Amazon India sees massive jump in participation of sellers from tier-2,3 cities

Amazon earlier this week kicked off the much-awaited Great Indian Festival, starting with an early access sale for Prime members on Thursday (September 22) and for all the next day (12 hours).

In just 36 hours, Amazon saw Prime sign-ups growth of 1.9 times the previous year, the biggest ever jump in day to date, and also saw 68 per cent growth in consumers from tier-1 and tier-2 cities.

Amazon had made extensive work for last the 90 days for onboarding sellers, small and medium businesses, startups, artisans, and women entrepreneurs. Also, it had even reduced the commission fees by 50 per cent. And, it has bored fruit for all, as around 10 lakh unique products were sold and the company saw 1.75X growth of seller sign-ups during Prime Early Access versus an average business day.

The company hosted an innovative experiential Metaworld programme in Bengaluru on Saturday. It had set up multiple platforms with virtual reality head gears for the consumers to explore the virtual Amazon platform and also play fun games to win prizes.

Besides offering fun time, another objective of the event was also to engage with the customers to learn their needs and how the company can improve the user experience on its e-commerce platform, said Noor Patel, Vice President, Amazon India.

Some of the new initiatives introduced recently include Amazon Live, where influencers come on the app live and shed light on products available and their use cases. The additional details would help customers make an informed decision and with the links provided within the frame, prospective buyers can make the purchase in less time and easier than before.

Noor Patel, Vice President, Amazon India. DH Photo/KVN Rohit

Patel also shed light on the progress made by the novel initiatives such as the Karigar programme, which was launched in 2016. Since then, Amazon has welcomed more than 4,500 sellers including master weavers, co-operatives, artisans, brands, and APEX bodies to sell online. The program is to have made a difference in the lives of over 15 lakh artisans and weavers across India.

Besides the NGOs, Amazon has also collaborated with over 30 government emporiums and five government bodies to showcase authentic crafts to craft enthusiasts and increase market connectivity. As of now, Karigar showcases over 2 lakhs products, including hundreds of unique arts and crafts from across the country.

Also, Amazon has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Silk Mark Organization of India (SMOI). Through this, Amazon has partnered with 4,200 Silk Mark Authorised Users across the country. And, Amazon customers have access to over 3000 Silk Mark assured genuine 100 per cent pure silk products such as sarees, dress materials, salwar kameez sets, scarves, stoles, jackets, shirts, ties and more.

Metaworld virtual platform organised by Amazon for customers. Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit

Amazon also has a special programme for female enterprise owners— Amazon Saheli. Right now, it has 60 partners such as the National Urban Livelihood Mission, Sewa, Read India, with the reach of more than 15 lakh women entrepreneurs, with diverse backgrounds such as housewives, domestic helpers, artisans, etc.

Amazon Saheli store houses thousands of products across categories such as apparel, jewelry, groceries, and more.

Here in Karnataka, Amazon has onboarded more than 55,000 sellers. Since the Great Indian Festival 2021, more than 8,000 sellers have joined the programme, Patel noted.

And, Amazon also hosts Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium – a unit of Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd. With this, more than 55,000 artisans from Karnataka will be able to sell their products to millions of customers in India through Karigar programme.

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