ecommerce

There’s never a dull moment In Indian ecommerce. After a two-year, Covid-induced boom in online shopping, 2022 saw consumers return to buying things offline. Ecommerce majors Flipkart and Amazon, and new players like Meesho, had an eventful year. Another big development was the launch of the much-hyped Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). Here’s a look back at the top stories and developments that shaped India’s ecommerce universe in 2022. Flipkart vs Amazon and others After a relatively muted start in terms of…

Have you ever tried to buy something online only to notice, at the final checkout page, some extra item had been sneakily added into your cart? Or while booking an airline ticket you are informed “Only 2 seats left at this price” to create a sense of urgency to make an immediate decision? Known as dark patterns, these user interfaces are crafted to trick or manipulate users into making choices that are detrimental to their interest and the Indian government is looking to frame regulations to restrict the usage of dark…

This time last year, India’s startup ecosystem was counting unicorns. Now, it’s tallying layoffs. According to data compiled for us by Longhouse Consulting, 52 of India’s new-age companies sacked almost 18,000 employees between them in 2022. Shockingly, almost half of these took place at just 15 edtech companies as Covid’s retreat battered the sector.Also in this letter:■ Udaan, Ola, Oyo saw the most senior-level exits in 2022■ Startups, tech firms upskill blue-collar workers for larger roles■ Govt looks to clamp down on…

Business-to-business (B2B) ecommerce company Udaan saw the highest number of exits among senior executives across the tech and startup ecosystem, followed by mobility company Ola, and hospitality startup Oyo Hotels & Homes, according to data shared with ET by Longhouse Consulting. ETtech At least 50 top executives - ranging from C-suite to category and business heads - left Udaan in 2022, as the company grappled with funding and business model issues, even as two of its founders moved away from active roles over the…

In a move to further intensify its presence in ecommerce, the Tata Group is transferring the holding of Tata UniStore, which owns and runs the fashion and luxury-focused ecommerce platform Tata Cliq, to Tata Digital. Tata Digital thus becomes the sole entity for all online shopping ventures of the Tatas, including Tata Neu, Big Basket and Croma, as per latest regulatory filings. Tata Industries and Trent were the joint owners of Tata UniStore, with the former owning 96.78% and the balance held by Trent. The group has…

After registering years of impressive growth, global e-commerce revenue sank $250 billion (year-over-year), falling from $3.84 trillion in 2021 to $3.59 trillion this year which is a first for the industry, a report showed on Monday. Supply chain issues, inflation, rising digital advertising costs, and changed consumer behaviour have all had their share in the first-ever e-commerce revenue drop, according to data presented by AugustaFreePress.com. The initial forecast from the `Statista Digital Market Outlook` projected…

The grievance redressal mechanism of many big e-commerce players is not up to the mark as the number of complaints received by the National Consumer Helpline has risen sharply over the last four years, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said on Thursday. Addressing an event organised by the Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI), Singh said the number of complaints registered on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has gone up to 90,000 in November compared to 40,000 in the same month last year. "Four years…

E-commerce enabler GoKwik said it will double its employee strength as part of its international expansion amid funding winter and layoffs in the sector. The company claimed roping top talent will now be relatively easier as large companies pause their hiring in the tech space. “We are a well funded company but hiring hasn't been easier in the last one and a half years. We are looking at this (funding winter and layoffs) as an opportunity, where we are in stable shape, market leader, creating a category or looking at…

The problem with Amazon’s own-brand mince pies is that they’re delicious. For years, the ecommerce giant has stuck its fingers into every pie going—Amazon wind farms and an Amazon airline are no longer something to Amazon Blink at. Yet now Jeff Bezos has stuck his finger in the pie pie: For £2.04 ($2.50), British Amazon customers can get six deep-filled “by Amazon” mince pies delivered to their door. (For those unfamiliar, a mince pie is an individual spiced fruit Christmas treat with absolutely no meat in it, no matter…

Tyler Hamilton has optimized his every waking minute. Between Black Friday and Christmas, five nights a week, he pulls himself out of bed, brushes his teeth, and rushes to his car just before sunset. On his drive to the Amazon fulfillment center in Shakopee, Minnesota, he stops at Wendy’s to buy two bourbon bacon burgers, two large chilis, fries, and a drink.Hamilton eats the burgers as he drives and then punches in to start his shift arranging incoming product inventory just before 5 pm. In the middle of the night, he…