As India unlocks, Amazon lines up Small Business Days mega sale

As India unlocks after a devastating second wave of Covid-19 infections, Amazon has lined up a three-day mega sale in India to take advantage of an anticipated surge in consumer spends. The firm will host Amazon Small Business Days (SBD), starting July 2, 2021, through 11:59 PM on July 4, 2021. 

The event is being organised to help sellers recover from business losses experienced during the second wave of Covid-19, the Seattle headquartered ecommerce firm said in a statement on Wednesday. 

It said the three-day online sale would help generate demand for the unique and differentiated selection of products offered by lakhs of sellers, manufacturers, startups and brands, women entrepreneurs, artisans and weavers, and local shops. Deals and offers will be available on products across categories including immunity boosters, monsoon essentials, at-home fitness supplies and regional handicrafts.  

Some key offers during the sale will include 5-10% discounts on diverse products and an extra 5% off when buying two or higher quantities.  

Customers will also be able to avail of products from thematic stores related to Covid-19 protection essentials -- ‘Work from Home’, ‘Back to Work’ and weekly replenish cycle products for hassle-free product discovery and shopping experience. 

The previous edition of Small Business Days was held in December 2020, which the company claimed benefited 55,000 sellers with orders from over 4,000 pincodes. About 2,000 sellers had witnessed all-time highest sales during the event, the company added in the statement.

Earlier this week, the Indian government proposed tighter controls for ecommerce platforms in the country. The Department of Consumer Affairs sought comments on amendments to the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020. The amendments require all ecommerce entities operating in India to register with the Department for Industry and Internal trade (DPIIT) apart from appointing an Indian citizen as chief compliance officer, nodal officer and grievance officer for such platforms. 

Read: Tighter controls proposed for ecommerce platforms

In April, Amazon’s incoming CEO Andy Jassy and India head Amit Agarwal announced several new initiatives for Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups. The firm launched a $250 million fund, dubbed Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund, to support startups digitising SMBs and in the healthcare and agritech sectors. It also announced the Spotlight Northeast programme, which aims to promote regional handicrafts and products.