Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li>As a D2C house of brands that’s going public, Honasa is a new IPO theme for investors.</li><li>HUL, Marico etc. are listed peers but it also has a lot in common with new-age companies like high advertisement expenses.</li><li>Honasa’s capex plans to go offline and customer acquisition cost can dent the profitability of the company, which has posted losses in FY23.</li><li>The company is catering to the premium BPC sector which in turn caters to the changing needs of the urban millennials and GenZs. </li></ul>If you are an investor who is tired of the same old consumer companies, there is a new theme in town. A direct-to-consumer or D2C company that houses several brands, Honasa Consumer, has taken the off-beat path of going public. “It can be a new IPO theme. There have been many D2C brands that were acquired by companies like Marico acquiring Plix, Beardo and Emani with The Man Company. This is the only one to go public,” says Preeyam Tolia, senior research analyst of FMCG &amp; Retail at Axis Securities. This ₹1,701 crore IPO, however, is also an acid test for direct to consumer (D2C) companies dreaming to go public. After the mixed reaction that many new-age digital companies like PayTM, Zomato and Nykaa received from the markets, most digital businesses are met with askance. Who are the peers? As a product creator, the company quotes HUL, Marico, Marico etc. as its peers. However, the company which produces its products via contract manufacturing, shares many traits with new-age companies. Honasa is one of the first-movers in the sector, and grew at a breakneck speed of 80% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) for the last two years. In the crowded online BPC market, it managed to gain a market share of 5.4%, as per Redseer. It’s also in the most alluring businesses of the times. The BPC sector itself is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10% between 2022-27, the consulting firm says. It’s also establishing exclusive brand outlets (EBOs). But, it’s primarily a digital company that’s true to its nature. “We follow and listen to consumers and use the data to create new products. For example, our onion-based hair care products are based on the advice that most people receive as an antidote for hair fall. But people also pointed out that it’s tough to extract and use. That’s how we created it,” explained Varun Alagh, founder and CEO of Honasa Consumer at the company’s IPO press conference. In addition to its flagship, it has expanded its portfolio by incubating three brands and acquiring two more. It now has The Derma Co, Aqualogica, Ayuga, Dr Sheth’s and BBlunt (salons and products) – all catering to the new-age Indians who love tailor-made products. The ad-burn conundrum Honasa had to spend a lot of money to market the uniqueness of its varied products to the right consumers via online and offline channels. Its ad expenses stood at 34.99% of its revenue from operations as of June end. Experts say that it’s normal for a D2C company like itself. “D2C brands require a lot of advertising and promotional spends. They do need to invest in scaling up brands and they have been able to because of PE funds. But in a listed environment, it’s too early to comment on how they will fare,” comments Tolia. A large chunk of the net proceeds raised from the fresh issue will go towards ad expenses. It intends to spend more towards physical presence like more EBOs and BBlunt salons. That’s good for the brand in terms of customer acquisition cost, but in the long run. “As the brand scales, the company is looking to connect consumers offline. A large part of the revenue decline is concentrated in its D2C website and app, where CAC (customer acquisition cost) is considerably high. As consumers shift to the offline mode, CAC needs will also reduce,” said a report by Emkay. According to a Redseer report, most investors into new-age companies are confused about their business models. They’re unsure of which bucket a company falls into, especially when they go online to offline. They’re positioned online but grow offline. These are different models cost and growth-wise, it said enumerating investor concerns on startup listings. Moreso, the company had taken an impairment hit due to its subsidiary Momspresso in FY23, dragging it into losses to the tune of ₹150.9 crore. It had posted a profit of ₹14.4 crore in FY22. Its high expenses makes it tough to get back to the profit path, say analysts. “The company's focus on product development and innovation R&amp;D may impact short-term profitability due to high advertising expenses and capital expenditure,” says Prashanth Tapse, senior VP of research at Mehta Equities. What’s in it for the investors? The IPO is a combination of fresh issue and offer-for-sale (OFS). But the size of the fresh issue is much smaller than the OFS by promoters and other selling shareholders who will take a lion’s share of the intended fundraise of ₹1,701 crore. “New investors should be cautious as the IPO includes fresh share issuance of ₹365 crore and a low promoter stake of 37.41%. Conservative investors may wait and watch, while risk-takers can consider long-term investment for potential growth. However, the IPO appears to be overvalued in the current market conditions, and historical listings with high valuations have often faced post-listing challenges,” opines Tapse. Emkay too has broken its opinion on the company into three different scenarios — all based on how much of its past growth it can keep up with. If it’s able to double its turnover in three years, it’s an attractive investment. If it can keep up with its 20% revenue CAGR, it can be defined as ‘fair’, but if its revenue grows under 10%, then it’s an expensive investment. It all boils down to how far and clearly investors can gaze into the crystal ball.

Honasa Consumer’s D-Street debut an acid test for D2C companies

<ul><li><keyword id="4548811" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mamaearth" source="Orion">Mamaearth</keyword> parent Honasa Consumer plans to raise as much as ₹1,701 crore via an <keyword id="6354763" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ipo" source="Orion">IPO</keyword>.</li><li>The price band is fixed at ₹308-324, and the IPO will open on October 31 and close on November 4.</li><li>The company intends to use net proceeds towards ad expenses, set-up outlets, and others. </li></ul>House of brands Honasa Consumer is planning to raise as much as ₹1,701 crore from its maiden public offer. The IPO of the parent company of Mamaearth brand will open on October 31 till November 4. The price band for the issue has been fixed at ₹308-324. Investors can bid for a minimum of 46 shares in multiples thereof. The issue is a combination of a fresh issue and an offer-for-sale. Some of its selling shareholders include its celebrity investor and actress Shilpa Shetty, Snapdeal’s Rohit Kumar Bansal and Kunal Bahl; and Rishabh Harsh Mariwala of the Marico family. This is apart from promoters Varun and Ghazal Alagh, Fireside Ventures Fund, Sofina and Stellaris. The company intends to use net proceeds from the fresh issue towards advertisement expenses, to set-up exclusive brand outlets, investment in its subsidiary, BBlunt, general corporate purposes and unidentified inorganic acquisitions. The issue allocates 10% of the offer to retail investors, 15% to non-institutional investors and 75% to qualified institutional buyers (QIBs). Kotak Mahindra Capital, Citigroup Global, J M Financial and J P Morgan are the book running lead managers of the issue and KFIn is the registrar. Loss on account of impairment The company has reported a progressive growth in revenue for the last three years. It slipped back into losses in FY23, after posting profits in FY22. It was due to an impairment loss it had to take in the last financial year to the tune of ₹154 crore. “This was primarily due to the management decision to scale down the majority of the business verticals of Momspresso, a content platform operating under our subsidiary, Just4Kids Services, and acquired by us in December 2021,” the company said. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Particulars </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FY23 (consol) </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FY22 (consol) </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FY21 (standalone) </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Revenue from operations </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,492 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹943 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹459 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Restated Profit/Loss </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">(₹150.9 crore)* </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹14.4 crore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">(₹1,332 crore) * </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Source: RHP * it represents a loss A top heavy profile While the BPC D2C brand has a wide array of products, most of its revenues depend on top 10 products. As of June 2023 end, a third of revenues from operations or around 29% of revenues came from these products. “While our dependence on sales of our top 10 products has been declining with increasing contributions from our other products, any decrease in the sales of our top 10 products, whether due to increase in sale of products or market share of competitors with similar products or any other reason, will adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows,” the company said. Its top products include the Mamaearth brand, the Derma Co, Dr Sheth’s, and Aqualogica brands in the face care and hair care categories. Around 9% of its revenues came from the same two products. Moreoso, the auditor’s report on internal financial controls issued on its standalone financial statements in FY21 contains a disclaimer of opinion. The opinion relates to the auditors’ inability to obtain appropriate audit evidence to provide a basis for opinion on adequate internal financial controls. The company which depends on influencers also sees them as a business risk. “Influencers may use their platforms to communicate directly with our consumers without our knowledge in a manner that reflects poorly on our brands and may be attributed to us,” Honasa said. The company sells its products via its own D2C channel like its brand and mobile websites, and mobile applications. But its third party e-commerce marketplaces bring in the most sales. As of June 2023 end, it derives 64% of its revenue from operations from e-commerce marketplaces. High ad expenses &amp; heightened competition The company’s ad expenses stood at 34.99% of its revenue from operations as of June end. The company is also in a segment that’s extremely competitive. And some of these competitors are larger and have substantially greater resources than them. That gives them the ability to spend more on advertising and marketing and offer substantial discounts, the company says. Then, there is also the threat of new entrants which may have more flexibility in responding to changing business and economic conditions. “As the BPC products space has a fairly low barrier to entry, these new entrants could potentially heighten the competitive landscape, which may lead to intensified competition on pricing,” the company said. It also said that its subsidiaries acquired in the past, including Just4Kids, BBlunt, B:Blunt Spratt and Fusion, have incurred losses for certain historical periods. There is no assurance that these entities will be profitable in the future,” the company cites as its risk factors. The company has undertaken one criminal and three material civil proceedings. It has two tax and two material civil litigations proceeding against it, where the aggregate amount involved is ₹100 crore.

India’s largest D2C beauty company to raise ₹1,701 crore via an IPO

<ul><li><keyword id="10591" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Samsung" source="Orion">Samsung</keyword> is planning to set up 15 premium experience stores across nine cities in India.</li><li>Samsung will add another 13 stores across nine cities- Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chandigarh and Pune in phase 1.</li></ul>New Delhi: Korean electronics major Samsung is planning to set up 15 premium experience stores across nine cities in India by the end of this year to increase the share of high-end products in total sales, a company official said on Thursday. Samsung India D2C business senior director <keyword id="650893" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sumit-walia" source="Orion">Sumit Walia</keyword> told PTI that the trigger for expansion of premium experience stores follows the rise in share of its high-end products at brand stores and also two premium stores that were opened recently in Bengaluru and Delhi. "We are going on a rampage to go on expanding. We will open 15 premium experience stores like we have in Connaught Place and Opera House across nine cities by the end of this year. This format will be able to tap into the premium segment," Walia said. Samsung will add another 13 stores across nine cities -- Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chandigarh and Pune in phase 1. The company has opened the first premium experience store at Opera House in Bengaluru, which is spread over an area of around 33,000 square feet. It has opened another premium store in Delhi's Connaught Place spread in an area of around 4,000 square feet. Walia said that all premium experience stores will be operated by franchisees, where Samsung will showcase premium products suits based on lifestyle like work from home, living room scenario etc. "We have seen the share of our premium product doubling to 60-62 per cent at <keyword id="16993058" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Samsung-brand-stores" source="Orion">Samsung brand stores</keyword> in the last 1.5-2 years. At the premium experience store in Bangalore it has gone up to 80 per cent. Customers now want more out of their product which we are able to showcase at these premium experience stores," Walia said. Samsung has 1,700 brand stores across India. He did not disclose the amount of investment that will go in opening the stores but shared that franchisee owners will hire field experts like gaming specialist, chef, photographer etc. at each unit. "The experts will be around half of the total workforce that each premium experience store will have," Walia said. He said that the premium stores will house repair centres for mobile <keyword id="6355190" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Devices" source="Orion">devices</keyword> while the service will be provided at doorstep for consumer electronics. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/music-to-help-focus-home-design-many-tasks-that-ai-can-help-with/articleshow/99085155.cms">Music to help focus, home design &amp; many tasks that AI can help with</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/how-you-can-open-the-ai-chatbot-directly-from-macs-menu-bar/articleshow/98449632.cms#:~:text=Once%20you%20have%20downloaded%20the,simply%20click%20on%20'Open.'">ChatGPT just got more accessible: Here’s how you can open the AI Chatbot directly from Mac's menu bar</a>

Samsung plans 15 premium experience stores across 9 cities by December

<ul><li>India's export of goods and services is estimated to reach approximately USD 760-770 billion for the ongoing financial year.</li><li>Small and medium businesses from India are already exporting large numbers, but tech giants like <keyword id="18635" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="amazon" source="Orion">Amazon</keyword> have unlocked the potential to reach untapped markets.</li><li>Business Insider India spoke to Bhupen Wakankar, Director of Global Trade at Amazon India.</li></ul>Not too long ago, Indian consumers looked forward to buying foreign articles – games or trinkets and more from the US and other countries. Now, Indian companies are selling to the world. Thanks to large global platforms like Amazon, even small Indian businesses are exporting their direct-to-consumer products to newer geographies and exploring untapped markets. Amazon has been running an export program called Amazon Global Selling since 2015. It started with 100 sellers on the platform, and today, it has over one lakh sellers shipping products to more than 200 countries. The number of Indian sellers on Global Selling has grown nearly 30% year-on-year (YoY) since January 2020. All thanks to technology that has democratised the opportunity by offering a cost-effective way to reach a large customer base with the aid of critical data. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Here's what India is selling to the world on Amazon" comment="subhead" text="Here's what India is selling to the world on Amazon">Here's what India is selling to the world on Amazon</cmsannotation> Bhupen Wakankar, director of global trade at Amazon India, told Business Insider India that the top categories of products India sells to the world are toys, kitchen and office categories. These top 6-7 categories are registering $100 million in yearly exports. "In the last 18 months, there has been diversification in the categories in which Indian entrepreneurs are playing. Initially, we were prominent in the home and apparel section but now, (we) have moved into consumer goods. Teas, coffee, Ayurvedic products, STEM toys, and handicrafts have been the trend," he said. STEM stands for Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. <div type="image" title="Info" msid="98630219" hostid="261" sizebytes="134770" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Top exporting cities and popular categories across India.&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> He added, "Home and apparel are the leaders, and we are seeing growth. In fact, there was a lot of conversation around recession in the US, and the retail numbers came out, and there was a 3% increase in growth." Amazon is also seeing an increase in the number of cities from where the new exporters are joining. Their platform now has exporters from over 200 cities, and the trend continues. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The spike months" comment="subhead" text="The spike months">The spike months</cmsannotation> The months when sales spike are the usual suspects, like <a href="https://press.aboutamazon.in/news-releases/news-release-details/indian-exporters-amazon-global-selling-see-over-100-business">Black Friday and Cyber Monday</a> (BCFM) sale events. In 2022, during these two sales events, Indian exporters on Amazon Global Selling saw over 100% business growth compared to business as usual – selling lakhs of Made in India products to customers across the world. During BFCM 2022, categories such as toys, kitchen, and home experienced significant growth, with a surge of over 60%, 40%, and 25%, respectively. Additionally, the jewellery and grocery categories grew by approximately 20%. Several renowned Indian brands, including Vahdam, Skillmatics, California Design Den, VirVentures, and Kart It, were highly sought-after. The 2022 global Prime Day event witnessed a remarkable surge of approximately 50% in business growth for Indian exporters on Amazon Global Selling. The highest growth was seen in categories like kitchen products, STEM toys, apparel and footwear, office products, beauty, and healthcare. "Customers across Amazon global marketplaces like North America, Europe, Middle East, and Africa shopped the highest from Indian exporters with Australia, Japan, and Singapore also reporting high growth for sellers," Wakankar said. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The moolah from emerging markets" comment="subhead" text="The moolah from emerging markets">The moolah from emerging markets</cmsannotation> Indian companies on Amazon Global Selling surpassed $5 billion in cumulative exports between 2015-2022. Over 1,000 exporters crossed ₹1 crore in sales in 2021. This number is expected to grow further in the coming years. Wakankar said, "Exports in India have been relegated to top markets like the US, UK, and EU for the longest time. However, we are also noticing a lot of demand coming in from emerging markets like the Middle East, Japan, Singapore, and Australia." The Government has taken steps to encourage cross-border trade, such as free-trade agreements between countries such as the UAE, the UK, Australia, and others – another reason for the rise in exports. While it is good to have a wide canvas, businesses keen on entering and expanding into new global markets must adapt to meet the unique market requirements. For instance, while printed bedsheets with lower thread counts are preferred in India, consumers in the US and UK prefer higher thread counts and block colours. Similarly, board game preferences too differ across geographies, with Snakes &amp; Ladders and Ludo being popular in India, while Scrabble and Scotland Yard are preferred in the US and UK, respectively. Businesses must remain agile and innovative to cater to customers' evolving preferences, which are influenced by cultural, social, and environmental factors. A platform like Amazon aids this with its product reviews and ratings – which help businesses stay connected with customers and their changing needs. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Does E-commerce make exporting easy?" comment="subhead" text="Does E-commerce make exporting easy?">Does E-commerce make exporting easy?</cmsannotation> Exporting is a new and exciting opportunity for sellers and has been traditionally considered challenging and cumbersome, especially for small businesses –due to the many complexities involved. But e-commerce has simplified the process, claims Wakankar. "Earlier, the only way for entrepreneurs to try out new markets was to go there, mostly to top trade fairs physically, meet suppliers, send samples, get orders, manufacture, figure out shipping, storage, and then send their products,” he said. E-commerce has made it possible for them to connect with customers via a few clicks directly. “They can leverage available resources like industry reports and market insights from e-commerce players, start small, and give themselves a chance to get it right the first time," Wakankar says. This is a blessing for small businesses, which can benefit from the fact that e-commerce enables businesses to incur low start-up and operational costs, supports them with market intelligence through data insights and customer reviews, and offers them support with distribution, payments, and logistics. “This massively increases the ability of businesses to reach large audiences quickly and build a global brand that owns and runs its IP (Intellectual Property) - while still being based in India," Wakankar adds. In a nutshell, established brands will require technology-based resources, insights into consumer behaviour, and financial assistance to expand their reach to more customers and unexplored markets. Meanwhile, emerging brands will need significant assistance refining their brand or product offerings, gaining insights into their target audience, and accessing funding and mentorship to enter the global market. According to Union Minister for State for Commerce and Industry, <a href="https://www.ibef.org/news/exports-in-fy23-to-reach-about-us-770-billion-commerce-and-industry-ministry">Anupriya Patel</a>, India's export of goods and services is estimated to reach approximately $760-770 billion for the ongoing financial year, compared to the previous fiscal year's export value of $672 billion. While growth comes from large quarters, small businesses which offer unique value propositions to a wider set of customers are also key to taking the brand ‘Made In India’ abroad in a big way.

Indian D2C brands are already making their presence felt across the world, thanks to Amazon

The app economy has inspired an ‘on-demand’ self-service culture among all kinds of consumers. The <keyword id="5948524" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="B2B-sector" source="Orion">B2B sector</keyword> is no exception and brands are responding to the changing customer demands through Direct-to-consumer models. The way brands connect and engage with their customers has changed significantly in the last two years. The digital-first era is transforming conventional buying patterns and behaviours. Customers across segments – whether it’s B2B or B2C – are expecting digital-first, personal and connected experiences as they consume products and services. As a part of this shift, digital commerce or e-commerce has been sweeping the B2B segment lately. According to a McKinsey report, nearly two-thirds of B2B companies across industry sectors now offer e-commerce capabilities. That is an extraordinary number for an industry which has preferred in-person sales so far. This was an inevitable change. But, something more interesting is happening to the B2B space – the emergence of the <keyword id="4055555" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="D2C" source="Orion">D2C</keyword> or direct-to-consumer model. What was once considered an exclusive domain for B2C brands is now helping B2B companies explore new possibilities. Key drivers The global pandemic was vital for the growth of the direct-to-customer approach in the B2B segment. It propelled a rapid shift to the digital way of working and compelled companies to launch apps &amp; services at lightning speed. This marked a stark change in what was perceived by buyers as “good enough”. B2B buyers are therefore taking on the habits of B2C buyers, which has shaken some legacy business models and thought processes. A study conducted by TrustRadius in 2021 found that millennials comprise 60% of today’s B2B technology buyers. This generational shift has already moved the needle for B2B e-commerce with a 200% growth in D2C purchases between 2019 and 2020 (source: Salesforce). Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen emphasized, saying “making the digital economy personal” is a matter of greatest importance to businesses. Adoption of D2C models is helping businesses get this ‘experience’ part right, experts argue. Adoption of digital sales channels have helped brands enhance customer relationships, reach out to more customers and improve the overall competitive advantage. For the successful implementation of D2C models, brands must focus on three key areas Become data-driven: B2B brands understand the power of data in creating compelling D2C models. Throughout the digital buying cycle, data must be leveraged to create a compelling experience for corporate buyers. But brands are grappling with the challenge of fragmented data sets, legacy technologies and siloed approaches in this journey. Moreover, gaining customer insights become a challenge as B2B companies have historically preferred indirect sales channels which distanced them for end-users. The D2C space is highly competitive and brands must focus on data and customer insights for decision-making. B2C brands can learn a thing or two from their B2C counterparts on how to be data-driven. Predictive analytics, AI/ML and customer insights solutions can help brands understand customer behaviour, brand perception and create a 360 degree view of the buyers. Take it personal: Personalized experience has become a universal ask. Successful brands have excelled in gathering customer insights and transforming them into personalized interactions and service offerings. Buyers want real-time responses and digital experiences while brands must also focus on providing this at scale. Metaverse has already shown that the lines between physical and virtual words are blurring. The app economy has inspired an ‘on-demand’ self-service culture and B2B brands must prepare to cater to the growing customer demand through D2C models. Website personalization, short buying cycles, proactivity and the ability to provide a connected experience are a few things that brands must prioritize. Leverage Tech: From AI-powered live search to product recommendation engine to digital signatures, technology is the backbone of building a D2C strategy. Digital experience platforms are growing in popularity among brands that strive to provide a cohesive CX (customer experience). Experts recommend taking a ‘composable’ and software-driven approach while building an ecommerce platform and the underlying tech stack to be able to evolve as you move along. Increasingly, brands are embracing a tech-first, digital-native model of being. D2C strategies will help them pivot to the future more quickly. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="http://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/lic-stocks-if-you-want-to-predict-this-stock-prices-look-how-the-stock-market-moves/articleshow/92040939.cms">If you want to predict LIC stock prices, look how the stock market moves</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="http://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/tata-motors-bags-indias-biggest-ev-fleet-order-from-cab-company-blusmart/articleshow/92035478.cms">Tata Motors bags India’s biggest EV fleet order from cab company BluSmart</a>

The tech-driven shift to D2C in the B2B sector

<ul><li>Aditya Birla Fashion &amp; Retail (ABFRL) recently bought Reebok’s India operations and brands like the House of Masaba.</li><li>Now, the company says that it will set up a new subsidiary that will directly sell to the consumer (D2C) the way Thrasio, Mensa and 10Club do.</li><li>Shares of ABFRL have surged 76% in the last one year.</li><li>The story has been corrected to reflect that the new D2C unit will not be a marketplace like Ajio or Tata Cliq, as mentioned earlier.</li></ul>After a series of partnerships with some of India’s top designers of ethnic fashion like Shantanu &amp; Nikhil, Tarun Tahiliani, <keyword id="667" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ritu-kumar" source="Orion">Ritu Kumar</keyword> and <keyword id="8264" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sabyasachi" source="Orion">Sabyasachi</keyword>, <keyword id="3378227" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="aditya-birla-fashion-and-retail" source="Orion">Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail</keyword> (ABFRL) is preparing to go directly to the consumer. The company has said that the new entity will build “a portfolio of distinct, new-age, digital brands across categories in fashion, beauty and other allied lifestyle segments” Kumar Mangalam Birla, one of India’s top billionaires with a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/aayushipratap/2022/02/03/indian-billionaire-gautam-adani-becomes-asias-richest-person/?sh=7e7df8744d92">net worth of $90 billion</a>, is ready to take the next big stride into online retail. The board of ABFRL has approved the setting up of a new D2C subsidiary. The retailer has had a bunch of brands for a while but in the last two years, it’s been busy stacking up outfits from some of the top designers of wedding attire. Birla’s recent pacts with designers of ethnic wear <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Acquisition year </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">% stake in acquired firm </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">June 2019 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Jaypore &amp; TG Apparel &amp; Décor </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">100% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">July 2019 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Shantanu &amp; Nikhil (S&amp;N) </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">51% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">July 2019 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Finesse Designs </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">51% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">January 2021 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sabyasachi </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">51% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">February 2021 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Tarun Tahiliani </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">33.5% </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> <keyword id="13104055" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="what-is-d2c" source="Orion">What is D2C</keyword>? Direct to consumer is when a brand sells their products directly to consumers without selling through any third party retailers, wholesalers etc. Some of the popular D2C brands in the market are MyGlamm, Mamaearth, Wow Skin Science, BoAT, and Go Noise and the number of these brands in India has more than doubled in the last two years, according to consulting firm Bain and Company. Platforms selling D2C brands include Meesho, Tata Cliq, Myntra, Nykaa and Ajio. However, ABFRL’s business model will be similar to the New York-based e-commerce player Thrasio, which acquires small merchants and brands listed on Amazon marketplace. Thrasio has acquired more than 100 third party sellers or fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) businesses and is valued at $6 billion. Indian players like 10Club, Mensa Brands (founded by Myntra's former CEO Ananth Narayanan) and GlobalBees (founded by FirstCry founder Supam Maheshwari and Edelweiss' former executive Nitin Agarwal) have garnered the interest of investors. Notably, Mensa Brands is the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/former-myntra-ceo-started-mensa-brand-in-may-and-its-already-worth-a-billion-dollars-with/amp_articleshow/87735832.cms">youngest Indian startup</a> to be valued over a billion dollars and 10Club raised the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/bhavna-suresh-has-closed-indias-largest-seed-round-for-her-nine-month-old-startup-10club/amp_articleshow/83978841.cms">largest seed round</a> in Asia, last year. Even Thrasio is not willing to let go off this opportunity. The company will be looking to invest <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/amazon-aggregator-thrasio-will-invest-half-a-billion-dollars-in-buying-indian-brands/amp_articleshow/88894791.cms">half a billion dollars</a> in the Indian market over the next few years. The combined revenue of all D2C retailers in India was $3 billion in 2020, and is likely to be $35 billion by 2025, according to a recent report by O3 Capital. However, ABFRL’s statement pegged the D2C opportunity at a whopping $100 billion by 2025. <div type="image" title="aditya birla fashion stocks" height="900" width="1200" msid="89347682" hostid="261"></div>Now, ABFRL has been selling fashion brands like Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England and many others through over 3,000 stores, for a while now. More recently ⁠— aside from the a series of pacts with makers of top dollar designer outfits ⁠— the company has also bought a <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/fashion-/-cosmetics-/-jewellery/aditya-birla-fashion-to-buy-51-stake-in-masaba/articleshow/88892651.cms">51% stake in House of Masaba</a> (a clothing and cosmetics brand), and sportswear brand Reebok’s India operations. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Categories </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Brands sold by Aditya Birla Fashions </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Luxury </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">The Collective, Ralph Lauren, Shantanu &amp; Nikhil, Sabyasachi, Tarun Tahiliani </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Super Premium </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Simon Carter, Hackett, Ted Baker, Jaypore, Polo </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Premium </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Louis Philippe, Allen Solly, VanHeusen, American Eagle </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sub-premium </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Peter England, Forever 21 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Value </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Pantaloons, People </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mass </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Style Up </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>With this business proposition, Aditya Birla is looking to mint money out of the extensive ecommerce offerings created by Jeff Bezos through Amazon, Walmart through Flipkart, Mukesh Ambani and the Tata Group. Birla will use brands like these to sell the D2C brands it acquires to sell online. Ambani’s Reliance Retail has also been making big investments in e-tail including Ajio, a six-year old online marketplace that makes a bulk of its revenue from sale of fashion clothing. Tata’s product is called Tata Cliq, which sells products from Westside, Shoppersstop and other brands. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/textile-cigarette-metal-and-electric-batteries-sectors-stocks-up-budget-day/articleshow/89346157.cms">Textile, cigarette makers and others sector stocks that rallied since budget speech</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/gautam-adani-and-mukesh-ambani-are-now-richer-than-facebooks-mark-zuckerberg/slidelist/89338118.cms">Forbes shows Adani and Ambani are now richer than Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg</a>

Birla has the best wedding suits stacked up and he wants them displayed on your phone

<keyword id="868697" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="plum" source="Orion">Plum</keyword> – India’s first 100% vegan &amp; cruelty-free beauty and personal care brand, today announced that it has signed actress <keyword id="3063728" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mithila-palkar" source="Orion">Mithila Palkar</keyword> as their brand ambassador. Being one of the most vivacious and spirited actresses, Mithila exemplifies the-girl-next-door image and will appear in key Plum campaigns across digital media. This will be the first time that Plum is getting a brand ambassador on-board. One of the fastest growing BPC brands in the online space, Plum has carved a mark for itself in the retail market as well. Not only is it among the top brands on key ecommerce marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa and Purplle , but the brand also is today available in over 250 towns and cities in India, through 900+ assisted retail outlets, and over 10,000 unassisted outlets – growing month-on-month. Recently, the brand also won the Best Vegan Cosmetics award at the PETA India’s Vegan Fashion Awards. Starting her acting career in 2014, Mithila is known for a wide variety of roles that she has portrayed in movies and web series such as, Chopsticks (A Netflix Original film), and <keyword id="2719583" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="karwaan" source="Orion">Karwaan</keyword>. She rose to fame after her roles in popular web series Little Things and Girl in the City. She is also a popular singer. In 2016, a YouTube video featuring her performing the popular Marathi song Hi Chal Turu Turu (sung originally by Jaywant Kulkarni) in the cup song style went viral with more than 6 million views. Commenting on the announcement, Shankar Prasad, CEO and founder at Plum, said – “Plum is a youthful brand that resonates with the confident woman of today. So, onboarding a millennial youth icon like Mithila Palkar seemed to be a natural fit. She reflects Plum’s values of being honest and real. Our association with her is a step towards strengthening the connection with our customers and reaching out to millions of more women who will emotionally associate with our brand and love using our products. We are confident that her voice will inspire them to be comfortable in their skincare and beauty choices and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have her as the face of Plum.” On being the brand’s first ambassador, actress Mithila Palkar shares, “I’m really excited to be the face of a brand like Plum that believes in spreading so much goodness around the world. I deeply resonate with the philosophy of the brand and their unique approach towards creating products which are truly good for your skin. In Plum, I have found my partner, which provides an authentic, dependable, efficacious, and delightful experience in skincare. I am truly glad to be associated with them.”

D2C brand Plum ropes in Mithila Palkar as brand ambassador

<ul><li><keyword id="12363785" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dot-key" source="Orion">Dot &amp; Key</keyword> is the first direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand acquired by <keyword id="6376684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nykaa" source="Orion">Nykaa</keyword>.</li><li>It has previously acquired two private labels — Pipa.Bella and 20Dresses.</li><li>Nykaa is expected to flag off its initial public offering (IPO) to raise ₹5,200 crore next week.</li></ul>Fashion and beauty ecommerce platform Nykaa has added a direct-to-consumer (D2C) skincare brand Dot &amp; Key to its shopping cart for the first time ever. This development comes only a week before Nykaa is expected to flag off its initial public offering (IPO) to raise ₹5,200 crore. Nykaa has made two acquisitions in the fashion space to date. This includes fine jewellery brand Pipa.Bella and clothing brand 20Dresses. Both these brands operate independently and sell their products online on their own website as well as Nykaa. Three-year-old Dot &amp; Key will join Nykaa’s house of brands post this acquisition. The Kolkata-based company was founded by Suyash Saraf and Anisha Saraf. It offers premium skincare products like serums, face masks, toners and cleansers. The company has also expanded into nutraceuticals under the brand ‘IKWI’, which claims to be dermatologically tested and cruelty free. Nutraceuticals are products, which other than for nutrition are also used as medicines. Ernst &amp; Young LLP was the exclusive advisor to Dot &amp; Key on the deal. “Dot &amp; Key’s product range presents an exciting opportunity for Nykaa as it allows us to extend the brand’s reach to a larger landscape of consumers and enter the nutraceutical space as well. Dot &amp; Key is a consumer centric brand with a growing base of consumers and a range of skincare solutions,” Falguni Nayar, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Nykaa said in a statement. The acquisition by Nykaa will allow Dot &amp; Key to scale up further, Suyash Saraf added. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/hm-is-partnering-with-a-building-materials-company-to-achieve-its-sustainability-goals-heres-a-look-at-how-they-work-together-/articleshow/87193030.cms">H&amp;M is partnering with a building materials company to achieve its sustainability goals. Here's a look at how they work together.</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/sp-500-hits-record-high-in-7th-straight-winning-session-amid-strong-earnings/articleshow/87194812.cms">S&amp;P 500 hits record high in 7th straight winning session amid strong earnings</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/wework-gains-9-in-long-awaited-trading-debut-2-years-after-failed-ipo-attempt/articleshow/87190772.cms">WeWork gains 13% in long-awaited trading debut 2 years after failed IPO attempt</a>

Nykaa has added a skincare brand to its shopping cart, a week before its IPO

<ul><li><keyword id="12042233" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gokwik" source="Orion">GoKwik</keyword> offers tools and solutions to direct-to-consumer (<keyword id="4055555" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="D2C" source="Orion">D2C</keyword>) that offer better experience to users.</li><li>Matrix Partners India led the company’s pre-Series A round, with participation from RTP Global.</li><li>In its first year of operations, the company has set plans for international expansion.</li></ul>The Indian <keyword id="436047" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ecommerce" source="Orion">ecommerce</keyword> industry was growing exponentially last year as customers and several brands were embarking on the digital journey amidst the pandemic. But the show was largely run by giants like Amazon and Flipkart. That’s when <keyword id="4075194" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chirag-Taneja" source="Orion">Chirag Taneja</keyword> came up with the solution to help Indian brands to set up their own identity in the world of digital retail. GoKwik, launched in January 2021, offers tools and solutions to direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands — that sell directly to customers through their own website — to offer better experience to users. “If you look at D2C websites and compare it to the giants, you’ll realise that many things are broken. If e-commerce has to boom then someone will need to fix these experiences. That is what we do as a company,” Chirag Taneja, chief executive (CEO) and co-founder of GoKwik, told Business Insider. Fundraise to international expansion — all planned out GoKwik on Tuesday, September 7, announced a $5.5 million fundraise in order to expand its presence further. The pre-Series A round was led by Matrix Partners India, with participation of global investors like RTP Global. Several marquee angel investors and serial entrepreneurs also participated in the round. This includes Jupiter’s Jitendra Gupta, Uni’s Nitin Gupta, AngelList India’s Utsav Somani, CarDekho’s Umang Kumar, Shaadi.com’s Anupam Mittal, Livspace’s Ramakant Sharma, OfBusiness’ Asish Mohapatra and more. Over 12 angels invested in the pre-Series A round. GoKwik plans to use this funding to double its current workforce of 75 employees by 2022 and expand to other Southeast Asian countries that face the same ecommerce related challenges as India. The company has zeroed down on Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia for now. The Gurugram-based company notes that they will have an early mover advantage if they start international expansion now. For its international play, the company will focus on building local and central teams in the specific region and partner with local players. The technology and the product would largely remain the same for these markets, where cash-on-delivery would be a more common mode of payment. The Gurgaon-based startup helps retailers overcome challenges of setting up online stores and provide better experience to their customers. The company claims to have processed over a million transactions since its launch. Helping boAt, MamaEarth, LimeRoad and more The e-commerce enabler has also added 75 customers to its bucket list, ranging from marketplaces to publicly listed companies and renowned D2C brands. This includes boAt, Mamaearth, The Man Company, Heads Up For Tails, LimeRoad, ManMatters, The Whole Truth, The Souled Store, and TCNS Clothing Co, which owns brands like W, Aurelia and Wishful. Taneja noted that there are four legs of e-commerce — discovery, search/selection, conversion, retention. GoKwik is solving all these problems with its solution, as per Taneja. Ecommerce is expanding and one would need to use ecommerce enablers to bring the cost down, he added. The company was founded by Taneja and Vivek Bajpai. Taneja has previously worked as the chief revenue officer of Bombay Shaving Company, assistant vice president at Yes Bank and founded a food tech company Ketchupp in 2015. Bajpai, chief technology officer (CTO) and co-founder of GoKwik, was the head of technology at an adtech company SilverPush. Ankush Talwar, chief data scientist at GoKwik, is also part of the founding team. He previously was associated with Kognoz Research &amp; Consulting, Quantiphi and Publicis. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/logistics-company-delhivery-raises-76-million-ahead-of-its-ipo/articleshow/85997440.cms">Former Tiger Global exec Lee Fixel picks Delhivery as his second bet in India, after Inshorts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/el-salvador-just-bought-400-bitcoin-and-plans-to-buy-a-lot-more-a-day-before-making-it-an-official-currency/articleshow/85995497.cms">El Salvador just bought 400 bitcoin and plans to buy 'a lot more,' a day before making it an official currency</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/retail/news/chipotles-digital-sales-hit-a-record-2-billion-so-far-this-year-heres-how-its-loyalty-program-led-the-company-to-success/articleshow/85995495.cms">Chipotle's digital sales hit a record $2 billion so far this year - here's how its loyalty program led the company to success</a>

A former Bombay Shaving Company exec is helping brands like boAt, MamaEarth go big on ecommerce ⁠— and he now wants to take it abroad

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="9982341" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="modern-fertility">Modern Fertility</keyword>, a direct-to-consumer hormone, pregnancy, and ovulation test company will now sell its pregnancy and ovulation tests at 1,600 <keyword id="80487" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="walmart">walmart</keyword>s across the US and on Walmart.com.</li><li>Modern <keyword id="6414006" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fertility">Fertility</keyword> founder Afton Vechery said that partnering with Walmart will enable the startup to move forward its mission of true accessibility for all women.</li><li>Modern Fertility aims to enable women to learn about their fertility as a part of their overall health and wellness, not just as a part of trying to conceive.</li><li>The startup was attracted to Walmart's commitment to healthcare. In the last year, Walmart has opened healthcare clinics called Walmart Health and announced it would offer its own health insurance.</li></ul>Take a walk down the "family planning" aisle at your local pharmacy and you'll see a lot of products that either prevent pregnancy (condoms, Plan B), or tell a woman if she's pregnant (pregnancy tests). But what about women wondering if they can get pregnant, or when during their cycle they should try to conceive?Traditionally, those types of inquiries require a trip to a physician's office, and can come with hefty out-of-pocket charges. But direct-to-consumer startup Modern Fertility aims to make the process of learning about ovulation as easy as it is to pick up your weekly toiletries, and as affordable, too. Today, Modern Fertility announced that its at-home pregnancy test and ovulation test are now available at nearly 1,600 Walmart locations across the US. "Walmart has an unparalleled commitment to accessibility and so do we," co-founder of Modern Fertility, Afton Vechery, told Business Insider of the company's decision to partner with the major retailer. "We want to meet women where we are."Modern Fertility launched in 2018 with a $159 at-home hormone test. The test is designed to bring affordable fertility information to women without being prescribed a test through a physician. It can be self-administered through a finger prick and mailed back to the company, or through a Quest Diagnostics. The belief behind the company is that women should have the option to be proactive about their fertility, not reactive — meaning, learning about one's fertility shouldn't be a result of failing to conceive, it should be a part of mainstream wellness.Vechery came up with the concept for Modern Fertility after her own experience paying $1,500 out of pocket to learn about her fertility.When Vechery realized she was going to wait until later in life to start a family, she wanted to learn more about her fertility and what would be possible for her. But her OB-GYN told her "no, you're not actively trying and failing to conceive, I'm not going to prescribe them for you." Vechery still wanted the tests, so she opted to pay out of pocket, and had to go to an infertility clinic to get them done. $1,500 later she was happy to have learned more about her body, but frustrated by the price tag and the process. She told others about her experience and realized she wasn't alone."Women wanted more information about their bodies, and to use that to make decisions that were right for them," she said.Modern Fertility expanded its product lineup in July, with the ovulation and pregnancy tests that are available in Walmart, as well as launching a free app that enables period and ovulation tracking. The ovulation tracking app is designed to work with the ovulation tests — women can take a photo of the results of their ovulation test, and the app deciphers the results and predicts a customer's 2 most fertile days. Both products are up to 50% cheaper than leading pregnancy and ovulation test brands.Vechery said the company also found Walmart an attractive <keyword id="6354851" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="retail">retail</keyword> partner because of "the amount of resources they were dedicating to healthcare."In recent years, Walmart has been working hard to become a healthcare company. In 2019, Walmart opened its first <a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/walmarthealth/welcome">Walmart Health</a>, a stand-alone healthcare clinic that offers low-cost health services, regardless of insurance, including "primary and urgent care, labs, x-ray and diagnostics, counseling, dental, optical and hearing services." There are now six Walmart Health facilities open, five of which are in Georgia, and Walmart <a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2020/09/17/one-year-in-walmart-health-is-delivering-affordable-healthcare-and-expanding">announced</a> on September 17 that the company would be opening nine more facilities before the end of 2020, and is exploring new markets. Walmart is also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-breaks-into-health-insurance-2020-7">launching a health insurance arm</a>.Both Walmart and Modern Fertility are retail companies that aim to simplify and supplement the US healthcare system for customers. Kirsten Green, the founder of venture capital firm Forerunner Ventures, thusfar the biggest investor in Modern Fertility at $15 million, thinks startups will continue to step in and fill the healthcare system's gaps."In an age where consumers increasingly demand: value, convenience, transparency, the healthcare category broadly speaking falls short," Green, who also has a seat on Modern Fertility's board, told Business Insider. "By and large business follows the consumer, meeting opportunities where demand exists. In this vein, the healthcare system is ripe for invention and intervention."Because Walmart stores are prevalent in more rural areas, Modern Fertility can now reach customers who might not have nearby access to a doctor's office or hospital, and who might not have discovered the company's products otherwise. Modern Fertility's products will also be available on Walmart.com, and Vechery noted that Walmart's dedication to offering next-day shipping made her feel the retailer would be a good partner, because of the time-sensitivity associated with pregnancy and ovulation testing.Modern Fertility has successfully shifted the conversations and products surrounding fertility "upstream," so that talking about fertility isn't just for women who might be infertile or have a difficult time conceiving: About 75% of Modern Fertility hormone test customers are not actually trying to conceive, according to Vechery. She also noted that the tests are meant to be a conversation starter between a woman and her physician, not a replacement for a doctor.Green said that the two are complementary and that Modern Fertility "helps create more informed, savvy patients who have more productive conversations with their OB-GYNs, which enables better care within the doctor's office."Perhaps in the future, women will be able to get their Modern Fertility tests and discuss the results with their doctor — all at the same Walmart.

This Fertility DTC is partnering with Walmart  to revamp the 'family planning' aisle and make affordable fertility tests part of mainstream wellness

<ul><li>For most brands functioning in the current situation, ensuring minimal impact on their supply chain is perhaps one of the biggest challenge today.</li><li><keyword id="97696" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mineral-Water">Mineral water</keyword> brand <keyword id="115415" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bisleri">Bisleri</keyword> is taking various steps to ensure it is able to take its products to its consumers by increasing its online presence and strengthening its D2C offering, Bisleri@Doorstep, <keyword id="7778097" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Angelo-George">Angelo George</keyword>, CEO, Bisleri India tells us. </li></ul>The country has been in the grips of the second wave of Covid-19 and the last few weeks have been difficult for most of us. It has also been challenging for retail brands to reach out to their consumers while most shops and malls are shut. However, in the last one year, we have seen many brands strengthen their supply chain capabilities and are now doing their best to deliver their products to consumers directly at home. Bottled water brand Bisleri, which launched its direct-to-consumer website last year during the first lockdown has been seeing a steady increase in the number of people ordering mineral water, and even other products from its portfolio from its website, which is a huge behavior shift for the mineral water segment which has usually been a product people normally pick up from shops. Identifying the potential that D2C can have in the future, Bisleri has been strengthening its offering. Its website has also become a great way of consumers discovering other products from its portfolio that includes drinks like <keyword id="3249168" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Fonzo">Fonzo</keyword>, <keyword id="3248959" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Spyci">Spyci</keyword> and <keyword id="3248958" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Limonata">Limonata</keyword> and its hand sanitizer sprays. “Since last year, there has been a shift towards people buying even essentials online. As a result, we had launched Bisleri@Doorstep last year during the lockdown. In the last one year, and also during these last few weeks when Covid numbers have been going up, we have seen an increase in demand on our website. Our portal provides consumers an access to the whole range of Bisleri products which we deliver to their doorsteps. We currently operate in 20 cities, a number we are aiming to increase to 40 within the next few months,” shared Angelo George, CEO, Bisleri India. The brand has also been partnering with a lot of delivery partners to increase accessibility. “Since the Covid numbers have been going up in April, we saw almost a doubling of demand on our website,” he added. Making sure its supply chain doesn’t get impacted, which is one of the biggest challenges in this new world order, Bisleri is also working on taking its manufacturing facilities closer to the markets. “One of the bigger challenges today is ensuring minimal disruption to supply chain. We have a very well-dispersed manufacturing footprint which is a huge advantage in these times. Even though our products are essential services, there are impediments at times for the movement of staff and distribution vehicles which leads to a lot of liaisoning with the local regulatory bodies and law enforcement teams to ensure that our operations are not hampered,” he said. There has been an obvious increase in at-home consumption of their water. Their bottles are now available in a range of sizes, from 5 litres to 20 litres, which George thinks works in the brand’s favor. “We are also reaching out to different channels like chemists, milk and even vegetable vendors in a big way because these are the shops that are allowed to remain open and sustain operations through the day in many cities,” he explained. Owing to the increase in demand online, there was a challenge of amping up the customer care team at the backend too. “Right now, the call volumes and distress complaints have been going up, so we have beefed up our customer care team significantly. And we are training them while the process is going on, in terms of inducting them into the system,” he added. The brand had also recently come up with a campaign ‘Samajhdar Bisleri Peete Hain’ where the brand tried to tell consumers to be on the lookout for Bisleri lookalikes. Apart from this campaign, there were also some plans for the use of OOH which will now be on hold. On whether the current situation will impact their annual marketing plan, George said, “There are certain elements in the larger marketing plan that will need to be put on hold but everything else, which includes connecting with consumers, either through mass media or digital, will continue.” On what his areas of focus would be for the next few months, he said, “One is about ensuring that we augment our capacities in all key locations. We will also focus on introducing more products in health and hygiene categories,” said George. Considering many of its employees are working on-ground, the organization is making provisions to make sure they are safe. "Apart from the regular medical insurance, we have provided an additional Covid insurance for our employees and contract workers. In some cases, we have even housed our staff closer to the plants to reduce exposure. Processes are in place to ensure safety of our delivery staff because they are travelling and meeting consumers. We have given protective gears to all our staff, who frankly are Covid warriors and are also sanitizing vehicles after every trip,” he said.

You Searched For "D2C" and got 11 results

Honasa Consumer’s D-Street debut an acid test for D2C companies

Katya Naidu

India’s largest D2C beauty company to raise ₹1,701 crore via an IPO

Katya Naidu

Samsung plans 15 premium experience stores across 9 cities by December

PTI

Indian D2C brands are already making their presence felt across the world, thanks to Amazon

Sudhanshu Singh

The tech-driven shift to D2C in the B2B sector

BI India Bureau

Birla has the best wedding suits stacked up and he wants them displayed on your phone

Sriram

Bhakti

D2C brand Plum ropes in Mithila Palkar as brand ambassador

BI India Partner

Nykaa has added a skincare brand to its shopping cart, a week before its IPO

Kritti Bhalla

A former Bombay Shaving Company exec is helping brands like boAt, MamaEarth go big on ecommerce ⁠— and he now wants to take it abroad

Kritti Bhalla

This Fertility DTC is partnering with Walmart to revamp the 'family planning' aisle and make affordable fertility tests part of mainstream wellness

Catherine LeClair

Bisleri is amping up its D2C offering Bisleri@Doorstep, aims to expand its presence from the current 20 to 40 cities within the next few months

Samarpita Banerjee

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides