Jagran launches consumer shopping division, J9 Shop

J9, the enterprise division of Jagran Prakashan, has launched J9 Shop, a voice and SMS-based shopping service. There are plans to roll out an online site, too

J9, the enterprise division of Jagran Prakashan (publishers of the daily ‘Dainik Jagran’), has launched a consumer shopping division called J9 Shop.

Customers can place orders for J9 Shop products advertised in ‘Dainik Jagran’ through their call centre and SMS short code. The company has decided to take the voice and SMS route because “the focus is on the semi-urban and non-metro markets”, said Rajeev Dhal, country head, J9, in a conversation with agencyfaqs! This includes cities in Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab.

Jagran launches consumer shopping division, J9 Shop

Rajeev Dhal

The products on offer have been chosen to cater to these markets, where there is a demand for reasonably priced mobile phones and other electronic products. The product inventory includes DVD players, home theatre systems and music players. According to Dhal, all the products come with 100 per cent warranty. After the customer sees the ad in the paper, he can send a SMS to the short code, upon which an executive gets in touch with him and takes the order. He can also place his order by calling directly. Payments can be made through cash on delivery or credit card.

J9 Shop will bank upon the newspaper’s circulation of 2.2 million to spread the word to customers. Dhal adds that attracting customers through print is the best way to reach their target audience, which is not very Internet savvy. Apart from courier companies, the company is also considering using the services of the postal department to deliver in hard-to-reach locations.

The Internet, however, figures in J9’s expansion plans. The company is expected to launch a shopping portal, www.j9shop.com, in a month’s time. “The online shopping space is already cluttered. We plan to launch our site with products that are unique,” says Dhal.

Interestingly, J9 is considering an offline model to J9 Shop. “We also plan to expand by creating retail touch points across markets, possibly using ‘Dainik Jagran’s classified booking centres. They will offer the touch and feel factor to customers.”

J9 Shop is the second vertical of J9, which was launched in January. The first vertical, J9 Mobile, was launch in April and is involved in the creation of mobile content for subscribers and operators. According to Dhal, J9 Mobile has grown 20 times since its launch, and has received 10 million hits.

The company will also launch up to four other verticals, especially in the digital entertainment space.

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