Amazon inducts small sellers through city-based platforms

Amazon India has opened a city-specific platform for small sellers looking to go online. The service, live in Bangalore, allows home entrepreneurs and small sellers in fashion jewelry and ethnic apparel space to display their products to buyers within the city.

The program makes it easier for small sellers to register through smart phones. It also includes peer-to-peer sale of pre-owned products, using the sell as an individual option. Amazon has opened up the program for individual sellers as well as home entrepreneurs in the fashion accessories and ethnic apparel categories. About 600 sellers and home entrepreneurs have registered with Amazon over one-and-a-half months. The selection will go on to include home décor and other categories.

A buyer registered with a Bangalore address has visibility to products from local sellers. These are mostly small sellers. Fulfillment of orders is done using Amazon India's logistics network, which picks and packages the product. Products are delivered within three to five days and all payments are released to sellers as they are small entrepreneurs and need working capital. The methods of payment are similar to what is offered on the Amazon India website, including cash on delivery and Amazon Pay.

The city-based service helps small sellers leverage discoverability on the Amazon platform with a fixed fee structure, starting at Rs 10 as commission for transactions below Rs 1,000.