Flipkart to go `app only’ by September, shut web site: report

Online retailer Flipkart is planning to shut its web site from September and switch over to an 'app only' model, using the mobile platform in a move to boost digital experience, reports quoting company officials said.

Flipkart is migrating to the mobile app  model following the footsteps of fashion e-tailer Myntra, which has gone 'app only' a few months back, reports said citing sources familiar with the matter.

A report in The Times Of India, meanwhile, cited the company's chief product officer Punit Soni as saying at a townhall meeting last week that Flipkart will operate only as a mobile app from September.

Soni is also reported to have alerted employees that Flipkart will operate with only a mobile app from September.

Flipkart has taken this decision while keeping in mind the gradual transition from web to mobile.

The app allows branding by e-tailers while creating personalised shopping experiences for consumers by understanding their location, preferences and purchase patterns.

Flipkart is stated to be already 75 per cent dependent on mobile apps for business and with increasing use of smart phones in the country, India is also seen gradually transitioning from a mobile first to a mobile only country.

Myntra, the Flipkart-owned fashion store, had recently said that 95 per cent of internet traffic comes through mobile and 70 per cent sales are generated through smart phones.

While the growing use of smart phones is bound to drive online shopping in the future, it is still unclear that a complete shift from PCs is possible in the near future.