Flipkart is working on an one-stop app that will allow users to perform several operations like ordering food, booking a cab, planning a vacation, or buying daily essentials. The homegrown e-commerce firm has already initiated preliminary talks with food, cab and travel aggregators for its “all-in-one” app.
Prakash Sikaria, senior director of monetisation and new initiatives at Flipkart, told ET,
The business is targeting a December launch and will follow a WeChat model, where the Flipkart app can be used to book a cab, order food or plan your travel. With the launch of loyalty points for all purchases on Flipkart, the Flipkart platform will act as a distribution channel for these services.
The all-in-one app has been executed by Flipkart’s app design and engineering team and is initiated by new chief executive Kalyan Krishnamurthy. Sikaria further added, “The services will be fulfilled by the partners while the customer loyalty, transaction and revenues will increase through this app strategy. However, these are early days and the strategy needs to be refined with a six-eight month runway.”
The daily essentials category will solely be run by Flipkart without a partnership. As per the same report, the company also has plans to launch grocery and fast-moving consumer goods offerings shortly. Last year, Flipkart shut down its grocery delivery service Nearby that was launched in 2015. The hyperlocal market is getting crowded in India with services like BigBasket, Grofers and Amazon Now. Earlier in April, Google launched Areo food delivery and home services app in India.
The one-in-all app is expected to help Flipkart boost its user base and open a new channel for revenue.