Flipkart has continued to be numero uno by beating Amazon India. Flipkart has managed to be on top in terms of market share. Interestingly, Flipkart and Amazon both sell the same number of items on their platform. Besides, the list is followed by Paytm Mall, ShopClues, and Snapdeal.
In March, Flipkart has managed to make an average of 5 lakh shipments daily. On the other hand, Amazon India has registered nearly 4.5 lakh shipments each day. The shipment amount of Flipkart also reflects sale from Myntra and Jabong. Snapdeal has witnessed a volume dips from a high 1.5 lakh daily shipments to 30,000 daily shipments. It is worth mentioning that the shipments denote the gross number of orders processed and dispatched by the e-commerce company including the returns.
Flipkart has dominance in key categories such as fashion. The company claims a market share of 65-70 percent and an impressive performance in the smartphone segment. According to data from Counterpoint research, Flipkart has raised 57 percent market share in the smartphone category, whereas the Amazon India secured a 27 percent share in the first quarter of 2017.
The increase in sales volume of Amazon India is the result of its focus on daily essentials, fast-moving consumer goods or a low average sale price category.
Recently, Flipkart has revised its return policy on some of the most popular items on its platform. The move for policy revision is expected to reduce the operational cost of the company and its vendors.
According to the new return policy, the customers are eligible for the replacement or refund of the purchased product within a 10-day period after the delivery. The new policy will ensure that the replacement of the product and the same model will be given to the buyers at no additional cost. And if the company fails to deliver the product replacement in case the product is out of stock or permanently discontinued, it will provide the refund.
The move to tighten the return policy on Flipkart might affect the company’s market share in coming months as most of the online shoppers prefer online shopping just because of its full refund and no-questions-asked return policy.
On contrary, Flipkart’s return policy revision could be an opportunity for its rivals. It will be interesting to see how the company manages its leading position in coming time.