Targetting Small Businesses, Amazon India Doles Out Gifts For MSMEs For Festive Season
Looking forward to bringing more small scale entrepreneurs and sellers on its platform as a lead up to the festive season, Amazon India has offered a number of incentives for MSMEs and small scale enterprises. With a current seller base of over 14 lakh from all over India, Amazon has announced several new initiatives to not just take new businesses on board, but also for training for better customer experiences.
This was shared by Amit Nanda, Director, Selling Partner Services at Amazon India with the media on Wednesday, 4 October in Lucknow. Amazon has over 1.6 lakh small businesses from Uttar Pradesh, who are selling on Amazon India.
Talking about business partnerships from UP, Nanda said, “Uttar Pradesh is a key market for us both from a sellers and customers’ perspective. With over 1.6 lakh sellers from the state selling on Amazon, our focus remains on making online selling easier and more productive for them. We have two major fulfilment centres in UP, making it easier for the sellers to sell with Amazon.”
Nanda also shared details about the new initiatives for the festive season to onboard new businesses. “We are excited to announce a 50 per cent fee waiver and a referral programme for new sellers during this upcoming festive season enabling them to start their journey as a digital entrepreneur. We are excited to see how technology empowers small businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive in the digital age, said Nanda.
The fee waiver scheme is applicable to all new sellers joining Amazon between 27 August to 4 November. Valid for 60 days from the date of joining, the waiver aims to incentivise new sellers, help them build a customer base and establish a foothold in the competitive e-commerce market by reducing upfront costs.
The company also introduced a referral programme, “Great Indian Referral Offer”, where sellers can refer their friends to sell on Amazon and receive rewards worth up to Rs 11,500. Referrals made between 28 September and 27 October 2023 will be eligible for rewards.
Said Nanda, “We understand that MSMEs and small businesses need a bit of hand holding to sell on ecommerce platforms. Apart from incentives, we at Amazon are also providing them with training and support for a smooth sailing journey.”
The company has also introduced a number of technological initiatives to make online selling easier and more successful for sellers. Amazon recently launched a Simplified Registration Process making It easy for Indian sellers to start selling online, Sale Event Planner (a tool which will help sellers offer great deals on their products, plan for optimum inventory well in advance and potentially grow their sales), and New Seller Success Centre (a helpful on-boarding companion for first-time sellers entering the Amazon marketplace.
Amazon will also be conducting LIVE training for new sellers. These free webinars will give new sellers an opportunity to clear all their doubts and learn about selling on the marketplace, along with understanding of listings, shipping, prime, deals and coupons and much more.
The festive season this year is set to witness a surge in online shopping, as evidenced by a recent Nielsen Media study commissioned by Amazon India. An impressive 81 per cent of consumers have expressed a strong intent to indulge in retail therapy during the upcoming festivities, with this enthusiasm extending beyond metropolitan areas into tier 2 and 3 cities as well.
The convenience of online shopping has significantly bolstered consumer trust, with 78 per cent of respondents expressing confidence in the platform. Furthermore, Amazon India has emerged as the top choice for 68 per cent of surveyed consumers, citing it as their preferred online shopping destination. Nearly half of these participants have deemed Amazon.in the most trustworthy and cherished brand for all their festive shopping needs, underscoring the e-commerce giant's widespread popularity.
