WILL FLIPKART'S BET ON GEN Z FASHION PAY OFF?

The e-commerce giant has seen its market share in fashion wear contract amid the rise of rivals Meesho and Ajio

- Sowmya Ramasubramanian

File photo of a worker scanning packages for dispatch at a Flipkart fulfilment centre on the outskirts of Bengaluru, on 10 September 2024.

(AFP)

Garima, a 38-year-old homemaker in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, used to navigate the virtual aisles of Flipkart with the ease of a seasoned online shopper.

For years, the blue-and-yellow banner was her family's gateway for all kinds of apparel, from school shoes for her two children to festive kurtas for her husband. Flipkart was a reliable, big-city name offering variety at her fingertips.

But by 2020, the familiar listings on Flipkart started to feel limited. The prices, once appealing, seemed less so as her children started rapidly outgrowing their clothes. For a short while, she switched back to purchasing apparel from the local market in Lucknow.

Then came Meesho. Suddenly, Garima found herself once again scrolling through a wide array of options, often from local sellers, at prices that made her budget-conscious heart sing. "To be frank, I don't care if it's a big brand or not," Garima says over a phone call. "My kids are growing so fast. I just need cheaper clothes of decent quality. Why pay more for a name they'll outgrow in six months?"

Garima's pivot is more than just a personal shopping preference—it's a symbol of a seismic shift in online purchase patterns occurring across India's metro and non-metro markets. For years now, Flipkart has been dominating the online shopping landscape, transforming the shopping habits of millions across categories, especially fashion. But now, as customers like Garima prioritize affordability and variety over brand names, Flipkart finds its grip on the fashion category slipping.