Wooplr launches hyperlocal discovery: After e-commerce, is Local commerce going to be the next big thing in India?

Indian Retail Industry is currently estimated at US$ 490 billion, in which only 10% of the consumers buys online, and the rest 90% of the consumers spend their time and money offline. More than $800 million have been invested in Indian startups like Flipkart, Snapdeal, Bigbasket etc who primarily concentrate on online retail across different categories like FMCG, fashion, grocery e-tailing etc.There are huge opportunities and problems to be solved in the offline retail.

Problems in the Offline Retail

The Solution

Wooplr, a Bangalore based startup, started in 2011 by four ex-McAfee employees helps people discover new products from stores around them through genuine recommendations from friends and other social influencers through an app. Also, Wooplr helps these businesses with a credible online presence and provides them a platform to reach out to new customers through word of mouth marketing. Wooplr provides the most relevant products from the right place at the right time.

Hyperlocal Discovery

Wooplr has launched a new feature called 'Nearby', on their Android app. This feature helps users locate the best places to shop and eat, near to them. The ‘Nearby’ feature on the app shows the users what's good nearby them, based on information from friends, shopaholics & foodies. The feature comes with a search option which allows users to look up specific products based on their choice. This feature ultimately helps the users to decide 'What, Where & How' while shopping or eating out.

For example, if a user is looking for perfect heels, a search on Wooplr will show the user the best heeled shoes recommended by shoppers within a 2 km radius. If the user finds the perfect fit, she can call, message or email the store directly and get more details.

This app, by enabling ‘Hyperlocal discovery’, is showing users a glimpse of the future of shopping with options at their fingertips. The feature is portrayed on a map which makes it much easier to locate where each recommendation has come from in the list of choices offered. It is a taste of what new age shopping apps will feel like. There’s not much one is left wanting: any information or queries - the nearby feature seals the deal, doing a thorough sweep.

Believing that 'Hyperlocal' is a huge market, Ankit Sabharwal, Wooplr Co-founder, who heads the mobile and front-end division claimed,

"We believe this feature will change the way people discover products. There is no equivalent in the industry right now."

Wooplr's ‘ Nearby’ feature is currently available only on its Android app. It is expected to be rolled out soon in their iOS & Windows Phone app.

After e-Commerce, is Local Commerce going to be the next big thing in India? What do you think?

Do try out Wooplr’s Nearby feature and share your feedback with us here.