You can now shop online from Mumbai's Zaveri Bazaar or Kolhapur's Mahadwar Road. Amazon India has launched Markets of Maharashtra, a dedicated digital storefront featuring local stores and dukaans from the state. At launch, the storefront on Amazon.in features more than 1 lakh products from over 2,700 local stores across the state. Popular stores include Nemichand Jewels from Zaveri Market (Mumbai), Riddhi Enterprise from Sarafa Bazaar (Nagpur), Meghsons from Malad West (Mumbai) and Anand Shoe House from Mahadwar road Market (Kolhapur).

Maharashtra ke bazaar

Maharashtra and its markets go back centuries. Be it beautiful textiles or tribal jewelry, the shops of Crawford market or Zaveri Market have always been favourite haunts for shoppers. Dried fruits and spices, Warli paintings, Bidri pottery, Kolhapuri chappals and Leather products make shopping in Maharashtra's markets an elevated experience.

People from Maharashtra have been going to these markets for generations, and tourists coming into the city plan their itinerary to allow for a trip to their favourite shopping destinations. The Markets of Maharashtra storefront brings this nostalgia alive on Amazon.in, offering customers an immersive experience. Customers will be able to engage and learn more about these markets through interesting visual content, as well as shop from the comfort of their homes.

"Markets of Maharashtra is part of our Local Shops program that brings thousands of physical stores from popular markets of Maharashtra on Amazon.in. With this, Amazon customers across India will be able to discover products from their favourite stores across the markets of Maharashtra on this dedicated storefront,” says Vivek Somareddy, Director, Fulfillment Channels at Amazon India. “Our Local Shops on Amazon program enables local offline retailers and neighbourhood stores to create a digital presence on Amazon.in and enhance their addressable customer base beyond the physical footfalls at stores, combining the trust and familiarity of the offline world with the ease and convenience of the online world,” adds Vivek.

From traditional to digital

Over the years, Maharashtra's markets have grown in popularity among patrons outside the state. On their part, store owners have always been looking to expand their customer base in their city and beyond.

One such entrepreneur is Dheeraj Jain who owns Nemichand Jewels, a retail store based in Zaveri Market Mumbai. Dheeraj Jain brought his business on Local Shops on Amazon in 2021. Talking about the launch of Markets of Maharashtra, Dheeraj says, "We sell over 750 products on Amazon.in, primarily in silver jewellery. Customers from all around India can now browse and buy our products at one place thanks to the Markets of Maharashtra initiative. I'm delighted to be a part of this effort and grateful that Amazon.in is assisting  sellers like us in expanding our consumer base and achieving success.” Earlier this year, Amazon India had launched Markets of Gujarat on similar lines.

1 million local offline retailers to go online

The launch of this initiative is a stepping stone for Amazon India's commitment to onboard over 1 million local offline retailers and neighborhood stores on Amazon.in as sellers by 2025 under the Local Shops on Amazon program. This program already has over 2 lakh sellers from across India.