Bhubaneswar, September 27, 2023 – Bhubaneswar is at the forefront of a remarkable transformation through the ‘Local Shops on Amazon’ program. Local shop owners in Bhubaneswar are embracing this initiative across various categories, including wireless accessories, home & kitchen, health & personal care, lawn & garden, apparel, musical instruments, furniture, and more.
Introduced in 2020, ‘Local Shops on Amazon’ has become a thriving platform, boasting an extensive network of more than 300,000 brick-and-mortar retailers and neighbourhood shops spanning across 344 cities. This impressive presence encompasses not only major metropolises but also tier 2 and tier 3 cities. Notably, this includes a robust contingent of 3700+ stores from the vibrant state of Odisha, with a widespread presence in key cities like Bhubaneswar, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Puri, Nabarangapur and Boudh. These dedicated sellers cater to a diverse array of customer needs, offering an expansive selection of products that spans across various categories, including health & personal care, lawn & garden, grocery, book, wireless accessories, biss, pet products and video games to name just a few.
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Cities in Odisha with highest number of Local Shops sellers |
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Top selling product categories in Odisha from Local Shops sellers |
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With Indian festive season round the corner, there is a huge opportunity for Local Shop owners to grow their business online as there will be a surge in demand for festive and related products. In the recently concluded, Prime Day 2023, Small and Medium Businesses (SMB) saw a strong sale as SMBs on Amazon.in received 20 orders every second and over 90,000 SMB sellers received orders from Prime members across 19,000+ pin codes in India. By taking advantage of the increased demand, traffic, and special offers, MSMEs can boost their sales and reach new customers.
Abhishek Jain, Head, Local Shops, Amazon India, said, “I am truly inspired by the remarkable transformation happening in Odisha through the ‘Local Shops on Amazon’ program. It’s not just a program; it’s a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of local shop owners, who have embraced this initiative and witnessed exceptional growth. Their journey from offline to online, powered by Amazon’s tools and support, is a testament to the endless possibilities of digital commerce. We’re proud to bring the benefits of e-commerce to offline retailers and neighbourhood stores, allowing them to reach customers far and wide while preserving the essence of local businesses. Bhubaneswar is at the forefront of this revolution, and we are excited to see how technology is empowering local entrepreneurs to thrive in the digital age.”
Offline retailers, and Neighbourhood stores embrace technology to become digital entrepreneurs.
Devendra Behera, the proud owner of ‘Smileseller,’ a renowned home decor store located in Khorda town of Bhubaneswar, Odisha is among the 3700+ offline retailers and neighbourhood stores from Odisha who have registered as sellers on the ‘Local Shops on Amazon’ program. This initiative brings the advantages of e-commerce to offline retailers and neighbourhood stores, supplementing their existing foot traffic with a strong digital presence on Amazon.in, thus expanding their reach. Customers can now discover products from trusted and beloved neighbourhood stores within Bhubaneswar from the comfort of their homes, thanks to this program. Local shops are transitioning into digital stores, and 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 other fulfilment programs offered by Amazon, such as Easy Ship and Seller Flex, to further expand their businesses within Bhubaneswar and across various locations in India.
Devendra Behera’s inspiring journey began in 2020 when he started selling home decor items as an accomplished interior designer. As an accomplished interior designer himself, he recognized the shortage of decor products in his small town. Consequently, he took the initiative to establish his store. At the suggestion of his customers, Devendra expanded to online sales, serving not only locals but also their relatives in nearby cities who lacked options for purchasing similar items. His motivation was to ensure that his community had swift access to interior items without high waiting times for delivery. To facilitate this mission, he enrolled in the Amazon Local Shops program, allowing him to personally oversee the delivery of bulky items through his dedicated delivery personnel, with a primary emphasis on achieving one-day delivery with a Prime tag after getting a call from local shops team.
Over the span of 2.5 years, Devendra witnessed remarkable growth in his business, primarily attributable to the one-day delivery feature. This translated into an impressive tally of over 1500 orders per year, predominantly comprising LED lights and mirrors, chairs, curtains, showpieces, and other such items.
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