Amazon India launches Multi-Seller Flex

Amazon India has announced the launch of ‘Multi-Seller Flex' (MSF) ahead of Prime Day, allowing sellers from tier 2 and lower towns to earn a Prime badge for their listings. Sellers who use MSF will benefit from this launch because they will have access to millions of Prime members.

Multi-Seller Flex fulfillment centers are run by authorized third-party service providers (Local Entrepreneurs). As part of the program, Amazon India has collaborated with local entrepreneurs to provide sellers with inventory storage and order processing, while Amazon will provide shipping and logistics support for seller shipments.

With this launch, sellers will be able to collaborate with local entrepreneurs to send their products to the nearest MSF site, where they will be available to customers across the country. Using the nearest MSF allows sellers to save money on transportation costs associated with sending products to Amazon Fulfillment Centres (FCs) located outside of their city.

This program will benefit small sellers who require assistance in storing inventory and processing customer orders. Thousands of sellers from approximately 100 tier-2 and below towns, including Kottayam, Panipat, Nellore, Valsad, Hisar, and many more, are already using MSF and will participate in the upcoming Prime Day on July 26 and 27, 2021.

“With a higher number of sellers joining ecommerce from tier 2 and below cities, we are partnering with third-party service providers who can benefit from the revenues they earn for owning and operating Multi-Seller Flex sites, to enable sellers from tier 2 and below to access Amazon Prime benefits to sell to customers across the country," said Srikant Sreeram, Director, Seller Flex at Amazon India.

The launch of MSF will also reduce the time to launch sellers’ products on the marketplace significantly and will also help in eliminating significant operational costs. These benefits can help support and drive the digitization of SMBs that seek to access and service a wide customer base through the online marketplace,” he added.

“This launch will enable Amazon to offer customers a wider Prime selection and faster deliveries for Prime members, while enabling entrepreneurship and creation of thousands of indirect jobs in tier 2 and below geographies,” he further added.

"The Multi-Seller Flex program has allowed us to secure a Prime badge for our products. This program has resulted in faster deliveries to customers - which in turn has increased the number of orders we receive. Having an MSF site in Kottayam has limited operational costs associated with transporting and warehousing, enabling us to earn higher profits," Shruti K Prince, Proprietor, Rainte.

"In addition, having Amazon’s world-class logistics and support network to manage deliveries has allowed us to focus on product innovation, while our other business processes run seamlessly,” she added.

Local entrepreneurs benefit from this program and generate additional revenue streams while also playing an important role in raising awareness and understanding of e-commerce.

They will also be able to expand their businesses by participating in other Amazon programs such as Amazon Easy, which provides customers with an assisted shopping experience, or by establishing Amazon Digital Kendra, a brick and mortar resource center that will provide micro, small, and medium-sized businesses with the opportunity to learn about the benefits of eCommerce and to access a variety of third-party services such as shipping and logistics support, cataloging assistance, digital marketing services, GST and taxation support.

“Partnering with Amazon India to set up a Multi-Seller Flex site has allowed me to earn an additional source of income and support a team of 10 individuals. As an MSF operator, I have been able to support small businesses around Madurai and Tirunelveli to sell their products across the country, creating jobs and supporting the local economy. It is humbling to witness the impact of this program in the lives of other individuals residing in Madurai,” said Chandru, Managing Partner, Sri Abirami Logistics.

The said Prime Day, over 100 small and medium-sized businesses, including startups and brands, women entrepreneurs, artisans, and weavers, will launch over 2,400 new products across categories, as well as 75,000+ local neighborhood offline shops on Amazon, which will make their Prime Day debut.

Amazon will continue to empower and support lakhs of Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) in their efforts to recover from economic disruption and generate customer demand for products offered by lakhs of sellers, manufacturers, start-ups and brands, women entrepreneurs, artisans and weavers, and local shops.

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