Paytm has entered multi-channel retail model by tying up with offline players in the mobile and electronic appliances sector and enabling them to list their stores on its e-commerce marketplace. Paytm has already struck deals with 5,500 stores including 4,000 brand exclusive mobile stores and 1,500 large appliance retailers as a part of its omni-channel strategy, the company said in a statement. Customers can now choose from a number of offline stores from where they wish to buy their product. Amit Bagaria, Associate Vice President, Paytm said that they will focus on mobile stores and large appliance retailers at the moment as there are a fixed set of SKUs, and that it is planning on adding more categories in the future. Paytm will also empower the offline players with analytics and data that they can use to scale up their virtual brands better. The stores can create their own content on Paytm and engage with customers in a way that their brand personality remains intact on the online domain as well. The multi-channel scenario in India and abroad A recent study conducted by marketing firm Hansa Cequity and Retailers Association of India (RAI) shows that despite the rise of e-commerce in India, nearly 74 percent of Indian consumers prefer to shop across all channels which include local retailers, modern trade outlets and online. The study, which took in responses from more than 1,386 consumers across 86 cities, confirms that three out of every four shoppers today are comfortable shopping…
