Indian ecommerce has some strong players in marketplaces (Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal), fashion (Jabong, Myntra), furniture (FabFurnish, Urban Ladder, Pepperfry), grocery (Bigbasket, Grofers, Local Banya), travel (Makemytrip, Yatra, Expedia) and lingerie (Zivame, Prettysecrets) segment. Does that mean the ecommerce market is exhausted? Is there no scope for new players? The answer to both is No! There is still a lot of space for new players and products/services.
Comparatively between goods and services, there’s more scope for new online services than tangible products. Here’s a list of 5 products/services that have potential and still are relatively unexplored or non-existent:
Apparel and fashion accessories are the fastest selling products on online shopping sites and women shoppers contribute the largest. One would think, considering there are zillions of types, styles and cuts in women’s clothes, all their needs are already catered. But while working on this news report we discovered that bespoke clothes for plus size and XS (extra small) women (or any size) are none or very few. Whereas, for men there are many.
There is need for well fitting and flattering clothes for women bigger and smaller than the average sizes (who are forced to shop in the children’s section!). To know where we stand (or lack), check out the list of international online sites that offer a wide range of beautiful and glamorous plus size clothing.
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The abovementioned situation applies for shoes too. Forget online there are very few offline stores that sell shoes for women who have long & broad feet or have smaller than the average foot size. And the problems are real! Because in India, women are blessed with such feet have to make peace with ugly, chunky or funny looking flat sandals. The West is doing well in the shoes department too in both big and petite feet category.
Not just academic tutors. We mean an authentic, well-maintained online platform where people can book classes and hire trustworthy tutors for learning all kinds of skills. Right from learning languages, musical instruments, singing, dancing, adventure sports, communication, personality developments, and arts & craft, all on one classy online site. There is no dearth of talented individuals who are willing to give lessons and people who are eager to learn. What’s missing is a legitimate & well-maintained online platform for both to meet.
The major chunk of Indian population comprises of young men & women. This is why the problems and issues of its senior citizens have not been given serious consideration. With the increase in working women and migratory population, the need for safe and secured set-up for senior citizens and children is high. So an online service that provides safe, skilled and professional assistance and care (hourly, weekly, monthly) is need of the hour. And not just for babysitting or care-giving but also providing services/portals for running errands, medical care, shopping, entertainment, grooming, job hunting (yes, senior citizens like to work and earn too!), fitness regime etc. exclusively for elderly. Read this news report to know about the huge potential of senior citizen ecommerce sector.
Unlike B2B that’s flourishing, B2B ecommerce industry is yet to pick up in a big way here. High entry barriers are one of the major hurdles in this segment. There is IndiaMart, yes. But there is place for many more considering the huge demand for bulk products available in wholesale prices. Also there is no restriction in FDI for B2B ventures. According to a Walmart report, India’s B2B ecommerce market will scale up from the current $300 billion to $700 billion by 2020. And with GST that’s going to be implemented soon, B2B businesses might get benefitted from it.
For people comfortable in dealing with niche segment, vegan & organic food and online legal services offers good scope too. Besides the new segments, Indian ecommerce has a lot to offer even in the existing categories.
There is no clear winner like in case of US where Amazon is at the top, or China’s Alibaba and Japan’s Rakuten. We are yet to get our own Victoria’s Secret like success in lingerie or like UK’s Tesco in online grocery. Or a vintage handmade store like Etsy, in spite of India being a country that’s famous for its handmade and vintage clothes, jewellery and handicrafts. As a result, Indian ecommerce is a world of new opportunities and possibilities.
Do you have any interesting ecommerce ideas to share? As a customer, which product or service you wish was available online? As a seller, which online segment has the most potential? Do share!
Editor team is specialized in introducing the marketplace content targeting the Indian online sellers. They plan and coordinate to bring the appealing content for the small businesses on how to partner with the e-commerce sites like Amazon and Flipkart and strategies for improving their online business.
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