Amazon and Flipkart’s Big Sales Spark Protests from Small Retailers in India
Major e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart have announced their biggest sales of the year, leading to protests from retail trade bodies. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) accuses these platforms of unethical practices, claiming that deep discounts harm small retailers.
CAIT National President, B.C. Bhartia, stated, “These discounts are aimed at attracting consumers, they flagrantly violate rules governing fair trade and pricing. Such excessive discounting not only distorts market competition but also creates an uneven playing field, particularly harming smaller retailers and businesses that cannot compete with these deep discounts.”
Amazon’s Vice President of Categories, Saurabh Srivastava, expressed excitement for the upcoming sale, highlighting the participation of 16 lakh sellers. He said, “We are super excited about the upcoming Amazon Great Indian Festival. Last year, it was our biggest festival sale ever, and this year we are expecting it to be the biggest ever again. We have 16 lakh sellers and brand partners who are ready with their best offers. Never seen before prices across electronics, mobile, fashion, health, beauty, and grocery.”
However, small businesses argue that such discounts create an uneven playing field, especially during the festive season when their businesses would traditionally thrive. They claim that the steep discounts offered by major e-commerce platforms make it difficult for them to compete, as they often lack the resources to match the offers made by large online retailers.
Doubts Revealed
Amazon -: Amazon is a big online shopping website where you can buy many things like books, clothes, and electronics.
Flipkart -: Flipkart is another big online shopping website in India, similar to Amazon, where you can buy many things.
Big Sales -: Big Sales are special times when online stores sell items at lower prices than usual to attract more customers.
Protests -: Protests are when people gather to show they are unhappy about something and want it to change.
Small Retailers -: Small retailers are small shops or businesses that sell things to people, usually in local markets or neighborhoods.
E-commerce platforms -: E-commerce platforms are websites where you can buy and sell things online, like Amazon and Flipkart.
Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) -: The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) is a group that represents small shop owners and traders in India.
Unethical practices -: Unethical practices are actions that are unfair or wrong, like selling things at very low prices to hurt small shops.
Deep discounts -: Deep discounts are very big price cuts on items, making them much cheaper than usual.
Vice President -: A Vice President is a high-ranking official in a company who helps make important decisions.
Saurabh Srivastava -: Saurabh Srivastava is a person who works as a Vice President at Amazon.
16 lakh sellers -: 16 lakh sellers means 1.6 million people or businesses that sell things on Amazon.
Uneven playing field -: An uneven playing field means that the competition is not fair, and some people have an advantage over others.
Festive season -: Festive season is a time of the year when there are many festivals and celebrations, like Diwali in India.