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It’s been just 10 days that <keyword id="541988" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="SnapDeal">Snapdeal</keyword> redesigned its website, but looks like there is more on the mind of the SoftBank-backed company, as it looks forward to adding new features and further improving the user experience. 
 
As per reports, these new features would include product selfies, enhanced order-tracking and a new 'my order' page. 
 
"The product has been redesigned to improve the overall information architecture," Anand Chandrasekaran, chief product officer, told ET. 
 
Talking of 'product selfie', it allows users to post a selfie with the product they bought from the website. "We have had a phenomenal response to it so far as customers get to see actual people using the product," Chandrasekaran said. 
 
In the past six-seven months, Snapdeal has made extensive use of technology to improve efficiency and customer experience. As per the company claims, delivery times have been brought down by 70-75% in the past year because of investments done in the logistics company GoJavas. Also, refunds from the company are now based on the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS). 
 
"Since September 2015, 93% of refunds are being done within 30 minutes. It has been integrated with the wallet on the back-end to make the whole experience seamless for the customer," Chandrasekharan said. 
 
In addition to this, we have also seen smaller launches like SnapLite, which enables users with slow network connections to access a lighter version of the website, and Snapsearch, which allows users to upload pictures and find similar products on the website.

Product selfies, IMPS refunds and much more; this is how Snapdeal is using technology to improve user experience

In order to remain ahead of its arch rival Amazon, <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword> ran up daily losses of over Rs 14 crore in the last financial year. 
 
The Bengaluru-based company, which has been spending aggressively to attract talent and customers thereby increasing losses, was successful in boosting revenue to Rs 15,403 crore in fiscal 2016, according to filings made by Flipkart's holding company registered in Singapore. 
 
Reportedly, the filings indicated that the company experienced slower revenue growth and deteriorating margins in 2015-16. In contrast, during fiscal 2015 Flipkart, which posted revenue of Rs 10,245 crore, had trimmed negative margins to 25 per cent. The higher cost of retaining talent - including salaries and stock-based compensation that shot up by 124 per cent to Rs 1,880 crore - as well as business promotion expenses that doubled to aboutRs1,100 crore, drove a large part of the losses. 
 
However, the online retailer - which was estimated to be worth $15 billion in its last funding round in 2015 - has said that it has cut down losses since the beginning of the current financial year and is back on a growth track. 
 
"We will be getting into fiscal year 2018 with a growth tailwind. By March 2017, the company will have cut burn rate by 50 per cent,” Flipkart CEO Binny Bansal told ET. 
 
The turnaround is expected to be driven by greater profitability in its key fashion business, including from its subsidiary Myntra and a few other high-value segments such as large appliances. Besides online retail, Flipkart also runs a logistics business through Ekart, as well as a digital payments business under the brand, PhonePe. 
 India's online industry, which is expected to be worth $60 billion by 2020 according to a Google-AT Kearney study, is dominated by three large digital marketplaces - Flipkart, Amazon and the Softbank-backed <keyword id="541988" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="SnapDeal">Snapdeal</keyword>. 
 Amazon, on the other hand posted losses of Rs 3,571 crore, according to regulatory filings by its main India unit - <keyword id="2654766" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Seller-Services">Amazon Seller Services</keyword> - in fiscal 2016. 
 The American company also operates through a number of other units like <keyword id="3762367" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Transportation-Services">Amazon Transportation Services</keyword> and <keyword id="3688576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Wholesale">Amazon Wholesale</keyword>, but a large majority of its investments are routed through this unit. Experts reckon that in the current financial year, Amazon has sharply increased its spending. 
 "The odds are against it (Flipkart) because Amazon can afford to lose more than it can,” Vivek Wadhwa, a fellow at <keyword id="6421753" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Carnegie-Mellon-University">Carnegie Mellon University</keyword>, told ET. 
 
"This isn't a fair match because the Western adversary is dumping billions of dollars into the Indian market in its attempt to create the same monopoly there as it has in the US,” Wadhwa told ET. 
 
As of March 2016, Flipkart had Rs 4,100 crore as 'cash in hand' and another Rs 5,081 crore as investment in mutual funds/bonds under 'available for sale' investments, giving it a runway of about two years at the current burn rate.

To stay ahead in the race, Flipkart lost Rs 14 crore per day in FY16

Granted that retail therapy is the best kind of therapy that is and shopping is an insant-mood lifter but what about all those times when you feel a burning hole in your packet because of how you much you end up spending? 
 
In such a situation, normally you would sink into depression, wouldn’t you? But, not anymore. Thank to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=technology&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">technology</a>, we can even solve this dilemma. 
 
How you ask? Well, the answer is simple- <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=cashbacks&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">cashbacks</a>. 
 
So that’s why we have got you five of the best <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=cashback+apps&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">cashback apps</a> that help you put cash back in your wallet. From dining out, to shopping online, <keyword id="3523585" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="cashback-apps">cashback apps</keyword> have definitely been a redeeming feature. With an on-the-go lifestyle we lead, these apps have become a necessity. Not only are they convenient but they also help us save. 
 Here are the five <keyword id="470101" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cashback">cashback</keyword> apps you really should download: 
 
Insta Payback 
 
Transforming mobile shopping into a rewarding experience, InstaPayBack app asserts to offer up to 50 percent of cashback every time a customer shops online. Right from earning cashback on major online retailers to referring friends for earning money, the app proves to endorse a cool shopping experience. 
 
Download it <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instapayback.instapayback&amp;hl=en">here</a>, 
 
<keyword id="2858106" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="CrownIT">Crownit</keyword> 
 
Crownit is one of the best cashback apps available in the country and offers a s jaw-dropping cashback experience with its benefits and privileges platform. Users can earn cashback on nearby restaurants, phone recharges and mobile bill payment, movie vouchers, hotel bookings, and diagnostics. Additionally, the app facilitates users to avail spa/saloon booking services and thus earn maximum cashback in the form of crowns, which is stored in Crown it cashback app and can be redeemed for further shopping. 
 
Download it <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goldvip.crownit&amp;hl=en">here</a> 
 
<keyword id="3068384" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="LafaLafa">LafaLafa</keyword> 
 The LafaLafa app pays customers to shop online. Customers earn real cash which is free money for recharging their phone, paying bills or shopping/ordering food online. LafaLafa works with 500+ online stores like <keyword id="541988" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="SnapDeal">Snapdeal</keyword>, Shopclues, Jabong, <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword>, Amazon, Paytm and more. In addition to extra cashback, LafaLafa also lists out all the best free coupons and offers. Moreover, LafaLafa Cashback can be redeemed instantly for free mobile recharge or bank transfer. 
 
Download it <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lafalafa.android&amp;hl=en">here</a>. 
 
<keyword id="2896700" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="GoPaisa">GoPaisa</keyword> App 
 
As one of the most popular apps among mobile users, GoPaisa provides top online cashbacks, promo codes, deals and special offers that makes online shopping, a bliss. The best part about GoPaisa cashback is that it can be availed on Cash-on-Delivery orders as well. Users can join GoPaisa.com for free, where they can click on “Get Cashback” option and go to any online store to shop. The purchases get automatically tracked in GoPaisa wallet. 
 
Download it <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gopaisa&amp;hl=en">here</a>. 
 
<keyword id="1764761" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="pennyful">Pennyful</keyword> 
 
On Pennyful customers can earn back some of the money they spend. It pays its customers to shop online and offers real cashback to shoppers who shop through their app. The company boasts of partnerships with over 500+ merchants including Flipkart, Snapdeal, Amazon, Alibaba, Paytm, Jabong and FabFurnish among others. All consumers need to do is start their shopping at Pennyful to earn real cash rewards. Additionally, consumers have access to instant discounts through the latest coupons and deals while shopping online. 
 
Download it <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pennyful&amp;hl=en">here</a>. 
 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

The five best cashback apps in India

Online marketplace <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Snapdeal&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Snapdeal</a> has announced today that over 80% of its sales are now shipped through its own fulfillment centres called SD+ Centres. These orders shipped through SD+ have end to end trackability. 
 
Speaking about the occasion, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Rohit+Bansal&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Rohit Bansal</a>, co-founder, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Snapdeal&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Snapdeal</a> said “We have built this capacity rapidly. In January 2015 only 7% of our sales were shipped through SD+ and in May 2016 this is 80%. More than 95% orders from SD+ are fulfilled on time and with zero errors.” 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Snapdeal&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Snapdeal</a> currently has over 63 SD centres across 25 cities in India. Sellers who avail SD+ get a complete solution for all their logistics needs, including packaging and tracking of shipments. 
 
<a href="http://media.indiatimes.in/media/content/2016/Feb/wordlypost_1455785157_1455785181.jpg">Image Source</a>

Snapdeal claims 80% of its sales now shipped through its own
fulfillment centres

Hyper-local logistics startup <keyword id="3004068" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Shadowfax">Shadowfax</keyword> has received an investment of about $300,000 in an angel round led by Indian entrepreneurs such as <keyword id="219793" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Kunal-Bahl">Kunal Bahl</keyword> and <keyword id="396598" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rohit-Bansal">Rohit Bansal</keyword> of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Snapdeal">Snapdeal</a>, Zishaan Hayath of <keyword id="2385607" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Powai-Lake-Ventures">Powai Lake Ventures</keyword>, and <keyword id="289857" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Prashant-Malik">Prashant Malik</keyword> of Limeroad. 
 
 “We believe that improving the existing state of last mile delivery and hyperlocal logistics would enable all future business growth. At Shadowfax, we are looking to build India’s most formidable, credible and fastest merchant delivery service,” Abhishek Bansal, co-founder and CEO of Shadowfax, said in a statement on Monday. 
 
The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Gurgaon">Gurgaon</a>-based company has invested in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=technology+">technology</a> that uses multiple modes of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=communication+">communication</a> to provide relevant solutions. It employs integrated GPS tracking functions and algorithms in its product to improve the efficiency of the network. 
 “We have incorporated several features that leverage our proprietary end-to-end capacity planning algorithm to put the merchant directly in touch with the rider, geo-location for tracking orders, rider route planning, and order coupling,” said <keyword id="1308709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Vaibhav-Khandelwal">Vaibhav Khandelwal</keyword>, CTO and co-founder, Shadowfax. 
 
Since its launch in May 2015, Shadowfax had an average delivery volume processing of about 3,000 orders a day and 120-150 outlets that are currently utilizing its service for last mile delivery in the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Delhi-NCR+region">Delhi-NCR region</a>. The growth of the company has been driven through referrals. 
 
“We have already created a niche for our services in Delhi-NCR and are looking to strengthen our present team of 35+ employees and 350+ riders and expand into 10 more cities within the next one year,” said Abhishek. 
 
He added: “We have opted for a partial crowd-sourced model, where anyone who wishes to be a rider can join our rider pool. However, every rider is imparted vocational skill based training before deployment.” 
 
Shadowfax charges its customers on a pay-per-delivery model based on distance and required service quality. It provides merchants a flexible, technology-driven framework incorporating features such as automatic rider scheduling, seamless app communication, instant feedback, geo-based tracking, and location-based rider allocation. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Shadowfax gets funding from Snapdeal founders! Raises about $300,000

As the countdown for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Diwali+">Diwali </a>has already begun, India’s leading <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=eCommerce+">eCommerce </a>industry is all set to organise attractive online sale to lure e-shoppers this festive season. 
 
As per an Economic Times report, industry majors like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Flipkart">Flipkart</a>, <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Snapdeal+">Snapdeal </a>along with several small start-ups are expected to burn Rs 2,000 crore to attract consumers till the festive season ends. 
 Their planning is not limited to this, as celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, <keyword id="6355923" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aamir-Khan">Aamir Khan</keyword>, along with other stars will join the bandwagon to promote these online marketplaces on various social media platforms. If sources are to be believed, <keyword id="436047" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ecommerce">eCommerce</keyword> companies had spent Rs 1,300 crore just on marketing and promotion during the same time in 2014. 
 
While top firms took the lead last year; this year, we might welcome small start-ups as well. 
 
As per the media planner, until last year, online retailers had been spending 60% of their marketing budget for the festival season on television marketing. But this year, just about 35% is expected to go to television for marketing purpose. 
 <keyword id="2032258" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ashish-Jhalani">Ashish Jhalani</keyword>, founder of eTailing India &amp; Indian School of eBusiness (ISeB), said that his company tracked around 700 eCommerce firms of different scale and size in 2014. This year, the number has grown to more than 1,700, which includes small and big players, and points to market expansion, he said. 
 
A growing number of start-ups are also advertising to showcase their offerings and leave an impact on consumers. According to top media buying firms, the heavily-funded online start-ups are the ones splurging without watching returns on investment. 
 
"Unlike the general market sentiment of slump, advertising in media is seeing a significant up-swing. Almost all advertising (inventory) has been blocked in the October-December quarter," said Navin Khemka, managing partner (north and east region) at Group Mowned media buying firm Maxus, which represents Hero MotoCorp and Paytm. 
 
Lakshmi Narasimhan, chief growth officer at GroupM-South Asia, said, "A lot has to do with emerging categories in the online space. Online advertisers are neutralising losses of traditional advertisers and leading to huge spurt in demand. Retail sector (ecommerce plus brick and mortar) will be about 8-9%. The split is more or less equal between ecommerce and retailers." 
 A large corrugated boxes manufacturer, which supplies packaging material for <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword> as well as Amazon, informed that the companies have just doubled the order as compared to last <keyword id="188" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali">Diwali</keyword>. 
 
Aman Jain, founder of cash-back site Go-Paisa said that a leading eCommerce firm has doubled the commissions for coupon companies and cash-back sites from 8% in August to 16% to woo more and more mobile customers. 
 Gurgaon-based logistics company <keyword id="2230197" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="GoJavas">GoJavas</keyword>, which counts <keyword id="541988" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="SnapDeal">Snapdeal</keyword>, Jabong and Lenskart among clients, is enhancing its automation. By September, an automatic sorting system that can process up to 1.5 lakh packages daily will be in place. "We expect volumes to touch two to three times of normal pre-festive season," said <keyword id="2230975" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vijay-Ghadge">Vijay Ghadge</keyword>, chief operating officer at GoJavas. 
 
Srini Murthy, senior vice-president for marketing at Snapdeal, said, this year his company will focus on customer experience. "We will try to make sure we give the best offers but the new news for the consumer will be great delivery experience and many more brands versus last year," he added.

Etailers will ensure you have a great time shopping this Diwali!

eCommerce scenario in India is actually quite funny. It’s all here that the think tanks after sessions of brainstorming bring out the variety in offering. If you have been excited about their same-day delivery scheme, here’s something to get yourself doubly glad. Forget those overnight responses, <keyword id="541988" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="SnapDeal">Snapdeal</keyword> and <keyword id="2230197" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="GoJavas">gojavas</keyword> have launched a ‘90-minute reverse pick-ups’. A first in the industry, Snapdeal customers wishing to return/ replace their online orders will be reached within 90 minutes of intimation. This facility, which is currently live in 15 cities, will enable swift, hassle-free returns as well as refunds, claims the press statement issued on behalf of the eCommerce company.

	Speaking about the initiative, Ashish Chitravanshi, Vice President Operations, Snapdeal said “Snapdeal and gojavas have been working together to augment the logistics ecosystem in the country by bringing innovative customer-focused solutions. The 90-minute reverse pick-up facility is a continuing collaborative effort to design insightful logistics solutions that strengthen our supply chain infrastructure. Our association helps us create unique offerings basis Snapdeal’s insights into customers’ everyday shopping needs and gojavas’ understanding of logistics and delivery challenges, with the ultimate focus on delivering customer delight.

	While its rivals are bombarding with sales and discounts, Snapdeal’s new move might gain them some extra mileage in the cut-throat market. Returns being the most painful experience on part of the customers, this would be an enhanced experience.

	Elaborating on the new service go-90, Mohib Rub, Head, Last Mile Operations, gojavas, said, “This strategic partnership with Snapdeal has acted as a huge catalyst in fast-tracking go-to market for innovations gojavas was pursuing on its own earlier. Both the teams are looking to expand this service to all the 300 cities within our network in the next 3-5 months.” 
	 
	(Image credit: Indiatimes)<o:p></o:p>

Snapdeal’s new promise to Indian consumers; 90-minute reverse
pick-ups

<ul><li>In its recent earnings report, Reliance said that <keyword id="3421090" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ajio">AJIO</keyword> has scaled new highs with 4x growth in orders from pre-COVID levels.</li><li>AJIO’s latest numbers show that it’s levelling up to Myntra while moving fast ahead of other competitors like Tata Cliq, Snapdeal and Koovs.</li><li>However, Flipkart and Myntra continue to hold 60% market share in online fashion retail, according to a Bank of America report.</li><li>Currently, fashion and lifestyle account for just 9% of the total retail sales of Reliance.</li></ul>In April 2016, at the Lakme Fashion Week, <keyword id="3820" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mukesh-Ambani">Mukesh Ambani</keyword>’s Reliance announced its big foray into fashion e-commerce with AJIO.com. The segment that has been crowded by the likes of Flipkart, Myntra (along with Jabong back then), Amazon, and others, left little room for AJIO to outshine the others. But the rise of e-commerce, especially as it spreads into rural India has brought about changes in the fashion e-commerce landscape. AJIO, which up until a year ago, wasn’t even counted among the frontrunners is scripting a story of resurgence now. AJIO’s fast-tracked growth “AJIO scaled new highs with 4x growth in orders from pre-COVID levels. Its quarterly revenue run rate is now equivalent to full last year’s revenue,” said Reliance during its earnings results on October 30. AJIO’s latest numbers show that it’s levelling up to Myntra while moving fast ahead of other competitors like Tata Cliq, Snapdeal and Koovs. While AJIO’s website visits are higher than Myntra, it lags behind in app downloads and users. <div type="image" title="Group 2" msid="78997632" hostid="261"></div> <div type="image" title="Group 2 copy" msid="78997646" hostid="261"></div> AJIO’s growth can be seen during lockdown when it began to see a spike in the number of app downloads. <div type="image" title="ajio vs myntra downloads" msid="78996631" hostid="261"></div> What’s working for AJIO Reliance is aggressively pushing ahead with its retail and e-commerce ambitions, and fashion e-commerce is set to play a substantial role. Currently, fashion and lifestyle account for just 9% of the total retail sales of Reliance. Analysts at Goldman Sachs believe that within e-commerce, RIL’s online GMV will reach $35 billion in FY25E with a 31% market share. And for that, Reliance is focusing on grocery and apparel segments with JioMart and AJIO. “RIL’s retail business outperformed peers last quarter and we expect this trend to continue given its omni channel offering driving market share wins,” said the Goldman Sachs report specifically pointing out the download trends of both JioMart and AJIO. <div type="image" title="reliance revenue chart." msid="78996641" hostid="261"></div> For AJIO’s growth, Reliance has opted for the omnichannel approach where the e-commerce site is riding on the inventory of Reliance Trends. “AJIO helps strengthen RIL’s O2O (offline-to-online) capabilities through in-store couponing, aisle kiosks. It does direct deliveries from 350 Trends and 70 Trends Footwear stores,” said the report by Bank of America. The platform has also enabled facilities like ‘Drop at Store with Cash Refund’ and ‘Pick at Store’ while also integrating the endless aisle kiosks where customers can even browse and order products that aren’t currently available in the store. With the deep pockets of Reliance, AJIO has also been able to offer great discounts while also making way for exclusive marketing strategies like the ‘Sneakerhood sale’ on AJIO. The platform has also focused on bringing on board luxury brands. “It offers over 2,50,000 styles of curated collections across its own brand and 1,400+ national and international brands,” said Reliance’s annual report. Resurgence in Indian e-commerce Indian e-commerce has seen multiple stories of resurgence with a focussed approach with the most popular one being that of Snapdeal, which has bounced back and how, to be India’s third largest e-commerce platform while also solidifying its presence in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets. However, when it comes to the fashion category, AJIO’s growth will still see hurdles especially as it faces tough competition from the bigwigs like Flipkart and Myntra. “While AJIO is gaining traction, we believe competition is stiff in the online fashion market with Flipkart’s Myntra/Jabong controlling 60%+ of the market,” believe analysts at Bank of America. But the potential remains immense – According to McKinsey’s State of Fashion 2020 report, the Indian clothing market will be worth $53.7 billion in 2020, making it the sixth largest globally. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/reliance-stock-tanks-over-7-post-earnings-to-lowest-in-3-months-heres-what-brokerages-are-saying/articleshow/78996203.cms">Reliance stock tanks over 7% post earnings to lowest in 3 months — here's what brokerages are saying</a>

Reliance-backed AJIO is riding the Indian e-commerce wave — poses tough competition to Myntra

New Delhi, Apr 21 () Having access to just the bare essentials in isolation is no longer doing the trick for those who shop online as they are now craving for luxuries like hair trimmers, board games and even automatic roti makers amid the ongoing lockdown, a new survey has revealed. The survey by e-commerce company Snapdeal noted that there has been a whopping "24 times" increase in the number of products being added to customers' shopping carts and wishlists, since the nationwide lockdown began on March 25."On average, buyers had nine items in their carts and wishlist," it said, adding that the price of these products range anything between Rs 68 to Rs 18,200. Unlike most online shopping portals that had temporarily stopped taking orders for non-essential items owing to the restrictions imposed during the lockdown, Snapdeal continued to receive and accept orders for all kinds of products, promising to ship them as soon as the restrictions are lifted.Four days after allowing e-commerce firms to also deliver non-essential items such as electronic goods and readymade garments, the government on April 19 said sale of non-essential items will continue to be prohibited during the lockdown period which last week got extended till May 3.Apparel, including t-shirts, bermuda shorts and lounge wear, accounted for nearly 40 per cent of the products being ordered, emerging as the clear favourite in the colossal non-essential category."Reflecting the current lifestyle of users, casual wear items like track pants and nightwear products including top and pyjama sets and nighties figured high on shopping lists. "Open sandals and flip flops priced between Rs 300 - 900 were another popular pick with buyers," said the survey.With salons and parlours shut, it is no surprise that "personal grooming products" are also high in demand at the time, followed closely by "household products".The survey noted that personal grooming products -- hair trimmer, epilator, beauty products and waxing strips -- were picked by over "80,000" customers, while household products saw an "80 per cent growth over usual demand trends". "Pressure cookers, roti makers, egg boilers, kitchen tools like multi-function scissors and automatic mops reflected the efforts on the parts of the users to manage their households with limited or no domestic help," the survey said.The current state of affairs have also given rise to a new category of products - work from home essentials, which have turned out to be a major attraction with customers.These range from headphones, laptop tables, home printers, and wi-fi routers to USB chargers, data cables, extension cords and back support pillows.Lockdown and the great Indian hankering for 'non-essentials' -- pyjama set, roti-maker, ludo and what not According to the survey, over "75 per cent" of the shopping lists were being generated by customers in non-metro cities, with Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh topping the charts."Bedsheets, towels, wall decorations, planting accessories and vegetable seeds for home gardens were other items in high demands. LED bulbs, emergency lights also figured high on the demand index," said the report, adding that "25 per cent" of customers were first-time buyers.School supplies -- notebooks, textbooks, stationery items -- and fitness products like weights, tummy trimmers, gym balls and smart bands too found themselves on the "most sold" list during the ongoing lockdown."Other popular items that India bought or added to their shopping carts include anti-snoring devices, spiritual books, stress-buster balls, indoor games like Ludo, Scrabble and Uno, soft toys, anti-clogging filters for kitchen sinks and musical instruments like guitars, flutes and mouth organs," the survey said. MG TRS MGMG

Lockdown and Indian hankering for 'non-essentials' -- pyjama set, roti maker, ludo and what not

<ul><li>The <keyword id="1229083" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Beauty-Industry">beauty industry</keyword> in India, projected to be worth $20 billion by 2025, was one of the sectors whose path was redefined during the coronavirus pandemic.</li><li>With people staying away from <keyword id="41857" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="salons">salons</keyword>, quick home solutions became important.</li><li>The future of the beauty industry has got a digital push with the pandemic but it might not be enough for a behavioural change.</li></ul>Gone are the days of weekend pampering sessions at the spa or salons. The coronavirus pandemic has changed the face of the beauty industry. From the parlour waali aunties and posh salons, the situation has changed with at-home services ruling the roost now. The beauty industry in India, projected to be worth <a href="https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/business-of-brands/indias-cosmetics-market-to-grow-by-25-to-20-billion-by-2025/62845033">$20 billion</a> by 2025, was one of the sectors whose path was redefined during the coronavirus pandemic. The lockdown led to salons shutting down, and even as they began reopening in phases, the situation remains cautious. Work from home and lack of social gatherings meant lesser business for the salons. Also, people remain wary regarding the safety of getting any beauty procedures done outside. Here’s what worked in the beauty industry So, the beauty industry has settled for the simpler things – people took to self-grooming as they spent time at home. In a recent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yuv6pwL9tbA&amp;t=106s&amp;ab_channel=GoldmanSachs">YouTube chat,</a> Janki Gandhi, Managing Director, Consumer retail investment banking division, Cross Markets Group, <keyword id="6361649" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Goldman-Sachs">Goldman Sachs</keyword> said that the categories that did well globally were skin, hair and personal care. “Even within those, it's really subcategories that are more health and wellness oriented, self-care where people finally have time at home have gravitated towards those categories,” she said during the chat. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Skincare </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Hair </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Personal Care </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Green, clean natural products </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Hair colouring and hair care </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">DIY products, bath and body wash products </td></tr></tbody></table> Even products that one can use while wearing a mask – eyeliner, concealers, mascara saw a steady demand through the global lockdown phases, she said while adding that heavy make-up products saw a slowdown as people weren’t going anywhere. “Certain categories have been reinvigorated during this time like nail, grooming and devices,” she said. Beauty e-commerce during lockdown In the last one year the <keyword id="2902598" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="beauty-and-wellness">beauty and wellness</keyword> category in e-commerce has been one of the fastest growing sectors. “Beauty &amp; wellness is one sector that has witnessed an unprecedented order volume growth of over 130% as compared to the last year. This is more than six times the overall e-commerce growth,” said a report by Unicommerce on India’s online retail market. That explains the fast rise of beauty retail <keyword id="6362513" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="startups">startups</keyword> like Nykaa, which has solidified an online as well as offline presence. The beauty e-commerce platform has also announced major sales and forayed into the home and travel care essentials category during the past few months. “We have seen favorable trends in customer buying behavior including higher AOVs (average order volumes) as customers are willing to spend more on platforms such as Nykaa. While personal care is growing for us, we are seeing an overall return in demand across traditional categories such as make up and are currently tracking higher than pre-lockdown numbers,” a Nykaa spokesperson told Business Insider. At home, Do-It-Yourself With people staying away from salons, quick home solutions became important. As non-essential deliveries began, trimmers and grooming devices saw a surge in demand across e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal and Paytm Mall. The beauty and wellness category has seen a 57% jump in demand in June 2020 as compared to February 2020, according to the Unicommerce report. From women resorting to YouTube tutorials to cut their hair to taking care of their own beauty needs, DIY kits are the flavour of the season. “In our case things came back to business-as-usual on the skincare and haircare fronts. People were ordering a lot more of specialist solutions, face packs, scrubs and creams. Our skin care kits are seeing excellent demand. These have always been about DIY skin care at home, and therefore ideally suited in a "locked down" environment,” said Shankar Prasad, Founder of beauty and wellness startup Plum. And for those not indulging in DIY, home services came to the rescue. Even in men’s grooming, after months of growing out their hair, men's haircuts become the most in-demand service for a home services startup Urban Company. “Relatively speaking, men’s grooming people tried DIY, but cutting your hair is fairly problematic so its rebounding faster and that category has grown five times from where we were pre-COVID, but their consumption in beauty beyond that is limited,” said Mukund Kulashekaran, SVP of Business, Urban Company. For women, Kulashekaran says its a mixed response as the main trigger for demand has been the need to go back to office or festivals. “Otherwise people will make-do for sometime with alternative versions of waxing for instance. I would say one in two women are being safe even now. However, Delhi has come back for us to 70-80% of pre-COVID levels while Tier II and III cities, which haven’t yet really seen the impact of COVID-19, have bounced back 100%,” he said. The future – Will we go to the salon? As salons open up and pictures of beauticians wearing full gear – PPE kits, face shields, and masks, trend on social media — the question remains, whether people find it safe to venture out. Experts believe that while at-home solutions will continue to reign supreme for another year, it's too short a time to change behaviour. And people will turn to stylists soon. “Making yourself look good is not an easy task. There’s a reason why people have been opting to go to stylists over the years. As soon as aspects of socialization come back, people will go back to salons or ordering services at home. In the near future, consumption will remain low but I don’t see people replacing it,” said Kulashekaran. And when it comes to the sale of beauty products, companies will have to look at an omnichannel strategy as especially with beauty products people would want to try before buying – it’s very experiential. “COVID-19 has accelerated the jump to digital buying by a few years. This kind of push has made people somewhat agnostic to where they are buying their products from. It will be interesting to see how brick and mortar plays into this omnichannel strategy,” said Gandhi in the Goldman Sachs chat. M&amp;A activities will grow From a business perspective, mergers and acquisitions in the beauty industry too are set to grow. The Goldman Sachs exec said that globally companies are aggressively pursuing opportunities in the space, which will help them modernise their business and become category leaders, technology-driven, or tap into a new market. In India too, deal activity has been seen in the beauty and wellness category. Earlier,the beauty marketplace MyGlamm had acquired the Priyanka Gill-led startup PopXO. Most recently, Lotus Herbals acquired the whole business of the startup SoulTree. “We have been scanning the market for a premium certified organic Ayurvedic brand that resonates with modern consumers and SoulTree checked all the boxes,” said Nitin Passi, Joint Managing Director of Lotus Herbals. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/stack-overflow-is-using-its-85-million-to-boost-teams-and-it-wants-to-use-it-to-crack-the-india-market/articleshow/77972020.cms">EXCLUSIVE: Stack Overflow is using its $85 million to boost Teams — and it wants to use it to crack the India market</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/india-overtakes-brazil-to-become-the-second-worst-hit-covid-19-nation/articleshow/77971312.cms">India overtakes Brazil to become the second worst-hit COVID-19 nation</a>

COVID-19 and the changing face of the business of beauty — from sanitized salons to DIY kits and acquisitions

Nikesh Arora stepped down as SoftBank President after shareholders questioned his track record. 
 
However, an internal probe had cleared Arora, who will remain as an advisor to SoftBank. 
 
As per reports, Arora faced flak from shareholders over some deals, his compensation, and few investors even questioned his qualifications. 
 <keyword id="2914119" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="SoftBank-CEO-Masayoshi-Son">SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son</keyword> had chosen Arora and had, reportedly, plans to announce him as his successor. 
 
Arora, a former Google executive, had joined Softbank two years back. 
 
During his stint in Softbank, Arora spent around $4 billion investing in startups around the world. 
 
Arora is also one of the highest-paid corporate executives in the world, receiving $135 million in 2014 and another $73 million last year. 
 
As per news reports, Arora’s resignation was announced a day after SoftBank stated a special committee investigating allegations raised by one group of investors found that the group’s claims were “without merit.” 
 
Arora tweeted he got a clean chit during the review meeting. 
 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		Masa 2 continue 2 be CEO for 5-10 years, respect that. Learnt a lot. Clean chit from board after through review. Time for me to move on.
	— Nikesh Arora (@nikesharora) <a href="https://twitter.com/nikesharora/status/745211712970756097">June 21, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		:). Life doesn't need to be orderly my friend. It's about having fun everyday. <a href="https://t.co/sskfQyYJCf">https://t.co/sskfQyYJCf</a>
	— Nikesh Arora (@nikesharora) <a href="https://twitter.com/nikesharora/status/745212458550255616">June 21, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		Going to continue to support the Indian startup ecosystem....can't change faith if you change jobs :)! <a href="https://t.co/ILIlS6qdcp">https://t.co/ILIlS6qdcp</a>
	— Nikesh Arora (@nikesharora) <a href="https://twitter.com/nikesharora/status/745214449951268864">June 21, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
Meanwhile, Son said the allegations had nothing to do with Arora’s resignation. 
 
Before joining SoftBank, Arora was an executive at Google Inc and prior to that he was chief marketing officer at T-Mobile Europe. 
 
In SoftBank, Arora sealed a $1 billion bet on Coupang, a South Korean mobile commerce startup, in a deal that was billed at the time as the largest internet investment in South Korea’s history. 
 
It was larger than SoftBank’s deal with Snapdeal and GrabTaxi. 
 
Also, SoftBank had huge India plans and Son had stated the company would invest around $10 billion in 5-10 years. 
 
SoftBank was expected to make first $350 million investment in a solar project in India. 
 
Apart from this, SoftBank also has a joint venture with the Bharti Group, Bharti SoftBank, the investments of which include the mobile application Hike Messenger. Its other investments cover real estate website Housing.com, hotel-booking app Oyo Rooms and Grofers. 
 
SoftBank, Bharti and Foxconn plan to invest in the joint venture called SBG Cleantech.

As Nikesh Arora quits, SoftBank will continue its focus
on Indian startups

India is the fastest growing economy in the world and is going digital with a vengeance. <keyword id="130699" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="online-advertising">Online advertising</keyword> will play a large part in this transformation as well as metamorphosing into a more effective marketing tool. 
 A little over 15 years and online advertising has moved from simple e-mails, text ads to increasingly sophisticated and effective innovations like SEM (<keyword id="616693" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="search-engine-marketing">Search Engine Marketing</keyword>) honed by SEO (<keyword id="1885978" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="search-engine-optimization">Search Engine Optimization</keyword>) and <keyword id="827181" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mobile-Ads">Mobile ads</keyword>, trying to attain the maximum reach with the consumer. 
 
Today online advertising is not confined to any single platform like Internet, mobile or television. You can start on one device, perhaps a mobile or a TV, and move onto a computer to place your order. It has to meet today’s ‘Instant Gratification’ demand. 
 
Innovations and new trends are rapidly evolving and changing in the global online advertisement market. India has been able to adapt and implement new trends at times better than more developed demographics. 
 
Since online advertisement is going to be increasingly multiplatform, multi device and personalized or tailored for specific demographics, some old concepts like auctions of fixed costs per day or publication irrespective of user interaction and measuring tools have changed globally. 
 
Adapting to new innovations and trends 
Technology is replacing humans and Programmatic advertising today is gaining importance. It is the purchasing of digital ads by software technology eliminating human intervention. It costs less and is more efficient. 
 
Another innovation is Real Time Bidding; it is the selling and purchasing online impressions in milliseconds by real-time auctions. 
 
According to <a href="http://digiday.com/platforms/what-is-real-time-bidding/">Digiday</a>, “As an ad impression loads in a user’s Web browser, information about the page it is on and the user viewing it is passed to an ad exchange, which auctions it off to the advertiser willing to pay the highest price for it. The winning bidder’s ad is then loaded into the webpage nearly instantly; the whole process takes just milliseconds to complete.” 
 
RTB support services like ‘demand side platforms’ help advertisers determine the ad impressions they need to purchase taking into account sites and user behaviour as well as how much to bid. Supply side platforms and ad exchanges aid RTB auctions. 
 
These concepts that cut costs and also ensure real prospective customers are reached along with the RTB support services need to be augmented in India. 
 
Tracking capabilities and personalisation 
For a productive advertising, companies emphasise on ensuring the tracking of consumers through cross devices and touch points. Indian eCommerce companies have started mobile affiliate tracking on Apps. 
 
Today companies have realized that personalisation needs effective usage and interpretation of big data collected, so that the right product is offered to the customer at the right time and on the right device. 
 
The old measuring tools have been replaced by more accurate measuring tools indicating brand metrics. This brings down the advertising costs and helps firms to focus on innovative marketing strategies and real buyers. 
 
Based on this collaborative approach, companies have been using core metrics to improve customer requirements and forecast sales more accurately. 
 
Media and entertainment 
India’s online advertising is closely related to the Media and Entertainment industry with about 161 million TV households (TV industry will grow to US $ 14.72 billion by 2018), 94,000 newspapers, and 2000 multiplexes as per a FICCI-KPMG report. TV already holds a major share at 42.7% and is expected grow to 46% in 2015. 
 Video remains the most important and fastest growing platform for online advertising. Universal servers like Google, Yahoo and Facebook have made considerable <keyword id="6362476" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="investments">investments</keyword> in ‘Video ad serving’. 
 
Micro Videos are expected to be important platforms. Short, catchy and entertaining videos could convey the message or create additional branding. 
 
Second screen synching is a new method to capture TV viewers when they go online during breaks. It works in many ways, adding value and extending TV ads, complementary product targeting or even work against competitors by targeting their ads. 
 
Social platforms 
Facebook has already successfully linked up with efficient online advertising, earning revenues and at the same time satisfying its users. Other social sites like Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram are following the suit but still have a long way to go. 
 
Facts and figures 
Online advertising in 2014 was to the tune of Rs 2,750 crore (approx US $ 444.5 million). Out of this eCommerce spend was almost 41%, about Rs 1,150 crore (US $ 213 million), contributing 3.6 % of the 16.4% growth registered in advertisement last year. 
 
Indian eCommerce is expected to have a massive growth by 33% in 2015, valued at US $ 22 billion. Major eCommerce players in India like Flipkart and Snapdeal have also increased their online advertising budgets. 
 
In 2015, according to studies by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB International online advertising in India will grow to Rs 3575 crore (approx. US $ 578 million). 
Image: thinkstock

Along with the Indian consumer, online advertising is on a roll

Welcome to our new E-Commerce Insider newsletter, a morning email with the top news and analysis on the e-commerce industry, produced by <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/">BI Intelligence</a>. 
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MOBILE SHOPPERS EMBRACE BEACON TECHNOLOGY: Roughly half of consumers who use mobile devices to shop said they would be "very willing" or at least "somewhat willing" to receive location-based messages powered by beacons, low-cost pieces of hardware that are able to exchange data with phones indoors over Bluetooth (such as coupons or payments information). The survey, by <a href="http://www.edigitalresearch.com/news/item/nid/690233215">eDigitalResearch</a>, also found that one-in-three consumers felt that personalized messages from retailers while shopping would "likely" influence their purchase decisions. Some retailers have been hesitant to install these new devices in stores over privacy or security concerns. But shoppers appear receptive to beacon-powered in-store offers - and these are already being used at retailers, including Apple stores. 
EBAY EXPANDS IN-STORE PICK-UP PROGRAM: EBay is piloting a program in the U.S. called click-and-collect, which allows customers to purchase items on the auction site but pick it up from select bricks-and-mortar stores. The program has been in a pilot phase in the UK, but eBay CEO John Donahoe <a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/2175263-ebays-ceo-discusses-q1-2014-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=single">said on the earnings call</a> earlier this week that it's been going so well that they've decided to test it in the U.S. To make it work, eBay needs to recruit physical retailers, and as an incentive to get them to join is helping to equip retailers with more in-store technology, such as beacons and options to pay with PayPal without having to wait in check-out lines. eBay's offline effort follows similar initiatives to bridge the offline and online commerce spheres - such as Google's campaign to track offline purchases triggered by search ads, and Apple's efforts to recruit bricks-and-mortar retailers to use its Passbook app. 
WHERE E-COMMERCE COMPANIES ARE INVESTING [CHART]: The key e-commerce priorities this year are improving websites, content, and personalized shopping features, according to <a href="http://www.e-tailing.com/content/?p=3906">The E-Tailing Group</a>'s survey of e-commerce executives.
- Nearly half of the executives surveyed said they will be allocating considerable funds to improving important web pages, such as an e-commerce site's homepage.
- Also, 30% of executives said they are planning a full site redesign this year, and the same number of respondents said they will be implementing responsive design, which creates a more consistent shopping experience across mobile devices and PCs.
- Meanwhile, only one in ten e-commerce companies are making a significant investment in enhancing in-store technology experiences.
There's clearly still a basic performance gap felt by many e-commerce sites, and executives are racing to close it. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="BI Intelligence" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5361590e69bedd502e1d2fdc-960/bii-ecomm-exec-investments.png"></a>BI Intelligence</div></div>
E-COMMERCE DELIVERY WARS HEAT UP IN INDIA: India is one of the fastest growing e-commerce markets in the world so online retailers are looking to differentiate any way they can. Amazon, eBay, Flipkart, and Snapdeal all offer same-day shipping in India now, and some are even experimenting with half-day delivery - or faster. However, the race to the bottom in shipping times could actually end up hurting these companies' bottom line. The costs associated with same-day delivery in India might simply be too great, unless these companies can figure out how to fulfill orders that don't require a costly infrastructure of shipping centers, says Mukul Arora, vice president at venture capital firm Saif Partners, who spoke with <a href="http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/e-commerce-firms-costs-to-rise-on-delivery-challenge/1/205723.html">Business Today in India</a>. "If you do the ... mathematics, this is not the most efficient way. They will have to make huge warehouses all over the country like Amazon did in the U.S." 
FACEBOOK E-COMMERCE ANNOUNCEMENT: At its f8 developer conference, Facebook announced that e-commerce platform provider Ecwid will now offer Facebook's autofill feature to its merchant clients, <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2014/04/30/facebook-ecommerce/" target="_blank">according to TechCrunch</a>. Facebook's autofill form is intended to make checking-out on e-commerce sites easier, for both the buyer and seller, by automatically completing forms with user payment information on file at Facebook. Facebook could potentially become a payment processor itself (i.e., doing the back-end work of processing credit cards for merchants). But that seems unlikely. There are all sorts of regulatory and consumer trust issues that come with that, and the space is already highly competitive, with low margins. Facebook said that at this point it will not charge companies for the autofill feature. As it stands <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/facebooks-payments-revenue-withers-as-users-go-mobile-2014-4" target="_blank">Facebook's payment revenue comes in at just under 10%</a> of its ad revenue.
WELCOME, E-COMMERCE INSIDERS: This is our new newsletter covering all things e-commerce. Please email <a href="mailto:csmith@businessinsider.com">csmith@businessinsider.com</a> with news and tips. Click <a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/biiecommerceform">here</a> to sign up for E-Commerce Insider today, and <a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/biiecommerceform">receive it every morning in your inbox</a>. 
Here's what else BI Intelligence subscribers are reading …
<a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/facebooks-payments-revenue-withers-as-users-go-mobile-2014-4">Facebook's Payments Business Withers As Users Go Mobile</a>
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Nearly Half Of Mobile Shoppers Say They Would Embrace Beacon Technology In Stores

Welcome to our new E-Commerce Insider newsletter, a morning email with the top news and analysis on the e-commerce industry, produced by <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/">BI Intelligence</a>. 
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RETAIL USE CASES FOR OCULUS RIFT: Facebook announced that it is acquiring virtual reality headset maker Oculus VR for $2 billion in cash and stock. The company's flagship product, the Oculus Rift, is widely <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-using-oculus-rift-2014-3">considered to be the most advanced</a> virtual reality gaming headset on the market. Beyond gaming, Facebook could use Oculus's technology for a number of things, including shopping. For example, virtual reality could make it possible for consumers to browse stores and purchase merchandise from the comfort of their own home. Think of it as a virtual showroom where you can inspect products from different angles, and in the context of other items or a background. (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10101319050523971">Click here to read Mark Zuckerberg's statement on the acquisition</a>)
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "After games, we're going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face - just by putting on goggles in your home." - Mark Zuckerberg announcing Facebook's acquisition of virtual reality headset maker Oculus VR. 
AMAZON'S GREATEST STRENGTH (AND WEAKNESS?): Amazon became one of the largest retailers in the world by offering low prices and convenient shipping. However, in doing so the company continues to sacrifice profits to invest in future growth. PandoDaily's Kevin Kelleher argues that Amazon can't keep losing money on customer acquisition costs. This is a common critique of Amazon's business model. As the e-commerce market matures, increased competition and market saturation may continue to slow Amazon's revenue growth. Nonetheless, it remains a formidable player. We estimate that Amazon grabbed <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/amazon-grabs-an-even-larger-share-of-the-north-america-e-commerce-market-2014-2">one in every seven North American e-commerce dollars last year, capturing 14% of the entire e-commerce market in the region</a>. (<a href="http://pando.com/2014/03/25/amazons-core-strength-may-actually-be-its-biggest-weakness/">Pando Daily</a>)
WELCOME, E-COMMERCE INSIDERS: This is our new newsletter covering all things e-commerce. Please email <a href="mailto:csmith@businessinsider.com">csmith@businessinsider.com</a> with news and tips. Click <a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/biiecommerceform">here</a> to sign up for E-Commerce Insights today, and <a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/biiecommerceform">receive it every morning in your inbox</a>. 
BIRCHBOX OPENS BRICKS-AND-MORTAR STORE: Discovery e-commerce platform Birchbox, which mails customers samples of grooming products, is opening a store in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood - the company's first physical retail store. Birchbox joins a growing number of online-first retailers that have opened a bricks-and-mortar store in recent years. For example, Bonobos and Warby Parker both began as e-commerce pure plays that now operate as multi-channel (or, omni-channel) retailers. (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/24/business/birchbox-seller-of-beauty-products-steps-out-from-web-with-a-store.html?partner=socialflow&amp;smid=tw-nytimesbusiness&amp;_r=0">New York Times</a>)
SOURTH KOREA'S E-COMMERCE MARKET: Groupon is selling off its assets in South Korea and will be focusing its regional efforts on promoting its recent acquisition of Ticket Monster - an Asia-based e-commerce site. Groupon is one of a handful of global e-commerce companies that have had difficulty gaining market share in South Korea. Consumers in the Asian country typically prefer local Internet companies and services that have their roots in South Korea, such as Naver and Kakao. Sometimes the best emerging market strategies involve acquisitions and deals with local companies as they can be knowledgeable about consumers in that region. Recently, <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/heres-why-ebay-just-led-a-134-million-investment-in-snapdeal-2014-2">eBay acquired a $134 billion investment in India's Snapdeal</a>. (<a href="http://www.techinasia.com/groupon-continues-exodus-foreign-companies-south-korea/">Tech In Asia</a>)
MORE ON THE EBAY PROXY WAR: eBay sent a letter to shareholders urging them to vote against Carl Icahn's proposal to spin off PayPal into a separate company. Pointing to a 441% increase in company share price over the past five years, the letter insists that eBay and PayPal are stronger as one company. "Payments is an integral part of commerce," the letter reads in part. "Technology, led by mobile, is creating a convergence of payments and commerce capabilities across our industry." Pierre Omidyar, Thomas Tierney, and John Donahoe, eBay's chairman, director, and CEO respectively, signed the letter. (<a href="http://www.ebayinc.com/in_the_news/story/ebay-inc-issues-letter-shareholders">eBay</a>)
PAYPAL CO-FOUNDER FUNDS PAYMENTS STARTUP: New Zealand-based Vend received $20 million in a Series B funding round led by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel's Valar Ventures and Square Peg Capital. Vend provides cloud-based point-of-sale software which allows merchants to do things like track inventory in addition to processing transactions. It's among a host of companies that are beginning to provide point-of-sale solutions that venture into the realm of business management. (<a href="http://www.finextra.com/news/fullstory.aspx?newsitemid=25888">Finextra</a>) 
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You Searched For "snapdeal order tracking" and got 14 results

Product selfies, IMPS refunds and much more; this is how Snapdeal is using technology to improve user experience

BI India Bureau

To stay ahead in the race, Flipkart lost Rs 14 crore per day in FY16

BI India Bureau

The five best cashback apps in India

Poulomi Das

Snapdeal claims 80% of its sales now shipped through its own fulfillment centres

BI India Bureau

Shadowfax gets funding from Snapdeal founders! Raises about $300,000

BI India Bureau

Etailers will ensure you have a great time shopping this Diwali!

BI India Bureau

Snapdeal’s new promise to Indian consumers; 90-minute reverse pick-ups

BI India Bureau

Reliance-backed AJIO is riding the Indian e-commerce wave — poses tough competition to Myntra

Sanchita Dash

Lockdown and Indian hankering for 'non-essentials' -- pyjama set, roti maker, ludo and what not

PTI

COVID-19 and the changing face of the business of beauty — from sanitized salons to DIY kits and acquisitions

Sanchita Dash

As Nikesh Arora quits, SoftBank will continue its focus on Indian startups

BI India Bureau

Along with the Indian consumer, online advertising is on a roll

Preetam Kaushik

Nearly Half Of Mobile Shoppers Say They Would Embrace Beacon Technology In Stores

Cooper Smith

Oculus Rift Could Transform The Shopping Experience

Cooper Smith

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