Compared to the same period last year, Flipkart's Big Billion Days, which ended in October this year, saw 70 percent e-commerce adoption by kiranas across the country.

During the Big Billion Days, the number of kirana members on Flipkart Wholesale increased by 30 percent and sales went up to 1.8X from cities like Bhopal, Kota, Lucknow, and Zirakpur. Flipkart Wholesale's General Merchandize category experienced a 124 percent spike in purchases, followed by grocery, which saw a 50 percent increase in demand, and fashion, which saw a 24 percent increase in demand.

Over 45 percent of Flipkart Wholesale's member base were transacted online, with 35 percent opting for self-service, indicating a shift in trend to digital commerce for B2B as they overcame trust and convenience concerns with e-commerce. The marketplace also saw a 50 percent increase in daily delivery.

During the festive event, over 500,000 kiranas from 10,000 pin codes across 24 states and union territories shopped on the site and at Flipkart Wholesale Best Price stores.

About 150,000 kiranas were granted about 14 days' interest-free credit through an end-to-end digital process and Buy Now Pay Later option with credit lines ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25 lakh offered in cooperation with Banks and Fintech lenders through Flipkart Wholesale's credit support. During the Big Billion Days, the platform was able to facilitate credit worth Rs 165 crore for users across categories with the help of its banks and financial services partners.

Over 5,400 customers claimed GST advantages on their wholesale purchases during the Big Billion Days, thanks to the use of e-commerce by offices and institutes.

Flipkart Wholesale, which launched in 2020, quickly expanded its scope to serve kiranas and MSMEs, including those in smaller towns across the country. The platform provides a diverse range of options across categories, covering the whole spectrum of customer needs, including fashion, groceries, and general products.

Flipkart Wholesale takes advantage of the Flipkart Group's experience, industry knowledge, and digital capabilities to better serve kiranas and merchants. They are increasingly turning to e-commerce as a means of making purchases. Flipkart Wholesale has around 1.5 million members in India, including kiranas, HoReCa (hotels, restaurants, and cafeterias), and O&I (offices and restaurants) (offices and institutions).

"Our technology-first strategy that assists small businesses in growing has resulted in increasing e-commerce adoption and accelerated the pace of digitization”, states Adarsh Menon, senior vice president and head, Flipkart Wholesale.

"In the long run, the advantages of a more resilient and self-reliant B2B eco-system enabled by digitization will be felt. With this, we hope to improve our value proposition for kiranas and retailers through digitization”, adds Mr.Menon.