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Category: E-Tailing

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest E-Commerce & Etail news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Domestic, foreign e-commerce players should be treated alike: CUTS India

    Domestic, foreign e-commerce players should be treated alike: CUTS India

    The Government needs to create a level-playing field for both domestic and foreign e-commerce platforms through a comprehensive e-commerce policy, said Pradeep S. Mehta, Secretary General, CUTS International on Sunday. He noted that the current norms for the segment are applicable to foreign online retailers and this might create a discriminatory environment towards the domestic players.

    “The Government may not be wrong in its clarificatory policy on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in e-commerce, as it was a case of backdoor entry in multi-brand retail trade. But vital issues remain to be resolved to promote healthy economic democracy”, said Pradeep S Mehta, Secretary General, CUTS International.

    “However, the issue of creating a level-playing field between domestic and foreign players in retail sector is yet to be resolved, for which a comprehensive National E-Commerce Policy is need of the hour”, he said.

    The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) recently had said that 100 percent FDI is permitted in the market place model of e-commerce and not in the inventory-based model or the multi-brand retail segment.

    The Commerce Ministry in December revised the FDI policy for e-commerce players whereby it barred online retail firms such as Amazon and Flipkart from selling products of companies in which they have stakes. It also prohibited e-tailers from mandating any company to sell its products exclusively on its platform only.

    Mehta said: “The new guidelines are stricter for e-commerce companies with FDI providing marketplace, but there are no such restrictions for companies without FDI.”

    He also observed that there is no need for a separate regulator for the e-commerce segment.

    “India does not need a separate regulator for e-commerce, which would be yet another parking place for retired babus who are generalists and turn into controllers.

    Most of the malpractices adopted by e-commerce platforms, for instance, discrimination among its vendors, deep discounts etc, can be dealt by the Competition Commission of India. If need be, the Competition Act, 2002 can be tweaked for which the process is going on,” he said.

    The Consumer Protection Bill, 2018, which is likely to be passed soon by the Rajya Sabha, also has specific provisions on e-commerce, he added.

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  • JD driverless delivery vehicles up for test

    JD driverless delivery vehicles up for test

    JD driverless delivery vehicles have been deployed in live testing in two Mainland China cities. The technology-cum-e-commerce company has opened two smart-delivery stations in the cities of Changsha and Hohhot, strengthening its autonomous logistics capabilities. The stations are carrying out research and development testing and personnel training to solve issues related to last mile delivery.

    The JD driverless delivery vehicles can be loaded with up to 30 parcels before autonomously delivering them within a 5km radius. The vehicles can plan routes, avoid obstacles and recognise traffic lights.

    The vehicles have locked boxes so each customer’s purchases are kept separate. Once the robots reach their destination, facial recognition technology enables customers to easily and securely collect their parcels from the correct locker.

    When running at full capacity, the two delivery stations, operating with a half-half split between robots and human couriers, can deliver up to 2000 packages a day.

    The JD driverless delivery vehicles are part of the company’s Boundaryless Retail vision, in which consumers can buy whatever they want, wherever and whenever they want it.

    “As China’s largest retailer, JD is in the unique position of being able to research and develop, and commercially deploy, innovative new technology that is shaping the future of shopping worldwide,” said Chen Zhang, JD’s chief technology officer.

    “As JD opens its technology up to other companies and industries, the features that we’ve already rolled out in China from automated warehouses to virtual shopping are going to be enjoyed by consumers everywhere,” he said, referring to the company’s Retail as a Service strategy.

    CES debut

    The opening of the smart delivery stations comes days before JD attends its first Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada – the world’s largest event for the latest technology, innovation and creative thinking.

    The company will showcase cutting-edge technology which is changing the way consumers shop in China, and which it says will revolutionise global commerce. Visitors will be able to see how JD uses its drones to deliver consumer goods and medical supplies to remote areas in China, and catch a glimpse of the world’s first fully-automated fulfillment centre. They will also see how underground urban logistics will make shopping more convenient than ever, and fundamentally alter how cities work.

    This year, CES attendees will be able to see JD’s futuristic technology up close and even try some of it for themselves at the company’s interactive booth.

    Aside from drones and delivery robots, visitors will be able to experience drone flights in virtual reality, as well as JD’s augmented-reality fitting and styling software. They will also see how JD is developing Internet of Things technology that enables consumers to remotely control the smart devices in their homes, even from their cars.

    JD will also give people the chance to try a special exoskeleton worn by staff in JD warehouses that makes lifting heavy objects easier.

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  • Coupang to become an authorized Apple retailer

    Coupang to become an authorized Apple retailer

    Coupang, Korea’s top e-commerce platform, has been selected as an authorized retailer to sell Apple products, the company announced Friday. It said that the e-commerce giant was selected to become an authorized reseller of Apple products, and the service will begin sometime this month. The products that will be offered include iPad Pros, MacBooks and Apple Watches, as well as related accessories.

    Coupang said that its shoppers can get access to Apple products that carry a full Apple warranty and come with after-sales customer services from Apple.

    “Coupang will be an attractive purchase channel for customers who love or want to experience Apple products,” said Navid Veiseh, Coupang’s senior vice president of global e-commerce. “We will continue to expand the range of premium electronics brands like Apple, which, when combined with our Rocket delivery and RocketPay services, make Coupang the first place for customers to turn when shopping for premium electronics.”

    Coupang is known for its fast Rocket delivery service that sends items purchased the following day.

  • Grofers eyes $2.5 billion in revenue by 2020

    Grofers eyes $2.5 billion in revenue by 2020

    SoftBank-backed Grofers aims to garner $2.5 billion (approximately Rs 17,500 crore) in revenue by 2020 as it scales up its private label offerings in the country and focusses on expanding repeat purchases in its platform. The company, which has recently completed five years of its operations, has a revenue run rate of $360 million (about Rs 2,500 crore) currently.

    Grofers Co-Founder and CEO Albinder Dhindsa said Grofers has been witnessing over 30 percent month-on-month growth.

    “While we do not sell gourmet products that usually offer higher margins, we have been able to create a set of dedicated customers that usually promote our brand as well… We will continue to ramp up our business and we aim to clock $2.5 billion revenue by 2020,” he said.

    Outlining the expansion strategy, Dhindsa said about 40 percent of the selection on its platform now comprises of private label products.

    “There are a number of local manufacturers, who have great products but can’t compete with the FMCG giants and therefore, their products often don’t find shelf space in retail stores…we continue to grow the number of manufacturers that we work with,” he said.

    He further explained that putting these private labels on its own platform has helped the company provide aspirational products like muesli, peanut butter at more affordable prices.

    These private labelled products are also making their way on retail shelves at Grofers’ over 1,500 partner stores, which the company aims to ramp up to one million in the next two years.

    Asked about competition, especially with Walmart-backed Flipkart and Amazon expanding their presence aggressively in the online grocery segment, Dhindsa said the company is not worried.

    “Grocery is not the same as books and electronics. We may carry a smaller selection but the focus for us is on affordability. Consumers are very conscious when it comes to the grocery buying and that is what we want to ensure for our customers,” he said adding that Grofers is focussing on further enhancing its coverage of the cities it operates in.

    In March 2018, Grofers had announced raising Rs 400 crore in funding led by SoftBank, Tiger Global and Apoletto Asia. It has raised funding of $226.5 million till now. Its average daily order volumes were over 35,000 per day in June this year.

    Grocery segment accounts for a significant portion of the unorganised retail segment in the country. With people becoming comfortable buying even milk and bread online, the online grocery segment is projected to witness a strong growth over the next few years in India.

    As per the estimates, e-tail is just 0.5 percent of the total grocery market in India, which is pegged at $400 billion or 70 percent of all retail.

    In a recent interview, Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy had said grocery is one of the key focus areas for the company currently and, the segment will play an important role in getting access to the next 200 million customers.

    Amazon India, too, has been aggressively ramping up selection and focussing on speedier delivery to consolidate its position in the segment. In February this year, Grofers’ competitor Bigbasket had raised USD 300 million led by Chinese e-tailer giant Alibaba and others.

  • Amazon sees ‘record breaking’ holiday season

    Amazon sees ‘record breaking’ holiday season

    Global online marketplace Amazon has announced a record-breaking holiday season, with customers shopping en-masse across both the Christmas and Boxing Day sales events on the storefront. “This season was our best yet… we are thrilled that in the U.S. alone, more than one billion items shipped for free this holiday with Prime,” Amazon chief executive of worldwide consumer Jeff Wilke said.

    While the online store didn’t provide sales figures, Australian purchases saw a love of gaming push sales of the Nintendo Switch and New 3DS XL consoles dominate the holiday period, as well as Sandisk memory cards and various video games compatible with the systems themselves.

    Fashion brands Birkenstocks, Bonds, Champion, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger and Puma were also noted as being “particularly popular” through the period.

    “We were delighted to see so many Australian consumers shopping across all categories on Amazon.com.au in the run up to Christmas [and] during our Boxing Day Sale Event,” Amazon Australia country manager Rocco Braeuniger said.

    “Our first year in Australia saw us increase selection five-fold to over 100 million products and introduce many new products and services for customers to enjoy, [and] we look forward to bringing much more to Australian consumers in 2019.”

    In the lead up to the event, research from PayPal noted that it expected a quarter of Australian shoppers to head online on Boxing Day, with 70 per cent of those surveyed stating that online shopping is less stressful.

    “Australians are looking for the best deals, not the stress that’s traditionally associated with heading out to the shops for the Boxing Day sales,” PayPal shopping expert Liz Lefort said.

    “Increasingly those deals, or better deals can be found online, and Aussie shoppers are taking heed of that.”

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  • Korea e-commerce hits high of 10.62 trillion won in November

    Korea e-commerce hits high of 10.62 trillion won in November

    The total value of online shopping in Korea reached a record high in November, government data showed Wednesday, in the latest sign that a growing number of Koreans are using computers or mobile devices to buy things ranging from clothes to electronic goods. Total online transactions reached 10.62 trillion won ($9.5 billion) in November, up 22.1 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.

    The reading marked the highest amount since January 2001 when the statistics office started collecting data on online shopping.

    Sales of electronic goods and computers rose 22.7 percent on year to 1.68 trillion won, and demand for clothes jumped 10.4 percent to 1.45 trillion won in November, while online sales of food and beverages surged 32.3 percent to 911.4 billion won.

    Purchases made through smartphones, tablets and other mobile gadgets soared 28 percent on year to a record 6.59 trillion won, accounting for 62.1 percent of all online sales in November.

    Korea is one of the most wired countries in the world, with one of the highest smartphone penetration rates.

    The number of smartphones in Korea came to 50.5 million as of October, compared with 48.3 million a year earlier, according to separate government data.

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  • 2.5 million buyers shop during Myntra, Jabong special sale

    2.5 million buyers shop during Myntra, Jabong special sale

    About 2.5 million shoppers ordered eight million products during four days of Myntra and Jabong’s special sale from December 22 to 25, a company statement said on Wednesday. “The ninth edition of End of Reason Sale concluded with Myntra and Jabong recording a massive surge in sale and traffic,” city-based Flipkart-owned Myntra said in a statement here. As a result of the sale, the fashion portals saw a 700 per cent surge in sales and 120 per cent increase in online traffic over normal business days, it added.

    American retail giant Walmart-owned leading e-commerce player Flipkart Group includes online fashion portals Myntra and Jabong.

    The Flipkart arms, however, did not disclose the combined value of goods sold in those four days.

    “Sports goods were the highest selling category with a total of eight lakh pairs of shoes sold across the country during the sale,” the statement added.

    The shopping carnival also saw 7.2 lakh new customers ordering through the portals.

    The two portals together sold 1,200 products per minute during the four-day sale.

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  • New E-Comm Rules: Flipkart India for broad market-driven framework

    New E-Comm Rules: Flipkart India for broad market-driven framework

    India’s largest online marketplace Flipkart has requested New Delhi that a broad, market-driven framework for the e-commerce industry be put in place after consultations with the relevant stakeholders. The request came a day after the federal government announced changes in the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy for the sector. On Wednesday, New Delhi took a series of measures to tighten the norms for e-commerce companies, such as Flipkart and Amazon, barring them from selling products of the entities in which they have a stake. The altered norms also restrict them from mandating any seller to sell products exclusively on their respective platforms.

    Flipkart said that the e-commerce ecosystem has created thousands of jobs apart from fostering innovations in MSME manufacturing, supply chain, warehousing, packaging, and digital payments.

    “Government policy changes will have long-term implications for the evolution of the promising sector and the whole ecosystem. It is important that a broad, market-driven framework through the right consultative process be put in place in order to drive the industry forward,” the Bengaluru-based online retail giant said in a statement.

    Flipkart was acquired by the US retail giant Walmart for $16 billion earlier this year in what was the country’s largest acquisition and the world’s biggest purchase of an ecommerce company.

    Amazon’s India unit said that the company was still evaluating the policy changes. The new policy aims to restrict any kind of control on inventory by an e-commerce marketplace entity, thus impacting Flipkart and Amazon as they have structured their group companies in a way that would help retain control on pricing and inventory.

    “For Amazon and Flipkart, this policy change brings massive challenges. They have to not only make changes into the business model and structure of how they are selling goods, but this will also affect the profitability due to limitations on private label products,” said Satish Meena, senior forecast analyst at Forrester Research.

    “Apart from this, the planned investment in the offline channel is going to be recalibrated after this change. All these will have an impact on how they scale up the business in India,” Meena added.

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  • Richemont joins Alibaba’s IP alliance on brand protection

    Richemont joins Alibaba’s IP alliance on brand protection

    Global luxury group Richemont has joined the Alibaba Anti-Counterfeiting Alliance, a partnership between the e-commerce giant and brands that works to protect intellectual property rights on Alibaba’s platforms. Geneva, Switzerland-based Richemont is now among the 115 members from 16 countries and regions that are a part of the IP alliance, as well as the latest from the luxury sector to partner with the e-commerce giant on brand protection. Richemont said it would share its technology, expertise and other information to support the Alliance’s efforts.

    Richemont owns 17 luxury brands, including Cartier, Montblanc, Piaget, Van Cleef & Arpels, Watchfinder & Co and Chloe, in addition to Yoox Net-A-Porter Group, the online retail platform. YNAP runs four different websites — Net-A-Porter, Mr Porter, lifestyle-goods destination YOOX and affordable-fashion seller The Outnet — as well as online flagship stores for leading fashion brands, such as Armani, Moncler and Valentino.

    The announcement comes a month after Alibaba and YNAP partnered to bring the site’s high-end goods to Chinese consumers. A joint venture between Alibaba and YNAP will launch a mobile app for the Net-A-Porter platform and menswear site Mr Porter, in addition to opening flagship stores for Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter on Tmall Luxury Pavilion, a channel that connects premier brands with China’s digital-first consumers.

    Richemont, along with New Balance, General Motors and McDonald’s, were the latest global brands to join the AACA. The alliance’s membership has more than tripled from the original 30 founding brands at its launch last year, and now includes  names, such as Bose, Canada Goose, Honda, Samsung, Mars, Adobe, Danone, Hasbro and L’Oreal, in 12 industry categories. They work with Alibaba in six key areas — proactive online monitoring and protection, a product test-buy program, offline investigations and enforcement actions, industry-law enforcement workshops, litigation tactics and public awareness campaigns — in the fight against IP infringement.

    In September last year, the AACA established an advisory board so that brands could provide feedback to Alibaba in areas related to IP enforcement. Alibaba has since upgraded its Intellectual Property Protection Portal as well, delivering faster navigation and a better user experience on the site, where rights holders report suspected infringing listing and share information with Alibaba. In addition, Alibaba’s Good Faith program, which is open to brands with a track record of accurate notice and takedown filings, has streamlined the reporting process.

    The IP alliance does not restrict its brand-protection efforts to the online space. Alibaba and its brand partners also work to find and eliminate fakes at their source. In the luxury sector, Alibaba and Louis Vuitton – one of the first members of AACA – conducted an offline investigation that resulted in the seizure in May of approximately RMB 100 million ($14.4 million) worth of counterfeit goods.

    “The protection of intellectual property rights requires all stakeholders to work closely together and share their expertise. The AACA will continue its efforts to establish industry best practices for IP protection by creating effective collaboration among brands, platforms and law enforcement,” said Michael Yao, Alibaba’s senior VP and head of Brand Protection and Cooperation.

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  • Australian shopping app Booodl goes bankrupt

    Australian shopping app Booodl goes bankrupt

    Australian retail app Booodl has said goodbye officially in December, announcing it has started liquidating its assets to pay off creditors just before Christmas. Backed by media mogul James Packer and Westfield mall owner Scentre Group, Booodl first withdrew from the market last year, with the app – which connects shoppers to retailers in their immediate vicinity – filing as insolvent with the Australian corporate regulator.

    The company reported having AU$80,606 worth of assets and owed creditors $70,456, according to the recent filing.

    With creditors to be paid in full, company shareholders will not receive a return, said founder George Freney.

    “There is always a huge risk associated with technology ventures, and the unfortunate reality is that many fail,” Freney said.

    Founded by Freney in 2014, the $8 million start-up was conceived as a social media platform to play against photo pinning app, Pinterest, where users would curate personal profiles portraying their favourite things.

    Then, in 2015, Booodl evolved into a mobile shopping app, sourcing and directing shoppers to shops that they sought via the platform. In the same year, Scentre Group became a major shareholder, investing $2.85 million in Booodl to fund the research and development required to build its web and mobile platform. In particular, it funded the technology used to help consumers locate physical retail stores and in-turn see retail businesses be more easily discovered by shoppers.

    By August 2017, retail heavyweight Scentre group was using the app and website for its Westfield mall chains across Australia and New Zealand, effectively rolling out the app to 35 malls.

    “This latest milestone is validation of the role Booodl’s technology plays in the retail ecosystem. The platform now boasts $86.7 billion of shopping centre assets and is utilised by more than 150 Australian shopping centres to increase in-store visits,” Freney said, at the time of the Scentre Group news.

    Prior to this, Booodl had inked deals with shopping centre owners SCA Property Group, ISPT Super Property and QIC.

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  • ‘E-commerce share in India’s FMCG retail sales triples in 2 years’

    ‘E-commerce share in India’s FMCG retail sales triples in 2 years’

    Growing consumer trust and confidence in online buying has helped e-commerce platforms expand their share in India’s total FMCG retail sales by as much as three times, according to market researcher Nielsen. This has led to online purchase of a broader range of categories, with a particularly interesting upswing seen in fresh and packaged groceries, Nielsen said in a report.

    It further stated that global online grocery purchasing is up 15 percent in the last two years, leading to an estimated US$ 70 billion additional sales in online FMCG.

    The 2018 Nielsen Connected Commerce Report said e-commerce categories — travel (69 percent), fashion (66 percent), and IT and Mobile (63 percent) continue to account for the largest proportion of online transactions in the country.

    Interestingly, categories posting the most significant growth in e-commerce channel included packaged grocery (where 40 per cent of respondents said they made a purchase), fresh groceries, and baby and children products.

    “From tracking the e-commerce evolution in pioneering countries like South Korea where online sales now account for a staggering 20 percent of the total FMCG sector, we know that consumers follow a certain pattern of online shopping behaviour,” Sameer Shukla, Executive Director (Retail Measurement Services), Nielsen South Asia said.

    Travel, fashion and IT/ Mobile products are typical categories for first-time online shoppers and as their familiarisation, comfort and trust levels increase, their category repertoire expands into areas like beauty, personal care and baby products, he added.

    “… and then moves even wider afield to packaged and fresh grocery categories, and this is evidenced in the significant jump we’ve seen in online purchasing within grocery and food delivery in recent years,” he said.

    The report also revealed that consumers are more open to purchase packaged and fresh groceries online when they are offered certain purchasing options and quality assurances.

    About 60 percent of consumers pointed towards the need to offer and improve hassle-free refund, replacement experience as well as free cost delivery, which if offered, would boost their confidence to buy online with higher frequency.

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  • PM for Men by Pomelo is launched

    PM for Men by Pomelo is launched

    JD.com-backed fashion brand, Pomelo Fashion, is launching a menswear label called Pomelo Man (PM.). The label will be making its debut in Thailand, launching exclusively on the App available on both iOS and Android. PM aims to offer a new shopping experience to the modern man, transitioning from the online to offline world, on-the-go seamlessly.

    Customers can now walk into a PM location, get measured by the store crew and never have to bother about sizing while shopping on the App again. Addressing one of the biggest drawbacks of online shopping – sizing, the brand aims to innovatively take it out of the equation altogether. Through technology, PM helps customers find what they call their unique ‘Perfect Fit’. With key items like t-shirts, chino pants, hoodies, and accessories, the brand will become a one-stop shop for every man’s daily fashion needs. PM takes it up a notch by providing all men with a ‘Man Lounge’ complete with free Wi-Fi, USB charging stations, and video games, all of which can be enjoyed by customers and everyone else alike.

    Opening its pop up store to customers at Siam Square One on December 20th, 2018, PM will offer affordable, yet premium clothing ranging from 390 THB to 1,590 THB. For customers that download and register on the App – the brand will be giving away free t-shirts in their ‘perfect size’. The first collection consists of wardrobe essentials such as t-shirts, pants, outerwear, and accessories in expansive size options, available at the stores for a fitting and to be purchased on the Pomelo App. Going further, PM would roll out monthly drops composed of not only everyday essentials, but eventually branching out to polos, shirts, and a mix of both formal and informal styles.

    David Jou, Pomelo’s CEO, commented: “With PM we wanted to re-imagine men’s fashion. We wanted something classic, yet fresh and contemporary, combined with the latest technology to create an effortless shopping experience.”

    He added, “PM has no sizes. It’s built for the urban gentleman who is always on the go and seamlessly traverses between the digital and physical. We wanted to start with a focused and approachable collection that will grow over time as the brand itself grows. The PM app is at the center of the experience.”

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  • ShopBack ventures offline with ShopBack GO

    ShopBack ventures offline with ShopBack GO

    ShopBack, the one-stop lifestyle platform that powers smarter purchase decisions, officially enters the offline space with the introduction of ShopBack GO. Launched in partnership with Visa and Mastercard, ShopBack GO enables users to earn between five to 10 per cent cashback on top of their existing card rewards at over 400 F&B brands concentrated in selected areas.

    With ShopBack GO, F&B partners will gain access to ShopBack’s existing base of over one million Singaporeans via its mobile app. The first-of-its-kind offline discovery and rewards platform in Southeast Asia fills the performance marketing gap in the ecosystem with zero disruption to business operations and consumers’ payment habits.

    “For the past four years, our core business model has succeeded in delivering cost-effective marketing for ecommerce merchants while delighting users with cashback for their online purchases,” said Vincent Wong, Country Head of ShopBack Singapore. “We have now replicated the experience offline with ShopBack GO, an omnichannel retail solution for offline merchants and rewards platform for users.”

    Partnering over 400 F&B brands from local favourites like Tiong Bahru Bakery to international establishments like Paradise Group, ShopBack GO rides on Singapore’s vibrant food scene to encourage wider adoption of cashless payment via Visa and Mastercard.

    ShopBack GO launches with a higher density of F&B brands in four areas: One-North, Buona Vista, Holland Village and Tanjong Pagar. The first three locations were selected for convenience in proximity to the office, allowing the start-up to conduct quick experiments with F&B brands in the area, while Tanjong Pagar gives ShopBack a flavour of the Central Business District crowd’s appetite.

    “Food is a part of Singapore’s DNA and Singaporeans increasingly love to dine out. Based on Visa’s data, the number of dining transactions have increased more than 30 per cent year-onyear and dining spend makes up almost 20 per cent of total card spend for Singaporeans. This partnership with ShopBack in launching ShopBack GO will drive more consumers to use digital payments for their dining purchases. More importantly, it encourages more merchants to accept electronic payments and also show their willingness to adopt digital payments. This is important as Singapore moves into a more digital and smart nation city,” said Kunal Chatterjee, Visa Country Manager for Singapore & Brunei.

    “Seven in 10 consumers are looking to find offers for their dining experience. We believe ShopBack GO’s reward-based model will appeal to the foodie in many Singaporeans who love a great deal for good food. Given how frequently local consumers dine out, solutions such as these will also go a long way to drive behavioural change towards a wider use of cashless payments in Singapore,” said Deborah Heng, Country Manager, Mastercard Singapore.

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  • Google launches ‘Shopping’ in India to woo online shoppers

    Google launches ‘Shopping’ in India to woo online shoppers

    Tech giant Google Thursday unveiled ‘Google Shopping’ in India that will allow users to easily filter through offers, review prices from multiple retailers and find products that they are looking for. According to a report: The personalised experience will be available across various Google products — a Shopping home page, Shopping tab on Google Search and through Google Lens. Customers will be able to see trending products across different categories, various deals, and compare prices using the new offering.

    For retailers, the company will offer its ‘Merchant Center’ in Hindi, which will allow the sellers to list their products for Google Shopping, without paying for ad campaigns.

    “India has over 400 million internet users. However, only one-third of these have shopped online and that number includes those buying railway tickets online. From seasoned desktop shoppers to first-time users with entry-level smartphones, we hope this new shopping experience will make finding what people are looking for just a little bit easier,” Surojit Chatterjee, Vice President – Product Management, Google said.

    Google Shopping will be a connector between retailers and consumers, and the transaction and delivery of products will be handled by the merchant, he added.

    “There are an estimated 58 million small and medium businesses (SMBs) in India, of which 35 per cent are engaged in retail trade. However, a very small number of them have an online presence, this is a huge opportunity for retailers to surface their merchandise to the millions of online consumers,” Chatterjee said.

    Google aims to support the entire retail ecosystem — from shopping sites and large retailers to small local shops — by giving them access to the tools, technology, and scale to thrive in the new digital economy, he added.

    Chatterjee said merchants will not have to pay any fee for listing their products for Google Shopping.

    Under the Shopping tab in Google Search, users can search for products and see prices from across multiple retailers. The ‘Style Search’ option in Google Lens will allow users to find products such as clothes, furniture, and home decor, by simply pointing the Lens app from their smartphones.

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  • Valentino joins Tmall Luxury Pavilion

    Valentino joins Tmall Luxury Pavilion

    Valentino, whose name is synonymous with high fashion across the globe, has opened a flagship store on Tmall Luxury Pavilion, Alibaba Group’s dedicated site for premium brands. The online store features selected products from the Rome-based fashion house’s womenswear and menswear lines, as well as five limited-edition items available only to Tmall shoppers including sneakers, pants and shirts.

    The launch late November coincided with Valentino’s 2019 Pre-Fall Runway show in Tokyo, which was livestreamed on the Pavilion.

    China’s Millennial and Generation Z shoppers are on track to make up 46% of purchases in the global personal luxury goods market by 2025, up from 32% in 2017, according to a November report from consulting firm Bain & Co.

    Online sales channels are becoming more critical than ever for luxury brands, with official sites and e-commerce platforms expected to account for 25% of the market’s value in 2025, up from the current 10%, Bain’s research showed.

    To create a shopping experience that stays true to the brand’s heritage and values, Tmall and Valentino worked together to design the storefront’s interface, adjusting the layout to enhance branding, boost audience retention and encourage deeper interaction with consumers.

    Noonoouri, the Pavilion’s new CGI ambassador, also “attended” Valentino’s 2019 Pre-Fall Runway show, posting images of all of the behind-the-scenes action to her Instagram account.

    The digital avatar has already collaborate with luxury brands Chanel, Dior, Gucci and Saint Laurent.

    Before opening the new store, Valentino partnered with the Luxury Pavilion in April to launch a 3D virtual store that mirrors a brick-and-mortar pop-up store the brand has launched in Beijing.

    Shoppers can experience the physical location via the Tmall mobile app and browse a selection of Valentino’s collection.

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