Tata group bullish on e-commerce site CliQ to drive sales

The Tata group of companies is depending heavily on its newly launched e-commerce platform to push consumer sales. The importance laid on the platform is evident by the money the group has splurged on it.

Tata Unistore, Tata group's online sales arm, has already spent Rs 36.48 crore in the runup to the launch of the website. This is besides the pending payment of Rs 20.9 crore that Unistore has to pay its technology partner Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), for work done in FY16, according to the annual report released by TCS.

TataCliQ—the ambitious e-commerce site that launched last week—has TCS as its primary technology partner, while data analytics for the site will be provided by Tata IQ, the company said. The company plans to create “one-of-its-kind, omnichannel” marketplace, which will offer its users ship-to-stores, collect-from-stores and return-to-stores options.

According to industry experts, the process requires a complex technology, which will connect stores to an online site, and other merchandise inventor systems would also need to be connected. The group plans to connect its front-end online ordering system, stores, and mobile applications to its back-systems, including warehouse, inventory management system, customer service and analytics.

“Technology here is crucial. If you don't have the technology, different systems can't interact with each other, and the customer won't get a seamless experience,” Devangshu Dutta, CEO of retail consultancy firm Third Eyesight, said.

Tata CliQ has been developed on a customized e-commerce platform of SAP, called Hybris. Tata has set up in-house team to overlook the development, along with 20 other technology partners. Chennai-based artificial intelligence startup Mad Street Den, which has been funded by Reservoir Investments' Exfinity Fund and GrowX Ventures, is also one of the partners. Mad Street Den has helmed the visual search and visual recommendation solutions for Tata CliQ.