A path towards profitability: Online retail buys into private labels

Growing demand for value-for-money products and higher margins make this a profitable growth option

Online food and grocery king Bigbasket might be locking horns with Grofers and new giant on the block JioMart from the Reliance stable, to expand on the growing post-pandemic opportunity that is online shopping. In doing so, all these rivals have one thing in common: They are making a big bet on expanding their “private label” businesses as a path towards profitability.

The food and grocery business in India is worth $550 billion, according to Technopak, but online accounts for less than one per cent of that. Narrowed down to the organised retail space, online food and grocery accounts for