Flipkart adds new seller-focused features on its marketplace

Flipkart has added new features under its marketplace policies, as part of its edge phase two initiatives. The first phase catered to the seller onboarding and listing experience and the latest one will focus on improving their growth and profitability, the company said.

These changes will primarily come via three broad categories: simplifying the platform, reducing sellers’ operational costs and offering growth programs to sellers.

With an aim to bring uniformity in the portal, sellers will have to now bear only a flat shipping fee and the amount will not be adjusted based on the zone it was being sent to, as was the case earlier. The company will show a simplified rate card to its sellers by reducing at least two layers and also reflect a final settlement value, reflecting actual earnings.

Next, with these fresh initiatives the overall operating cost of sellers will be brought down by about 25%, a part of which will also be absorbed by Flipkart, the company said. That will be brought about by reducing sellers’ return costs, using tools to create a product portfolio and accepting a more wide range of packaging material.

Under its final plan to nurture sellers, it will train them under its program called ignite which will help newer sellers better understand the platform and effectively earn higher.

Some of these initiatives are already live and a large part of it will be rolled out this month while the remaining comes over two months.