Amazon to Flipkart Clash in India’s Nascent E-Commerce Market
Craigslist could learn a thing or two from Quikr. The Indian equivalent of the free classifieds service publishes product ratings, handles payments and shipping and — crucially — releases payment only after a buyer gives their purchase a once-over and a virtual thumbs-up.
In so doing, the site that lists for sale everything from smartphones to cars is trying to solve problems familiar to every local flea-market bargain-hunter: the typically loud and messy business of haggling, unwieldy transport, and a distrust of smaller merchants. The app’s manifold services illustrate the extent to which local companies have to innovate and tailor their approaches in a hyper competitive market.