Publications
Publications
- April 2016
- HBS Case Collection
Flipkart: Transitioning to a Marketplace Model
By: Sunil Gupta and Das Narayandas
Abstract
In 2015, Sachin and Binny Bansal, co-founders of India's largest e-tailer, Flipkart, announced that the company would switch to a marketplace model and move its logistics arm into a separate company. At the time of the announcement, Snapdeal already claimed to be India's largest marketplace, and Amazon and other deep-pocket traditional retail giants like Reliance, Future Group, and Tata left no stone unturned to capture market share. Was Flipkart too late in switching to a marketplace model? Was such a move even desirable? Would it threaten Flipkart's competitive advantage of superior customer service?
Keywords
E-commerce; India; Marketplaces; Market Platforms; Online Technology; Market Entry and Exit; Retail Industry; India
Citation
Gupta, Sunil, and Das Narayandas. "Flipkart: Transitioning to a Marketplace Model." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 516-095, April 2016.
About The Authors
