India-based eCommerce marketplace Paytm Mall wants to work more closely with regional retailers and team up with eCommerce grocery service BigBasket to compete with Flipkart and Amazon, according to recent Reuters reports. It is currently the third-largest company competing in the country’s retail space.
“We are in the process of integrating BigBasket on our app,” said Amit Sinha, Paytm Mall’s chief operating officer. “When we talk about partnerships there will be brand partnerships, there will be retail partnerships — and not only with pan-India retail chains like Big Bazaar but also with regional, local city-based brands.”
In the case that Paytm Mall needs a “strategic alignment,” the company would consider purchasing a stake in a retailer or selling a stake in its own firm. Sinha would not comment on reports that Paytm Mall wanted to purchase a minority stake of Future Retail, however. That firm owns fashion shops as well as Big Bazaar.
Paytm Mall’s news comes as Amazon is rolling out expanded grocery delivery in cities in the U.S. and additional New York City neighborhoods. Delivery through its Prime Now offering was launched in Columbus, Dayton, Greater Washington, D.C., Portland and several areas of New York City, including Chelsea, Greenwich Village, Murray Hill and Union Square, the eCommerce giant said in an announcement.
“We’ve been delighted with the customer response to delivery in as little as an hour through Prime Now, and we’re excited to bring the service to our customers,” said Christina Minardi, executive vice president of operations for Amazon-owned Whole Foods Market. “Just in time for back-to-school shopping, grocery delivery from Whole Foods Market makes getting ready for the new school year with healthy snacks and lunches even more convenient.”
The service, which allows Prime members to have items delivered in as soon as an hour, is currently available in 28 cities from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The company plans for “continued expansion across the U.S. throughout 2018.”