner. The Whole Foods acquisition The move echoes Amazon’s retail strategy in the US, where it’s fending off Walmart’s entry into e-commerce by expanding into physical retail. In June 2017, Amazon agreed to buy Whole Foods Inc, a food supermarket chain with an entirely physical presence, for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/business/dealbook/amazon-whole-foods.html">$13.4 billion</a>. While this was partly an attempt to take on the giant Walmart in the brick-and-mortar retail space, it also showed Amazon’s intent to become a bigger force in the food and grocery market. It realised that there was still a sizeable amount of customers who preferred buying their food in person. By combining its online and physical presence, Amazon wanted to provide customers in the US with a variety of channels to purchase groceries and other items - just like it plans to do in India. But the plan in the US wasn’t just limited to groceries. It wanted to start selling groceries offline, and then use that as a launchpad for selling everything that is non-perishable to customers. The battle comes to India It was clear with Amazon’s counter-offer for Flipkart that Amazon and Walmart are gearing for another faceoff in India. With a lot of cash at their disposal, both companies will exploit a number of retail channels in the race to sales and customer growth. Amazon has already got it’s online grocery business in India <a href="https://inc42.com/buzz/amazon-food-retail-pune/">off the ground,</a> and now it will look to one-up Walmart and make inroads in the physical retail space. As has been said before, one thing is for certain. It is Indian consumers who stand to benefit most from this competition in the short term. Not only will all kinds of products be more accessible than ever before, they will be cheaper. However, the freedom of choice isn’t going to last forever. There will be more acquisitions, and Flipkart and Amazon India will get bigger and smaller players will be eaten up. One company will likely edge the other out. And then we’ll be totally dependent on the winner.

Amazon and Walmart prepare for a face-off in India’s physical retail and online grocery markets, just like in the US

<ul><li>Founded in 2007, <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword> has been a Singapore-registered entity since 2011 and is today owned by US retail giant Walmart. </li><li>The US retail giant owns a 77% stake in Flipkart, which it acquired in 2018 for a whopping $16 billion. </li><li>However, Flipkart wants to stress on the ‘home grown’ part as competition from <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> grows.</li></ul>The competition is India’s e-commerce space is hotter than ever before. Amazon, Flipkart, and now, Reliance are fighting each other tooth and nail for the multi-billion dollar online retail pie in India. Flipkart’s Big Billion Days <keyword id="6371194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="sale">Sale</keyword> kicking off today will be the 2nd mega sale for online shoppers this year after Amazon’s Prime Day. But burning cash through discounts isn’t enough to sustain the business, and all the players know that. Brand differentiation will be key. With that in mind, Flipkart is going for the ‘home grown’ tag. “We have very less focus on what the competition is doing but instead we focus on what customers are looking for. We take pride in every single thing we have done, it’s a local playbook, it’s not an adaptive playbook from somewhere else. Everything that we do our team brings us together, it’s not something that has happened in the US,” Flipkart’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Rajneesh Kumar told Business Insider in an interview. The fact is that Flipkart, founded in 2007, has been a Singapore-registered entity since 2011 and is today owned by US retail giant Walmart. The US retail giant owns a 77% stake in Flipkart, which it acquired in 2018 for a whopping $16 billion. Flipkart’s visionary founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, have now both left the organization, even though Binny continues to hold stake in the e-commerce company. This is not the first time. The company in multiple<a href="https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/with-an-eye-on-next-200-mn-internet-users-flipkart-introduces-hindi-interface-1567510409958.html"> interviews</a> has stressed upon being a ‘home-grown company’. And Flipkart isn’t shy of turning to Walmart when it’s needed. When talking about how Flipkart has a huge focus on the grocery segment, Kumar said, “We have a huge backing of our parent company which is best in grocery. Walmart’s business is 60-70% in food, so whenever Flipkart seeks the help, we can get the best practices.” However, Kumar is quick to add that, “Walmart really wants to ensure that the Flipkart DNA of entrepreneurial ability sustains. We call it the soft hug.” Amazon too calls itself ‘India’s Apni Dukaan’ Amazon founder Jeff Bezos had famously said, “Amazon is India’s apni dukaan’. Bezos’ gesture acknowledged India’s huge internet market where e-commerce still hasn’t seen its full potential, According to <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/amazon-india-gross-sales-to-hit-32bn-in-4-yrs-report/articleshow/70883574.cms">reports</a>, Amazon expects to have a 35% market share in India by 2023, with the Indian market making up for 4% of its total global sales. The number of online shoppers in India is expected to grow exponentially and both Amazon and Flipkart do not want the ‘outsider’ image to hamper their prospects. Ashwin Raghunath contributed to this article.

Flipkart wants to be an ‘Indian’ company even though Walmart owns it

<ul><li>Competition heats up after <keyword id="80487" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="walmart">Walmart</keyword> closes its $16 billion acquisition of <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword>.</li><li>Alibaba and <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> are said to be eyeing large investments of their own.</li><li>Conventional retail and <keyword id="35621" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-commerce">e-commerce</keyword> players are coming together for a hybrid online-offline business model.</li></ul>A turf war is about to break out among Walmart, Amazon Inc. and <keyword id="163405" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Alibaba-Group">Alibaba Group</keyword> as the retail giants make aggressive moves to expand into <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>. And it is highly likely that this will lead to a massive shakeup of the Indian retail space. Last week, Walmart said it had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-competition-regulator-has-given-the-walmart-flipkart-deal-a-greenlight/articleshow/65337242.cms">closed</a> the $16 billion (₹1,118 billion) deal to buy the majority (77%) of Flipkart, India’s largest e-commerce company, following regulatory approval. This is Walmart’s biggest acquisition till date. In its aftermath, Alibaba and Amazon are said to be eyeing large investments of their own, according to media reports. Alibaba is said to be <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Companies/1mvbhDUjZd9khrSUroW5MM/Alibaba-may-invest-5-billion-in-JV-with-Reliance-Retail.html">considering</a> a $5 billion (₹350 billion) investment into a joint venture with <keyword id="58448" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Retail">Reliance Retail</keyword>, India’s largest retailer in terms of sales, in part to take on competition from Amazon and Flipkart. While Amazon, along with co-investors, is mulling an investment in the Aditya Birla Group-owned grocery chain, More, for an enterprise valuation between ₹45 billion and ₹50 billion. Alibaba has reportedly also held talks with other Indian retail chains including Future Retail. In the past few years, Amazon has pumped in over $5 billion into India, its fastest growing market. Amazon and Walmart have been in fierce competition in their home market, the US, for quite some time, while Alibaba and Amazon are head-to-head in China. Some fear that Walmart’s push into India could potentially have an adverse impact on the larger Indian retail space in the long term, particularly on the small brick and mortar retailers in the country. A nation-wide trade lobby group plans to protest the Flipkart acquisition by going on a nationwide strike in the coming months. Currently, over 95% of India’s consumer retail market remains unorganised, representing a huge untapped opportunity for organised retail chains. India has long restricted <keyword id="44749" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Foreign-Direct-Investment">foreign direct investment</keyword> in multi-brand retail to protect local grocers but allows 100% foreign direct investment in e-commerce companies that use the “marketplace” model. It is currently considering bringing in regulation for the e-commerce space and according to a recent draft proposal, may allow 49% foreign investment in e-commerce companies that use the inventory model. Walmart in its recent statement said its future investments into India will be directed at supporting farmers, supply chain development and reducing food waste. Strategy shift: Going hybrid Walmart’s acquisition of Flipkart and Amazon’s interest in More are the latest examples of large retailers adopting a hybrid business model of offline and online after years of experts predicting the disruption of traditional retail by e-commerce companies. Alibaba and Amazon have recently been focusing heavily on offline and online in their home markets – Amazon with its acquisition of grocery chain Whole Foods and Alibaba’s ‘New Retail’ strategy, which combines e-commerce and conventional retail in China. That rationale appears to be flowing down into their India strategy as well, points out Mrigank Gutgutia, engagement manager with RedSeer Management Consulting. Amazon also owns a 5% stake in Indian brick and mortar retail chain Shoppers Stop. While the Walmart-Flipkart deal is certainly encouraging for e-commerce players, even after 10 years and 100 million shoppers, Indian e-tailers have thus far managed to penetrate only about 2.7% of the overall Indian retail market, indicating the pressure to diversify their reach, notes Gutgutia. “While e-tailers have got their growth mojo back, everyone is starting to realise that pure online models will only let them capture limited pie,” said Gutgutia. “There is a need for change,” he added. Overall, as Indian e-commerce market matures further, e-tailers are realising that pure discount-driven models are no longer going to work. “What is needed is genuine innovation to cater to specific traits and needs of Indian buyers -- especially in offline-heavy categories like fashion and grocery,” said Gutgutia. According to RedSeer, this multi-channel approach will become dominant among organised retail players in the coming years, particularly for e-commerce players. Other e-tailers who have ventured into offline include furniture retailer Pepperfry with its studios and fashion retailer Myntra's Roadster stores. Regardless of how the investment landscape pans out and who buys whom, and as competition gets more intense for existing e-commerce and offline retailers, ultimately shoppers and customers are expected to win. As for small retailers, Gutgutia says they could see a positive impact if they work on a partnership model with organised retailers.

Clash of the titans: Amazon, Walmart and Alibaba to battle it out in India

<ul><li>Morgan Stanley has warned that Walmart may exit from Flipkart. </li><li>India’s new e-commerce rule brought in tighter FDI guidelines in order to boost Indian marketplaces. </li><li>Under new rules, Flipkart will have to do away with 25% of its products on the platform.</li></ul>Walmart’s biggest ever deal in history could soon be a thing of the past. Walmart’s acquisition of Indian unicorn Flipkart for $16 billion was one of the world’s biggest e-commerce deals. It now stands in jeopardy as the retail giant could make an exit from Flipkart in the wake of India’s <keyword id="7170085" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-e-commerce-rules">new e-commerce rules</keyword>, according to a report by <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/retail/morgan-stanley-warns-walmart-may-exit-flipkart-post-new-fdi-rules/articleshow/67843595.cms">Morgan Stanley</a>, which said an exit by Walmart is not out of the question with the Indian e-commerce market becoming “more complicated.” “Despite the recent changes in regulations, we remain optimistic abo the ecommerce opportunity in India given the size of the market, the low penetration of ecommerce in the retail channel and the pace at which it is growing. As Walmart scales in India, the company will continue to partner to create sustained economic growth across agriculture, food and retail. Future investments will support national initiatives and will bring sustainable benefits to the country,” a Walmart spokesperson told <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/retail/morgan-stanley-warns-walmart-may-exit-flipkart-post-new-fdi-rules/articleshow/67843595.cms">ET.</a> India’s new e-commerce rules have introduced tighter guidelines that govern Indian e-commerce companies. With the new rules, global players like Amazon or the Walmart-Flipkart entity, are barred from selling products from vendors they have own a stake in. According to the Morgan Stanley report, Flipkart will have to do away with 25% of its products on the platform. The new rules have mounted tremendous pressure on both Amazon and Flipkart, which together command over <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/amazon-india-reportedly-closing-in-on-flipkart/articleshow/63407725.cms">60%</a> of the market share in Indian e-commerce. According to a report in <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/amazon-flipkart-sales-fall-a-third-as-fdi-norms-kick-in/articleshow/67826139.cms">ET</a>, Amazon and Flipkart saw a third of their sales volume disappear in just three days, after the new rules came in. Last week, Amazon <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/amazon-india-finds-way-around-new-e-commerce-rules-for-cloudtail-and-appario/articleshow/67831376.cms">reportedly</a> already began removing several items from its website sold via its vendor Cloudtail including products under the brand name “Amazon Basics”. Walmart which has <a href="http://fortune.com/2018/02/20/walmart-ecommerce-3/">failed</a> to make an impact on e-retail globally, had placed its bets on Flipkart to start off its digital wing. Flipkart being one of the biggest e-commerce platforms of India, put Walmart in direct competition with Amazon. However, with the change in scenario it is possible that Walmart might not want to incur a <a href="https://www.bloombergquint.com/technology/walmart-expects-flipkart-to-suffer-rs-5300-crore-loss-this-year#gs.JsJmhTUD">loss</a> in India. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/amazon-india-finds-way-around-new-e-commerce-rules-for-cloudtail-and-appario/articleshow/67831376.cms">Amazon may have found a way around India’s new e-commerce rules</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/amazon-and-walmart-which-owns-flipkart-stocks-on-sale-as-indias-new-e-commerce-policy-kicks-in/articleshow/67807890.cms">The sale on Amazon and Walmart stocks in US may worsen as new India's e-commerce rules kick in</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/amazon-walmart-owned-flipkart-set-back-by-new-e-commerce-rules-that-help-mukesh-ambanis-reliance-retail/articleshow/67751026.cms">Mukesh Ambani may be the surprise winner from India's new rules hurting Amazon and Walmart</a>

Walmart could exit from Flipkart because of India’s new FDI rules: Report

New Delhi, Dec 11 () US retail giant Walmart and Flipkart on Wednesday said they will jointly invest in Bengaluru-based business-to-business (B2B) supply chain company, Ninjacart.
The three partners aim to help ensure better access to high-quality fresh produce for retailers and consumers across India while also creating economic opportunities for farmers, a statement said. 
 The company however did not disclose the financial details of the transaction.
 "Partnering with Ninjacart will help Walmart and Flipkart strengthen direct sourcing of fresh produce for Walmart India's Best Price B2B cash-and-carry stores and Flipkart's online grocery business Supermart," it added. 
The investment will also support Ninjacart to expand its customer base, reach new cities and gain exposure to global best practice to enhance the efficiency of the local fresh produce ecosystem, the statement added.
 Ninjacart was founded by Thirukumaran Nagarajan, Kartheeswaran K K, Ashutosh Vikram, Sharath Loganathan and Vasudevan Chinnathambi in 2015.
In the past, Ninjacart has raised money from funds such as Tiger global, Accel partners, Steadview Capital, Syngenta Ventures, Qualcomm ventures and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani. 
 Ninjacart connects farmers to retailers via a network of more than 200 collection centres and 1,200 warehouses across India. It moves over 1,400 tonnes of fresh produce per day.
It has over 44,000 farmer suppliers and a customer base of 60,000 kirana stores and restaurants across seven cities. 
"Developing Flipkart Supermart over the past year, we have focused on creating the right infrastructure, supporting local farmers, producers and food processors, and building sustainability into the ecosystem," Flipkart Group CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy said. 
 Thirukumaran Nagarajan, CEO and Co-founder of Ninjacart, said with the support of Flipkart and Walmart, the company sees new possibilities to improve the lives of its farmers, retailers and restaurant partners.
The transaction is expected to close by the end of the month. 
 "Ninjacart's focus on direct-from-farm sourcing resonates well with Walmart's commitment to supporting farmers in India. We are working towards our commitment of sourcing 25 per cent of produce in our Best Price cash-and-carry stores directly from farmers by 2023," Walmart India President and CEO Krish Iyer said.
The investment, he said, will help accelerate market access for farmers and reduce transportation costs. SR DRR

Walmart, Flipkart invest in Bengaluru-based Ninjacart

<ul><li><keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> recently announced that it’s investing ₹27 billion in Amazon Sellers Pvt Ltd and another ₹1 billion in Amazon Retail <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> Pvt Ltd.</li><li>The <keyword id="35621" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-commerce">e-commerce</keyword> giant also spent another ₹35 billion towards expanding its food retail business in India. </li><li>While going head-to-head with <keyword id="80487" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="walmart">Walmart</keyword>’s investments in India, both competitors share concerns over India’s <keyword id="6752758" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Draft-E-commerce-Policy">Draft E-Commerce Policy</keyword>.</li></ul>In the aftermath of Walmart acquiring Amazon’s primary competitor in India, <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword>, the world’s largest e-commerce giant has <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Companies/8mRhajBBdUbcTJagSjKqFO/Amazon-invests-another-Rs-2700-crore-in-India-business.html">invested ₹27 billion</a> ($386 million) in its Indian operations. Despite being the largest e-commerce company on a global scale, it still lags behind Flipkart in the country. Therefore, the new infusion of capital isn’t as surprising as it is expected. The company will have to maintain its aggressive stance in the Indian market will the coming competition from Walmart. The company also invested an additional ₹1 billion ($14 million) in Amazon Retail India Pvt Ltd and another ₹35 billion ($500 million) to expand its food retail business in India. With the capital infusions combined, Amazon’s total investment over the years comes to around $4 billion. According to insights by paper.vc, investment was directed into Amazon Sellers Pvt Ltd which is the marketplace for sellers who wish to sell their products online, not only in India but internationally through the e-commerce platform. Friend or foes Initially, when Amazon came to India it made a promise of investing $2 billion (₹140 billion) in the Indian market. Come 2016, they met that target while pledging an additional $3 billion (₹210 billion) bringing to the total promised investment to $5 billion (₹350 billion). In comparison, the company’s authorised capital was a mere ₹15 billion (₹214 million) when the original pledge was made. This set the pace for the company’s growth in India. Now, with Walmart acquiring Flipkart, Amazon has a competitor with equally deep pockets and no plans of letting go of its newest acquisition anytime soon. After paying $16 billion to acquire 77% of Flipkart, Walmart stated it had plans of pumping another $2 billion into its Indian subsidiary. And all this was not without any drama. It was only on Thursday that the Competition Commission of India (CCI) finally <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-competition-regulator-has-given-the-walmart-flipkart-deal-a-greenlight/articleshow/65337242.cms">greenlit</a> the deal. But, despite their differences, both Walmart and Amazon <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/amazon-walmart-seek-us-help-against-indias-new-draft-e-commerce-policy/articleshow/65228547.cms">have issues</a> with India’s Draft of the E-commerce Policy. They claim that if some of the proposals are actually implemented, the disruption to the supply chain would be immensely damaging. Reports claim that they’re also roping in the Trump administration to talk to Indian authorities about their concerns. The competition between the two companies in India, especially when they’re focusing on increasing their sales rather than their margins, has already begun to lead to uncertainty in the market. While they go head-to-head in the online space, offline retailers could be the ones who bear the brunt.

Amazon takes the fight to Walmart by investing another ₹27 billion in India

New Delhi, Apr () Walmart-owned Flipkart on Thursday announced a pilot with retail chain store Spencers to introduce hyperlocal deliveries of groceries and essentials in Hyderabad. Under the pilot, consumers will be able to order groceries and essentials starting this month from Spencers store on the Flipkart app, a statement said. The orders will be collected from a set of chosen sample stores across Hyderabad by Flipkart executives and delivered to the customer's doorstep in a timely and hygienic manner, it added. "This partnership will leverage synergies between the companies to help enable deliveries of essential products to consumers and thereby, promote social distancing in the backdrop of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country," the statement said. Flipkart Group CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy said the company is committed to ensuring fulfilling customers' needs amidst the lockdown to promote 'social distancing'. "...we are initiating various steps in this regard. We are pleased to launch this pilot with Spencers Retail to collaborate and meet the needs of consumers who are contributing to the fight against COVID-19 by staying at home. "We've built a robust tech-backed platform to offer consumers real-time insights of essentials available in their area and will ensure timely doorstep deliveries," he added. After the government imposed a 21-day lockdown on March 24, many people have turned to e-commerce platforms to place orders for essential goods, including food and grocery, to stay away from crowds and to practice social distancing. Many large retail outlets have also been forced to allow less number of people to be present inside store premises to ensure there is adequate distance between them. "In such times, building an ecosystem of partnerships will transition us to truly become an omni-channel business in serving consumers," Spencers Retail MD and CEO Devendra Chawla said. "In this tough environment, Spencers' partnership with Flipkart provides another platform to a larger set of consumers to seamlessly access our range of essentials who may want to use other reputed platforms/marketplaces apart from our own Spencers App to buy during the lockdown," he added. In a separate statement, Flipkart said it has introduced medically-certified hand sanitizers and surgical masks under its private brand -- Flipkart SmartBuy's Health+ range. Utilising its existing infrastructure, the company aims to provide access to these locally manufactured essentials in light of the increasing demand by consumers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. "Flipkart SmartBuy Health+ hand sanitizer will be made available in line within the government pricing directive of Rs 250 for 500 ml. "These sanitizers adhere to FDA approved formulation with alcohol content as per the WHO recommendation," the statement said. It added that surgical masks (3 ply meltblown face masks) will also be available in different packs priced between Rs 240 to Rs 575. SR RVK

COVID-19: Flipkart partners Spencers for hyperlocal deliveries in Hyderabad

Flipkart on Tuesday said it has expanded its grocery services to more than 50 cities via <keyword id="125920" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="marketplace">Marketplace</keyword>, and aims to reach over 70 cities in the next six months. Flipkart's grocery business has witnessed 3 <keyword id="10854105" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="times-growth">times growth</keyword> in the last one year and the expansion will boost market linkages for food processing industry and farmers, the company said in a statement. Grocery continues to be one of the fastest-growing categories, with the increase in demand for quality food and household supplies from users. "We have witnessed increased demand for groceries from tier 2 cities in the past year, fuelled by customers increasing preference for contactless shopping, from the comforts of their home. It is a trend that we think will continue and will set the course of e-grocery space in <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>," said <keyword id="6393254" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Manish-Kumar">Manish Kumar</keyword>, Senior Vice President - Grocery, General Merchandise and Furniture, Flipkart. Grocery on Flipkart marketplace is now available in cities such as <keyword id="6354925" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="kolkata">Kolkata</keyword>, <keyword id="2094" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pune">Pune</keyword>, Ahmedabad, <keyword id="6354779" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jaipur">Jaipur</keyword>, Chandigarh and Mysore, among others Flipkart Grocery has over 7,000 products available across more than 200 categories. A recent report by Bengaluru-based consulting firm Redseer said that more than 50 per cent (close to $570 billion) grocery retail space in India is addressable by e-grocery platforms. Of this, value-first households account for a significant 61 per cent portion, with metro and tier 1 markets covering more than 40 per cent of this opportunity. The company has also launched ‘Flipkart Quick', its hyperlocal delivery model in <keyword id="6354321" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bengaluru">Bengaluru</keyword> that offers a 90-minute delivery promise. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/new-electricity-late-payment-surcharge-rules-announced-but-consumer-electricity-bills-may-not-decrease/articleshow/81286847.cms">New electricity late payment surcharge rules announced – but consumer electricity bills may not decrease</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/how-to-check-allotment-status-of-heranba-industries-ipo/articleshow/81286739.cms">Heranba Industries IPO: Here is how to check share allotment status</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indians-are-heading-back-to-parks-supermarkets-and-pharmacies-but-malls-and-theatres-are-not-on-the-priority-list/articleshow/81271614.cms">Indians are heading back to parks, supermarkets and pharmacies — but malls and theatres are not on the priority list</a>

Flipkart ups its game in e-grocery by expanding to 50 cities as competition rises from JioMart, Amazon and others

Nearly a decade after entering India and failing to make any waves due to resistance from the government, <keyword id="80487" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="walmart">Walmart</keyword> is making a renewed push in the country by focussing on it’s fast growing e-commerce market. The world’s largest retailer is taking a 77% stake in <keyword id="6354742" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword>, an Indian e-commerce giant, by buying $14 billion of stock from it’s investors and pumping in $2 billion of fresh funds. With the deal inked, now the work begins for Walmart. In addition to boosting Flipkart’s logistics and supply chain network, it has a number of complementary plans for the Indian market. According to a <a href="https://news.walmart.com/2018/05/09/walmart-to-invest-in-flipkart-group-indias-innovative-ecommerce-company">press release on its website</a>, Walmart plans to create jobs, support small businesses and increase farmer incomes. Here’s how things should go from here. Direct and local procurement of <keyword id="389479" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="groceries">groceries</keyword> Flipkart can’t focus on clothes and electronics forever. And Walmart derives half its global sales from groceries. Like <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> and the Alibaba-funded BigBasket, the US retailer has big plans in the online groceries space in India - a segment which is widely predicted to drive India’s e-commerce growth. Currently, farm-to-table supply chains in India suffer from wastage and a lack of investment. Walmart is expected to source fresh groceries directly from farmers and small businesses and minimise wastage by adding a cold storage component to its supply chains. This could also include investments in collection centres, and quality control facilities. In doing so, Walmart will help farmers cater to a wider customer base. It already runs a number of <a href="http://www.wal-martindia.in/2017/11/30/walmart-foundation-supports-market-readiness-for-farmers-in-india-with-a-grant-of-close-to-2-million">market readiness projects</a> in India centred on back-end infrastructure support, increasing access to credit for farmers and training on international food standards. Making ‘kirana’ stores go digital In its press release, Walmart said it would, “partner with kirana owners and members to help modernize their retail practices and adopt digital payment technologies”. Ekart, Flipkart’s supply chain arm, is already sourcing and distributing products through thousands of kiranas. Kiranas refer to small mom-and-pop neighbourhood retail shops. Walmart already has ties with kiranas through its Best Price wholesale business in India, wherein these vendors act as resellers. In addition to integrating more of these stores and small retailers into Flipkart’s supply chain network, Walmart will likely get them to start using Flipkart's PhonePe <keyword id="6358577" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-payments">digital payments</keyword> network to accept and disburse payments offline. The payments app crossed <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/flipkart-owned-phonepe-clocks-42-4-million-upi-transfers/articleshow/64088569.cms">40 million transfers</a> on the Unified Payments Interface in April alone. But it won’t come cheap With its $16 billion investment, Walmart is spending a lot more money in India than Amazon, Flipkart’s nearest competitor in the Indian online shopping market. In 2016, Amazon said it would increase its planned investment in India <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/Amazon-to-increase-India-investment-to-5-billion/article14391866.ece">to $5 billion</a> in order to close the market gap with Flipkart. According to news reports earlier this week, it has pumped <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Companies/toJD0xTVmz0Exkuu7wL6vJ/Amazon-pumps-Rs2600-crore-in-India-unit-amid-trade-war-with.html">an additional $386 million </a>(₹26 billion) into its Indian unit this year. The war over who can offer deeper discounts will affect both firms and further investments will likely be necessary. Flipkart’s parent reported a <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/flipkart-revenues-rise-29-losses-swell-68-in-fy17/articleshow/62761811.cms">net loss of ₹87.7 billion</a> for the last fiscal year. In all probability, Flipkart will continue to report losses in the near term, something that Walmart is probably okay with since it’s in it for the long haul. Should the acquisition bear fruit, Walmart could even sell a portion of its stake in Flipkart in the future <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/startup/flipkart-walmart-deal-walmart-executive-doesnt-rule-out-ipo-of-e-commerce-company-in-future-2565649.html">through an IPO</a>. However, it should retain a majority holding. Concurrently, Walmart will continue to operate and more importantly, grow, its wholesale business in India. It plans to <a href="https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/food-entertainment/grocery/walmart-to-open-50-new-stores-in-india-in-4-5-yrs/64107936">add 50 cash-and-carry stores</a> within the next five years, taking its total Best Price store count to 71.

After the Walmart acquisition, here’s what’s in store from Flipkart

<ul><li><keyword id="80487" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="walmart">Walmart</keyword> has put a halt to its expansion plans in India — sacking nearly 56 employees. </li><li>The retailer is shedding brick and mortar weight as it sees no scope in placing physical stores in the country and may go online with <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword>. </li><li>The development comes in the backdrop of Reliance <keyword id="8506093" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jiomart">JioMart</keyword>’s debut in the ecommerce space. </li><li>The company’s wholesale business has been suffering losses. The company recorded accumulated losses of ₹2,181 crore as of March 2019, as per Economic Times report.</li></ul>American retail giant Walmart has put a halt to its expansion plans in India — sacking nearly 56 employees. This is almost a third of its senior talent pool. "We are looking for ways to operate more efficiently, which requires us to review our corporate structure to ensure that we are organized in the right way. As part of this review, we have let go 56 of our associates across levels at the corporate office. All of the 56 impacted associates -- 8 in the senior management and 48 in the middle and lower management -- have been offered enhanced severance benefits and outplacement services to support their transition.” said Krish Iyer, President &amp; CEO, Walmart India. The retailer sees little scope in adding physical stores in the country. It may put more weight behind Flipkart — which it bought for ₹1.13 lakh crore in 2018. This is as rival Reliance JioMart’s made its debut in the ecommerce space. “It’s happening because focus is shifting to e-commerce rather than physical (stores),” said the company. The American multinational reportedly laid off executives including vice presidents across verticals — agri business, FMCG and real estate — at its Gurgaon headquarters. More exits are expected in three months time. However, the company has denied the anticipations regarding more layoffs. "A report appearing in the section of the Press speculating second round of layoffs in April is baseless and incorrect.," it said. It also plans to shut a fulfillment centre in Mumbai as the company’s wholesale business is suffering losses. The company recorded accumulated losses were at a massive ₹2,181 crore as of March 2019, as per Economic Times report. Walmart’s exit from physical stores coincides with Flipkart’s expansion to the food retail segment in India. Flipkart FarmerMart is aimed to sell local products online — directly to consumers. Yet another online-physical combine - Amazon and Future Retail too are bunching their strategies together as they prepare for an onslaught from India’s richest man - Mukesh Ambani and his ostentatious plans to merge his digital capabilities with Jio to his retail venture, JioMart. "Our members are increasingly becoming omni-channel shoppers. We are thus investing heavily in technology and have a healthy pipeline of Best Price stores. This will provide our members a true omni-channel and convenient shopping experience in the future.," Walmart said. Walmart entered wholesale business in India in 2007 with the Bharti Group. It currently runs 28 'Best Price' Modern Wholesale Stores — selling to small shopkeepers — across the country. The retail major has over 5,000 employees in India — including 600 based at its head office, Business Standard <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/walmart-india-fires-around-50-executives-as-part-of-restructuring-report-120011300200_1.html">reported citing sources</a>. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/jiomart-launch-date-january-26-mukesh-ambani-ecommerce-debut-will-include-electronics/articleshow/73141917.cms">EXCLUSIVE: JioMart will launch mobile phones and electronics on January 26 and soon, everything under the sun in e-commerce</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/walmart-and-flipkart-invest-in-ninjacart-that-has-1200-warehouses-for-grocery-delivery/articleshow/72468829.cms">Walmart and Flipkart invest in Ninjacart that has 1,200 warehouses for grocery delivery</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/flipkart-raises-a-whopping-28-3-billion-from-its-singapore-based-parent/articleshow/72348456.cmshttps://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/flipkart-raises-a-whopping-28-3-billion-from-its-singapore-based-parent/articleshow/72348456.cms">Walmart-owned Flipkart invests ₹28.3 billion into its India unit</a>

Walmart sheds brick and mortar weight as it plans to go online with Flipkart

<ul><li>Two weeks ago, American retail giant Walmart laid off 56 employees across levels — including eight senior-level executives. </li><li>Over 36 Indian executives that were impacted by the move have now reached out to the US headquarters of the retailer quoting layoffs to be ‘unfair’ and not performance-based. </li><li>Given that, a compliance team from the US office may visit India to conduct a thorough investigation on the development. </li><li>The downsizing happened as the retailer saw little scope in adding physical stores in the country. </li></ul>Two weeks ago, American retail giant <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/walmart-sheds-brick-and-mortar-weight-as-it-plans-to-go-online-with-flipkart/articleshow/73220455.cms?src=hp_nav">Walmart laid off employees across levels</a>— including those in the senior management — as it moves from physical stores to e-commerce business. On Monday, over 36 Indian executives that were impacted by the move, reached out to the US headquarters of the retailer quoting layoffs to be ‘unfair’ and not performance-based. “We have written to them individually as well as a group because the company went ahead with the firing process even after an assurance in December that there will not be any layoffs. Some had even threatened to be whistleblowers in recent real estate deals where due process was not followed,” ET <a href="https://m.economictimes.com/industry/services/retail/fired-walmart-india-executives-write-to-headquarters/articleshow/73642285.cms">reported</a> citing three former executives. Given that, a compliance team from the US office may visit India to conduct a thorough investigation on the development. However, the retailer claims to have a strong ethical programme in place and the company will review allegations seriously. “We are committed to growing in India, doing so in compliance with all applicable laws and in a way that benefits our associates, local businesses and the communities where we operate,” a Walmart spokesperson <a href="https://m.economictimes.com/industry/services/retail/fired-walmart-india-executives-write-to-headquarters/articleshow/73642285.cms">told</a> ET. Walmart had earlier confirmed that it has laid off 56 employees, including eight in the senior management — adding that the impacted employees shall be offered severance benefits and outplacement services. The downsizing happened as the retailer sees little scope in adding physical stores in the country. It may put more weight behind Flipkart — which it bought for ₹1.13 lakh crore in 2018. However, Walmart’s exit from physical stores coincides with Flipkart’s expansion to the food retail segment in India. Flipkart FarmerMart is aimed to sell local products online — directly to consumers. Yet another online-physical combination — Amazon and Future Retail too are bunching their strategies together as they prepare for an onslaught from India’s richest man — Mukesh Ambani, who is planning to merge Jio’s digital capabilities with his retail venture JioMart which recently marked its e-commerce debut. Walmart entered wholesale business in India in 2007 with the Bharti Group. It currently runs 28 'Best Price' Modern Wholesale Stores — selling to small shopkeepers — across the country. The retail major has over 5,000 employees in India — including 600 based at its head office, Business Standard <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/walmart-india-fires-around-50-executives-as-part-of-restructuring-report-120011300200_1.html">reported</a>. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/walmart-sheds-brick-and-mortar-weight-as-it-plans-to-go-online-with-flipkart/articleshow/73220455.cms?src=hp_nav">Walmart sheds brick and mortar weight as it plans to go online with Flipkart</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/reliance-e-commerce-venture-jiomart-makes-a-silent-debut-calls-for-pre-registrations/articleshow/73046911.cms">Reliance’s e-commerce venture JioMart makes a silent debut, calls for pre-registrations</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/amazon-rushes-to-bring-kishore-biyani-future-group-online-days-after-mukesh-ambani-jiomart-launch/articleshow/73116395.cms">Amazon rushes to bring Kishore Biyani’s Future Group online, days after Mukesh Ambani’s JioMart launch</a>

The curious case of Walmart India layoffs and whistleblower allegations reaches US headquarters

<ul><li>The deal marks the internet giant’s entry into the food retail business in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>.</li><li>‘<keyword id="50019" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="more">More</keyword>’ will help <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> set up an offline presence in India similar to its strategy in the US.</li><li>More is the fourth-largest supermarket chain in India behind Reliance Retail Ltd, <keyword id="44949" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Future-group">Future Group</keyword> and DMart. </li></ul>Amazon.com Inc along with private equity firm Samara Capital has agreed to buy <keyword id="44373" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aditya-Birla-Group">Aditya Birla Group</keyword>’s grocery and food retail chain ‘More’, marking the Internet giant’s entry into the food retail business in India. The deal is valued at about ₹42 billion ($580 million), according to several media reports. Samara will own the majority stake in the entity set up to buy Aditya Birla Retail while Amazon will own the rest. <keyword id="3373923" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="RKN-Retail">RKN Retail</keyword>, the operating entity of Aditya Birla Retail will divest its 62% stake in the business to that same entity. The deal has already received board approval from RKN, according to regulatory filings. ABRL, which launched its food and retail business in 2007, operates over 523 More-branded supermarkets and 20 hypermarkets. It is the fourth-largest supermarket chain in India behind Reliance Retail Ltd, Future Group and DMart. Offline push The deal marks Amazon’s plans to make a foray into its food retail business in India, helping it set up an offline presence similar to its strategy in the US where it has acquired grocery chain Whole Foods. This deal will also help it compete with US mass retail giant Walmart Inc. which recently bought e-commerce company Flipkart Inc. for $16 billion, and with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, which is said to be considering a $5 billion (₹350 billion) investment into a joint venture with Reliance Retail, India’s largest retailer in terms of sales. Amazon has said to have set aside $500 million for its India grocery expansion plans. It has already invested $5 billion into India, its fastest growing market. Amazon along with other large retailers including Alibaba and Walmart have been adopting a hybrid business model of offline and online to compete.

Amazon rings up India’s fourth largest grocery chain ‘More’ with co-investor Samara Capital

<ul><li><keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword> co-founder <keyword id="225032" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sachin-Bansal">Sachin Bansal</keyword> is pumping $91 million into the ride-hailing <keyword id="138263" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="startup">startup</keyword>. </li><li><keyword id="6354720" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola">Ola</keyword>’s valuation stays at $5.7 billion. </li><li>The cab-hailing app is reportedly looking to venture into the e-pharmacy segment too.</li></ul>Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal has reportedly made his first investment post his exit from the e-tail giant, pumping $91 million into Indian cab hailing <keyword id="152045" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Unicorn">unicorn</keyword> <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/startup/flipkart-founder-sachin-bansal-takes-a-21-million-ride-in-ola-3387561.html">Ola</a>, which appears to be on a massive expansion spree. Bansal announced his exit from Flipkart after its $16 billion acquisition by Walmart last year. Sachin Bansal, along with former Flipkart Group CEO Binny Bansal, famously grew Flipkart from a two-bedroom apartment business to one of <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>’s biggest e-retail giants. He reportedly sold his 5.5% stake for $1 billion in the sale Bansal had initially pumped in $21million which got him 70,588 series J preferred shares at a price of <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Companies/keHGGkLpfiI2WacfOCysCI/Sachin-Bansal-buys-stake-in-Bhavish-Aggarwals-Ola.html">₹21,250 per share.</a> The investment is said to be a part of Ola’s series J funding round. Ola could be raising <a href="https://yourstory.com/2019/01/ola-set-raise-2b-focus-evs-foodpanda-international-markets/">$2 billion</a> in the round. Ola's current investors include the likes of Tencent, Softbank, Hong Kong-based Sailing Capital among others. It is also reportedly looking at raising money from Singapore-based Temasek. However, with this investment, the valuation of the company stays the same at $5.7 billion. Bansal is reportedly putting in his own money, and not from the new $1 billion VC fund he is said to be raising. It will give Ola a financial heft in fighting its global rival Uber. Not just a cab company Ola, which has thus far focused on cab hailing, has been in a race to become India’s biggest startup and looking at venturing into other businesses. It has experimented with the Electric Vehicle market recently, bringing in <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/indian-ride-hailing-firm-ola-to-launch-10000-electric-vehicles-over-12-months/articleshow/63780448.cms">10,000</a> EV rickshaws on to Indian roads. Earlier in 2015, the company also tried its hand in food delivery with Ola Cafe. However, it had to shut down operations in just a year. Later in 2017, Ola acquired food delivery startup Foodpanda to stay in the game. Talks were also doing the rounds that Ola is also looking at entering the e-pharmacy segment with the acquisition of Bengaluru-based Myra Medicines. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-two-startup-icons-switch-to-the-other-side-as-venture-capitalists/articleshow/67420444.cms">India’s two startup icons switch to the other side — as venture capitalists</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indian-unicorn-flipkarts-board-approves-15-billion-deal-with-walmart/articleshow/64027810.cms">Indian unicorn Flipkart's board approves $15 billion deal with Walmart</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/how-flipkart-went-from-being-an-online-bookseller-to-indias-biggest-e-commerce-story/articleshow/64100266.cms">How Flipkart went from being an online bookseller to India’s biggest e-commerce story</a>

You Searched For "Flipkart food retail" and got 13 results

Amazon and Walmart prepare for a face-off in India’s physical retail and online grocery markets, just like in the US

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Flipkart wants to be an ‘Indian’ company even though Walmart owns it

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Clash of the titans: Amazon, Walmart and Alibaba to battle it out in India

Rimin Dutt

Walmart could exit from Flipkart because of India’s new FDI rules: Report

Sanchita Dash

Walmart, Flipkart invest in Bengaluru-based Ninjacart

PTI

Amazon takes the fight to Walmart by investing another ₹27 billion in India

Prabhjote Gill

COVID-19: Flipkart partners Spencers for hyperlocal deliveries in Hyderabad

PTI

Flipkart ups its game in e-grocery by expanding to 50 cities as competition rises from JioMart, Amazon and others

IANS

After the Walmart acquisition, here’s what’s in store from Flipkart

Dilsher Dhillon

Walmart sheds brick and mortar weight as it plans to go online with Flipkart

Prerna Sindwani

The curious case of Walmart India layoffs and whistleblower allegations reaches US headquarters

Prerna Sindwani

Amazon rings up India’s fourth largest grocery chain ‘More’ with co-investor Samara Capital

Rimin Dutt

Watch out Uber. Sachin Bansal gets Ola share after selling Flipkart

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