Hoping to give competition to apps such as Meesho and Shopify, Flipkart on Thursday, July 1 launched Shopsy, a digital platform that it said is focused on boosting local entrepreneurship and comes at a time when there is an opportunity for innovative e-commerce models. Flipkart said it will help people start their own online business with no upfront investment. Its goal, it said, is to enable over 25 million online entrepreneurs by 2023. The platform will offer 15 crore products across fashion, beauty, mobiles, home and more.
With Shopsy, Flipkart said Indians can start their online businesses without any investment. “Users of Shopsy will be able to share catalogues of a wide selection of 15 crore products offered by Flipkart sellers, ranging across Fashion, Beauty, Mobiles, Electronics and Home, among others with potential customers via popular social media and messaging apps,” Flipkart said in a statement.
To sign up, Flipkart said they can register on the app using their phone number and that businesses can now be set up as long as people have access to a network of people that trust them, “without the hassle of investment, inventory or logistics management”.
Entrepreneurs can share their catalogues with potential customers online, place orders as well as earn commissions. The commission percentage will vary depending on the category of products being ordered.
“Over the last many years, Flipkart has been committed to contributing towards creating direct and indirect employment opportunities across the country. Shopsy is launched to further that vision and provide additional earning opportunities for millions of enterprising Indians. Now, anyone from anywhere can start their online business with zero investment,” said Prakash Sikaria, Senior Vice President - Growth and Monetization, Flipkart.
“Entrepreneurs now will utilise Flipkart's catalog, established delivery networks, and infrastructure to bring reliability and speed. These benefits will help them enhance the end consumers' experience, which in turn help them grow their business,” he added
Flipkart added that Shopsy’s objective is to power e-commerce for communities and third-party channels where these users spend time and already trust.