Pune’s Local Shops Thriving on Amazon, Embracing Digital Transformation
Pune, 12th September 2023: Pune is witnessing a remarkable transformation through the ‘Local Shops on Amazon’ program, with local shop owners across various categories, including Kitchen, Apparel, Grocery, Electronics, Inverter Batteries, Home, Furniture, and more, eagerly embracing this initiative.
Launched in 2020, ‘Local Shops on Amazon’ has flourished into a vibrant platform, boasting a network of over 300,000 brick-and-mortar retailers and neighborhood shops spanning 344 cities. This extensive presence extends beyond major metropolises, reaching tier 2 and tier 3 cities, including Maharashtra’s vibrant state.
Maharashtra, with its thriving cities like Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nagpur, Satara, and Nasik, contributes significantly to this initiative. Over 35,000 stores from the state are part of this program, catering to diverse customer needs across multiple categories such as Kitchen, Apparel, Grocery, Electronics, Major Appliances, Home, and Furniture.
Cities in Maharashtra with the highest number of Local Shop sellers:
- Mumbai
- Pune
- Thane
- Nagpur
- Satara
- Nasik
Top-selling product categories in Pune from Local Shops sellers:
- Kitchen and Grocery
- Apparel
- Electronics and Major Appliances
- Beauty
- Drugstore
- Home and Furniture
With the festive season approaching, local shop owners have a significant opportunity to expand their online presence and capitalize on the anticipated surge in demand for festive products. The recent Amazon Prime Day 2023 witnessed robust sales for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs), with SMBs on Amazon.in receiving 20 orders every second. Over 90,000 SMB sellers received orders from Prime members across 19,000+ pin codes in India during this event.
Abhishek Jain, Head of Local Shops, Amazon India, expressed his admiration for the transformation taking place in Pune through the ‘Local Shops on Amazon’ program. He highlighted how local shop owners had embraced this initiative and achieved remarkable growth by transitioning from offline to online retail, powered by Amazon’s tools and support. Jain emphasized Amazon’s commitment to bringing the benefits of e-commerce to offline retailers and neighborhood stores, allowing them to reach customers far and wide while preserving the essence of local businesses.
Local shops are transitioning into digital stores, offering customers the convenience of discovering products from trusted neighborhood stores within Pune from their homes. Sellers have the flexibility to serve customers beyond their immediate vicinity, either through their existing delivery mechanisms or by partnering with identified courier services. Additionally, they can leverage fulfillment programs offered by Amazon, such as Easy Ship and Seller Flex, to further expand their businesses within Pune and across various locations in India.
Santosh Mane, the owner of ‘Captooe,’ a renowned footwear store in Pune, shared his inspiring entrepreneurial journey. In 2018, he started as a manufacturer and shoe dealer but recognized the potential for expanding his customer base and business growth by joining Amazon in 2021. He credited Amazon’s extensive range of management and product suggestion tools for his success, with a significant 60% growth in overall volume over 1.5 years, particularly in men’s and women’s footwear.
Santosh’s journey underscores the pivotal role played by the Local Shops program and the support provided by Amazon, enabling small sellers to tap into a broader customer base while preserving the charm of local businesses. This support has propelled businesses like his to new heights, setting a precedent for other local shops in Pune and beyond.
