Myntra’s app-only move backfires, to relaunch desktop site

Online fashion retailer Myntra is all set to relaunch its desktop site from June 1, following the unfavourable response to its recent decision to go app-only.

Almost 15-20 percent of its sales in the current financial year is expected to come from its desktop site, the company said highlighting the fact that there is still demand for this medium.

“We found that while a majority of the growth is driven by mobile, the volume of users on desktop hasn’t decreased,” Myntra chief executive Ananth Narayanan said.

“We’ve launched a number of new categories such as home furnishing and (fine) jewellery where customers want to see the products on a larger screen. Finally, according to our data, women customers, who are a key area of focus for us, in particular, want to have the option of shopping across channels,” added Narayanan.

Myntra, part of India’s largest e-commerce firm Flipkart, shut its mobile website in March 2015 and stopped its desktop website in May 2015 to focus solely on mobile app-commerce as majority of online transactions are expected to be conducted through smartphone apps by 2020.

However, after its only app-only move, it became apparent that shoppers did not want to be restricted to apps only and wanted the choice to buy across multiple platforms.

Myntra restarted its mobile website in February.

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