Myntra bets big on growth through app-only format

While rivals have expressed concerns over Myntra’s move to the app-only format, the Flipkart-owned fashion portal is positive about driving growth through the mobile app. Its Chief Technology Officer Shamik Sharma is certain that with rising number of consumers using mobile app to shop, sales would witness an increase in the near future. However, rival ecom players feel since consumers usually prefer comparing products over different websites before making final purchase, moving to app only maybe a risky business proposition.

While Myntra pulled shutters on its web-store in May, its parent company Flipkart is also said to be in the process of following the same route by September, this year. Sharma joined Myntra in 2012 from Lytro Inc, where he worked as VP-software. He had also served as senior VP-engineering and co-CEO at RockYou. Since Myntra is keen to strengthen its expertise in the data science and image processing to improve customer experience, Sharma would play a major role in accomplishing the mission.

As per Sharma, app-only is the way forward for online firms since in a couple of years, India would become predominantly a mobile only country. And the success of this format is already visible in numbers reported by the company, he says. While return orders have become an issue, Myntra has made the process easier for its customers. It allows the visitor to switch to another product through its app or one can click a picture of a poor quality product and send it through the app and the entire money is refunded.

On the company’s agenda is to simplify and enhance mobile specific buying experience, strengthening the team, capabilities and data science and image processing. It has also launched ‘open and buy’ option in many cities and in the process of launching an alteration facility in Bangalore at a nominal fee.