In a bid to take on the country's popular online marketplaces in the largest and fastest growing fashion category, Amazon.in has entered the apparels segment by launching ethnic and Indo-western wear for women.
The move comes at a time when India's largest ecommerce player Flipkart is in talks to acquire fashion etailer Myntra reportedly for about Rs 2,400 crore, which could make it the largest merger in the ecommerce space so far. Besides, Snapdeal is also focusing on the fashion category and recently acquired product discovery site Dotzoon to consolidate that category.
Online fashion nearly doubled in value from $278 million in 2012 to $559 million in 2013 and is growing fast as women shoppers are finding it convenient and cost effective to buy online. They are also helping in pushing sales of categories such as fashion, home decor, jewellery and baby care.
With over 12,000 contemporary and traditional styles from over 90 apparel brands offered by private labels, national and regional retailers, it also launched a dedicated store for sunglasses across gender, price, age and occasions.
With these two categories, Amazon.in, that entered the Indian market last year, expands and strengthens its fashion and lifestyle category.
“With the launch of women’s ethnic apparel and sunglasses, we now offer our women customers, the season’s hottest fashion picks at their fingertips. With our vast selection of fashion products’ line, trend insights, customized product recommendations in addition to our quick and fast delivery services and easy returns policy, women now have enough reasons to shop till they drop on Amazon.in,” says Vikas Purohit, Category Leader- Fashion, Amazon India.
The store offers selection from a host of cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Jaipur, Surat, Mathura, Coimbatore, as well as from the more popular cities of Mumbai and Delhi. The Ethnic Store brings together trend focused brands like Soch, BIBA, W for Woman as well as certificated labels like Aheli that offer pure silk sarees certified by the Silk Board of India. From everyday wear brands like Anahi and Karigari from the house of Arvind, to occasion wear lines from retailers like Chhabra 555 and Kalasanskruti the store caters to the various tastes and preferences of women in clothing. Customers can shop by a varied range of styles like the one minute cocktail saree, asymmetrical hemline kurtas, and anarkali kurtas across the widest price range.
“We have partnered with Hands of India, a Vrindaban-based organisation that works with over 30 artisan groups in various rural areas of India to offer hand-woven lines in pure cotton and silk weaves like Bhagalpuri, Chanderi, Mangalgiri, Bandhej (tie & dye), Bengali Kantha, Rajasthani Kota and more, embellished with traditional and folk embroidery”, adds Vikas
To enable easy choice Amazon.in has made browsing through the large variety of offerings easy with navigational features that allow consumers to sort products by price, brand, colours, size, occasion, style, sellers, and special offers. The detailed product descriptions about fabric composition & genuineness, weave, embroideries, wash care as well as size guides help customers take a well-informed buying decision.