Amazon India is now live(amazon.in)
amazon.in
Amazon India is now live
http://www.amazon.in/
124 comments
Are they planning to have their own warehouse in India?
[deleted]
Interestingly amazon is in the backseat here and it will be interesting to see how they succeed. From my understanding http://www.flipkart.com/ is the dominant player in the online shopping marketing in India
The reason they are in the backseat is that protectionist legislation prevented them from trading in India. The end result is that Indian book prices are quite high for a country with largely third-world living standards.
> The end result is that Indian book prices are quite high for a country with largely third-world living standards.
Indian book prices, especially for foreign books which are published in India, is quite low.
http://www.flipkart.com/feynman-lectures-physics-mainly-mech...
Price: Rs 236
http://www.amazon.com/The-Feynman-Lectures-Physics-Vol/dp/04...
Price: USD 38(about Rs 2100)
That's almost a 10 fold difference. The paper quality isn't good, it's mostly paperback[1], but paying 10 folds for a hard cover isn't worth it. Books which aren't published locally(imported) are an issue. Prices are too steep compared to books which are published here.
http://www.flipkart.com/algorithm-design-manual-0002/p/itmdy...
Price: Rs 5163
[1]: In the examples above, both books are low quality paperback books.
Indian book prices, especially for foreign books which are published in India, is quite low.
http://www.flipkart.com/feynman-lectures-physics-mainly-mech...
Price: Rs 236
http://www.amazon.com/The-Feynman-Lectures-Physics-Vol/dp/04...
Price: USD 38(about Rs 2100)
That's almost a 10 fold difference. The paper quality isn't good, it's mostly paperback[1], but paying 10 folds for a hard cover isn't worth it. Books which aren't published locally(imported) are an issue. Prices are too steep compared to books which are published here.
http://www.flipkart.com/algorithm-design-manual-0002/p/itmdy...
Price: Rs 5163
[1]: In the examples above, both books are low quality paperback books.
You have taken one book, but in most general cases foreign author books are quite expensive in India.
> You have taken one book, but in most general cases foreign author books are quite expensive in India.
Books which are published in India are quite cheap(especially if they happen to be popular). Most of the pearson books are LPE(low price editions). Books from other publishers which are published here(marked for the Asian subcontinents) are cheap. Foreign books being cheap is the norm, not the other way round(unless they are imported).
Books which are published in India are quite cheap(especially if they happen to be popular). Most of the pearson books are LPE(low price editions). Books from other publishers which are published here(marked for the Asian subcontinents) are cheap. Foreign books being cheap is the norm, not the other way round(unless they are imported).
I don't know from where you are buying 'foreign books for cheap' and I'm not sure if you are referring only to LPE text books.
But most of the novels, and other books that I know are definitely expensive.
Text books are not the only books. And of course it also depends on the definition of cheap.
But pirated books sold on by footpath hawkers sell like hot cakes only because many foreign best sellers are generally expensive.
But most of the novels, and other books that I know are definitely expensive.
Text books are not the only books. And of course it also depends on the definition of cheap.
But pirated books sold on by footpath hawkers sell like hot cakes only because many foreign best sellers are generally expensive.
> I don't know from where you are buying 'foreign books for cheap' and I'm not sure if you are referring only to LPE text books.
I don't have special shops to buy books for free, and I am not referring to LPE editions only. I am saying most of the foreign books are LPE whether explicitly or implicitly. They do compromise on paper quality, printing and covers.
> But most of the novels, and other books that I know are definitely expensive.
An average novel costs me 350. That is by no stretch expensive. Sure you can get a "lord of the flies"(or may be not; I mostly see Chetan Bhagats and Sidney Sheldons) on a pavement for 50 bucks, but that doesn't mean 350 is expensive.
> But pirated books sold on by footpath hawkers sell like hot cakes only because many foreign best sellers are generally expensive.
Pirated books are cheap doesn't mean most of the foreign books aren't reasonably priced.
I don't have special shops to buy books for free, and I am not referring to LPE editions only. I am saying most of the foreign books are LPE whether explicitly or implicitly. They do compromise on paper quality, printing and covers.
> But most of the novels, and other books that I know are definitely expensive.
An average novel costs me 350. That is by no stretch expensive. Sure you can get a "lord of the flies"(or may be not; I mostly see Chetan Bhagats and Sidney Sheldons) on a pavement for 50 bucks, but that doesn't mean 350 is expensive.
> But pirated books sold on by footpath hawkers sell like hot cakes only because many foreign best sellers are generally expensive.
Pirated books are cheap doesn't mean most of the foreign books aren't reasonably priced.
Thanks,
Surely if you measure cheap by what starts at 350 rupees. A lot of things get cheaper.
Surely if you measure cheap by what starts at 350 rupees. A lot of things get cheaper.
Surely if you measure cheap by what starts at 350 rupees. A lot of things get cheaper.
You keep changing stance - most foreign books are not cheap(they are), technical books aren't the only books(no they are not; fiction is cheaper, non-fiction is a bit higher), and lastly 350 isn't cheap. Doesn't my very first comment in this thread has 236 termed as "quite low"? If your basic objection is 350 isn't cheap for most books, why bother with the needless arguments about foreign books and novels.
You keep changing stance - most foreign books are not cheap(they are), technical books aren't the only books(no they are not; fiction is cheaper, non-fiction is a bit higher), and lastly 350 isn't cheap. Doesn't my very first comment in this thread has 236 termed as "quite low"? If your basic objection is 350 isn't cheap for most books, why bother with the needless arguments about foreign books and novels.
As per my understanding, two things drive the prices in the market. One is the perceived value the thing provides to users. This is the primary factor is the cost of producing the good is much lower when compared to perceived value. If the cost of production is high, there is usually a cost+ pricing.
One way competition reduces prices when sellers start undercutting each other in the first case. That doesn't apply to books in India. No one is making astronomical margins on books which can be cut down.
The other reason prices reduce is when competition leads to reducing production cost. It can be because of expanding market, technological improvements, improving supply chains.
Amazon may be able to make some difference in establishing better supply chains. But beyond that I do not see how they can help reduce the book prices in India. There has already been enough bloodbath in the online book retailing in India, so lack of competition is hardly an issue.
One way competition reduces prices when sellers start undercutting each other in the first case. That doesn't apply to books in India. No one is making astronomical margins on books which can be cut down.
The other reason prices reduce is when competition leads to reducing production cost. It can be because of expanding market, technological improvements, improving supply chains.
Amazon may be able to make some difference in establishing better supply chains. But beyond that I do not see how they can help reduce the book prices in India. There has already been enough bloodbath in the online book retailing in India, so lack of competition is hardly an issue.
Take a look at e-commerce in China. Lots of people forget, that the big Chinese players are now orders of magnitude larger than the Amazon's and Ebays in the west.
The "end result" thanks to "protectionist legislation" is not as straight forward as people imagine.
If it was wouldnt Alibaba have been allowed to buy Yahoo ;)
The "end result" thanks to "protectionist legislation" is not as straight forward as people imagine.
If it was wouldnt Alibaba have been allowed to buy Yahoo ;)
[deleted]
I was under the impression that the books sold in India (and some other Asian countries) are low-priced international editions of those books. This is specially true for college textbooks with foreign authors.
Yes, it is called the "Eastern Economy Edition". However, if the book is not a standard textbook, the chances of you finding an EEE is slim.
That's right. Most of these books have a developing country edition (that's what one of my books' cover says). Though most of these economical editions aren't of the same quality as their original counterparts. The printing is mostly black and white and the paper quality is much inferior.
Extremely low cost and I practically(and truly) can't afford a book Amazom USA, even an eBook. So, ones that is not available in India or is available at sth like INR 3000 or 4000 or so, I pirate.
I admire your courage for saying this.
For others, this is how it always happens here in India.
On the other hand when the books are priced well. There is actually sweet spot for which Indian consumers will happily pay. For example I can quote of Rashmi Bansal's books. Especially 'Stay hungry, Stay Foolish'. It was priced so well, I hardly saw any pirated books on the footpaths people were more than happy to buy the book.
Compare this to say with a book like "Seven habits of highly effective people' there was a time when hawkers on the footpaths would have something 100 copies always stocked because the original book was expensive and pirated ones sold like hot cakes.
You won't believe this, a while back I would visit Avenue road in Bangalore and one round with foot path hawkers could give you a hint on the best sellers in the market currently.
For others, this is how it always happens here in India.
On the other hand when the books are priced well. There is actually sweet spot for which Indian consumers will happily pay. For example I can quote of Rashmi Bansal's books. Especially 'Stay hungry, Stay Foolish'. It was priced so well, I hardly saw any pirated books on the footpaths people were more than happy to buy the book.
Compare this to say with a book like "Seven habits of highly effective people' there was a time when hawkers on the footpaths would have something 100 copies always stocked because the original book was expensive and pirated ones sold like hot cakes.
You won't believe this, a while back I would visit Avenue road in Bangalore and one round with foot path hawkers could give you a hint on the best sellers in the market currently.
I had bought Rashmi Bansal's book when it was released. I am not sure how high it was priced at the time but I guess it was not more than 125 or so. It was a well priced book. I think she had reduced the middleman's[0] commission to a great extent.
Funny thing about that book, you can buy it legitimately at ~90 and even street vendors(pirated copy sellers) usually sell it at 50+ and people still buy :-) I think they never got that taste of that feeling when you read a book, hold it your hand, travel with it and then over the time appreciate the crease on it and dream passing it over to your bloodline hoping they would love reading books.
Anyway, I still feel bad having to pirate any book or film or songs. Very bad. Though my next statement is technically incorrect but there are times I can't avoid pirating a book.
I have reduced my music piracy. I've reduced/ the number of songs I listen to around ~ 7GB (almost all of them 320kbps or 8-20 MB on an average). Out of them around 4GB I've purchased and to be honest a lot of them is from Flipkart's 10 day freebie bonanza, but I've purchased from other sources a lot and I must say that A 7-9 Rupee DRM free song is a deal sweeter than saccharine so I like a song and I buy it. I can even go a lot more if the cost goes directly to the artist or most and I do it. Like Indian Ocean's music. I hope in a few months I'll not have any pirated song on my pc or phone. I use Spotify so that also covers a lot.
I've not have any good and affordable[1] alternative for fils. I hope sth like Netflix/Hulu comes up in India or even a good DVD/BRay rental online shop which offers quality with a price. The ones we have don't have many worthwhile films int heir inventory.
Yes, you are right - pricing does affect privacy, in a positive way to check it. However there are people who would just pirate! Piracy is imprinted on their minds and they never bothered to check whether it's a necessity and or is there a mid-way like a friend who stopped using WhatsApp the day his 1 yr trial was over, he just had to pay INR 55 for another year. Though I should have been this judgemental, still active in piracy myself.
[0] Publisher, distributor, agent etc
[1] Again, this is my point of view and someone else can just say I can buy the movies at INR 500 a dvd and this is just an excuse to pirate.
Funny thing about that book, you can buy it legitimately at ~90 and even street vendors(pirated copy sellers) usually sell it at 50+ and people still buy :-) I think they never got that taste of that feeling when you read a book, hold it your hand, travel with it and then over the time appreciate the crease on it and dream passing it over to your bloodline hoping they would love reading books.
Anyway, I still feel bad having to pirate any book or film or songs. Very bad. Though my next statement is technically incorrect but there are times I can't avoid pirating a book.
I have reduced my music piracy. I've reduced/ the number of songs I listen to around ~ 7GB (almost all of them 320kbps or 8-20 MB on an average). Out of them around 4GB I've purchased and to be honest a lot of them is from Flipkart's 10 day freebie bonanza, but I've purchased from other sources a lot and I must say that A 7-9 Rupee DRM free song is a deal sweeter than saccharine so I like a song and I buy it. I can even go a lot more if the cost goes directly to the artist or most and I do it. Like Indian Ocean's music. I hope in a few months I'll not have any pirated song on my pc or phone. I use Spotify so that also covers a lot.
I've not have any good and affordable[1] alternative for fils. I hope sth like Netflix/Hulu comes up in India or even a good DVD/BRay rental online shop which offers quality with a price. The ones we have don't have many worthwhile films int heir inventory.
Yes, you are right - pricing does affect privacy, in a positive way to check it. However there are people who would just pirate! Piracy is imprinted on their minds and they never bothered to check whether it's a necessity and or is there a mid-way like a friend who stopped using WhatsApp the day his 1 yr trial was over, he just had to pay INR 55 for another year. Though I should have been this judgemental, still active in piracy myself.
[0] Publisher, distributor, agent etc
[1] Again, this is my point of view and someone else can just say I can buy the movies at INR 500 a dvd and this is just an excuse to pirate.
For movies checkout Bigflix. Their subscription plan seems cheap but don't know anything about movie collection or T&C.
Tried them. The quality is at least 3-4 times worse than the DVDRips and not even mentionable in the same breathe as a BRRip.
And it used to decide to crash from time to time and then it would simply stop streaming and buffering and you couldn't do anything about that.
There's a new player in town CatchFlix. Haven't checked them.
There's also BoxTV which worse than them all.
And range sucked in all of them.
And it used to decide to crash from time to time and then it would simply stop streaming and buffering and you couldn't do anything about that.
There's a new player in town CatchFlix. Haven't checked them.
There's also BoxTV which worse than them all.
And range sucked in all of them.
Yeah. For starters,amazon is giving free delivery. As far as prices are concerned, tons of books are listed at lower price as of now.
"Your margin is my opportunity" -Jeff Bezos
Looks like they have only launched with Movies and Books - hopefully other categories will follow.
Great to see a good selection of Hindi novels, wish they were available for Kindle though. (Don't think the e-ink Kindles can even render Hindi though)
Not true, they can render hindi.
and at good prices. Earlier I sometimes had to call Rajkamal and order over phone and used to pay VPP.
Used to work in International Dev for a ecom company, and India was a serious target. We ended up going elsewhere because of delivery infrastructure and local competitors, that free delivery is going to be a huge advantage.
Interesting- there's free delivery and also COD "cash on delivery"
Screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/Og9xMtn.png
Policy: http://www.amazon.in/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=mk_ss...
Screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/Og9xMtn.png
Policy: http://www.amazon.in/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=mk_ss...
The COD part is somewhat cultural. Very few people in India will trust a credit card based system that requires you to hand over your credit card number online and accept delivery at some point in the future. Cash usage in general is disproportionately higher than other forms. I think direct payments from bank accounts is next. Cards rank a distant third.
It is also the case that Debit Cards are insanely popular in India, a lot more than Credit Cards. Secondly, Online Banking (banks exposing merchant APIs) is also very popular for internet purchases as it removes the middleman.
What's an example of "banks exposing merchant APIs"?
Unfortunately, I couldn't find any documentation for these services. It is possible that the APIs are published only for the merchants who are authorized to use them, payment gateways like CCAvenue and TPSL being some of them.
I think this is how it goes:
Banks/credit card companies have their payment APIs[0] open to parties they deal with (usually) payment gateways(now don't ask me for public methods and web service URIs) ->> payment gateway firms[1] deal with the banks and have access to those APIs ->> merchants/sellers[1] deal with payment gateways ->> customer checks out on seller/merchant's website ->> is redirected to (usually) payment gateway's portal where basic card/account credentials[2] are entered ->> is redirected bank/card's secure authentication page[3] ->> user enters login/password ->> is redirected back to seller/merchant's page with success/fail message.
[0] You might have to get in touch with some bank and/or payment gateway.
[1] When the seller is big, sometimes, they are themselves the payment gateways. Some PG examples are Citrus, Billdesk, SBI,CCAvenue(the shittiest) etc.
[2] Here in India the basic credentials include card number, exp date, name, CVV. In the USA these same basic details are more than enough for final purchase - sometimes even minus the cvv.
[3] Usually Mastercard's NetSafe or Verified By Visa etc.
Banks/credit card companies have their payment APIs[0] open to parties they deal with (usually) payment gateways(now don't ask me for public methods and web service URIs) ->> payment gateway firms[1] deal with the banks and have access to those APIs ->> merchants/sellers[1] deal with payment gateways ->> customer checks out on seller/merchant's website ->> is redirected to (usually) payment gateway's portal where basic card/account credentials[2] are entered ->> is redirected bank/card's secure authentication page[3] ->> user enters login/password ->> is redirected back to seller/merchant's page with success/fail message.
[0] You might have to get in touch with some bank and/or payment gateway.
[1] When the seller is big, sometimes, they are themselves the payment gateways. Some PG examples are Citrus, Billdesk, SBI,CCAvenue(the shittiest) etc.
[2] Here in India the basic credentials include card number, exp date, name, CVV. In the USA these same basic details are more than enough for final purchase - sometimes even minus the cvv.
[3] Usually Mastercard's NetSafe or Verified By Visa etc.
Its not just cultural, but financial, unless you consider tax evasion a part of culture. A lot of Indians don't want to spend via credit cards because the money is 'black', i.e. unaccounted for. This is a big reason for COD, esp. among the business class.
There is a simple reason why I use COD. The payment gateway blows up a lot and you end up paying cash that never reaches the merchant, and have to wait days / weeks to get it back.
What about http://www.junglee.com/. Thought that was Amazon's India store.
Junglee didn't sell anything but instead offered referrals to third-party seller sites[1].
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junglee.com
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junglee.com
Yup it is similar to google shopping www.google.com/shopping
I think they are still doing the same thing. Doesn't look like any products are actually sold by Amazon.
They're providing transaction processing, inventory tracking, and in some cases (e.g., http://www.amazon.in/gp/product/9380349300 selected at random from the gateway) fulfillment services.
Given the scope of their 3P seller business in other markets (say, the US), this constitutes a much larger entry into the market than some comments are making it out to be.
Given the scope of their 3P seller business in other markets (say, the US), this constitutes a much larger entry into the market than some comments are making it out to be.
junglee might refer to amazon or shutdown now
Wasn't Amazon already in India under a different name?
Junglee is a product discovery site. It was basically created to give them an in with sellers within India and make feelers in Indian e-commerce until they could work out their own logistics and other issues.
Yes Junglee.com
Finding it odd that they are using an image instead of unicode for INR, ₹. Is the browser support simply not there?
Somebody needs to tell Amazon about this site: http://webrupee.com/
This pulls in a web font (woff) to display ₹. If Javascript is disabled it shows up as "Rs" instead. A fair compromise instead of images everywhere.
This pulls in a web font (woff) to display ₹. If Javascript is disabled it shows up as "Rs" instead. A fair compromise instead of images everywhere.
This is one of those technical things that makes little or no difference to a customer.
They'll probably get to it eventually.
They'll probably get to it eventually.
Also find it odd that Google's calculator doesn't pick up that symbol in unicode for currency conversion.
The key thing that people need to be aware of is that Amazon is still not allowed to sell anything in India. They are exclusively a marketplace because the Indian govt does not allow foreign investment into e-commerce.
Instead for now they are an intermediary. The end customer pays Amazon the money who passes it onto the actual seller (after taking some commission). Amazon might even handle the logistics for some sellers. But the transaction is between the marketplace seller and the customer.
Until Amazon is granted approval to become a seller on their own right, their impact on Indian e-commerce will be much more limited than it would be otherwise.
Instead for now they are an intermediary. The end customer pays Amazon the money who passes it onto the actual seller (after taking some commission). Amazon might even handle the logistics for some sellers. But the transaction is between the marketplace seller and the customer.
Until Amazon is granted approval to become a seller on their own right, their impact on Indian e-commerce will be much more limited than it would be otherwise.
Allowing foreign investment into e-commerce can't come soon enough. The main reason the e-commerce space in India has not picked up fast enough is this.
Allowing foreign investment is a minor problem in ecommerce space. Flipkart has foreign investment via VCs for quite some time.
There are a lot more fundamental issues in ecommerce space.
(1) Low penetration of credit cards - Banks have slowed down considerably their efforts to market credit cards. RBI regulations don't help either. Besides both of these, people have a negative feeling towards credit cards. So credit card usage is low. Cash is king and debit cards and direct bank transfers are next.
(2) Payment is a pain. Paying via credit card, debit card or bank account goes through a two step authentication process which is fraught with failures. There are multiple sites through which payment is routed => Seller site -> Payment gateway intermediary -> Bank site -> (enter password to authenticate payment) -> Back to intermediary -> Back to seller site. This long chain is breaks more often than not. And when it breaks, it becomes a pain to get your money back. Buying something online, especially for some one new is a heart-in-your-mouth experience. Again, RBI guidelines prevent any change in the payment process. It is easier to use Cash on Delivery (CoD).
(3) Two and three means that most customers prefer CoD. But CoD is a pain for merchants. There is no guarantee that customers would end up completing the sale. Most purchases are impulse purchases. But in case of CoD, you receive the product after 2-3 days, long after the impulse is gone. So the rejection rate for CoD sales is high compared to Credit/debit card sales.
(4) Logistics is another nightmare. The companies do not have scale and are quite expensive compared to the cost of goods sold. They are also not reliable. Delivery management and providing customer support for late/missing shipments forms the bulk of support cost. So any medium/large ecommerce company starts its own courier service. Suddenly these companies are not just ecommerce companies, they are also managing a completely new and different business.
(5) Low internet penetration and usage.
(6) Wafer thin margins. The margins are already thin. It is spread even thinner by offering free shipping. Shipping used to be free for any product of any cost. Its only now that companies have started charging for shipping. These thin margins mean companies won't be breaking even any time soon. Its a long haul game and its going to leave quite a few dead companies in its midst.
There are a lot more fundamental issues in ecommerce space.
(1) Low penetration of credit cards - Banks have slowed down considerably their efforts to market credit cards. RBI regulations don't help either. Besides both of these, people have a negative feeling towards credit cards. So credit card usage is low. Cash is king and debit cards and direct bank transfers are next.
(2) Payment is a pain. Paying via credit card, debit card or bank account goes through a two step authentication process which is fraught with failures. There are multiple sites through which payment is routed => Seller site -> Payment gateway intermediary -> Bank site -> (enter password to authenticate payment) -> Back to intermediary -> Back to seller site. This long chain is breaks more often than not. And when it breaks, it becomes a pain to get your money back. Buying something online, especially for some one new is a heart-in-your-mouth experience. Again, RBI guidelines prevent any change in the payment process. It is easier to use Cash on Delivery (CoD).
(3) Two and three means that most customers prefer CoD. But CoD is a pain for merchants. There is no guarantee that customers would end up completing the sale. Most purchases are impulse purchases. But in case of CoD, you receive the product after 2-3 days, long after the impulse is gone. So the rejection rate for CoD sales is high compared to Credit/debit card sales.
(4) Logistics is another nightmare. The companies do not have scale and are quite expensive compared to the cost of goods sold. They are also not reliable. Delivery management and providing customer support for late/missing shipments forms the bulk of support cost. So any medium/large ecommerce company starts its own courier service. Suddenly these companies are not just ecommerce companies, they are also managing a completely new and different business.
(5) Low internet penetration and usage.
(6) Wafer thin margins. The margins are already thin. It is spread even thinner by offering free shipping. Shipping used to be free for any product of any cost. Its only now that companies have started charging for shipping. These thin margins mean companies won't be breaking even any time soon. Its a long haul game and its going to leave quite a few dead companies in its midst.
>Flipkart has foreign investment via VCs for quite some time.
Because of this they had to separate Flipkart.com and their frontend operations (WS Retail).
The VC money is now invested in Flipkart.com which is a marketplace similar to Amazon India. But they are pretty well integrated with one of their sellers (WS Retail).
Because of this they had to separate Flipkart.com and their frontend operations (WS Retail).
The VC money is now invested in Flipkart.com which is a marketplace similar to Amazon India. But they are pretty well integrated with one of their sellers (WS Retail).
Why do you feel that foreign investment into e-commerce is the solution?
There are many reasons. Biggest is competition works wonders for consumers.
Secondly, It creates an environment where a lot can be learn't from others.
The current environment for start ups in India is in large part due to inspiration, effect and to an extent competition from the silicon valley.
Secondly, It creates an environment where a lot can be learn't from others.
The current environment for start ups in India is in large part due to inspiration, effect and to an extent competition from the silicon valley.
a solution? I don't think there is a problem to solve. I do think allowing FDI in e-commerce can only help the Indian consumer (not to mention the economy, because it will result in more hiring, more exit options for e-commerce startups etc)
I think FDI in e-commerce and retail sectors is something that will come to pass in India.
Its inevitable.
Its inevitable.
It will. But when, nobody knows.
And hence the need for deep pockets, and patience. Both of which Amazon has, in spades.
Btw, a lot of the big names in the Indian e-commerce space are also using the marketplace model instead of the inventory model. And they are doing this out of their own volition, as it reduces costs and increases diversity. Eg. Snapdeal, PepperFry, and Shopclues.
Even Flipkart recently opened a marketplace, which will complement its inventory model.
Here's an article quoting Snapdeal CEO as saying that inventory model is dead in India: http://www.livemint.com/Industry/D2Xufph6zu7w9ZYg8Ze0dM/Snap...
Here's an article quoting Snapdeal CEO as saying that inventory model is dead in India: http://www.livemint.com/Industry/D2Xufph6zu7w9ZYg8Ze0dM/Snap...
So out of interest; what's it like in India at the moment, buying online?
For example; with Amazon in the UK and can order before about 5pm (often later) and have it arrive tomorrow. That even works for some marketplace sellers.
Is there comparable service from Indian retailers?
(I ask out of genuine interest to see how the markets compare!)
For example; with Amazon in the UK and can order before about 5pm (often later) and have it arrive tomorrow. That even works for some marketplace sellers.
Is there comparable service from Indian retailers?
(I ask out of genuine interest to see how the markets compare!)
The most interesting thing about Indian e-commerce shipping to me (someone who lived 28 years in the USA and the last 1 year in India) is that there is no concept of choosing delivery speed. There is only standard shipping. You need the product tomorrow? Well you're out of luck. It'll be there in a couple days if you're in a metro, which definitely isn't bad for standard shipping. But you don't get to control the shipping speed.
(Note #1: I have gotten some items the next day, but it was out of luck. If you live in Mumbai, New Delhi, or Bangalore, this will happen occasionally that the warehouse on the outskirts of the city will have the product and you'll get it the next day. But it's just not close to guaranteed.)
(Note #2: I heard or read something that Flipkart, often known as "India's Amazon", will soon be offering expedited shipping for an additional fee).
(Note #1: I have gotten some items the next day, but it was out of luck. If you live in Mumbai, New Delhi, or Bangalore, this will happen occasionally that the warehouse on the outskirts of the city will have the product and you'll get it the next day. But it's just not close to guaranteed.)
(Note #2: I heard or read something that Flipkart, often known as "India's Amazon", will soon be offering expedited shipping for an additional fee).
Well, to be frank, sites like Saholic are trying to improve stuff.... Saholic offers 'x' days delivery (generally 1-2 days) and then fines itself (giving out gift vouchers for every day that the shipment is delayed)
>>You need the product tomorrow?
If you are in a metro then you get the item shipped next day. I've shopped with Flipkart, Myntra etc and this has always been the norm and when usually it becomes 2-3 days it's because your stuff is being sent from a warehouse in another metro. As I live in B'lore Myntra has almost always done 1-day shipping or 2 at most.
You want your items to be shipped to a small town? There's a problem. You want to ship it to your parents in a very small town or rural area? Forget it!
There are other services like eBay India, which has recently, started 3-4 day shipping. Earlier for them it was 7-8 minimum as standard. Deal sites like SnapDeal etc follow the same minimum 7-8 days golden rule.
Sites like IndiaPlaza are plague. You get your stuff in months or fortnights and then you congratulate yourself.
The thing is there are so many options in India, even on smaller scales, for online shopping and people actively use them where they best deals. In USA when I try to buy sth, to get it via a friend who is coming form USA, I have more or less one option - Amazon!
If you are in a metro then you get the item shipped next day. I've shopped with Flipkart, Myntra etc and this has always been the norm and when usually it becomes 2-3 days it's because your stuff is being sent from a warehouse in another metro. As I live in B'lore Myntra has almost always done 1-day shipping or 2 at most.
You want your items to be shipped to a small town? There's a problem. You want to ship it to your parents in a very small town or rural area? Forget it!
There are other services like eBay India, which has recently, started 3-4 day shipping. Earlier for them it was 7-8 minimum as standard. Deal sites like SnapDeal etc follow the same minimum 7-8 days golden rule.
Sites like IndiaPlaza are plague. You get your stuff in months or fortnights and then you congratulate yourself.
The thing is there are so many options in India, even on smaller scales, for online shopping and people actively use them where they best deals. In USA when I try to buy sth, to get it via a friend who is coming form USA, I have more or less one option - Amazon!
Hey Fakeer,
Do you have an idea (or know someone who does) as to
1. How is the Shipping Label (with tracking# if that's feasible) generated?
2. Which are the major couriers picking up the packages from the small ecommerce shop locations and delivering them?
3. Is the Indian Post Office a major player at all (in the US, the USPS is the largest ecommerce delivery company...bigger than UPS, FedEx and DHL combined)
Do you have an idea (or know someone who does) as to
1. How is the Shipping Label (with tracking# if that's feasible) generated?
2. Which are the major couriers picking up the packages from the small ecommerce shop locations and delivering them?
3. Is the Indian Post Office a major player at all (in the US, the USPS is the largest ecommerce delivery company...bigger than UPS, FedEx and DHL combined)
It isn't a major player at all. Indian Post Office is mostly used for sending documents and stuff and people prefer it because it's cheaper and available in most destinations ranging from metro cities to small villages.
Most ecommerce players use private logistics companies like BlueDart, DTDC, etc. They use Indian Postal Service only for rural orders where BlueDart and the like don't service.
My dad happens to lead the e-commerce division at a logistics company and from what I've heard, Indian Post Office is not a major player at all. A large of e-commerce companies/startups are using Bluedart (now merged with DHL) as their primary logistics provider and tracking is provided as a service to the customers. Flipkart, I believe, runs their own logistics service.
Flipkart, Myntra etc run their own logistics unit Bangalore only and maybe other metros too, but when it's about tier 2 cities and blow the traditional courier firms handled it.
>>Is the Indian Post Office a major player at all
I don't think Indian Post Office is good option for courier stuff like a mobile phone, or a book.
But they are pretty good if you want to send a money order, letter or a registered post.
I don't think Indian Post Office is good option for courier stuff like a mobile phone, or a book.
But they are pretty good if you want to send a money order, letter or a registered post.
Flipkart does not _guarantee_ two day shipping, though. Or at least it didn't when I last used it. Amazon says they'll do it and that's worth more than some vague idea that it will probably make it.
Well there is Flipkart (http://www.flipkart.com/). They usually take about 2-3 days to deliver. Again that depends where you are located and the product you are ordering. But they do have a huge collection of stuff.
Such bureaucratic B.S.
looks like a negative commission right now.
Don't know why Kaspersky Internet Security is warning about phishing url for all the Amazon.in links. Has anyone else seen it?
I'm seeing it too. Probably people have used domains like amazon.XYZ for phishing in the past.
Hmm...Does using SSL help? Right now the amazon india domain does not get redirected automatically to https://www.amazon.in (on Chrome v.25)
I'm not using Kaspersky myself, but I'm guessing they simply mark certain high profile websides on not-known tlds as phishing sites.
Think "amazon.co.tw/password_reset.php"
Think "amazon.co.tw/password_reset.php"
Ah, well, they'll find the right person to pay eventually and they'll be a real business in India...
I think the key to successful ecommerce model in India is hybrid of online and offline experiences. I had the following idea floating in my mind for long time now . Let me know if it makes sense
a) You franchise out "ecommerce" physical shops. This is a physical location where customer can come in surf ecommerce websites and place an order.
b) There is someone at this shop who will collect money on behalf of ecommerce websites. This could be cash credit debit whatever. Make these shops available at every nukad (every street). Hell give other shop owners these ecommerce terminals (just like sim card selling process or prepaid minutes fulfillment process) .
c) The packages are shipped to this shop or your home. Since these shops are conveniently located, near train stations, in airports, malls, picking up packages is not an hassle.
d) serve complimentary hot tea while people are shopping.
The actual order is fulfilled at an warehouse just like amazon.
a) You franchise out "ecommerce" physical shops. This is a physical location where customer can come in surf ecommerce websites and place an order.
b) There is someone at this shop who will collect money on behalf of ecommerce websites. This could be cash credit debit whatever. Make these shops available at every nukad (every street). Hell give other shop owners these ecommerce terminals (just like sim card selling process or prepaid minutes fulfillment process) .
c) The packages are shipped to this shop or your home. Since these shops are conveniently located, near train stations, in airports, malls, picking up packages is not an hassle.
d) serve complimentary hot tea while people are shopping.
The actual order is fulfilled at an warehouse just like amazon.
This is quite similar to way convenience stores work in Japan. You can pay at a convenience store and get Amazon to ship your goods to a convenience store. Japan (similar to India) is still very much a cash based society and I suppose some people prefer to pay in cash at a convenience store instead of paying online.
India also has loads of tiny convenience stores, I think this is an excellent idea. It also simplifies the logistics. The eCommerce company only has to build out a supply chain to the convenience store instead of having to deliver to each customer or rely on the Indian postal service.
(I have lived both in India and Japan)
India also has loads of tiny convenience stores, I think this is an excellent idea. It also simplifies the logistics. The eCommerce company only has to build out a supply chain to the convenience store instead of having to deliver to each customer or rely on the Indian postal service.
(I have lived both in India and Japan)
In China you can have Amazon (and other major e-commerce firms) ship things to your home or office and pay in cash on delivery (for most items).
The amount of delivery people in Beijing, especially near lunch time, is quite impressive.
The amount of delivery people in Beijing, especially near lunch time, is quite impressive.
What's the protocol when the customer can't pay on delivery?
As far as I know, the company keeps the goods. And the more high-priced items (laptop, TV, etc.) can't be paid in cash on delivery (only credit card or Internet banking accepted for those).
In India, laptops can be cash-on-delivery. When I order from Flipkart(India's very own Amazon), I always opt for cash-on-delivery. I see no point in paying up-front when sometimes they don't have the goods and I have to wait for refunds. The delivery person carries card reader, so there is no need to carry large amounts of cash.
Mostly everything from Flipkart (and for that matter, it appears, from Amazon) can be bought cash-on-delivery.
> Mostly everything from Flipkart (and for that matter, it appears, from Amazon) can be bought cash-on-delivery.
I know most of the things can be bough cash-on-delivery. I was responding to "high priced items viz. laptops" can't be bought cash-on-delivery.
I know most of the things can be bough cash-on-delivery. I was responding to "high priced items viz. laptops" can't be bought cash-on-delivery.
> (and for that matter, it appears, from Amazon)
Amazon has put an upper limit of 50K on Cash on Delivery.
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Exploring Amazon.in, I see Cash on Delivery available as payment option.
Most Indian online stores (Flipcart etc) has cash on delivery option.
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Off-topic, but can you expand more on this? I only remember reading article after article about how you could pay for everything in Japan using chips in your mobile phone. And article after article of Japanese companies lamenting how they did not manage to internationalize their mobile payment technology. And then the iPhone came along. And then Square came along.
If you are saying that Japan is still very much a cash based society, what percentage of transactions are done in cash and what percentage are done via mobile phones, judging from your personal day-to-day experience?
If you are saying that Japan is still very much a cash based society, what percentage of transactions are done in cash and what percentage are done via mobile phones, judging from your personal day-to-day experience?
Japan is very cash-based. I've never seen Square or the domestic one (Coiny, I think?) in the wild.
Many stores still do not take credit cards.
A lot of convenience stores will take credit cards, most will take Suica cards (mass transit cards pre-loaded with money). Some vending machines will take Suica cards.
Mobile phone payment is kind of a hassle and requires a credit card as well as a phone that supports it (osaifu keitai). Not all phones do.
Cash is still the preferred method of payment online too -- three of the four options are basically cash: bank transfer (done with cash at an ATM or online if you use a bank that supports it), COD, and payment at a convenience store.
Many stores still do not take credit cards.
A lot of convenience stores will take credit cards, most will take Suica cards (mass transit cards pre-loaded with money). Some vending machines will take Suica cards.
Mobile phone payment is kind of a hassle and requires a credit card as well as a phone that supports it (osaifu keitai). Not all phones do.
Cash is still the preferred method of payment online too -- three of the four options are basically cash: bank transfer (done with cash at an ATM or online if you use a bank that supports it), COD, and payment at a convenience store.
Yes spot on - many restaurants, especially the smaller places do not take credit cards. Even a large chain of Convenience Stores (FamilyMart) do not accept credit cards for payment.
(Way off topic) Japan can be quite strange with banking and ATMs as well. Unlike, for example, the UK, your ATM cards usually will only work on the ATMs of your bank or perhaps in some convenience stores.
For example, my Citibank card only works at Citibank ATMs, and 711 convenience stores, but won't work at a MUFG ATM. You also get charged for withdrawing money outside of "office hours" at an ATM, and some ATMs stop working after 2100.
It was a little bit of a shock moving from London where I walked around with 10 pounds in my pocket to Tokyo where withdrawing and walking around with 500 dollars worth of yen seems pretty normal.
(Way off topic) Japan can be quite strange with banking and ATMs as well. Unlike, for example, the UK, your ATM cards usually will only work on the ATMs of your bank or perhaps in some convenience stores.
For example, my Citibank card only works at Citibank ATMs, and 711 convenience stores, but won't work at a MUFG ATM. You also get charged for withdrawing money outside of "office hours" at an ATM, and some ATMs stop working after 2100.
It was a little bit of a shock moving from London where I walked around with 10 pounds in my pocket to Tokyo where withdrawing and walking around with 500 dollars worth of yen seems pretty normal.
Cash-on-delivery already solves most of what you are trying to say. Flipkart and many other sites are already very successful implementing this model.
These days anybody who can order things through internet, actually orders things through the internet.
Just wondering if you are an Indian or if you are staying India?
These days anybody who can order things through internet, actually orders things through the internet.
Just wondering if you are an Indian or if you are staying India?
I've been thinking about this a lot, but I wonder if the ususal affiliate fees would be enough to pay for rent, staff and demo objects. I rather doubt it, and maybe online shops can't pay much more without raising prices.
This is already happening. Some ecomm sites have tied up with a coffee chain here in India and doing NFC&QR code based item image display and allowing people to order them with their mobiles.
This is very similar to the way the old JCPenney catalog worked in the U.S..
I would go for it.
I would go for it.
There is something called Gharpay.in
It looks promising.
It looks promising.
Wow this has taken like forever. But congrats!
They plan to manage delivery too: http://www.nextbigwhat.com/amazon-india-courier-service-297/
I hope they could enable the Kindle store soon for amazon.in
As a Canadian, let me just let you know you're going to have to wait a few years for it to stop sucking. Amazon Canada was a joke for most of its existence, and had only gotten close to the American offerings in breadth and pricing in the last year or two.
I wish I was as optimistic as you: I still find the Canadian store to be pretty pathetic.
Interesting that the IP address resolves to their datacenter in Ireland. I would have assumed either Singapore or Tokyo. Is there any reason that a continental connection is preferable to an.. aquatic one?
Bandwidth is very expensive in both Singapore and Tokyo.
In e-commerce, doesn't latency == $$? Is the bandwidth premium really that much higher? Or is the performance difference between the geographies negligible?
This is true for places that have good conditions and internet. You have to remember, power outages are a daily occurrences in even built up places such as Bangalore, and internet connectivity isn't crash hot anyway. Latency of the website won't have as much of an impact in these conditions (IMO, anyway)
It's the beginning so I wouldn't say "the inventory disappoints me" outright. But it does. It's not a garage startup's inventory for haven's sake.
Two friends have started a sort of startup for books and movies and their inventory is comparable, though with a shitty interface for which I have shamed them many times.
Two friends have started a sort of startup for books and movies and their inventory is comparable, though with a shitty interface for which I have shamed them many times.
Wasn't FDI in retail for online sales banned in India? When did that change? (If it ever was the case).
Its good to see that amazon has price similar to similar competing website, which is mostly $2-$5, rather than US standard price $10-$14. Compare the price of bestselling books in flipkart and amazon.in from http://www.flipkart.com/view-books/l327/ and http://www.amazon.in/gp/bestsellers/books/
First point one sees on the page is so India „Genuine Products“ :)
I'm visiting India currently from the States and the biggest hurdle to launching delivery sort of services here must have been effecively locating homes.
Addresses that most "western" countries consider expected (ex. 1 Apple Loop, City, State Zip) don't exist here. Companies literally print on ads "On ____ Road, near ____ Terminal behind ______ City, State".
If Amazon somehow figured this out for India delivery - they'll do great.
Lastly, a 30 day return policy (or any return policy) is unheard of here. Electronics, clothes, anything I bought here strictly said no returns no matter what (even if defective).
Addresses that most "western" countries consider expected (ex. 1 Apple Loop, City, State Zip) don't exist here. Companies literally print on ads "On ____ Road, near ____ Terminal behind ______ City, State".
If Amazon somehow figured this out for India delivery - they'll do great.
Lastly, a 30 day return policy (or any return policy) is unheard of here. Electronics, clothes, anything I bought here strictly said no returns no matter what (even if defective).
I don't know how the address is a issue. Care to explain?
30 day return policy? Check out flipkart.com, amongst others.
30 day return policy? Check out flipkart.com, amongst others.
Threat to Flipkart? I think yes, let flipkart create a good market for you and now come and rule. Smart Idea!
The founders of Flipkart (Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal) used to work for Amazon. So, I think there's no doubt of where they got the business model for Flipkart from.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipkart
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipkart
WTF, only books and movies on the first day, Who wants to buy these.
Possibly dumb question, what is the difference between amazon.in and junglee.com ?