Consumer electronics brand BPL, which was the TV brand of choice for millions of urban Indian households in the 1990s, has scrapped its three-year partnership with online marketplace Flipkart, and has instead inked a deal with Amazon India to sell TVs, air-conditioners, washing machines and other large appliances.
BPL executives were unhappy with the lack of visibility for their brand on Flipkart and believed the e-commerce firm did little to promote BPL, resulting in lower-than-expected sales, according to a person familiar with the matter who did not wish to be named.
According to Livemint, Flipkart did not confirm whether BPL had parted ways with it, although the company did state that BPL has a three-year agreement with the online marketplace ending only in 2018.
BPL’s tie-up with Amazon also marks a significant evolution for the popular consumer electronics firm from a dominant offline retailer in its heyday to an online-only brand.
BPL said it would start by selling TVs, air-conditioners and washing machines on Amazon, and then expand into other product categories such as microwaves and refrigerators over the next few weeks.
