Flipkart expands Private Brands selection 2x under ‘Flipkart SmartBuy’ ahead of The Big Billion Days

Flipkart expands Private Brands selection 2x under ‘Flipkart SmartBuy’ ahead of The Big Billion Days

-    Number of categories has increased to 120 with close to 200,000 products
-    Flipkart SmartBuyis the one-stop destination this festive season with the philosophy "Every Need, One Brand”.

Chennai, 13 September 2019: Flipkart, India’s leading e-commerce marketplace, has expanded its flagship private brand, Flipkart SmartBuy, to 120 categories ahead of the festive season, almost doubling its selection. This year, the number of products has increased to over 200,000 as the brand prepares to be the one-stop destination for customers’ small needs this festive period. The ramp up is across key categories in Home essentials like Home Furnishings, Home Decor, Tools, and Festive items, which has seen a 20-fold jump in selection since last year’s festive season.

Increasingly, consumers in Tier II and III cities are adopting e-commerce for their small and daily needs -- the philosophy underlying the Flipkart SmartBuy brand, which has seen almost 60% adoption in Tier II and beyond cities over the last six months. As India’s demographics undergo a shift, consumer needs and preferences are evolving too, leading to this expansion of the Flipkart SmartBuy portfolio. The brand has recently launched products in categories as diverse as Women’s Grooming, Bluetooth Audio, Wallpapers, USB gadgets & Auto accessories.

The brand has seen massive selection build-up across these verticals including products as niche as pet & aquatic accessories. Flipkart used customer insights and feedback from the platform’s reviews to create products that serve the specific needs of Indian consumers, for instance, launching a credit-card-sized pocket power bank that is around 40% smaller than the usual offerings in this category. Musical Instruments & accessories also is an upcoming category online & Flipkart Smartbuy, true to its ethos, is democratizing this segment with quality offerings at affordable prices, with new product launches under mics, karaoke mics, guitar & guitar accessories. 
Commenting on this Adarsh Menon, Vice President and Head - Private Labels, Electronics, Furniture at Flipkart said, “Flipkart’s vision is to serve our customers’ needs in ways that positively impacts their lives and that closes the gaps between what they want and what is available to them. Through constant engagement with our 150 million+ customer base, brands like ‘Flipkart SmartBuy’ allow us to give our consumers products tailor made for them, satisfying their needs when it comes to selection, quality, specifications and affordability. By expanding SmartBuy’s range ahead of the festive season, we are preparing our portfolio to match customer expectations at a crucial time for the retail industry in the country.”

As a homegrown company, Flipkart is also invested in scaling small businesses in India, enabling MSMEs and sellers in these categories through its private brands business and its marketplace model. With quality being a key yardstick, Flipkart has been very meticulous in quality assessment processes for Flipkart SmartBuy. A dedicated in-house quality team monitors this huge selection of products right from sourcing to selling on Flipkart Marketplace.