Illustration: Rahul Awasthi Indian e-commerce marketplaces may accelerate their efforts to localise private label products and run campaigns to promote locally manufactured goods on their platforms as geopolitical tensions between India and China have flared up to their worst levels in over four decades. However, it’s unlikely that these marketplaces will take a stance on […]

Walmart-owned Flipkart will hike various marketplace fees from next month, irking sellers hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The move may lead to increased prices of products on the platform for consumers. The decision, reviewed by TOI, concerns marketplace fee components like fixed and local shipping charges. These have been increased across price buckets, especially doubling […]

United Spirits Ltd., India’s biggest liquor company with a brand portfolio that includes Johnny Walker and McDowell, said home delivery and online sales will not just expand the basket size but also help more women consumers. “In many states, women do not want to go into a retail store to buy alcohol – it’s just […]

Happy Tuesday! Startups are doubling down on their efforts to enhance safety and hygiene standards as they seek to win the trust of consumers and partners. Securing PPE kits for employees, contactless delivery, mandatory use of Aarogya Setu app are among the measures that have emerged as the top priorities for companies. Safety all the […]

European Union regulators began two antitrust investigations on Tuesday into Apple‘s mobile app store and payment platform over concerns its practices distort competition, opening a new front in the EU’s battle against the dominance of big tech companies. The EU’s executive Commission said it launched the formal investigations over concerns that Apple’s way of doing […]

Illustration: Rahul Awasthi Walmart-owned Flipkart is set to launch a separate business vertical to cater to 90-minute delivery of goods from local stores and its own small fulfilment centres, people aware of the matter said. The homegrown ecommerce company will start with grocery services, they said, as it seeks to muscle in on the hyperlocal […]

Swiggy on Tuesday said it is offering affordable lending products, training tools, discounted ad spots, and economical food packaging material to help its restaurant partners to open up for business. The food ordering app has also activated a bi-weekly payment option to enable smooth cash flows for partners, it said. Restaurants have been among the […]

Southeast Asian ride-hailing and payments firm Grab said on Tuesday it would lay off more than 300 employees due to the impact of novel coronavirus, in the latest setback to major backer SoftBank Group. Southeast Asia’s most valuable startup with a valuation of $14 billion informed staff of the cuts at a town-hall meeting, according […]

Amazon-backed Appario Retail, one of the largest sellers on Amazon India after Cloudtail, is asking select merchants and suppliers to supply their products exclusively for 30 days. The communication, reviewed by TOI, from Appario, which is a subsidiary of the joint venture between Amazon and Patni Group, has sought such exclusivity for the first time […]

Paisabazaar, an online marketplace for loans and credit cards — which is part of the PolicyBazaar group — has laid off 1,500-2,000 people due to the impact of Covid-19. Paisabazaar has a strength of 3,000-4,000 employees, which means nearly half its staff is being asked to leave as part of a restructuring. PolicyBazaar, a unicorn […]