If we want to buy something, we don’t go to the nearest shops, we go to the nearest smartphones and from there we go straight to Flipkart. Then, looking for a discount, he chooses the most satisfactory product from among the many options. From soap, comb mirror to salt to camphor, Flipkart can deliver to our doorsteps.
But from now on, Flipkart will come to your home not only to buy things, but also to repair any broken device in your home. E-commerce giant Flipkart itself has officially announced on Thursday that it is entering the home appliance repair, maintenance and installation services sector. This is made possible by a company called Jeeves.
Flipkart under Walmart has unequivocally made it clear that it will repair all home appliances like mobiles, appliances, tablets, laptops, furniture and other electronic products irrespective of where they were purchased from. Urban Company, backed by Tiger Global, is currently challenging Flipkart in this field.
Home appliance repair segment is one of the major revenue streams of Urban Company. Around 20-30% of the company’s revenue comes from this sector. The company has earned around Rs 510 crore in this category in FY 2022. Flipkart has ventured into home appliance repairing through Jeeves with the future prospects in mind.
Changing working conditions and lifestyles of people have been a decisive factor in this change. Today every home has many devices including electronic products. But many people don’t have time to take them to the shop and repair them if they break down, and many households have elderly people or women. Flipkart reckons that having a person come to their home and repair the damaged device without causing them any trouble will be very beneficial.
The way of life in India is also changing at this level. Even if there is a shop nearby, people show interest in getting the goods at their doorstep without going there. Not to mention damaged equipment. That is why Flipkart, which delivers anything to your doorstep, has also prepared to do home repairs.
A few days ago, Flipkart started a company called Jeeves to enter the service sector. Flipkart estimates that it can generate 20-30% revenue from the servicing segment in the coming years, similar to what the urban company is getting. Jeeves officials state that they entered this segment by understanding the consumer’s mindset and wanted a reliable platform for the repair of all home appliances.
Jeeves is active in 400 cities. 21 of which are exclusive stores. Jives will work with over 1,000 service partners, including various brands. In total, the company also states that it has around 9,000 engineers and around 300 walk-in service centers across the country. In 2014, Flipkart bought shares of Jeeves.
In the first phase, Flipkart’s repairing service will now be available to users across 19,000 zip codes in the country. Jives will be available through Flipkart’s mobile app. The app has to check the pincodes of each location to see if Jeeves service is available in an area. Jeeves also promises that the devices they service will come with a service guarantee.