Shopify Introduces Commerce Components (CCS), the Modern, Composable Stack for Enterprise Retail

Shopify Enters its Next Era of Growth: Redefining Enterprise Retail.

Introducing Commerce Components by Shopify

• Commerce Components by Shopify is the modern, composable stack for enterprise retail where retailers can take components of Shopify to integrate with their own systems
• For the first time, we’re giving the world’s largest retailers access to Shopify’s component infrastructure that has powered over a half trillion dollars in global commerce, offering flexibility at scale
• Mattel will bring its entire portfolio of brands to Shopify using Commerce Components

Shopify is built on components that form the world's most powerful retail platform. We've spent nearly two decades building, optimizing, and scaling that infrastructure, which today powers over 10% of US ecommerce and has processed over half a trillion dollars—all while giving millions of businesses full control of their brand identity, customer relationships, and data. Now, we’re opening that infrastructure to power the biggest retailers in the world with Commerce Components by Shopify (CCS), the modern, composable stack for enterprise retail.

For enterprise retailers today, challenges like the rapid pace of tech evolution and shifting customer expectations mean they must achieve real-time innovation just to remain competitive. To do that, they need a commerce solution that prioritizes choice, with the flexibility to integrate and innovate without restrictions, while offering trusted infrastructure components that help their teams move faster. These elements together are non-negotiable, and have never existed in one offering for enterprise—until now.

Commerce Components by Shopify combines the best of both worlds for enterprise retailers: access to Shopify’s foundational, high-performing components that just work—like our checkout, which converts 72% better than a typical checkout, and 91% better on mobile—plus flexible APIs to build dynamic customer experiences that integrate seamlessly with a retailer’s preferred back office services.

“We’ve always approached innovation at Shopify by anticipating what retailers need, then providing those solutions,” said Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify. “Commerce Components by Shopify opens our infrastructure so enterprise retailers don’t have to waste time, engineering power, and money building critical foundations Shopify has already perfected, and instead frees them up to customize, differentiate, and scale.”

Iconic American brand Mattel will be one of the first enterprise retailers to use Commerce Components, bringing their entire portfolio of brands to Shopify.

“Innovation is at the heart of Mattel,” said Sven Gerjets, CTO of Mattel. “We first worked with Shopify on a project called Mattel Creations, a platform for creators to reimagine the most iconic toys in the world. Creations empowered Mattel to move quickly, meet our customers where they are, and most importantly leverage Shopify’s infrastructure to scale globally. It was hugely successful, and we’re excited to transform our brand offerings using Commerce Components.”

Featuring an all-new back-office management designed specifically for enterprise, Commerce Components by Shopify gives retailers the speed and flexibility needed to build for the future.

Build with choice

Flexible APIs, now with no rate limits, allow brands to integrate their existing services with Shopify’s modular components and build unparalleled customer experiences for any device. Enterprise retailers can take the components they need, and leave what they don’t, and developers are free to build with any front-end framework they choose.

Tap into unmatched global scale

Trusted commerce foundations, like the world’s best-converting checkout, with 99.99% uptime, processing up to 40,000 checkouts per minute per store, and unlocking over 100 million existing Shop Pay customers, who have opted in for Shopify’s one-click checkout.

Shopify’s globally scaled infrastructure with over 275 network edge points of presence enables lightning-fast storefronts no matter where customers are in the world.

Partner with a world-class ecosystem

The largest commerce ecosystem in the world, including a dedicated account team with solutions architects, priority 24/7/365 specialized support, and a network of seasoned agency partners and system integrators like Deloitte, EY, and KPMG.

View a full list of the components in Commerce Components by Shopify here.

“We know that retailers have a myriad of opportunities in the digital and data age, whether it’s the shifting digital advertising landscape or showing up for their customers in a differentiated way during a looming recession,” said Sam Roddick, Global Deloitte Digital Leader. “In challenging times, we have seen best-in-class alliances between our clients and their platform partners unlock these opportunities. That’s why we’re thrilled to work with Shopify to bring Commerce Components by Shopify to enterprise retailers globally. Shopify is an industry leader in commerce, and we believe Commerce Components will be the advantage in helping propel the world’s largest retailers into the next era of commerce.”

Existing enterprise retailers on Shopify include Glossier, JB Hi-Fi, Coty, Steve Madden, Spanx, and Staples. Commerce Components by Shopify pricing is designed for enterprise. It's simple to understand, based on usage, and provides predictability. Learn more about Commerce Components by Shopify here.

About Shopify

Shopify is a leading provider of essential internet infrastructure for commerce, offering trusted tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business of any size. Shopify makes commerce better for everyone with a platform and services that are engineered for reliability, while delivering a better shopping experience for consumers everywhere. Proudly founded in Ottawa, Shopify powers millions of businesses in more than 175 countries and is trusted by brands such as Allbirds, Gymshark, Heinz, Tupperware, Netflix, Fablestreet, Go Colors, Yoga Bars, Duroflex, Le15, Sugar Cosmetics, Boat Lifestyle, LensKart, Vaadham Teas, and many more. For more information, visit shopify.in

Pepperfry Launches Its New Studio in Bangalore

STRENGTHENS ITS OMNICHANNEL PRESENCE IN SOUTHERN INDIA

Pepperfry, the leading ecommerce furniture and home goods company, announced the launch of its New Studio in Bangalore, Karnataka. The offline expansion is in line with the company’s aim to penetrate into niche markets and strengthen its omnichannel consumer engagement in home and living space in India. Pepperfry’s studio footprint currently spans across 90+ cities with 180+ studios in the country.

Pepperfry Studios have transformed the furniture retail landscape in India. The company’s omnichannel strategy is driven by expansion of FOFO studios across the country and it currently works with 90 plus unique partners. The new studio launched in partnership with Vishnuz Enterprise, is situated at a prime location at S.G. Arcade, RR Nagar, in Bangalore, spanning across a carpet area of 1705sq. ft. It offers customers a first-hand experience of an infinite catalogue of furniture and home products. Customers will get specialized design advice from the company’s interior design consultants. The studio at Bangalore aims at providing a personalized shopping experience tailored to the unique needs of home and living customers in Karnataka.

Speaking of the launch Amruta Gupta, Business Head - Franchising and Alliances, Pepperfry said, “We are delighted to launch our new Studio in Bangalore in partnership with Vishnuz Enterprise. Owning a Pepperfry franchise is an entrepreneurial success, and we aim to reach consumers beyond the larger catchment areas of metropolitan and tier 1 cities. Our franchise partners include a mix of successful businesses, women entrepreneurs, ex-army officials and first-time entrepreneurs. Today a large part of our Pepperfry customer interactions leverage AR and virtual product interactions. With our mission to spark a feeling called home across the world, we endeavor to consistently deliver great customer service.”

Jayakanth.B & Pallavi Jayakanth (Owner of Franchise Studio), said, “We are extremely happy to partner with Pepperfry, India’s leading home and furniture marketplace. Pepperfry has pioneered a truly differentiated omnichannel business and we are proud to be a part of their journey in creating the largest omnichannel home and furniture business.”

Launched in 2017, Pepperfry franchise business model offers order fulfillment and after sales service by Pepperfry, support on studio design, launch & set up, operational guidance, marketing, and promotions. Pepperfry partners with local entrepreneurs who are aware of the hyperlocal demand cycles and trends. Pepperfry launches about 8-9 franchisees every month.

Pepperfry Accelerator Program was crafted in the year 2021 to expand Pepperfry’s offline footprint. The big differentiator of this program is the Capex required by franchise partners which starts with INR 15 lakhs. This model is based on 100% price parity and does not require the partner to hold product inventory, making it a mutually beneficial business association.

Pepperfry is India’s leading ecommerce furniture and home goods company offering customers a diverse selection of over 120,000 SKUs in over 500+ cities with a consistently great shopping experience. The Pepperfry managed marketplace helps thousands of entrepreneurs and merchants sell to millions of discerning customers across India.

How ecommerce forex platforms are providing better deals to travelers over conventional ways of doing currency exchange

With countries around the globe opening doors to vaccinated travelers, foreign travel bookings are witnessing a massive surge in India. The rise in globetrotting among Indians has led to a considerable increase in forex transactions as well. Be it a leisure vacation or an office trip, having sufficient money at hand is crucial for ensuring a convenient travel experience.

Money related hassles that spring up in the midst of foreign trips can spoil travel enjoyment faster than you expect. This is why you must estimate possible expenses and set up a realistic budget prior to exchanging currency for your next trip.

Back in the day, people were mostly dependent on money changers and banks for currency exchange services. Thanks to the emergence of web-based forex platforms, travelers now have much better deals at their disposal. Now, this blog will underscore the 6 unignorable benefits of doing your currency exchange online.

1. Better exchange rates than airport counters and banks

When it comes to spending on international travel, Indian tourists have a reputation of being hardcore spendthrifts. Since you are going to be spending a lot, you must aim to get the maximum value for your hard-earned money while exchanging currency. If you are keen to enjoy the best rates in the market, look no further than web-based currency exchange marketplaces. Online currency exchange portals don't rip you off unlike airport counters that normally charge 10-12% of the total exchange amount.

They do a detailed comparison of quotes across illustrious banks and money changers to present the most lucrative exchange deals to you. Above all, top-tier forex platforms guarantee around 13% savings over airport foreign exchange counters. Likewise, you can enjoy between 2.5% to 6.5% savings over leading banks.

2. Freeze your preferred rates instantly

It happens often that travelers are unsatisfied with the prevailing exchange rates in the forex market. With no better options available, they are compelled to exchange currency at poor rates. However, the case is entirely different with online currency exchange processes. Renowned forex platforms make it possible for travelers to freeze their preferred rate for up to 3 working days.

However, repeatedly visiting forex platforms for checking live rates can prove to be hassle-some and annoying. But there is no need to worry as you can always sign up for rate alert notifications to get updated whenever the best rate goes live. Based on what suits your requirements, you can opt for either SMS or email notifications.

3. Paperless money exchange process

Travelers who are in a rush can face a lot of difficulties with the paperwork that follows the currency exchange process. This is especially the case when you exchange currency from banks and local money changers. What's notable is that online currency exchange platforms boast a fully paperless exchange process. You can easily upload the necessary paperwork and sign documents online.

Alternatively, you can get your documents picked up from home. Above all, you need not be concerned about your financial details getting disclosed. All the essential documents you share will be watermarked to prevent piracy and fraudulent use.

4. Doorstep delivery of currency notes

Leaving your couch and driving off to far-off physical branches just to collect forex may result in inconvenience. But the good news is that you can evade the hassle of visiting local branches simply by opting for doorstep delivery of currency notes. Leading forex platforms give customers the option to get their forex orders delivered to their home free of cost.

The doorstep delivery service is offered in more than 185 cities across the country. All you have to do is to select the "doorstep delivery option" while placing your forex order online and you will be good to go. Just see to it you enter the correct address to avoid delivery delays and get your order as fast as possible. Once the order is successfully placed, the delivery will be scheduled taking into consideration your availability at home.

While the traffic status around your location will determine how fast you get your order, the average delivery time is 4 hours. The nicest thing is that you can track your order's location in real time right after it is dispatched until the delivery is complete.

5. Unmatched support services

Customers who have no prior experience in availing currency exchange online might face issues at the time of order placement. However, you can drop all your forex-related concerns as online platforms offer unmatched support services. Although the support executives are deluged with countless queries 24*7, they still ensure that customers get a workable solution to their problem at the earliest.

In addition to clarifying your doubts and queries, the support agents are equipped with the knowledge to give you details regarding exchange deals that can work wonders for boosting your savings. So, feel free to inquire about ongoing forex deals to get the best bang for your buck.

6. Incredibly safe transactions

In a world rife with rampant fraud, foreign exchange platforms have emerged as the most reliable and safest route for exchanging currency online. However, there is an age-old narrative that offline currency exchange methods are a lot safer than web-based forex transactions.

This is nothing but a mere misconception that prevents people from reaping the resource-saving benefits of online currency exchange solutions. Travelers who resort to dealing with shady money changers for currency exchange are more prone to becoming victims of fraud. Top-notch forex platforms leverage robust encryption measures to ward off fraudsters and ensure security of electronic transactions in the best possible way.

The implementation of solid security practices helps keep your financial details from falling into the wrong hands. All the digital transactions that take place on web-based forex marketplaces are safeguarded against all types of financial frauds. This implies that you can rest assured while exchanging currency online.

Takeaway

Given the growing inclination towards international travel, a report has revealed that the number of Indians flying abroad will increase threefold by 2025. This implies that a large percentage of forex spend will account for international travel in the coming time. Thanks to technology advances, you can now exchange currency from the comfort of your home.

Travelers looking to maximize savings must consider getting currency exchange a few weeks before their trip. Thankfully, a laptop and stable network connectivity is all you need to exchange currency online. So, see to it you avail currency exchange solutions from a secure and trusted platform like BookMyForex to infuse convenience into your travel experience.

Best E-Commerce Platforms for Small Businesses in India

There are many reasons which have caused the evolution of e-commerce platforms. Buying decisions and buying patterns were hugely impacted by excessive usage of social media by people. Thus, consumers pushed businesses to come online and maintain a strong online presence. If businesses do not have an online presence, their products will be taken with a pinch of salt. This gave rise to e-commerce platforms slowly.

There are many e-commerce platforms in India that are ideal for small businesses. Small businesses can use them and propagate their objectives and mission on the website.

1. WooCommerce

This is an e-commerce plugin that allows clients to build an ecommerce website by using WordPress website. This is a perfect e-commerce free plugin for small as well as large-sized platforms. This plugin was launched in 2011. Since then, the plugin has become popular for its simple and unique features. It saved a lot of money for businesses by allowing them to install and create an ecommerce platform for free.

2. OpenCart

This is a PHP-based online solution that offers a good opportunity to create a less-demanding e-commerce website. OpenCart offers various lucrative features such as a sorted order processing method, organized and efficient inventory functionality as well as other important features of an e-commerce platform.

There are free as well as paid extensions and modules to select. You can pick up a solution that suits your interest in the best way. One of the greatest advantages is that it is a user-friendly website, which makes it easy to use the website.

3. Shopify

This Shopify is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms that are renowned widely for its convenient set-up, quick load-speed, and safe payment options. This is an online Company that allows anybody to establish their shop and sell products online. It offers instant solutions to the users who create their website in a matter of a few minutes.

If you choose to create your shop at Shopify, you will find it extremely easy to add items, customization of designs, setup of the domain name, payment settings, and shopping. All of these functions can be performed in a flash on the Shopify. This makes it one of the best e-commerce platforms in India.

4. Magento

This is a free-edition platform for small businesses, which can be utilized by online businesses without any costs. No doubt, Magento is the leader of e-commerce platforms that offers the most lucrative and beneficial ecommerce platform offers than all others. If you choose to establish your online shop using the open-source framework of Magento, you will surely love the web portal feel of your website. Magento also hands you control of the content and functionality of your website. This is a versatile online store that performs flexibly and highly.

The main aim of Magento is to allow thousands of businesses to grow and develop with the help of flexible cloud solutions. Vendors, who create shops online, get themselves reviews by other top websites. Reviews increase the trust of consumers in the products. RevExpo is also one such website that offers high-quality, authentic, and tested reviews of products.

5. ZenCart

This has been made specifically for online vendors who would like to establish their shop online. This is an open-source online e-Commerce platform that has over 1 Lakh+ stores. Vendors, belonging to different parts of the world, had built these shops.

The main reasons behind the grand success of ZenCart are its user-friendly interface, easy-to-understand features, and hundreds of built-in add-ons. Users can download and modify these add-ons as per their requirements.

On the ZenCart, vendors also get to analyze and track the performance of their products. It gives them proper insight into performance reports of their products. So, vendors improve likewise and attain inevitable success on the platform.

6. 3dCart

3dCart is one of the oldest companies that offer SaaS products for their ecommerce merchants. 3dCart has continuously upgraded themselves by improving, optimizing, and upgrading their features now and then. Customers, who do not have high budgets, can use versatile and innovative solutions offered by the website. Due to its flexible and affordable plan, this is the best e-commerce platform for India.

3dCart consists of everything that is required by an entrepreneur. With hundreds of mobile-friendly themes, users can publish a website that fits their requirements well. 3DCart offers convenient, safe, and secure payment options.

7. BigCommerce

BigCommerce holds great significance in the eCommerce platform market. BigCommerce Next (BCN) has increased its overall value in the market of the eCommerce development platform. It can speed up the performance of your business without any costs. Blogging structure is the special BigCommerce feature that simplifies the advertisement tasks for users. You can utilize the power of BigCommerce to create and promote your online shop.

Conclusion

In addition, these are some of the highly admirable -  e-commerce platforms for small businesses in India.

One more platform that deserves an honorable mention is Zyro, a drag-and-drop website builder tool that is suitable for beginners which allows you to easily make a website from scratch without any prior coding or design skills and experience. In addition, these are some of the highly admirable - e-commerce platforms for small businesses in India.

Hyderabad's Mall Introduces Video Shopping and Curb Side Pick-Ups to Enable Hassle Free Shopping for Consumers

Inorbit mall Cyberabad today introduced unique and innovative services including a Video calling facility and a Curb-side pick-up service, that will further ensure consumer safety. The mall that opened its doors earlier this month has started a Video calling facility where in consumers can make selection through a video call and Curb side pick-up that will enable consumers to make selection and payment online and simply drive through to the mall at the designated time to collect their shopping bags. To enable consumers to have a hassle-free shopping experience the mall has also started new shopping norms at Inorbit that include home delivery, personal shopping, catalogue sharing on WhatsApp – all aiming to make shopping convenient and fun.

With the introduction of video call facility, shoppers can browse and select, from the comfort of their home, make the payment online and their orders will be delivered home at no additional cost. Curb side pick-up on the other hand allows a consumer to collect this order from the ‘curb’ after completing the transaction online. The order gets delivered to the consumer in his car without any hassle. The Curb side pick-up has made shopping convenient for shoppers as they do not have to deal with long delivery time frames. Consumers feel safe as they do not need to enter the mall premises.

Brand Inorbit understands the safety concerns that patrons might have in the wake of current pandemic. Besides ensuring temperature checks, social distancing norms within the premises, minimum touch, no touch sanitizing stations at a regular distance, additional shopping services are sure to entice consumers who have missed out on shopping for four months now.

Inorbit’s digital campaign #FirstTimeInALongTime also encourages consumers to step out or stay home to shop. With the ongoing end of season sale that offers 40 to 50 % flat sale on more than 100 brands and opening of new stores like Arrow, Charles and Keith and William Penn, consumers are going to love the shopping experience.

Speaking about the new services, Naviin Ibhrampurkar, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, Inorbit Malls said, “Last few months have been tough for most of us. We have missed out on fun, frolic, shopping, and entertainment. Inorbit will ensure that consumers get to experience the best brands with new services like Video call and Curb Pick up.”

 Inorbit Mall has attuned all its retailer to offer personalized services to the customer.  ALDO, Bath & Body Works, Charles & Keith, Superdry, AND, Puma, Health & Glow, Caratlane, W, Skechers, UCB, Mothercare, Lifestyle Shoppers stop, Pepe, Jeans, Rare Rabbit, US Polo, The body Shop, Bluestone, Hamleys, ALDO Accessories, CK Jeans, Forever New, Wildcraft, Blackberry’s, Inc.5, Rocia, and Steve Madden are few of the brands that are  enabling easy shopping by sharing the catalogues through WhatsApp, video calling and even offering home delivery so that consumers get to shop from the comfort of their homes.

 Inorbit Mall Cyberabad is operating from 12 Noon to 9 PM all seven days. So, get-set-shop.

India's Exclusive Ecommerce Aggregator Marketplace

UEPAKI, a product of Meetish Infotech Pvt Ltd is a one of a kind exclusive e-commerce marketplace that serves as the aggregator of professional sellers and customers. The seller oriented platform has been exclusively designed by keeping in mind the need for talented designers and other professionals across the country.

Solely introduced to offer a platform for the freelancers and talented young minds to showcase their products and services while attaining a global reach, UEPAKI welcomes talented professionals and creators on board to offer their products and services and reach potential customers and businesses worldwide.

A brainchild of founder Mr. Sahil Mittal, the platform facilitates an exclusive opportunity to exhibit and promote the sale of personal creations such as clothing, décor and lifestyle products, offered by fashion designers and interior décor artists respectively in addition to services rendered by photographers, makeup artists, graphic designers, and content writers.

Dedicating the priority to these dexterous professionals, UEPAKI aims to manage and oversee the communication between the professionals and customers. Later, joined by his co-founder, Miss Charu Jain, has single-handedly designed the website through her ardent knowledge on design and art.

This integrated platform follows a no paid promotion policy where the professionals can earn and attain popularity based upon their hard work. Promoting a zero sponsorship policy, UEPAKI seeks to ensure that every seller acquires the opportunity to reach out to the target audience.

The manifestation of a single platform offering worldwide recognition along with a golden dual-earning prerequisite, UEPAKI is here to shatter all clichés. The online aggregator proliferates opportunity to individuals on board to collaborate with one another and materialize business. Furthermore, clasping a realm to undergraduates for building their one of a kind live portfolio, UEPAKI serves as the go-to hub for the young bright minds.

20 E-commerce Predictions for 2020: Club Factory

The New Year will see not only the maturing of online shopping but also the addition of millions of new shoppers as companies try improve online shopping experiences in various ways. The coming New Year will mark nearly a quarter-century of the internet and the many disruptions it has brought about. The phase of disruption will continue to accelerate with new ideas and innovations. Here is a list of things you can expect to be introduced or get bigger in e-commerce in 2020:

[caption id="attachment_140609" align="alignleft" width="273"] 20 E-commerce Predictions for 2020[/caption]

More Mobile: Increased affordability and better user experience will mean more and more people will shop via their smartphones

Reduction in Cash on Delivery:With massive innovations in payment options users will see it more convenient to pay digitally reducing cash on delivery

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Edge: Increased AI usage in e-commerce will mean improved logistics speedier deliveries and the improved buyer experience

C2M: Digitalization will allow platforms to source directly from factory connecting consumers to manufacturing and helping consumers to avail the best possible price in addition to getting a better product customization

New E-shoppers: Increased internet penetration will expand the e-commerce market as users become more familiar about conveniences and benefits of online

Tier 2 3 Expansion: E-commerce is creating a level-playing field for users in smaller towns and cities. As more and more users are getting online in these centres they will be the key to the growth of E-commerce in the future

Subscription Services: More and more users will sign up for subscription services to regulate delivery and save more

Real-time Conversations: Chatbots will get better and step in to ensure chats are not abandoned midway

Voice Shopping: Voice interfaces and assistants will add to the experience of ordering products

Video Shopping: Shoppers are armed with better devices and want enhanced experiences. Videos will fill the void

Re-commerce: As the message of recycling amps up this category will become big - catering to users like students budget families and more

Expansion within Categories: 2020 will see an extension of many more categories as users become more comfortable expanding their shopping carts with newer products. Non-electronics products will also experience a boom as more users have started buying all essential and non-essential products online where they are assisted by a smart recommendation system to help match their demands

Product Customisation: Companies will offer choices tailored to your budget needs and fit

Tech-driven Shopping Experiences: There will be increased experimentation with virtual mirrors -a combination of RFID technology and augmented reality

Enhanced Content in Local Languages: More and more people will shop in their local languages as e-shopping gets new buyers on board

Zero Commission marketplace platform: As more and more marketplace models are being adopted and launched by start-ups in India we might see more of zero commission platforms in the future where e-commerce players will make it free to sell on their platform. Currently Club Factory is the only commission-free E-commerce platform in India

Novel Marketing Strategies: E-commerce companies will customize their marketing plans based on differences between urban and rural buyers shoppers in big cities and small towns and varied cultural ethos

Influencer Shopping: Celebrities local and micro-influencers will play a greater role in making shopping decisions

Shared Commerce: 2020 will see an increase in shared e-commerce as people take up products on rent

Drone Delivery: This one has been long in the waiting. 2020 may see drones being used for last-mile delivery in some cases

Let gear up for a new and bigger e-shopping experience in 2020.

~ Newsvoir

Zoho Launches 'Zoho Commerce' to Help Small Retailers Setup their own E-Commerce Sites

Zoho Corp has announced the launch of Zoho Commerce, an e-commerce solution which will help small retailers set up their own e-commerce sites. The company had been running a beta version of the e-commerce solution for the past year with 3,500 retailers globally, of which about 10% were in India.

The complete e-solution, that comes in monthly/yearly package with minimum of just ₹1,000/month, offers all essential e-commerce features including shopping cart, Shipping Integration, Products Search, Coupons and Page Builder, among others.

According to Hyther Nizam, vp-product management, Zoho Corp, "People want to move away from marketplaces and have more control over their online sales and improve their margins,” he said. The product would be integrated with existing Zoho backend solutions like Zoho Books (accounting software) and Campaigns, an email campaign software.

Zoho Commerce supports both online and offline payments and the complete solution works on the cloud.

There are over 480 million internet users in India, and this number will grow to over 600 million by 2021. The total size of e-commerce market is around $22 billion—nearly 4.5% of the total retail—in India, and it is expected to grow to $50 billion by 2023.

Zoho Commerce is powered by Zoho's AI assistant Zia and is GST compliant. Nizam said that unlike existing companies that offered the same service where the retail pays on a per transaction basis, they would charge a flat monthly fee on a monthly gross merchandise value (GMV) of upto Rs 25 lakhs. “We want to disrupt the marketplace and will take a bottom up approach, starting with small and medium retailers,” said Nizam. The company would also educate the merchants in how to increase traffic to their website, run email campaigns and on social media marketing.

Zoho currently has over 40 products across different business categories, including sales and marketing, customer support and accounting.

Source - Economic Times

Japan's E-Commerce Giant Opens R&D Centre in India for Research in Deep Learning, Computer Vision

Tokyo, Japan-based e-commerce and internet giant Rakuten, Inc., has opened its India research and development (R&D) institute here to focus on deep learning, computer vision and robotics for warehouse logistics applications.

At its operations centre in Bengaluru, the company has opened Rakuten Institute of Technology (RIT) as its research centre in India that will combine creativity and innovation with emerging technologies to fuel the growth of e-commerce. The centre is Rakuten's sixth R&D centre across the globe as its five other research centres are in Tokyo, Paris, Singapore, Boston and San Mateo in the US.

AT RIT Bangalore, the applied research on deep learning will be to detect and predict financial fraud, developing applications in computer vision for e-commerce and medical imagining and advancement of automation to improve efficiency in warehouse robotics and logistics.

The Bangalore R&D facility will also be a hub for collaboration with Indian universities to provide researchers opportunities to study internet technologies and develop services for the Rakuten group companies the world over.

The company has appointed Sunil Gopinath as the Institute's first Chief Executive. Gopinath was earlier working at Flipkart and eBay.

"India has a large technical talent and its researchers have an understanding of combining academic research with business domain applications to deliver pioneering business solutions," said Gopinath.

The RIT also partners with Hidehiko Masuhara of the Tokyo Institute of Technology and Ruby computer programming language creator Yukihiro Masumoto serves as a fellow.

The RIT's first centre was set up in Japan in 2006 to keep pace with the evolution of the cyber world and the rapid growth of internet services globally.

Masaya Mori, who is global head at RIT, said, "India has a vibrant computer science research community in Bengaluru and we look forward to collaborate with academic researchers to discover and develop new technology applications."

Rakuten is looking to move the centre of gravity of its technology operations to India and seeking to grab a share of Indian e-commerce industry that has been growing at an average annual rate of 34% since 2009.

Notably, Flipkart's parenr Walmart on other hand has had also partnered with Rakuten, earlier this year. As part of the deal, Walmart will start selling Aura-branded e-readers made by Kobo, a division of Rakuten, in stores and online at Walmart.com. Kobo is one of the Amazon Kindle's competitors.

Source - Yahoo Finance

[Top Image - New Straits Times]

5 Tips To Developing Your E-Commerce Business

The rise of the internet has led to the rise of e-commerce which has been thriving over the last couple of years. As an e-commerce owner, your goal is to expand your business and stay competitive in the ever-increasing e-commerce business world.  The e-commerce economy has been estimated to keep growing at an exponential rate. This means that there is so much promise and opportunity which lies in e-commerce and thus the need to get more involved in e-commerce. Here are some of the tips that one needs when looking to develop their e-commerce website. Bing Digital can offer directions as to the best ecommerce websites.

1. Great User Experience

This is one of the most important things that one should keep in mind when it comes to e-commerce. This is because users who will visit your e-commerce website will be looking for a friendly user experience. This means that they can be able to easily navigate the site and find what they are looking for with ease. Navigation on the site should be stress-free and allow your site visitors to move from one page to another or one place to another with relative ease.

2. Use Social Media

Today social media has become an e-commerce force to be reckoned with. This is because the majority of the customer that you e-commerce will need are on social media. The top driver of e-commerce is the social media where it is driving sales. As an e-commerce business owner, one needs to invest in the different social media platforms such as; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even Pinterest as a way to grow and develop your e-commerce business. The focus should be to engage target customer on social media to drive sales and conversion rates.

3. Go mobile

In the last couple of years, the mobile users have increasingly been driving sales. This is because of the rise of smartphones with internet capability has changed the way people access the internet. Today many people are using their mobile phones to access the internet and e-commerce website. This means that your website has to be mobile compatible that users can access it on the go. The e-commerce websites which has found a lot of success are the one which has made their content mobile compatible.

4. Take Feedback

Hearing what the customers have to say about your e-commerce business is an important way of developing your e-commerce. The reason for this is because one needs to listen to the opinion of the customers and analyze their feedbacks and see what needs to be improved and what needs to be maintained.

5. Utilize SEO

To make sure that your e-commerce website is always visible and is always competitive one has to incorporate the search engine optimization. The reason for this is that the e-commerce market is already getting crowded that is why it is important that as an e-commerce owner you have to make your business stand out. The good thing about incorporating SEO into your e-commerce means that you are able to stay competitive in the long run. For SEO Services Santa monica is best place to idealize when it comes to number of proficient firms in this arena.
Top Image - rawpixel

Google, Walmart Launch New E-Commerce Venture

Global tech biggie Google and American multinational retailing corporation Walmart have decided to combine their expertise together and launch a new e-commerce venture that will make the retailer's products available on the internet giant's online shopping mall, Google Express.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the partnership includes enabling voice-ordered purchases from Walmart on Google’s virtual assistant. The partnership also give Walmart an opportunity to challenge rival Amazon.com Inc.’s growing dominance in the global e-commerce space.

The partnership, which is expected to go live in late September, will add hundreds of thousands of WalMart items to Google Express.

In a blog on the new beginning, Marc Lore, president and chief executive of Walmart's US eCommerce division wrote, "Starting in late September, we'll be working with Google to offer hundreds of thousands of items for voice shopping via Google Assistant -- the largest number of items currently offered by a retailer through the platform."

The deal isn't going to hamper the shopping experience of either Google Express consumers or Walmart consumers as a part of the deal, the latter has decided to fulfill purchases made through Google Express.

According to The Wall Street Journal report, shoppers will be able to order products from Walmart from the retailer’s stores by speaking directly to Google’s virtual assistant, which sits right in their smartphones, Google’s voice-controlled speakers and soon other devices as well. WalMart has also decided to shard its consumers’ purchase history with Google so as to enable its loyal users to quickly reorder items, which has come to acquire the status of a primary function of voice-controlled orders for commodity shopping.

Flipkart Goes Global, Its Products Now Available to Nearly 200 Countries

Indian ecommerce biggie Flipkart has decided to venture out of its home country into the big global world of ecommerce. The Bengaluru-based unicorn has decided to make the products on its platform available to shoppers in as many as 200 countries all around the globe through its partnership with global ecommerce biggie eBay.

Earlier this year, Flipkart acquired eBay.in following an investment of $500 million by the global ecommerce platform. And now, it is putting the partnership in motion by launching a global programme that would give the sellers on its platform an opportunity to sell their products globally in collaboration with eBay.

According to eBay India’s new business head Anil Goteti, the 'Flipkart Global' programme is aligned with Modi government's effort in pushing 'Made in India' products. Categories focused on manufacturing in India will be pushed through the global programme. This means, saris, jewellery, handicrafts, accessories among many other categories.

Flipkart has decided to start the programme with its ‘Gold’ category sellers and then eventually expand it to other sellers on its platform.

Goteti believes that the programme would be a great opportunity for eBay. Talking to Economic Times, he said, "We are looking to build on it with our massive seller base, the expertise of eBay India along with Flipkart’s technology and marketplace strength."

Through the programme, Indian sellers on Flipkart will be able to sell their products to over 171 million active customers of eBay globally in over 190 international markets. While the global customers will be shopping through eBay's ecommerce site, the responsibility of fulfilling the orders is on Flipkart's shoulders.

Aside from the Flipkart-Snapdeal merger deal going kaput, Flipkart is having a quite good month so far. Earlier in the month, the company raised a second portion of Series J funding from SoftBank Group. The $2.5B investment by the Japanese telecom and internet giant is a part of its $93 billion Vision Tech Fund, which is considered as world's biggest private equity fund.

In addition to Flipkart, Indian mobile wallet star Paytm is also reportedly considering launching cross-border shipping of Indian brands to China on its platform. On the other hand, Flipkart's close rival Amazon had launched its global seller programme two years ago in 2015, and is a big hit among Indian sellers. According to statistics available, more than 23,000 Indian sellers are using the platform to sell their products globally.

Flipkart Goes Global, Its Products Now Available to Nearly 200 Countries

Indian ecommerce biggie Flipkart has decided to venture out of its home country into the big global world of ecommerce. The Bengaluru-based unicorn has decided to make the products on its platform available to shoppers in as many as 200 countries all around the globe through its partnership with global ecommerce biggie eBay.

Earlier this year, Flipkart acquired eBay.in following an investment of $500 million by the global ecommerce platform. And now, it is putting the partnership in motion by launching a global programme that would give the sellers on its platform an opportunity to sell their products globally in collaboration with eBay.

According to eBay India’s new business head Anil Goteti, the 'Flipkart Global' programme is aligned with Modi government's effort in pushing 'Made in India' products. Categories focused on manufacturing in India will be pushed through the global programme. This means, saris, jewellery, handicrafts, accessories among many other categories.

Flipkart has decided to start the programme with its ‘Gold’ category sellers and then eventually expand it to other sellers on its platform.

Goteti believes that the programme would be a great opportunity for eBay. Talking to Economic Times, he said, "We are looking to build on it with our massive seller base, the expertise of eBay India along with Flipkart’s technology and marketplace strength."

Through the programme, Indian sellers on Flipkart will be able to sell their products to over 171 million active customers of eBay globally in over 190 international markets. While the global customers will be shopping through eBay's ecommerce site, the responsibility of fulfilling the orders is on Flipkart's shoulders.

Aside from the Flipkart-Snapdeal merger deal going kaput, Flipkart is having a quite good month so far. Earlier in the month, the company raised a second portion of Series J funding from SoftBank Group. The $2.5B investment by the Japanese telecom and internet giant is a part of its $93 billion Vision Tech Fund, which is considered as world's biggest private equity fund.

In addition to Flipkart, Indian mobile wallet star Paytm is also reportedly considering launching cross-border shipping of Indian brands to China on its platform. On the other hand, Flipkart's close rival Amazon had launched its global seller programme two years ago in 2015, and is a big hit among Indian sellers. According to statistics available, more than 23,000 Indian sellers are using the platform to sell their products globally.

11 Tips For Success In Fashion E-Commerce

As far as the world of fashion e-commerce is concerned success can often prove to be so elusive. The main reason for such an assertion is the fact that the levels of competition at this stage are really fierce. The bottom lines in these cases are defined by factors such as appearance, mobility, and usability of your website. Statista says that a fourth of the users go away from shopping carts because of the fact that the navigation processes are completed. 21 per cent do so because the process of ordering can take quite long. 15 per cent take such a decision because the website has timed out.

Giving your customers love on a regular basis

Harvard Business Review says that it can take anywhere between 5 and 25 per cent more money in order to get new customers in this sector as opposed to retaining ones that are already there. Your strategy to retain customers should include loyalty programs like discounts for customers who transact frequently on your website. When you do this they are less likely to browse the sites of your competitors. They will know that they would be able to purchase products of high quality at good prices from your store itself.

Offering support for your customers

If your customer service is a poor one then your customers would be highly frustrated. In case they find that returning items on your site is difficult they will likely buy from your competitor the next time around. Wall Street Journal says that around 33.33 per cent of all products bought online is normally returned. If you can, you should have customer service agents working throughout the day and resolve the issues faced by your customer and answer any queries that they may have. If your customer service is great the sales cycle would be shorter and that would be beneficial for your brand.

Giving customers reasons to come back

As far as making customers come back time and again is concerned you need to create ways such email marketing campaigns and execute them properly. These campaigns should provide your customers regular information on any and every new promotion on a regular basis. When you do this your fashion e-commerce store will always be on their minds. It would be even better if you are able to provide the right information to the appropriate customer. This would mean that there are higher chances of sales as well as better returns on investment (ROI).

Using images that amaze

One of the biggest open secrets of a successful e-commerce store is that the website must have exceptional images. You can always use those stock images but you should also know that they do not work anymore. You can always employ a fashion photographer so that he can take top class photos of your inventory. These should ideally be much better than the staple product shots that you get these days – they should tell the story of your brand. You can be sure that when you do this your store will perform so much better than your customers.

Telling stories

A lot of websites in the sector that you operate make do with plain descriptions of their products. Instead of this, you should focus on creating stories that have a vibrancy of their own. These stories should help your customers have a better idea about how they would feel when they own your product. These stories should actually inspire them to take steps in that regard – i.e. buy your product. You should give them a reason as to why wearing one of your dresses would make them special, the cynosure of all eyes at a gathering.

It should be easy to find you



A very important part of your success in the long term is going to be search engine optimization (SEO) done properly. If it is hard to find your website then what chance would you have at success? Would you be able to sell anything like that? It is very important that you work with an SEO expert in order to make sure that the content on each of your pages is optimized properly with respect to the product that you are covering on that page.
You also need to have proper meta tags for the search engine as well.

Establishing the right partnerships

If you wish your online fashion store to be successful it is very important that you go for the right partnerships – ones that are more likely to work than not. You should be building associations with the influencers on various social media channels. It is also important to have similar relations with top fashion bloggers like Fashionbzzer, Akanksharedhu, blahandmore who can be such great ambassadors for your brand. They can really help your e-commerce site reach unprecedented heights. You can always start by getting across to the top reviewers out there.

Keeping things clean

This is something that is almost a given. Your e-commerce site should definitely be clutter free. If you wish your viewers to keep browsing your site this is something that you should definitely do. Hopefully, if they like it they may hit the button that matters the most – the one that reads “buy now”. The user interface of your website should be really impeccable. Overall, the user should have an experience that is really simple and yet interactive to a high extent. You need to know that in this day and age people always have other options.

The need to be mobile



These days at least 85 to 90 per cent of your viewers would be using mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones in order to access your site. The design of your website should be responsive to these devices as well. In fact, the way people are using these devices these days it seems that in a few years people might even stop using desktops for web searches. The reason for this is the fact that most of the people out there search for these things while they are on the move. Your website should be capable of being seen clearly on any device.

Representing a lifestyle

It is very important in the fashion game to stand out from your competitors. This is something that cannot be stressed enough. There is too much competition in any case and this is why you need to find a niche and just focus on it. This can be your surest way to success. It is also important that you spend money in order to show your levels of expertise in that particular domain. You can always focus on something that is special and preserves of a few instead of selling run of the mill products.

Getting your price right

Last, but definitely so far away from being the least, it is important that you get your prices right. You have worked hard so far in order to get new customers but you do not wish to lose them just because your competitor has a lower price to offer. You want them to buy your stuff. You should do substantial research on pricing. You can always use things such as opportunities for a future promo offer or bonuses so that they keep coming back and buying from you.

Fintech Startups Are Making It Easier For E-Commerce Businesses To Sell More

Before we talk about the role of Fintech industry in eCommerce, let’s take a look at some of the important points pertaining to current Indian eCommerce and technological trends:

• 5 million credit cards were recorded active in March 2016.


• Only about 10% of eCommerce buyers like to use plastic money to buy things online.


• Remaining card holders are hesitant in uploading their card details on an online ecommerce portal.


• National Institute of Transforming India (NITI Aayog) CEO Amitabh Kant stated that Cards, POS machines and ATMs may become redundant in India by 2020.

And now, let’s take a couple of scenarios in consideration to understand how these factors may affect the eCommerce industry.

• A wants to buy a particular item from an online store. He wants to buy it on EMI basis, but he doesn’t have a credit card to do so, because majority of online stores provide EMIs only on credit cards.


• B wants to buy an item on EMI, but the amount is lower than the minimum amount his credit card provider bank allows.

In both the scenarios mentioned above, the end result is an abandoned cart, and the e-commerce venture suffers a bounce, or a lower order value.

How does Fintech come into the picture?

Fintech companies such as ZestMoney have offered a way of paying for a purchase through EMIs, without needing a credit or debit card. When partnered with e-commerce websites, this particular payment method is proving useful from the viewpoint of maximum conversions and higher order value.

Real Life Examples:
ZEFO, a refurbished and unboxed product e-commerce platform, collaborated with ZestMoney witnessed a 35% increase in their sales, with twice the transaction size they had earlier, the ticket size grew by 120%.

In another instance, EMI Dukaan, an electronic gadgets eCommerce portal, included the similar payment method and the results were a ten times increase in monthly sales, more than 90% of buyers opting for premium mobile phones instead of budget phones, and their business now expanded to 4 more cities.

Another India based Fintech initiative, Kissht, which literally translates to Installment, also works on the same principle. They also let people buy things from online store that have integrated their payment method on their websites. Kissht also offers a mobile based app where all the collaborated vendors are shown.

So how does it help the marketplace owners, vendors and buyers?

See, it all boils down to the fact that with more sales happening on a portal, one gets to generate better revenue and a big user base. If a customer is able to buy something on EMI without needing a credit/debit card, they will be happy to proceed with the purchase not just once but repeatedly. Reduced bounce rates and lower cart abandonment instances are always good for business.

Fintech startups are not only helping end customers but vendors too in grossing more sales. Using this payment method, vendors are able to sell their products and get the said price without any hassle.

Customers, on the other hand, will be able to purchase things they want, and pay on a monthly basis.

There are many instances in the world when an innovation proved to be beneficial for masses alike. Fintech startups nowadays are focused on how to help eCommerce business generate more revenue and help them expand their business, while making sure they also offer vendors and customers some value. Enabling customers to buy things on installments without needing a card means their needs are met; vendors get to have better sales, while eCommerce marketplaces get to enjoy better revenues on each successful purchase. If this is not a 360 degree winning strategy, what will.

[box]Above is an authored article by Akash Singh who is a Digital Marketing Specialist at FATbit Technologies.[/box]

4 Ways Technology Can Revolutionize E-Commerce Space in India

The impact that tech-savvy customers are having on the e-commerce world these days is not just stronger than ever, it's faster than ever. Gone are the days when customers would wander online trying to determine if an online order was worth the risk. Instead, technology today is helping customers keep track of their purchases, and fluctuating the ways in which those consumers interact with online retailers.

These trends, in turn, are affecting the big picture. As technology changes business-to-consumer transactions, new opportunities for both sides of the sphere are budding. Consumers now have access to a range of tools that help them gauge prices, find alternatives, locate stores and receive coupons. Retailers are seeing benefits as well, as technology helps them make stronger connections with consumers and build their brands faster.

Altogether, the picture of business-to-customer is changing as new technology is evolving continually in the e- commerce industry. Some retailers are planning to create and sustain customer value by providing sophisticated digital experiences that deliver orders more quickly, blend physical and digital capabilities, and simplify ordering procedures.

Qtrove was started by Vinamra Pandiya and Prashanth Nagarajan with a mission to empower local entrepreneurs who produce cruelty-free and environment-friendly products. Qtrove aims to be a curated marketplace that exhibits and sells such products from small entrepreneurs across the country. At Qtrove.com they aim to achieve customer satisfaction by providing them with natural and sustainable products that are non-mass manufactured and which can be replaced with their mass produced counterparts in their households. For Qtrove, Content and community comes first followed by commerce.

"Our approach is diametrically opposite to that of big e-commerce giants which are selling brands and are focusing purely on transactions whereas Qtrove wants to create a seller-focused, democratic, self-sustaining marketplace," concludes Pandiya," says Vinamra Pandiya, CEO and Founder, Qtrove.com.

While interaction Pandiya highlighted few points which define how technology will bring revolution e-commerce space?

Here's How:

Mobile Apps Are Changing Consumer/Retailer Relationships

Apps are now providing retailers with an opportunity to connect with consumers that go beyond the boundaries of a brick-and-mortar business. Brands no longer have to wait for consumers to walk into their shop or spot an ad that prompts them to engage with the business. "Now, businesses can reach consumers everywhere. Even when customers aren't shopping, retailers can still be on their minds. The constant presence of a brand’s app on a customer's phone reminds him or her that that brand is out there, as an option. Location-enabled interactions, which deliver messages to customers who enter shops, are getting customers back into actual stores," says Pandiya.

Retailers Are More On Consumers' Minds

"Yesteryear’s email notifications are swiftly being crowded out by marketers in favour of smartphone push notifications. These features and their apps allow marketing teams to command consumer attention as never before,' says Pandiya. Promotions that once got filtered out by spam detectors or were scrolled over by consumers can now grab a user's attention right at his or her home screen. Retailers are harnessing these updates to keep customers updated and informed about new promotions.

Personalised Customer Experience Is Growing

The fact that consumers want personally relevant shopping experiences is nothing new. What is new? It's the fact that technology is making personalization standard. These marketing techniques are becoming a popular method for those looking to build a loyal customer base. "With the advent of mobile personal assistants, e-commerce sites are realizing that automated services no longer cut it. To better serve customers, e-commerce sites are finding that they must adapt to the new customer service standards set by technological improvements. This means servicing customers on the various channels they have access to." says Pandiya. Brand websites, email, Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram are all being used by customers to connect with brands. Today’s e-commerce sites have to use these platforms to connect with customers.

Consumers Like The Convenience Of Faster Delivery And Lower Prices

Convenience has been the number one driving force behind e-commerce sites’ success. With the increasing demand for convenience, however, same-day delivery features are posing new challenges. Online stores, for example, may encounter the need for higher price tags: Putting a driver behind a wheel for same-day delivery is far from cheap. But technological help is on the way. "In the near future, solutions to the delivery obstacle, at least, will come in the form of automated vehicles and drones. E-commerce behemoths like Amazon are already looking to pave the way with such technology. For now, sites aiming to gain a competitive edge are offering consumers faster deliveries with lower prices, says Pandiya.

With the near arrival and growing popularity of these technological advances, the e-commerce industry will likely adjust to leverage new capabilities for faster delivery rates and customer satisfaction.

There's Rise in Lack of Trust in E-Commerce Among Global Users Including India, Says Survey

A new global survey reveals that Internet users are increasingly concerned about their online privacy, and that 49 percent of users polled say lack of trust is their main reason for not shopping online.

The countries included in the survey was: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.

The survey, conducted by Ipsos and the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Internet Society, comes as data breaches and the reported hacking of elections in several European countries continues to capture international headlines. The survey results suggest that the resulting impact on trust is hindering further development of the digital economy.

Released yesterday at the UNCTAD E-Commerce Week in Geneva, the 2017 CIGI-Ipsos Global Survey on Internet Security & Trust shows that among those worried about their privacy, the top sources of concern were cybercriminals (82%), Internet companies (74%) and governments (65%).



“The lifeblood of the Internet is trust, and when that is damaged, the consequences for the digital economy are nearly irreparable,” said Director of CIGI’s Global Security & Politics program Fen Osler Hampson. “The results of this global survey offer a glimpse into why policymakers should be concerned, and why there is a strong link between user trust and the health of e-commerce,” he said.

Lack of trust is most likely to keep people off e-commerce platforms in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, suggesting that the potential gains of e-commerce are not spread evenly around the globe.

The survey also revealed great differences in e-commerce behavior when it came to how users are purchasing goods online. For example, in China, India and Indonesia, more than 86 percent of respondents expect to make mobile payments on their smartphone in the next year, compared with less than 30 percent in France, Germany and Japan.

[caption id="attachment_116155" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Propensity to use online payment systems on mobile phones varies greatly by country, with most G-8 countries near the bottom of the list, and emerging economies near the top.[/caption]

Even in the digital world, location still matters. Fifty-five percent of global respondents indicated that they prefer purchasing online goods and services made in their own country.

"The survey confirms the importance of having adequate consumer protection and data protection in place, areas where many developing countries are lagging behind," said Shamika N. Sirimanne, Director of UNCTAD’s Division on Technology and Logistics. “More capacity-building is therefore urgently needed,” she added.

The survey of 24,225 Internet users was conducted by global research company Ipsos, on behalf of the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) between December 23, 2016, and March 21, 2017. The survey was conducted in 24 countries—Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.

“Nearly 50 percent of Internet users surveyed do not trust the Internet and this lack of trust is affecting the way they use it. The findings of this year’s CIGI-Ipsos survey underscore the importance of taking action now to build stronger online trust by addressing users’ concerns and using technologies such as encryption to secure communications,” said Sally Wentworth, Vice President of Global Policy for the Internet Society.

[Top Image - Shutterstock]

Snapdeal Launches Cash on Demand Service

Has the demonetisation drive dampened your Christmas cheer? After all, what is Christmas without presents, decorations and celebrations? While some of our needs can be fulfilled by online shopping, we still require cash for some tasks. While the government might not be understanding this basic thing, India’s leading online marketplace Snapdeal has not only understood the matter but has also done something to bring the much needed festive cheer back into the country.

Snapdeal has announced the launch of a pilot service called Cash@Home, which will allow users to order cash and deliver it at the doorstep. Yes, you read it right. Now, you can order cash instead of queuing up for hours at your nearby ATMs.

In the pilot phase, the service is currently only live in Gurgaon and Bengaluru. Users availing the service can pay for cash using their ATM card. And, don't worry, the service won't cost you a bomb. Snapdeal will be charging a nominal amount of one rupee as convenience fee, which can be paid through FreeCharge wallet or through a debit card at the time of booking the order. The service is a goodwill gesture by the ecommerce giant so as to allow users in need of cash to access it without having to queue up at their banks or ATMs.

"Snapdeal will be using the cash that it receives through Cash on Delivery (CoD) service to operate this facility. The delivery of cash will be done one day after requesting for the service," read a press release by Snapdeal announcing the launch of the service.

Commenting on the new launch, Rohit Bansal, Co-founder, Snapdeal said, “The launch of the cash on demand service is intended to further help our consumers tide over any cash crunch that they might face in addressing their daily needs."

For now, Snapdeal has put a limit of Rs. 2000 per booking. Users can make use of any bank’s ATM card to pay for the cash. When the cash is delivered to the customers, they will be required to swipe their ATM card on the PoS machines, which Snapdeal’s courier partners will be carrying with themselves for all such deliveries.

[Top Image: Shutterstock]

Flipkart sues "FlipkartDiscounts", for using its name

Bangalore-based Tiger Global-backed ecommerce company Flipkart  has filed a case against a firm named FlipkartDiscounts, a Seoni, Madhya Pradesh based company before the Delhi High Court accusing the latter of copyright and trademark infringement.

FlipkartDiscounts provides several discounted listings on its site and also directs consumers to various ecommerce portals including Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal and Paytm.



"The court has accepted case against the website from operating under the current name and transfer the same to any third party," a Flipkart spokesperson said.

The case is currently open with Delhi High Court and Flipkart is being represented by the lawyer Pratibha M Singh. A high court bench said in its interim order on March 23.

"The grievance of the plaintiffs is that the defendants are using the domain name www.flipkartdiscounts.net which infringes the plaintiffs' registered trademark 'Flipkart'," a high court bench said in its interim order on March 23. "The plaintiffs are operating the website www.flipkart.com since 2007, which is very popular for making online purchases for a variety of products," it said.



On its website, FlipkartDiscounts has given the name, email address and social network handles of one Shubham Thakur as the contact person. An email query to Thakur did not elicit any response till press time Friday.

The success of homegrown ecommerce companies like Flipkart and Snapdeal in India has triggered a rush of me-too online retailers.

There are at least 15 ecommerce sites that have 'kart' appended to their name, ranging from relatively better known portals such as HealthKart and LensKart to lesser known ones like VeggieKart, SafetyKart, Mygreenkart, Metal-kart, Bagskart and AssamKart. Similarly, at least a dozen sites have 'deal' in their names like entedeal and freedealsguru.

Last year, a similar situation had come to play involving Snapdeal wherein Snapdeal.pk, an ecommerce store based out of Pakistan, was cashing on Snapdeal’s name, copying everything from the design to the logo.

According to Flipkart's spokesperson "We at Flipkart take stringent steps to safeguard our brand and trademarks," . Flipkart is also accusing FlipkartDiscounts of using similar logo.

"The defendants, on their website, are using the name and logo of the plaintiffs and selling the same products as offered by the plaintiffs, with discounts and at prices offered by the plaintiffs, by creating links to the plaintiffs' website and displaying the same on their own website," the Delhi High Court interim order said. "The submission is that even this constitutes infringement of the plaintiffs' trademarks and copyright."

What's your opinion on this copyright infringement case by Flipkart?

10 Essential Things Your E-Commerce Website Should Have

Running an Ecommerce website is not always an easy task. There are sales to make, order to fill and payments to receive. This is why it is necessary to make sure you have your bases covered when it comes to running a good Ecommerce website.

We have to look at things from a visitor's point of view. We have to start with the beginning, when the user visits an Ecommerce website, and goes through to the very end, when that user place an order. We won't be getting into every details of an ecommerce site. Instead, we are going to give essential things for your Ecommerce site in order to maintain continued success and meet the ever changing needs of consumers.

Here are 10 essential things for your Ecommerce site should have:

1. Good Experience for Mobile Shoppers

In today's world 75% of people purchased from mobile devices rather than personal computers and laptops, so main motive to your ecommerce websites is mobile friendly, that is must. Your website ensure checkout cart functions easily on mobile, keep your mobile version simple with clear links.

For example - ReefaNext is the shopping websites and have mobile version. Customers can access their site on smartphones with affirm swift. They have easy and convenient way of searching and browsing. Customers can simply browse, compare offers and shop online from anywhere and anytime.

2. Easy Checkout Process

Checkout process is a striking balance between good functionality, usability and trust building key that offers a good checkout experience. If the checkout is poorly designed you could easily losing up to 67% of customers. To make checkout more attractive you have to display security logos, show shipping clearly, ensure it is fast particularly on mobile and show images of the products in the carts.

For example - OrderVenue is an online store and offer their customers a real shopping experience with the products that can exclusively available for them. Their checkout are attractive, they show shipping clearly.

3. Good Quality Product Pictures

Product picture could be the most important thing in your ecommerce website. It gives user the first experience of your product. So your pictures should be high quality with good lighting. Include a gallery of pictures to show all features of the product. Let customers see a larger version of the photography in zoom function.

For example - SnapDeal is a very famous online shopping, their products are genuine. They have gallery of pictures to show all features of the product. They provide the larger version of the product images in zoom function.

4. Have a Clear Returns Policy

People return products when they're disappointed or the product is not up to the mark. So first part of a ecommerce website that a good return policy. This Policy can actually help your customer to make the decision to purchase. Make your policy easy to find and write it in easy language, no legal or internal policy jargon. Don't include hidden return cost, be explicit and clear about costs. You have to be clear about whether the returns is for cash, exchange or credit.

For example - ShopClues will replace any order within 10 days of delivery and with free return shipping if customers receive a product which is not as per the specifications ordered by them.

5. Detailed Product Descriptions

Give clear and accurate descriptions about your products. This help buyers to make decision of purchase easily. Descriptions is like your store's sales staff so it needs to be more informative. Give FAQ's section too, to help peoples who have any issue about your products.

Product description should have size, texture, dimension, colours and warranties.

For example - Flipkart they give brief information of their products like features, warranty and dimension etc.

6. Low cost or Free Shipping Charges

Low cost or free shipping is the number one method for making a purchasing decision on a websites. This is the main information. The ability to get products delivered within a particular time frame, and for a cost that the customer considers reasonable is a huge part of a shopper's purchase decision.

If your business model does not allow you to make the shipping cost completely free, the least you can do is reduce costs to a minimum, or offer free deleivery once a customer orders over a certain amount.

For example - Ebay provides low cost and free shipping which leads this website to the world's top 5 online shopping websites.

7. Define your Unique Selling Points (USPs)

If you are making an ecommerce website you need to define USPs. To make difference from yours competitors, and it help to attract the buyers. If you want to know what's your USPs are, firstly ask yourself what makes you different from your competitors? And why customers will buy from you and not from your competitors?

If you have the answers of these questions then you know your Unique Selling Points (USPs).

For example
Planetjashn have made their USPs as an online business obvious across their website:
1. Same day shipping; 2. Free shipping

8. Latest news and most popular products

When there are new items, news, a sales that the buyers should know about the product, the home page is the best way to house them. Make simple way for buyers to find new deals and hot prices. Customers will more likely look through new items on sale rather than spending half an hour searching through the full list for something new and trendy.

For example - amazon provides all its latest product list, sales to their home page.

9. Shopping Cart, Login Box and Search Box

The search box, login box and shopping cart are normally located next to one another at every e-Commerce website. It’s almost unreasonable to imagine a store without a shopping-cart function included. The shopping cart icon is clear and simple so it makes sense to buy or choose something similar for your site. Various stores also give their customers private accounts where it is possible to review all their previous and current orders.

Every customer who signs up in their account can choose a personal login and password for further access. Besides, owners of such accounts can receive notification of special discount offers from the storeowners and participate in various promotions or sales.

For example - Alibaba site provides search box, login box at top of the website.

10. Social Media Links

Social media sites give almost 20% of online purchases after accomplished the surfing. People are interested in public opinion to buy anything in online. Social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are the best, it is a fastest source to get the information you need on about everything.

Moreover, social media accounts bring excellent opportunities for self-promotion and online communities can help to identify the most active and experienced customers, or find new ones who are not aware with the web store yet. For online shops, it’s a good way to keep customers up to date of the latest news, or special deals which leads towards Facebook or Twitter followers only.

For example - benetton provides social media links like facebook, twitter, google plus, pinterest and instagram.



I hope you like these tips and may it help in your eCommerce store an ultimate destination for buyers.

If you have any other ideas or tips, feel free to mention in comment section.