e-commerce
Product Videos boost sales on Snapdeal – 30% rise in sales for listings with videos; small sellers gain
MUMBAI: Snapdeal, India’s leading online marketplace, has added a wide range of product videos on its app. Placed under ‘SD TV’, the ten-second short videos showcase key features and utility of the featured products.
Snapdeal is focused on the needs of value-conscious buyers in India. Over the past two years, it has vastly expanded the range of value-priced merchandize, including popular regional brands and seller-branded products, which directly fulfill the price & functionality needs of the audience.
To help buyers make an engaging and informed buying decision for these products, Snapdeal has launched videos of these products, which helps users get access to high-quality visuals of the product from all angles. More than 75% of Snapdeal’s buyers are from Tier 2 & 3 cities and the product videos help overcome language and literacy barriers.
“We have created a huge & growing library of short-format videos to help users get an enhanced idea about the functionality of a product, which is quite important given that a significant number of products that we sell may be lesser known seller-brands or a product that has consumer has never seen before,” said a Snapdeal spokesperson.
The videos also help buyers discover new and interesting products, which is aligned with Snapdeal’s positioning to provide a fun and engaging discovery-led online experience for its users.
“Videos have helped us drive sales. Ten-second videos of products are far more captivating and help buyers to make decisions faster than static pictures of the products concerned,” added Snapdeal spokesperson. The product videos have boosted sales of featured products by an average of 30%.
The product videos are a boon for seller brands given that they cannot afford to showcase their products in expensive advertisements in print and on TV. Snapdeal not only provides a platform for them to showcase their products better but also shoots the videos for them.
The market for value-priced merchandize is worth nearly USD 163 billion and only about 1-2% of this is online, compared to the 10-40% online penetration for branded products like mobiles, electronics, etc.
Popular products include USB air coolers, 14-in-1 choppers, compact shoe racks, mobile phone stand with a magnifier for the bigger screen experience etc.
More than 70 million users visit Snapdeal every month to browse through and buy from nearly 200 million SKUs listed by nearly 500,000 registered sellers. In the last two years alone, the company has seen 60,000+ new seller partners come on board adding over 50 Million new listings.
e-commerce
Flipkart rolls out 105 per cent bonus for 20,000 employees
Strong FY25 performance drives payouts even as layoffs and shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: In a year where belts were tightened and rewards loosened, Flipkart seems to be playing both offence and defence trimming roles on one hand while handing out a generous 105 per cent bonus on the other. The Walmart owned e commerce major has rolled out a 105 per cent bonus payout for 2025, covering nearly 20,000 employees, signalling a year of steady operational momentum even as the company navigates restructuring pressures. The payout, communicated internally by chief human resources officer Seema Nair, is tied to performance across key metrics including growth, operational efficiency, financial outcomes and people indicators, a combination that suggests the company is inching closer to its long stated goal of sustainable profitability.
Employees at SD level and below are set to receive their bonuses in March, while payouts for senior leadership, including vice presidents and senior vice presidents, will follow after the close of the performance cycle. The elevated 105 per cent multiplier stands out in a sector where cautious payouts have increasingly become the norm, pointing to what appears to be a relatively strong internal scorecard for FY25.
Yet, the announcement arrives with a noticeable contrast. Earlier this year, Flipkart reduced its workforce by around 300 roles as part of its annual performance review process. While officially framed as performance driven, the juxtaposition of layoffs alongside above target bonuses reflects a more nuanced balancing act, one that prioritises cost discipline while continuing to reward and retain high performing talent.
This dual approach is becoming increasingly common across the technology and e commerce landscape, where companies are navigating an uneven hiring environment while under pressure to deliver profitability. Rewarding top contributors, even amid selective workforce reductions, allows firms to maintain morale and retain critical talent without losing sight of financial prudence.
At the same time, Flipkart is also undergoing leadership shifts that hint at a broader strategic recalibration. Nishant Verman has been appointed senior vice president for corporate development and partnerships, while group chief financial officer Sriram Venkataraman is set to step down. Ravi Iyer will take on expanded responsibilities within the finance function, marking a reshuffle at the top as the company gears up for its next phase.
These changes come amid reports that Flipkart is planning to shift its holding structure back to India, a move widely interpreted as groundwork for a potential public listing. While timelines remain fluid, the combination of stronger financial discipline, leadership restructuring and employee incentivisation suggests a company preparing itself for greater scrutiny and scale.
For employees, the 105 per cent payout offers a welcome boost in what has otherwise been a period of adjustment. For Flipkart, it is a signal that even as it cuts where necessary, it is willing to spend where it counts. In the high stakes game of growth versus profitability, the company appears to be hedging its bets carefully, rewarding performance while reshaping itself for what could be its most defining chapter yet.
