Nandan Nilekani-backed ShopX acquihires GabbarDeals

Assisted e-commerce platform for small retailers ShopX has acquihired GabbarDeals, an omnichannel mobile phone retail brand.

As a part of the deal, ShopX will amalgamate its technology with GabbarDeals' expertise in retail and brand partnerships to expand the presence.

The Pune-based startup's  10-member team has joined ShopX, however, the deal amount remained undisclosed.

The Nandan Nilekani-backed company has also rebranded the GabbarDeals stores to ShopX Edge, a new brand of mobile phone stores to launch across tier I, II and III cities,  said the company in a press statement.

GabbarDeals has a decent offline presence in west India with more than 50 employees across the country. The company has been associated with prominent players in mobiles & accessories, tablets, data cards, laptops, and other electronic products category.

For instance, Apple, Foxconn (Infocus), Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, Nokia, Motorola, Lenovo, Huawei & Tecno have worked with GabbarDeals.

For the past five years, it claims to record a gross merchandise value (GMV) Rs 1,000 crore.

GabbarDeal's CEO Niraj Raka, who is now heading organised retail at ShopX said that the firm is planning to launch a hyperlocal delivery option where customers can order their phone online and get delivered within two hours.

ShopX will use its stores as a hub for faster delivery. Till date, the company
has a network of 100,000 retailers across 350 towns in India and aims to achieve 1 million milestone over the next three years.

The company offers a wide range of products in categories such as FMCG, mobile phones, and accessories besides digital services including mobile and DTH recharge, bus/flight booking, and utility bill payments.

Last year, the Bengaluru-based firm had raised $35 million from Fung Strategic Holdings.

Founded by Amit Sharma and Apoorva Jois, ShopX competes with Shopkirana, Udaan, Jumbotail, StoreKing,  among others.