Flipkart temporarily halts grocery service amid Big Billion Day sale

Ecommerce company Flipkart has temporarily suspended its grocery service amid the rush during its flagship sale event The Big Billion Days.

“Please come back at midnight. We are overwhelmed by your response. Grocery is restocking to serve you better,” a notification on the Flipkart application said on Tuesday.

The Bengaluru-based firm kickstarted The Big Billion Days on October 8 (October 7 for Plus members) and offers massive discounts across categories like electronics, apparel, and utilities from top brands including Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus.

The sale period is Flipkart’s biggest annual event, which brings together lakhs of sellers, kirana delivery partners, and MSMEs from across the country, according to the company. The sale offers a range of deals on products across group companies including Flipkart Health+, Flipkart Wholesale and ClearTrip, which is likely to result in a high volume of deliveries.

"Flipkart Grocery has received strong demand during the early access and first two days of the Big Billion Days sale. To ensure we continue to provide our customers with the wide selection of products available on the platform, we will now take new orders starting at midnight (00:00 AM) on October 11," a Flipkart spokesperson said in response to YourStory's query.

"We stay committed to providing our customers with the most fulfilling, value-led shopping experiences. The tremendous response to The Big Billion Days is a testament to our customers' trust in us, and we are immensely grateful for their continued support," the spokesperson added.

Ahead of the festive season, Flipkart had aimed to generate over 1,00,000 new job opportunities across its supply chain, including at fulfilment and sorting centres, and delivery hubs.

These seasonal jobs will employ people, including local kirana delivery partners, women, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and others.

The Kalyan Krishnamurthy-led company said it surpassed 1.4 million sellers on its platform in anticipation of the sale with a substantial portion of the newly onboarded sellers specialising in offering products within the lifestyle, BGM (books, gifts, and music), and home categories.