Amazon India makes traditional local shops go digital ahead of Republic Day

Ahead of the 75th Republic Day, over 10,000 local stores in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Delhi have embraced digital transformation through the Local Shops initiative by Amazon India.

According to a statement by Amazon India, the Local Shops programme will provide "a seamless and immersive shopping experience, blending the reliability of in-person shopping with the convenience of online platforms".

Customers can browse and buy from a range of offerings from India's traditional markets—all within the Amazon India platform. 

Among these are the brick-and-mortar stores of Mumbai's Zaveri Bazaar; Delhi's Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazaar, Lajpat Nagar, and Karol Bagh; Kolhapur's Mahadwar Road, and Gujarat's vibrant markets have undergone a digital makeover, expanding their reach and offerings on the ecommerce platform.

Stores like Belsui Clothing, Kiyana Enterprise, and Alaayana from Gujarat are also listed. 

"We are excited to witness the widespread expansion of the Local Shops on Amazon programme nationwide. Over the past two years, the initiative has successfully brought on board more than three lakh brick-and-mortar retailers, local offline stores, and neighbourhood shops across 344 cities across India," said Abhishek Jain, Head of Local Shops, Amazon India.

"These businesses have seamlessly transitioned into online selling on Amazon.in, reaping the benefits of the digital marketplace," he added.

He continued that the impact observed on a national scale underscores the transformative power of digital enablement for countless offline retailers, micro-entrepreneurs, and small businesses, fostering their transition into the digital economy.

Through this initiative, Amazon India aims to transition one million local offline retailers and neighbourhood stores to online platforms by 2025.