Walmart’s own Flipkart announced a series of measures on Friday, including waiving various fees paid by sellers to help small and medium-sized businesses in the deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Flipkart has exempted storage fees to help curb a seller’s inventory impact, which is delivered through Flipkart’s fulfillment centers, the e-commerce major said in a statement.
The company is also waiving the cancellation fee until May 31, 2021 on orders that may have been canceled due to lockdowns in various states.
In addition, Flipkart will carry a 100 percent COVID insurance premium that will be extended to all sellers and will cover hospital stays and consultations between Rs 50,000 and Rs 3 lakhs.
“During these test periods, it is our constant endeavor to support our vendor partners who are facing enormous operational challenges due to the pandemic. As a democratic market, we want to ensure that our lakhs of vendor partners are able to continue operations and maintain the economic The engine is running, “said Flipkart Senior Director and Head Marketplace Jagjeet Harode.
These initiatives were put in place to give sellers the much-needed respite to keep their businesses active, he added.
Flipkart has also expanded the window for the Seller Protection Fund (SPF), within which sellers must claim SPF for returned products – from the regular 14 days to now 30 days. The company will continue to simplify policies and performance metrics for its sellers to ensure their business growth is not hampered by government-led lockdowns.
The record number of COVID-19 cases per day in the second wave has put a strain on the country’s health infrastructure.
Many states have announced lockdowns and curfews to address the situation and influence businesses. Most states have allowed e-commerce companies to operate and only allow essential items such as groceries and medicines to be shipped.
Live television
#mute
