Flipkart Wholesale introduces grocery section on its app

The new category will be available to retailers in Gurugram for now.

Flipkart Big Saving Days sale (REUTERS)

Flipkart Wholesale, the digital B2B arm of Flipkart Group, on Wednesday announced that the platform will also offer grocery on its app. The company said the move will help provide kiranas and small retailers one-stop access to a wide selection of products.

As a start, the grocery category will be available to retailers in Gurugram who can order products from the Flipkart Wholesale app. The expansion to other parts of the National Capital Region and other cities will take place over the next few months.

Using the Wholesale app, retailers will be able to order staples, personal care, beverages, cleaning & laundry, snacks & biscuits and packaged food products across over 350 brands which include products from leading companies such as HUL, P&G, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, ITC, Nestle, Dabur, among others.

Flipkart Wholesale further said that it would also operate 1 lakh square feet fulfilment centre in Bilaspur, Gurugram to better serve kiranas.

“We are very excited to add the grocery category on our platform and believe this will be a game-changer for kiranas and small retailers who can now leverage technology to order products online with convenience and grow their businesses. With this launch, we will also boost MSME suppliers and give regional grocery brands a fillip through a pan-India supply chain integration. By leveraging the strong merchandising experience and brand relationships of our Best Price cash-and-carry business, we are confident that Flipkart Wholesale will prove to be a catalyst in the growth and prosperity of kiranas and MSMEs who are the backbone of India's retail ecosystem,” said Adarsh Menon, Senior Vice President and Head - Flipkart Wholesale.

Flipkart had started the wholesale e-commerce service in India in September last year. The platform debuted with fashion category and catered to select cities such as Bengaluru, Gurugram, and Delhi.

The wholesale category is gradually gaining traction in the country. Udaan and Amazon are some of the top players in the segment. Flipkart Wholesale, however, appears to have done well in this space. According to a December release from the company, Flipkart Wholesale recorded 75% month-on-month growth in customer base and a 90% month-on-month growth in transactions since launch in September.