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On-demand delivery major Swiggy is working on a Shopify-like platform called Minis, which will enable small businesses and D2C brands to set up an online shop.
A source close to the company told BusinessLine that Swiggy has run a pilot of this product in Mumbai, a few months back. In an internal communication, the company executives said Minis will target business owners such as bakers, craftspeople, undiscovered brands and social media favourites among others-- in short, people who still do not sell on apps.
Talking about the gap in this space, the company’s email noted that the D2C shopping experience itself is “plagued with the limitations of multiple DMs (direct messages), failed payments, no way to track and of course clunky websites.”
The app description noted that Swiggy will offer the platform on zero commissions to small businesses. The company has opened the platform for stores across categories including personal care, pet essentials, jewelry, home and decor, patisserie, electronics, and home chefs, among many others.
Order delivery
On Minis, order delivery can be handled by the business or through shipping platform Shippigo, which is said to have over 12 delivery partners including Delhivery, DTDC, and Ekart among others. Some of the brands already listed on Minis include Patisserie brand Baked In BLR, French cafe La Roi, jewellery store NakhreWaali, electronics company Pebble, and packaged food company The Whole Truth Foods, among others.
Earlier this month, Amazon also announced the launch of a similar e-commerce enablement platform Smart Commerce which will help in digitisation of local stores. ‘Commenting on the growing interest in ecommerce enablement space, the CEO of Dukaan, Suumit Shah said, “There are 3200 players in this space globally. Shopify’s success has proved the huge potential of this space, at its peak in July 2021, Shopify had crossed $200 billion valuation in the stock market. Entry of players like Swiggy and Amazon is again a huge validation of the market.”
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