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Digital B2B platform Flipkart Wholesale on Tuesday said the company’s grocery member base has grown 30 per cent to over 5 lakh during the ‘Big Billion Days’ festive sale event and 70 per cent of them have switched to e-commerce.
The firm claimed that there has been a 1.8-fold increase in sales of kirana traders coming from cities like Bhopal, Kota, Lucknow and Zirakpur.
“The Big Billion Days, which concluded on October 10, 2021, saw 70 percent e-commerce adoption by kiranas across the country compared to the same period last year.
“Over five lakh kiranas across 10,000 pin codes across 24 states and union territories made purchases on the platform and through Flipkart Wholesale Best Price stores during the festival,” the company said in a statement.
The general merchandise category on the platform registered a growth of 124 per cent, followed by a 50 per cent growth in demand for grocery and 24 per cent growth in fashion.
“We are excited by the overwhelming response to the festive event. Our technology-first approach to helping small businesses grow has resulted in increased adoption of e-commerce and accelerated the pace of digitization.
“The benefits of a more resilient and self-sustaining B2B eco-system enabled by digitization will be felt in the long run,” said Adarsh Menon, Senior Vice President and Head, Flipkart Wholesale.
Along with its banking and financial services partners, the platform claims to facilitate loans up to Rs 165 crore for all categories of members during the Big Billion Days.
The firm said it provided interest-free credit through an end-to-end digital process and in partnership with banks and fintech lenders to pay later for 1.5 lakh kirana with a line of credit ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25 lakh. were together.
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