How can Amazon Sellers Sell Beauty and Personal Care on ONDC Network

Selling BPC (beauty & personal care) products with ONDC network

Recently, the online demand for beauty and personal care (BPC) products has exploded. According to numerous studies, the online BPC industry is forecasted to reach a market value of $5.6 Bn by 2025 (source: Inc42). However, not everyone will get an equal share of the pie.

So, a piece of advice for small, local merchants looking to sell BPC products online via Amazon- now is the time to shift your focus to ONDC network.

For Amazon merchants in India, this article will list the benefits and the right approach to help them sell beauty and personal care on ONDC network. But first, let’s see why selling BPC products on Amazon is more difficult than you may think:

5 key challenges of selling BPC products on Amazon India

There’s potentially a massive upside to selling cosmetics on Amazon. The market is vibrant, demand is constantly rising, and “online shopping“ is now commonplace. However, Amazon is a specialized marketplace. Small, less-privileged merchants have to overcome several obstacles lying in their path before they can carve out a successful digital presence.

Here are the key challenges of selling BPC products with marketplaces like Amazon:-

No equal opportunities

As we said, Amazon is a specialised platform. This means that small players are constantly undermined and exploited by larger competitors with better human, financial and technological resources. Also, Amazon has its own products and “partner brands” to cater to, naturally giving them a competitive edge.

Amazon’s dominance lends it the power to act as a gatekeeper of opportunities. Merchants selling beauty and personal care products depend fully on the platform for their profitability and growth, which is a risky game.

High associated costs

As a BPC merchant on Amazon, perhaps the most obvious disadvantage is the platform’s high cost. Hence, before fully committing to owning an Amazon business, you must be aware of all associated costs (referral fee, fulfillment cost, etc.) on top of the high commission fee you pay.

For some product categories, the commission fee can range from 20-35% of the total sales value. Then, other fees pertaining to storage, fulfilment, etc., can add up to thousands of rupees per month. This is in stark contrast to the ONDC network, where merchants can begin their eCommerce journey without paying any upfront costs.

Where is the traffic?

With Amazon, you would think that you’d be getting endless traffic, but your cosmetics products are nowhere to be found on search result pages. While you’re pondering over the hows and whys, other competitors are hogging all the limelight. Why? Simple - big players absorb most of the online traffic.

Also, any small changes in Amazon’s ranking algorithms or policies can result in your traffic vanishing overnight. Terrifying, right?

Once again, ONDC network comes to your aid as a market-leveller that generates equal visibility for all relevant search results, no matter the seller’s size or brand power. Also, with customers and sellers no longer needing to be on the same platforms/apps to conduct business, your overall traffic will naturally increase.

No portability of trust

In most cases, Amazon sellers are prohibited from carrying their hard-earned reputation and brand credibility to a new platform, even though it’s their own data and years of work. Thus, you will have to build a brand new customer base from scratch by selling beauty products on another platform.

However, through an open-network architecture, ONDC network empowers BPC merchants with a holistic view of their reputation across all-connected digital platforms. Simply put, retailers will be able to transfer their reviews, ratings, and customer feedback even if they migrate their business to a different seller app.

Logistics is a problem

Using Amazon FBA for your fulfilment needs? Good luck. Your customer satisfaction is now fully in their hands. The platform often forces its logistics onto newbie merchants who, for many reasons, would prefer to choose their own logistics partner. Also, keep in mind that the FBA isn’t free and may not be affordable for merchants selling low-cost beauty and personal care goods.

So, what small BPC merchants need is a cost-effective, reliable option for value-chain services like fulfilment and logistics. That’s where ONDC network is shaping up to be a real game-changer.

A next-gen seller-side interface like Mystore allows merchants to register on the open network and connect with a number of on-network logistics/fulfilment service providers. That way, the democratic platform enables you to scale your shipping based on your business needs.  You can even ship your BPC products to untapped markets using ONDC network-approved logistics providers.

ONDC network to the rescue

Don’t let these Amazon pain points hinder your beauty and personal care business. ONDC network is here to help.

The ONDC network is a government-backed initiative that makes eCommerce easy and inclusive for all scales of Indian sellers. By creating a level playing field for all stakeholders - sellers, buyers, and logistics providers, the ONDC network will help disrupt the eCommerce industry, mostly controlled by Amazon and Flipkart.

Merchants can register on the democratic network using a feature-rich seller interface like Mystore and instantly reach millions of pan-India customers. Mystore for Amazon sellers helps eCommerce newbies upload cosmetics products on the open network and boost their brand identity by creating a powerful presence on multiple platforms.

For local merchants, there are many perks to sell beauty and personal care on ONDC network, namely:

• Instant product discoverability amongst millions of buyers,
• add multiple sales channels, including Amazon, for improved sales,
• Leverage on-network logistics and boost your supply chain,
• Receive instant payment through multiple payment gateways;
• Pay zero fixed/upfront costs
• Improved sales margins through lower commissions, etc.

Your selling journey on ONDC network becomes even more fruitful and hassle-free with a network-compliant, seller-friendly platform like the Mystore seller app.

What is “Mystore for amazon sellers”

Mystore is the perfect solution to quickly and effortlessly migrate and upload your existing product list on ONDC network! With Mystore’s seamless and easy-to-understand integration features, you can add an organic sales channel to your store, unlocking access to millions of potential buyers. All it takes is signing up with the Mystore Seller App. And you don't even have to leave Amazon!

Just look at all the amazing Mystore features that await you as you sell beauty and personal care on ONDC network:

- A comprehensive admin dashboard

- ONDC network-complaint logistics solutions

- one-click stock/inventory management 

- Mobile-first architecture for painless checkouts

- Optimum security via a PCI DSS-compliant platform

- In-built marketing tools

- Own multiple domains

- Seamless third-party app integration etc.

For Amazon merchants lacking technical know-how, Mystore provides a perfect solution to help them grow their BPC business in this highly competitive digital landscape.

Conclusion

Amazon merchants can quickly accelerate their digital transformation journey via ONDC network. As a newbie on the scene, you can sell beauty and personal care on ONDC network and instantly open up doors to rapid expansion into 100+ pin codes. But, you need a helping hand in the form of a platform that walks you through the selling journey, which is what Mystore offers.

Mystore for Amazon sellers helps them leverage ONDC network's incredible perks to build a remarkable digital presence. So, why wait? Start selling with Mystore and take your BPC business to the next level!