Flipkart Launches Amazon Prime-Like Membership Ahead Of Festive Season Sales

Flipkart on Tuesday launched its 'VIP' subscription programme, taking on Amazon's Prime membership programme as the e-commerce battle heats up ahead of festive season sales.

In a bid to offer perks and retain customers, Flipkart has priced its membership programme at Rs 499 annually and is currently available in Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Delhi-NCR.

It will offer free same-day and next-day delivery, returns within 48 hours, and access to a separate customer support team, among other perks.

While Flipkart is not foraying into content, like Amazon with its Prime Video platform, it is extending benefits from other group companies to its customers. The membership offers discounts on all products across the Flipkart group, including Cleartrip, Myntra, Flipkart Wholesale, and Health+, among others.

The new launch by the Walmart-owned company is separate from the existing loyalty programmes, Flipkart Plus and Plus Premium.

Amazon's Prime membership also offers free one-day delivery, along with early access to special deals. It also provides membership for its Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Reading, and gaming platforms.

The launch by Flipkart comes ahead of the festive season in India, when flash sales through e-commerce marketplaces have become a common sight. According to Redseer, the one-month-long festive season running from the first week of October to Diwali could see as many as 14 crore shoppers and sales worth Rs 90,000 crore across platforms.