Amazon India rolls out low-cost, unbranded vertical under Bazaar

Amazon India has launched a new vertical called Bazaar featuring low-priced, unbranded fashion and lifestyle products. The segment went live on Amazon India’s Android app.

To a select cohort of users, it’s being placed prominently on the app, people aware of the plan said.

ET was the first to report in its February 21 edition that the ecommerce major was onboarding sellers to list unbranded products — including apparel, watches, shoes, jewellery and luggage — priced below Rs 600.

After a quick review of Bazaar on Amazon by ET, the delivery estimates for Prime users is around 4-5 days. Amazon was expected to have longer timelines for delivery for this vertical as these are low-cost items where users typically do not prioritise fast deliveries.

An Amazon India spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to ET’s query on Saturday.

Why does it matter?

The latest move to launch Amazon Bazaar pits it directly against SoftBank-backed Meesho which has been gaining ground in the low-cost ecommerce space. Flipkart runs a separate app for similar offerings under Shopsy.Bazaar will potentially open up an avenue for Amazon to acquire new customers in India.

Amazon India is more popular among urban users who are also Prime subscribers, which offers faster deliveries along with video and music streaming.

A January report from research firm Bernstein said Amazon India clocked only 13% user growth in December 2023 — primarily due to more premium offerings than peers. In 2022, Amazon acquired a social commerce startup Glowroad, which focuses on resellers.

Like other online marketplaces, the etailer has also been experimenting and scaling its live commerce vertical in India — to shore up engagement with consumers.