The toy story begins at Flipkart

India's largest e-com venture Flipkart.com has recently added a toy section to its product portfolio. The development comes after the company launched lifestyle-related product verticals like health & beauty, watches, and belts, bags & luggage only a few weeks ago.

Flipkart had launched its digital music store Flyte in February this year before expanding into pens & stationery, home appliances and perfumes. The latest inclusion means Flipkart now deals in products across 15 categories.

The toy section is split into 12 sub-categories like block construction, dolls & doll houses, educational games, outdoor toys, puzzle & board games, remote control toys and more. Those interested can further explore the sub-categories and search for toys by preferred brands or even characters. One can also search for products by price range, age and suitability (for girls or boys). Product prices range between Rs 99 and Rs 19,000.

In an earlier interaction with Techcircle.in, Flipkart's vice-president (marketing) Ravi Vora said, "Going forward, we will continue to expand the range of products available on Flipkart. Everything except groceries and automobiles are fair game for us.

"Our aim is to make online shopping an attractive destination for offline shoppers as well. While we expand our portfolio of products, our key consideration is to maintain the quality of customer service we are known for, and not compromise that in our quest for growth," he added.

With Flipkart entering the toy segment, the move is bound to impact e-businesses in the same space – namely, e-com sites like Toytango, Kidloo, Redbell, Wowkart and Wopshop. Sites like FirstCry and BabyOye, which are into baby products business, and general e-com firms who also sell toys, such as Indiaplaza and Homeshop18, will also face stiff competition.

Considering how 'Brand Flipkart' has fared till date, it is bound to have an edge over the others. Plus, the latest entrant in the toy segment has an impressive SKU and attractive product presentation that will surely gain traction. What it will sell next, one simply wonders. Keep watching this space and we will keep you updated on Flipkart's latest initiatives.