Flipkart Unveils MarQ Private Label Brand for TVs, ACs, Washing Machines, and Other Large Appliances

Flipkart said on Thursday it was launching an in-house brand in the large appliances category called MarQ, as the e-commerce giant expands its self-branded offerings on its marketplace. For now, the company has launched microwave ovens under the MarQ private label brand, but it says more products including televisions, washing machines, air conditioners, and sound bars are in the pipeline.

Selling self-branded items, Flipkart says is in line with its 'Better. Possible Today.' vision. The items sold under the MarQ umbrella have been "reimagined" and "crafted" to suit the needs of the Indian consumer, it said.

To lure customers into purchasing MarQ private label ecproducts, instead of going for well-known brands, Flipkart hints that its self-branded products will be more affordable. The microwave ovens that the company has launched, for instance, are priced 10 to 20 percent lower than other company's products with similar specifications, the company said.

MarQ products are durable and use best quality benchmarks, the company said. On these products, the company says it will offer multiple financing options such as no cost EMI or product exchange, giving customers more confidence and flexibility with these products. Furthermore, MarQ products will be serviceable in close to 300 service centres across the country.

The launch of MarQ comes as Flipkart explores self-branded products across categories. In July, the company announced Billion, another self-brand under which the company said it will sell a range of products such as backpacks, mixer grinders, irons, and cookware.

Earlier this year, the company also launched Divastri, its first private fashion label, as part of Flipkart Fashion, the division inside the company which includes Myntra (acquired by Flipkart in 2014) and Jabong (acquired last year, by Myntra). Flipkart Fashion accounts for 70 percent of the online apparel market.

Last year, the company announced SmartBuy, a new category which offers an "exclusive range of quality everyday products" such as chargers and data cables under company's own-brand name. The move was similar to Amazon's, which offers a range of products including backpacks and chargers under the Amazon Basics brand name. Through Digiflip brand, the company has also explored selling self-branded smartphones and tablets.

"Going by the tremendous success we have seen with Flipkart SmartBuy, we have been able to develop an ecosystem of sourcing and quality testing to meet consumers' expectations," Adarsh Menon, Vice President and Head of Private Label at Flipkart said in a press statement.