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Style of today has many facets and hates to be in confinement. It changes with one’s evolution, which keeps the world guessing what’s next. Weaving these reflections of style together Blenders Pride Fashion Tour 2016 arrived in Gurgaon. The most definitive expression of style and good taste, now in its 12th edition, Blenders Pride Fashion Tour dazzled the millennium city, showcasing multiple reflections of style. The evening was an eclectic mélange of stylish designs and eccentric beats presented by ace designers <keyword id="954" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajesh-Pratap-Singh">Rajesh Pratap Singh</keyword> and <keyword id="122083" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shantanu-Nikhil">Shantanu &amp; Nikhil</keyword>. 
 Present as showstpper were <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> diva <keyword id="710" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sonam-Kapoor">Sonam Kapoor</keyword> and <keyword id="467200" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aditya-Roy-Kapoor">Aditya Roy Kapoor</keyword>. Sonam Kapoor at her stylish best charmed everyone in a Shantanu &amp; Nikhil design while Aditya Roy Kapoor looked dapper in a Rajesh Pratap Singh outfit. 
 
Designer Rajesh Pratap Singh’s collection blends traditional American university look with the modern Indian outlook. It plays with beautiful contrasts, encompassing the hi-tech with the low-tech, the opaque with the sheer, and the structured with the fluid. Blenders Pride Fashion Tour, with its core theme as multiple reflections of style is the perfect association. 
Whereas Shantanu &amp; Nikhil’s was a strong fusion among the past, present and the future. The collection is in every way rebellious and is pure innovative fashion. 
 Blenders Pride Fashion Tour showcased a thrilling and unique collaboration wherein the ace designers showcased their stunning designs to eccentric beats curated by Grain aka <keyword id="499513" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gaurav-Raina">Gaurav Raina</keyword>, known for his edgy techno electronica music, with an eclectic mix of musicians and singers, <keyword id="131958" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Monica-Dogra">Monica Dogra</keyword> and Curtain Blue. The Delhi Drum Club and <keyword id="822365" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ankur-Tewari">Ankur Tewari</keyword> provided an amazing surprise emerging from the crowd and creating an incredible spectacle.

Sonam Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapoor were on a ‘ramp’age at the Blenders’ Pride Fashion Tour in Gurgaon

<ul class="summary-list"><li>America's <keyword id="1028407" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="factory-workers">factory workers</keyword> have been working around the clock to produce <keyword id="9418" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="masks">masks</keyword> and <keyword id="9003101" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Face-Shields">face shields</keyword> that frontline <keyword id="6354525" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="healthcare">healthcare</keyword> workers desperately need.</li><li>Five workers in factories across the country, from Florida to Maine, told Business Insider their jobs have grown busier and more hectic than ever during the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic.</li><li>They described long shifts, strange hours, and new efforts from their employers to keep workspaces clean and provide masks and gloves.</li><li>Some workers said they were worried about catching the virus at work, while others said they were simply relieved to have a stable job amid the economic crisis.</li><li>All of them said they were proud to be using their skills to make essential products that could save lives.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>For Jerry Miller, a factory worker in Illinois, the decision to switch from making farm equipment to producing face shields for frontline healthcare workers felt personal.The John Deere assembler knows exactly how painful it is to lose a loved one to an illness like the coronavirus. His wife Jen, 38, died two and a half years ago, after nearly a decade of illnesses, surgeries, and medical complications.Miller told Business Insider that watching <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> stories about coronavirus deaths has been painful for him — particularly when he sees images of body bags stacked up in refrigerated trucks, or buried in mass graves. He said he can't imagine the devastation families must feel when their loved ones die of COVID-19 alone, unable to say goodbye.<div type="image" title="john deere worker" height="1136" width="950" msid="75303401" hostid="261"></div>"I know that all too well. And that's why I want to do my part and be able to help prevent and spare people from knowing that pain — to know what it feels like to lose somebody that you love so dearly that you basically lose a part of yourself," Miller said.Just several weeks ago, Miller went from manufacturing farm equipment to assembling face shields out of foam, elastic, and plastic sheets for doctors and nurses to wear over their masks.He's one of scores of workers across the country who are mass-producing America's masks and face shields, working long hours and often grueling rotations to produce vital equipment amid a nationwide shortage.Five workers in factories from Florida to Maine told Business Insider how their jobs have grown busier and more hectic than ever during the coronavirus pandemic. Most of the workers have had to learn a completely new skill — their factories pivoted from making items like hoodies or carseats to making medical equipment.Some told Business Insider the moment was bittersweet, saying they were frightened about potentially catching the virus at work. Others expressed relief that they were employed at all amid an economic crisis that has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-weekly-jobless-claims-labor-market-unemployment-filings-recession-coronavirus-2020-4">cost 22 million Americans their jobs</a>.All of them said they were proud to be using their skills to make essential products that could save lives.<h2>'I'd love for the country to know that blue-collar industrial American workers are standing tall and proud with the other workforces deemed essential'</h2>Miller has not only been assembling the face shields, but also personally delivering some of them to local healthcare facilities. He recalled delivering an order of 100 face shields to a nursing home, and seeing a woman burst into tears when he arrived.Miller said he's been working six days a week to produce the face shields, and the factory has been pumping out roughly 15,000 per day, churning out each one in about 30 to 40 seconds.<div type="image" title="face shields" height="1342" width="2000" msid="75303404" hostid="261"></div>The frantic pace is familiar for one <keyword id="9097104" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lydall">Lydall</keyword> worker in New Hampshire. He requested anonymity but Business Insider verified his identity. The worker said he has been working 13-day rotations and receiving just one day off in between.The employee is a pulper helper who works late nights creating air filtration media that forms the protective base in products like face masks and respirators. His job consists of throwing 50-pound bags of fiber into a machine that's essentially an "industrial-sized blender.""Because we make this media, and cleanliness and air filtration demand is so high, orders are coming in fast and furious for all kinds of stuff," he said. "My day-to-day duties haven't really changed much, I'm just at work more often than not now."The Lydall worker said he feels relieved to be working so many hours, since other workers across the country are enduring layoffs and shutdowns.He also said that while doctors, nurses, and first responders are being rightly praised for their work treating coronavirus patients and saving lives, he wanted to see factory workers like him get some recognition, too."I'd love for the country to know that blue-collar industrial American workers are standing tall and proud with the other workforces deemed essential," he said. "We want to battle this global tragedy in the best way we can."<div type="image" title="N95 masks are prepared to be shipped at the Afya Warehouse, a non-profit medical supply recovery organization, during the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Yonkers, New York, U.S. March 25, 2020. REUTERS/Lila Engelbrecht" height="526" width="800" msid="75303406" hostid="261"></div>Some of the workers have been horrified by reports that their local hospitals have been rationing or reusing personal protective equipment.Adam Cleaves, a worker at the Maine textiles company American Roots, said friends of his who are nurses told him directly about the shortage in personal protective equipment (<keyword id="1676024" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="PPE">PPE</keyword>)."That's just not right, in my opinion, and it hurts me to hear some of the stories from them firsthand of what they're going through at work," Cleaves told Business Insider. "I know that even though my job seems trivial or the company I work at really is only a drop in the bucket, you know, at least we can help fill that bucket as far as need goes."Cleaves usually makes fleece products like hoodies, jackets, and scarves, and his company had to lay off 80% of its workforce back in March — but then they <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/maine-factory-pivots-to-ppe-but-marketplace-is-a-mess-2020-4">re-hired them immediately after deciding to switch to producing PPE</a>.The company started out producing face shields, but have also begun working on masks and other medical garments."When an emergency comes and hits us at a national level, we all need to find our little ways to pitch in, especially the ones that can pitch in," Cleaves said. "We should be able to do our part."<div type="image" title="face shields american factory workers manufacturers ppe essential workers" height="1333" width="2000" msid="75303410" hostid="261"></div><h2>Workers say their factories have been doing deep cleanings, staggering shifts, and providing hand sanitizer and masks</h2>All five workers Business Insider spoke to said their employers had put health and safety rules in place to prevent workers from getting sick, including providing masks, hand sanitizer, gloves, and spacing out workstations six feet apart.Cleaves said American Roots came up with a particularly elaborate system of staggering start times, breaks, and end times, to prevent <keyword id="6357081" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="employees">employees</keyword> from all rushing to punch in at the same time, or sitting down together in a small cafeteria.The company also gave employees trainings on <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-long-should-you-wash-your-hands">proper hand-washing techniques</a> and how and <a href="https://dmna.ny.gov/foodservice/docs/toolbox/proper_gloveuse.pdf">when to safely change gloves</a>.Brian Whiteley, a plant manager at the Ohio company Evenflo, which makes carseats, told Business Insider his workers have pivoted to creating plastic components to be used in face shields. Whiteley said the factory had to implement new sanitation rules, and said the company is following social-distancing guidelines form the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<div type="image" title="american roots factory before/after" height="720" width="1280" msid="75303414" hostid="261"></div>"We went in and reorganized and restructured our assembly cells and our assembly lines to accommodate that social distancing so we can continue to go ahead and provide an essential product," Whiteley said.Johnny Phrathep, a lead operator for Madico Window Films, said he and his colleagues are working rotating 12-hour shifts, creating face shields 24 hours a day. The machines they normally use to cut window film are now being used to cut up massive rolls of laminate, producing roughly 5,000 shields per shift.Phrathep said he sometimes worries about getting sick, but noted that his company provides masks, gloves, and the face shields to wear. His colleagues have also been staying six feet apart from one another to reduce the risk of passing around illnesses.He said it felt gratifying to be able to rapidly produce equipment that hospitals can use immediately."I'm excited. You're helping out the world," he said. "It's pretty cool — a lot of the companies have to wait for six weeks to get them made, whereas we can just do it right now."Do you work in a factory that manufactures PPE, ventilators, or other essential products? Reach out to the author to share your story at mmark@businessinsider.com.Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/factory-workers-describe-making-face-shields-masks-for-the-coronavirus-2020-4">Business Insider</a>

5 factory workers making masks and face shields describe long hours, hectic shifts, and pride in protecting frontline healthcare workers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A <keyword id="11916300" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mcdonalds" source="Orion">McDonald's</keyword> franchisee agreed to pay over $25,000 in fines for violating <keyword id="13153870" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="child-labor" source="Orion">child labor</keyword> laws.</li><li>The US <keyword id="12011978" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="department-of-labor" source="Orion">Department of Labor</keyword> says the restaurant allowed minors to operate trash compactors.</li></ul>A McDonald's franchisee in Santa Ana, California, will pay $25,920 in penalties for violating child labor laws, the US <a href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20220223">Department of Labor (DOL) said in a press release Wednesday.</a>The business owner violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by allowing minors to do dangerous jobs, the DOL said. The agency says it found evidence of 18 underage employees operating a trash compactor between 2019 and 2021."Our organization's number one priority is always to ensure the health and safety of our employees and customers. As a locally-owned business, we take pride in helping to protect all our staff," franchise owner/operator Virginia Mangione told Insider in a statement. "When we became aware of the violation, swift action was taken to re-educate managers to ensure we continue to be in compliance with labor laws and standards." <a href="https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/legacy/files/ChildLaborFF.pdf">The FLSA</a> sets rules for minors based on their ages. Teens who are 14 to 15 years old can work in restaurants and quick-service businesses during non-school hours, up to three hours on school days, and up to 18 hours on a school week. They are limited to 40 hours on non-school weeks. Hours aren't limited by the FLSA once workers hit age 16.These <a href="https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/legacy/files/ChildLaborFF.pdf">young workers can only perform certain jobs</a> in restaurants. They're legally permitted to work cash registers, bus tables, and clean floors. They can cook and do prep work, as well as use dishwashers, blenders, and coffee grinders. They cannot, however, play any role in baking processes, including mixing ingredients or removing items from ovens. They can't work in freezers or meat coolers, though they are allowed to enter them briefly when needed.The FLSA prohibits 16 and 17-year-olds from any jobs that have been designated as "hazardous" by the DOL. Minors are generally not allowed to work with meat processing machines, bakery machines like mixers and cookie makers, balers, compactors, and motor vehicles. Penalties are steep for companies that violate these laws. Companies could be fined up to $11,000 for each violation and up to $50,000 for incidents that lead to death or serious injury of a minor. If violations are determined to be willful or repeated, the fine increases to $100,000.Even with strict limitations on the jobs young workers can perform, some business owners say they're necessary. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-trying-to-hire-teens-with-labor-shortage-2021-8">McDonald's</a> and reportedly <a href="https://twitter.com/partynextweexnd/status/1392523095450206208">Burger King</a> are among the chains that have advertised work to teens as young as 14 in 2021 as they scramble to keep enough staff while restaurant workers <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-restaurants-hospitality-temporarily-close-food-work-jobs-employment-2021-7?r=US&amp;IR=T">quit the industry at record rates</a>, moving to jobs where they <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retail-workers-leaving-quit-over-nightmare-customers-low-pay-2021-5">don't have to interact with angry customers.</a>Do you have a story to share about a <keyword id="11893588" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="retail" source="Orion">retail</keyword> or restaurant chain? Email this reporter at <a href="mailto:mmeisenzahl@businessinsider.com">mmeisenzahl@businessinsider.com</a>.

The US Department of Labor says a California McDonald's franchisee owes over $25,000 in child labor penalties

<ul><li>In our latest interview series, we talk to brands to understand how they are coping with the new normal and their strategies towards navigating these difficult times.</li><li><keyword id="2847512" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kartik-Mohindra">Kartik Mohindra</keyword>, Chief Marketing Officer, <keyword id="6444941" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="pernod-ricard">Pernod Ricard</keyword> India spoke to us about the brand's communications and marketing strategies during these adverse times and how this experience will perhaps change the way they market themselves in the future. </li></ul>In early March, Pernod Ricard announced the launch of a new look for its single malt Scotch, the Glenlivet. The aim of the redesign was to open-up the category to a new generation of whisky drinkers. The brand had also said that it plans to up its marketing spends in FY21 by 8-10%. However, as the country came to a complete standstill after the Coronavirus-induced lockdown, a lot of plans that brands had put together for the year had to be kept aside. However, as businesses slowly open up, it is interesting to understand how these brands faced the challenges these unprecedented times threw at them and their key learnings. To understand how Pernod Ricard India navigated these adverse times, we recently caught up with Kartik Mohindra, Chief Marketing Officer, Pernod Ricard India. He told us how they communicated with their consumers during the lockdown days and how this experience will perhaps change the way they market themselves in the future. Excerpts: Q) The pandemic and the lockdown has brough with it a lot of learning. What would you say have been your major learnings from this experience so far? The <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword> outbreak is first and foremost a human tragedy, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. It is having a growing impact on the global economy. Uncertainty continues to impact all businesses.Our capability to make amends within compressed timeframes will be key to getting on-course, and winning at the market place. Whilst the front-end of our business was on pause in the lockdown period, it was also an opportunity for the future owing to the multiple disruption that have got created, paving the way for new ways of working and doing business. As we work remotely,planning and managing time of all stakeholders and a greater sense of discipline and orientation. The consumer in today’s situation is evolving rapidly, and our ways of doing business are witnessing a radical change. We have been strong proponents of digital transformation, focused on comprehensive connectivity in a restricted industry and we will continue to stay engaged with consumers and industry stakeholders. Q) What has your marketing strategy been during the lockdown? Did you modify your media mix, with marketing investments getting shifted from one medium to another? The pandemic dictates the need for re-evaluating our traditional marketing approaches, redefining the ways we reach and engage with our consumers. Our two key pillars of consumer engagement are <keyword id="2212053" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="traditional-retail">Traditional Retail</keyword> and the On-Trade.. The on-trade channel is likely to take longer to start. The present <keyword id="8897280" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-distancing">social distancing</keyword> norms give way to the ‘New Normal’ for consumers and marketers alike. We understand that consumer discretionary spending is likely to take time to bounce back. Consumers will seek greater value from their purchase. We foresee a deeper engagement at the traditional off trade and rise of the modern trade. As home-tainment gains precedence over social/in-person engagements, our Media Mix will lean towards effective usage of Digital and OTT, along with On-Air media. Online advocacy and mixology will cater to home entertainment. Q) The kind of communications a brand comes up with during a crisis can either help win consumer trust and endear them to the brand or work completely the other way around. How did you ensure during the last months that you stay connected with your consumers? The Coronavirus outbreak has affected hundreds of thousands of people, and the current situation in India and across the world needs immediate action, and alongside we need to be prepared for tougher times. Our hearts go out to all those who have been impacted by the current situation. Pernod Ricard India continues to ‘Leave No One Behind’ in our commitment to support our stakeholders and our communities to tackle the pandemic. Pernod Ricard India has pledged Rs 150 Million to support Healthcare efforts in the fight against COVID-19 in India. The Company has been working relentlessly in public-private and private-non-profit partnerships with State health departments, public service authorities and NGOs to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Our manufacturing teams have repurposed our operations to produce over 3 Lakh Liters of Hand Sanitizers, and 4 lakh plus masks, for state health departments. Our top priority in the near and long-term future remains to support all those who have been impacted by the current situation, either directly or indirectly. Q) Do you think this experience will change the way you market your brand in the future? The present norms of Social Distancing will certainly change the way brands engage with consumers. We continue to work on making our brands ‘Future-Ready’. We are aware that consumers are progressively seeking experiences that empower them to make new discoveries within their passions and interests, which translates to online engagement and home-tainment now. Events and celebrations are likely to be conservative for the next six months. There is a steady rise in the time spent by consumers across social and digital platforms. The rise of traditionally social and external events being streamed onlinewith social interaction is a big thing right now!Instagram and Facebook lives views have doubled since March. Whatsapp, Instagram and Messenger (messaging apps) have witnessed usage increased by 40% among 18 to 34-year-old. (Source; Kantar, Social baker and Tech Crunch studies). We have experienced consumer incidence/usage growing by approximately 20% on OTT, online gaming platforms as more and more consumers gravitate to digital to keep themselves engaged in this period. Moreover, with social distancing and changes in consumers’ buying behaviors, we can expect e-commerce gaining further traction and penetration. The heterogeneity in consumer preferences will continue to lead changes in demand and willingness to spend; subsequently making the marketing initiatives and methods dauntingly complex. Q) It's very easy for consumers to look at brand communications during times like this and misinterpret the brand's intention. How have you made sure your brand communication has stayed relevant during this time? Pernod Ricard, with its unique yet comprehensive portfolio, decisively represents something just beyond Spirits and Volume – something surely more Qualitative and Creative. With brands like Blenders Pride, 100 Pipers, Jameson, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, our constant endeavor is to offer brands with purpose and values of authenticity, legacy and craftsmanship.We at, Pernod Ricard will always try to keep abreast with the evolving consumer’s attitude, while taking a strategic approach towards social media and digital promotions, specifically to target millennials. We will leverage our strengths in consumer marketing through digital media and continue to align our marketing expertise in this direction and connect our leading brands with the consumers today. Our future marketing campaigns will be based on the insights we develop through the present change in consumer behavior, to alienate any opportunity of misrepresentation. At the present, we are focusing our resources on various purpose-led communications and Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. Our marketing will recommence once it is 'business-as-usual' and with the restoration of consumer sentiment. The Coronavirus crisis is a story with an unclear ending. Only definitive aspect is that human impact is already tragic, and that all organizations have an imperative to act immediately to protect their employees, consumers, business challenges and risks, and help to mitigate the outbreak in whatever ways we can. Optimism about the return of demand needs to be with a view of the closure of the crisis. Being optimistic about demand recovery would be with a lens on working-capital or liquidity shortages at customers. The near term is essential, but we are committed to the focus on the longer term.

We foresee a deeper engagement at the traditional off-trade and rise of the modern trade: Kartik Mohindra, Pernod Ricard India

<ul><li>Snapdeal added 6 million new buyers on its platform during the pandemic.</li><li>Its recent 5-day sale kicked-off on October 16 and ended on October 20. </li><li>Rajnish Wahi, Senior Vice President, Snapdeal tells us some of the trends the platform saw during its pre-Diwali sale, its plan to go deeper into Bharat and USPs that helped it stand out in the clutter of online sales. </li></ul>Indian consumers have always been value-conscious, who take pride in their haggling skills and with the pandemic, buyers are expecting greater value for their spends. Therefore, e-commerce player Snapdeal’s sale, which took place between October 16 to 20, focused on offering ‘Kum Mein Dum Diwali,’ i.e., value deals for lesser money. According to Snapdeal, less than 5% percent of retail is online and during this on-going <keyword id="36208" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="festive-season">festive season</keyword>, the platform’s aim is to bring more users online and give them strong reasons to switch. Snapdeal observed that consumers weren’t willing to buy premium brands this year and wanted to access the online platforms in their regional language. So, as other e-commerce platforms offered premium brands at a discounted price, Snapdeal wanted to make online shopping more inclusive for buyers across India. It focused more on non-metro cities, which is a market with potential 400 million users and shipped orders to rural places like Palasner in Maharashtra, Abdasa in Gujarat, Kalsi in Uttarakhand, Chitkul in Himachal among many others. Ahead of the sale, Snapdeal added 1300 new pin codes to go deeper into Bharat, areas which were previously unserviceable or where users were compelled to travel to nearby towns to collect their orders. It also updated its user interface by adding eight languages including Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Marathi. As a result, 70% of its orders were received by sellers located beyond the top 5 metropolitan areas of the country and 90% of its orders were placed from non-metro cities. We caught up with Rajnish Wahi, Senior Vice President, Snapdeal to further understand some of trends that the platform saw during its sale. Excerpts: Q. The role of engagement and communication has never been more important, especially in today’s digital-first world. How are you making sure your communication during this year's sale is relevant to consumers? Snapdeal is sharply focused on catering to the value-conscious consumers, who see e-commerce as the connecting link between their aspirations, access and affordability. Our theme for this year’s festive sale - “Kum Mein Dum Diwali '' clearly communicates our core message - your shopping rupee has more value this year. As part of our sale preparations, we had conducted a survey of nearly 1.25 Lakh users and one of the key insights was user unwillingness to pay for brand premiums this year and instead focus on the functional value of their purchases. Based on these inputs, the festive assortment was expanded in a focused manner by on-boarding additional sellers for popular products like kitchen appliances, kitchenware, bed linen, apparel, footwear and fashion accessories like watches, wallets, etc. Shaping our sale offers around the clearly-stated expectations of our customers and conveying the same unambiguously through our festive promotions and digital marketing is the sum and substance of our festive communication. Q. This year is different. People have been observed to be judicious in spending. How has the consumer sentiment improved? While 2020 has been a volatile year, we see that there are many tailwinds that are propelling our business. The pandemic has resulted in redistribution of demand between offline and online channels, with online gaining share due to its inherent advantages of reach, convenience, large assortment and safety of buying from home. It has also accelerated the familiarity and acceptance of e-commerce amongst new buyers. With the pandemic, consumers have become more price conscious and are likely to opt for lesser-priced products, while not compromising on their quality expectations. Given all of this, we have seen two sets of buyers come on Snapdeal - one which is trading up to a better assortment and one that is trading down and opting for better functional value instead of big brands. In fact, we have added 6 million new buyers on our platform in the pandemic. We are witnessing the return of enthusiasm for festivities and it is also apparent that online channels will be a preferred medium for a larger number of buyers this year. But it will also be different this year, as more people will be price conscious and will look to spend on quality products that suit their price sensibilities. In a way, Snapdeal’s “Kum Me Dum” focus is about “offering more choices at price points better than last year”, especially for popular categories like home &amp; fashion, which has been made possible by year-long focus on expanding our value selection. Q. With the on-going festive season, many other platforms will have their Sales days too. How do you then cut the clutter and make sure you win consumers? How will you be different from the other players in the segment? Snapdeal is synonymous with value e-commerce. While others in the industry are now starting to build a value segment, we at Snapdeal have been focused on “only value” for the last three years. While other platforms are making efforts to sell branded items at discounted prices, these are still not affordable for a majority of the buyers in the country. On the other hand, we are focussed on bringing the depth and diversity of India's bazaars &amp; markets to the doorsteps of our users. On Snapdeal, buyers find endless varieties of regional and local brands that not only serve their needs, but also offer immense value at affordable prices. The result of our “Kum Mein Dum” Diwali sale bears testimony to this - more than 80% of Snapdeal’s Diwali shoppers chose to buy regional &amp; local brands on Snapdeal. The strong growth of lesser-known brands relative to national/international brands has been because of two key reasons: increased choice and a substantial price difference. Our value-focused positioning runs consistently through our selection and communication and is one the reasons why 90% of our orders flow from non-metros cities and towns across the country. Q. What are some of the other trends you are expecting to see this festive? Our first sales results are out and are reflective of how close the lives of users revolve around their homes. The sale in the home products category has grown by 30% over last year and has become the largest category on Snapdeal this year, overtaking the fashion category, which has traditionally been the top-performer at Snapdeal. The growth in the home category is propelled by popular products like kitchen appliances, kitchenware, bed &amp; bath,decor,cleaning equipment, lighting and comforters &amp; blankets etc. This growth in the fitness category reflects the extra time that people have on their hands and also underscores heightened awareness about personal health &amp; fitness. This category has grown by 45% over last year led by gym essentials like tummy trimmers, push-up bars, wrist supports, fitness gloves, hand grip strengtheners etc. Users buying sports equipment like badminton racquets &amp; cricket sets and weighing machines are also strong consumer trends. While the fashion category has also grown from previous years in terms of shipped units, the growth is less than other higher-performing categories. In the fashion category, there is an increased spending on kidswear in the festive season. . Among popular picks in Snapdeal’s Diwali sale are men’s &amp; women’s grooming products, nutritional supplements, religious items (prayer books, temples accessories etc). With the deterioration of air quality in North India, the sale of N95 masks, air-purifier filters, anti-pollution skincare items, skin moisturisers, lip balms has also increased. Snapdeal also witnessed an increase in gifting via e-commerce early in this festive season. The range of festivals starting with Karva Chauth and followed by Dhanteras, Diwali, Bhaiya Dooj and Chhath Puja have become important gifting occasions for users in various parts of the country. While in the previous years, shoppers used e-commerce channels to buy and ship to families &amp; friends in other cities, this year many shoppers in metro cities are also sending gifts to people living in the same cities. This year gift cards have also been hugely popular among people to send to their friends and family, with a 3X surge in orders as compared to the festive sale last year. These included gift cards of travel, entertainment, food and retail brands which were upto 30% off. Q. How are you working towards improving the overall consumer experience? E-Commerce in India has grown beyond the first 100 Mn largely urban, English-speaking users. A market of potentially 400 Mn users is now emerging across India’s smaller non-metro cities. This is a very diverse cohort in terms of languages spoken, literacy levels, frequency of online purchases and familiarity with technology. A large part of Snapdeal’s existing user base and new users come from this cohort and all our focus and efforts are on building the right experience that our users want. That means we work tirelessly to give them a wide array of products to choose from, and at just the right prices they are looking to spend. We also make it easy in many other ways for users to buy on Snapdeal. This includes providing interfaces on our app &amp; m-site in eight Indian languages, so that they can browse through products &amp; transact in a language of their choice. We also enable conversation with our customer service agents in multiple Indian languages. Transaction and promotional messages all are available in many Indian languages. Some other ways, in which we support our users to buy is by helping them make well-informed choices through short 10-second product videos which are far more captivating and help buyers to make decisions faster than static pictures of the products concerned, easy 7-days return, no questions asked refunds policy. We are the only platform that provides uninterrupted access to cash-on-delivery option even during the turbulent early days of pandemic lockdowns. Q. Which are your strongest markets currently? How are you planning to strengthen your presence in other markets? We have a strong pan India presence. During the current sale and consistent with Snapdeal’s positioning, more than 90% of Snapdeal’s orders were placed from non-metro cities. Populous cities like Nagpur, Vijayawada, Surat, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Visakhapatnam, Ranchi, Patna, Guwahati and others continued to drive orders on Snapdeal, but smaller cities like Sagar (Madhya Pradesh), Raniganj &amp; Durgapur (West Bengal), Patiala &amp; Gurdaspur (Punjab), Anand, Bharuch, Una, (Gujarat), Miryalaguda (Andhra Pradesh) and Bhimavaram (Telangana) also clock impressive order volumes. With our recent network expansion, Snapdeal has also shipped orders to rural places like Palasner in Maharashtra, Abdasa in Gujarat, Kalsi in Uttarakhand, Chitkul in Himachal amidst many others. Q. What are your current MAUs? More than 70 million users visit Snapdeal every month to browse and buy from our vast catalogue of 220 million plus listings. Q. What kind of target have you set for this year's sale? Do you anticipate people to buy more, considering a lot of people might have pushed buying things for the festive season? What kind of numbers do you aim to reach this year? Less than five percent of retail is online, which is an incredibly small penetration number. In our view, Diwali or not, our job to bring more buying options for our users doesn’t change. Diwali does serve as a milestone to accelerate some of our related initiatives or build virtual infrastructure to connect the dots between demand and supply in our country. This year, ahead of the festive season, we on-boarded additional sellers of popular products like kitchen appliances, kitchenware, bed linen, apparel, footwear and fashion accessories like watches, wallets, etc., as indicated by our users in a survey. In the run-up to Diwali, Snapdeal also on-boarded 5000 manufacturer-sellers who sell products like water purifiers, choppers &amp; blenders, steel &amp; copper utensils, crockery items, bedsheets, quilts, geysers, etc directly from their manufacturing units. This year, we knew more and more people would be buying online and ahead of the sale, and expanded our network to add 1300 new pin codes to go deeper into areas which were previously unserviceable or where users were compelled to travel to nearby towns to collect their orders, reaching out to 50 million additional users. Today, we are India's leading value-focused marketplace with more than 500,000 registered sellers and we cover 27000 + pin code areas across the length and breadth of the country.

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