Economic Times reports that PepsiCo India is planning to break into retail by selling selected premium snacks and drinks exclusively through e-commerce platforms in India.
Vipul Prakash, VP for marketing at PepsiCo India, said, “We have a significant portfolio of high-end global brands which many Indian consumers are already familiar with. We are working out plans to make these brands available exclusively through e-commerce in India.” He also said that details of the e-commerce strategy, including which portals PepsiCo would tie up with, are expected to be finalized in the next couple of months. Brands to be offered online might include Lays Max chips which sell at a premium and high end versions of Tropicana juices.
The U.S. multinational’s move comes at a time when online shopping is growing exponentially in India. Online e-grocers too have reported a significant upswing in sales in recent months, prompting big FMCG players to raise their online presence.
A report released by Google and consulting firm Bain this month estimated that the Internet will influence $35 billion of FMCG sales in India by 2020 when there will be more than 250 million online shoppers in India.
