Future Group, Big Bazaar’s parent company, has decided to make it’s “Sabse Saste Din” Sale available on Amazon.in. Sabse Saste Din is Big Bazaar’s Republic Day sale held every year for five to six days and features heavy discounts on a wide range of products. Here are the highlights:
- The Sabse Saste Din sale will be available on both Big Bazaar outlets and on Amazon’s marketplace through a web store.
- Products ordered on the Amazon.in will be delivered through Future Group’s outlets and warehouses.
- The move reflects the broadening of the alliance between Future Group and Amazon which started last year.
What’s the Sale?
The “Sabse Saste Din” sales are the biggest discounting event from Big Bazaar. In fact, it’s the biggest discount event from its parent Future Group, which has several other big holdings like Central, Brand Factory, and Planet Sports.
The sale catches a lot of attention and generates millions of footwalls at all Big Bazaar stores nationwide. However, the sale has been seeing a smaller and smaller attendance every consecutive year. This has been largely due to competing for e-commerce sales from Flipkart and Amazon. Future Group thus saw this as a group opportunity to partner up with Amazon.
Amazon and Future Group Sitting in a Tree
One source said that “All Future Group big properties (discount events) will also be celebrated on Amazon. This is the first time “Sabse Saste Din” sale will happen outside of Future Group’s stable”. But what’s the deal with Amazon and Future Group’s partnership and when did they even get together? Here’s a timeline:
- Oct 2019 - Amazon seeks CCI nod to invest ₹1,500 cr in Future Coupons.
- Nov 2019 - CCI approves Amazon’s proposal.
- Dec 2019 - The deal between Amazon and Future Group is completed
- Jan 2020 - Announcement of “Sabse Saste Din” sale to debut on Amazon.
It all started when Amazon agreed to acquire a 49% stake in Biyani’s Future Coupons with an option to buy the entire holding at a later stage last year. Future Coupons, in turn, owns 7.3% of Future Retail. What this means is that Amazon now has a 3.6% stake in Future Retail, India’s largest retail entity, and Biyani’s flagship venture.
Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings LLC received permission from CCI to invest about ₹1,500 cr in order to acquire a 49% stake in Future Coupons in November last year. CCI is the Competition Commission of India, which is a statutory body of the Government of India responsible for preventing activities that adversely affect competition on India by enforcing The Competition Act, 2002.
With this approval, Amazon also got stakes in Future Corporate Resources Private Limited (FCRPL) in addition to Future Retail Limited (FRL). Future’s Founder Kishore Biyani responded that he sees the investment in his firm not only as a way to raise money but also become a part of the ecosystem. He hoped to leverage his database of 8 Bn transactions and 55 Mn customers.
What Does This Mean for Consumers?
While the Amazon-Future Group partnership is great for both sides, it’s also beneficial to consumers. Amazon plans to use the vast network set up by the Future Group to expand its hyperlocal platform Amazon Now into more regions. Amazon Now is a service that lets consumers order selected products and get them delivered within just a few hours.
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