Free Shipping for purchases made through Flipkart’s mobile app

The Indian ecommerce market is most popular with young Indians in their 20s and 30s. They are also the ones most familiar and dependent on mobile and smartphones for internet usage. To tap into this potential customer segment, Flipkart has a made a strategic move – it will offer free delivery to its customers who make purchases using its mobile application.

All the major players have been competing head on with respect to delivery to customers, by introducing next day delivery first, followed by same day delivery limited to select cities. Although Flipkart hasn’t decided or announced for how long this offer would be valid, it seems to have taken the first step of starting the delivery war in mobile commerce.

Currently, there is no delivery charge for making purchases through US based ecommerce giant Amazon. Most online shopping sites offer free delivery for purchases above a certain minimum amount, which is mostly Rs 1,000.

Flipkart has recorded about 40% traffic to its site through mobile, with 20% of it converting into final orders. India would probably be the first country where m-commerce would overtake personal computers or desktop usage and m-commerce would lead the way forward.

Although Snapdeal, Flipkart’s competitor and another major ecommerce player, introduced its mobile application last year, there has been no such free delivery offer yet. The current traffic of 35% is expected to increase to 50% by the end of this year.

Myntra has not launched a mobile application yet.

Why are ecommerce players moving towards mobile applications?

Consumers and internet users are increasingly becoming dependent on various apps taking care of their requirements. Companies want to tap into this habit of consumers to ensure brand loyalty. Google searches will give them wider options which lead to diversion. Hence, a dedicated mobile app will help to get return and repeat customers.

Discount through mobile applications is a tested and proven technique to get repeat customers. The trend was started by travel portals about two years back, which continue even now. 20% of Yatra.com’s traffic and 17-18% of its business are from mobile.

Why should an Indian Online Seller favour mobile applications

No doubt, mobile apps are big now and by the looks of it, here to stay with improvements and innovations in time. There is an app for almost everything one wants to do now. Whether one wants daily health tips or driving directions or managing savings-expenditure or checking on weather conditions, there is an app for everything.

With more people turning to and adapting to mobile apps, give them what they are most comfortable with so that they will choose you over others !