Amazon to get store space at Shoppers Stop

BENGALURU: Right before Amazon starts its annual festive sale, the e-commerce major has entered into a pact with brick and mortar retailer Shoppers Stop. As part of the deal, the Mumbai-based retailer will sell its products exclusively on Amazon India.

Interestingly, this partnership will offer physical space to Amazon across Shoppers Stop stores, helping the e-commerce major reach a new set of customers.

Arun Sirdeshmukh, head of fashion for Amazon India, said Shoppers Stop will sell around 500 brands on Amazon, giving a boost to its existing collection in a segment it trails behind the Flipkart group.

"This is a very important milestone for us. We will get some of the top brands on Amazon along with specially designed marketing campaigns for the Amazon and Shoppers Stop combination. To make sure these products are delivered fast, four mother hubs of Shoppers Stop will be linked to Amazon as well," he said.

Sirdeshmukh said Amazon will create experience zones across the retail network of Shoppers Stop, which has over 250 stores, cutting across various formats and themes.

Flipkart, which owns Myntra and Jabong, currently dominates the online fashion space while Amazon has been pushing hard to corner a larger share of the market. After introducing as many as 200 brands in the last 18 months, Amazon's fashion business grew by 90% in the first six months of this year. It also opened its third fashion imaging studio in Gurgaon, spread across 44,000 sqft.

During the festive sale season, fashion products are one of the top grossers after smartphones and electronics.Flipkart and Amazon are trying to outdo each other in the sale sweepstakes this year. Compared to smartphones, margins in the fashion business is higher, making it an attractive segment for e-tailers.