Flipkart plans to trim store sizes by half and retain the remaining space for online business. As per a Business Today, report, the etailer also plans to convert some of the remaining areas into fulfillment centres. Walmart acquired Flipkart in 2018 for $16 billion to access India's online retail market. Its cash and carry business was taken over by Flipkart in July this year which later launched Flipkart Wholesale.
Trimming store sizes would enable Flipkart to shut a few locations and transform these into fulfillment centres. Nearly half the sales of Walmart stores in India get generated from outside the big-box stores, either through sales teams visiting B2B members for orders or via members directly ordering online.
World's biggest retailer, Walmart entered India through a partnership with Bharti Enterprises for a cash-and-carry business that allows small businesses, kirana stores and hotels to buy in bulk.