ShopClues associates with StoreKing; targets penetration in rural areas

In a move to increase brand penetration in Tier II and Tier III cities and rural areas, ShopClues, India’s first and largest managed marketplace has announced a strategic partnership with StoreKing.
In this collaboration, ShopClues’ products will be shown in the digital catalogue on the StoreKing app. Customers can browse through the catalogue at franchisees’ outlets and can make purchases with the help of an agent i.e. the local shop owners. The delivery of the product is made to the franchisee himself who, then, hands over the product to the end customer. The StoreKing agents ensure that customers get maximum assistance in their order placement as well as in cases of return, replacement, or refund requests.
The partnership aims to target under-served areas in India with low internet penetration. Due to unavailability of digital modes of access, offline consumer touch-points, payment options, banking services, delivery, and lack of trust in these geographies, the consumer interaction is significantly low as compared to urban areas. The tie-up aims to target the untouched high-potential Tier III cities and rural areas, while also increasing ShopClues’ presence in Tier II geographies.
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VP – Categories, Shopclues, Nitin Kochhar said, “The strategic alliance with StoreKing will help us expand our consumer base further to the deeper pockets of India that have a huge number of active franchisees of StoreKing. The walk-in customers will be able to experience a wide range of products with unmatched quality offered by ShopClues at a distinct price point that the brand is famous for. Moreover, assistance provided by StoreKing agents will add a unique touch to the overall consumer experience of ShopClues. With internet and online banking services still under-penetrated in India, agent-assisted models have seen a surge in recent times and we are aiming to leverage its full potential for the benefit of customers pan-India.”
Founder & CEO, StoreKing, Sridhar Gundaiah said, “We are happy to enter into this association with ShopClues which will give a significant boost to the business of our franchisees. ShopClues and StoreKing together envision a future wherein every Indian, regardless of location or other constraints has access to top quality products at competitive prices.”
ShopClues and StoreKing have ironed out several issues with the help of their pilot project and are now rolling-out their services completely in the target areas. The Rural Affiliate program which seeks to find ways to reach out to and bring a larger number of consumers to transact online is a high priority area for ShopClues as well as StoreKing. The association also ties in with the financial inclusion initiative being driven by the Government of India.
StoreKing is a leading assisted e-commerce player with a rural focus. It helps small-town retailers sell more products to walk-in customers without having to invest in working capital stock.