Zoya, the exquisite diamond boutique from the House of Tata, has introduced Samāvé, an autograph collection of rare jewelry that fashions inspiration from ancient fables of women, water and life. The all-white collection is evocative and modern, designed with clean lines in rose and white gold and its visual vocabulary seamlessly interprets architectural elements from India’s ancient stepwells into a unique design language, to deliver a versatile selection of rings and earrings, neckpieces and bracelets.
Handcrafted for the Zoya woman, every piece in this exquisite collection of 'haute joaillerie' is designed to make her every day, ever so special. With Samāvé, Zoya further strengthens its peerless legacy of design innovation, reinventing the category in a showcase of immense creativity and advanced technical expertise. The luxury atelier proudly presents it's very first, registered patent ‘Zoya Baoli’ setting, an autograph collection that will feature in future collections, evolving into a distinctive brand identifier.
Amanpreet Ahluwalia, Business Head, Zoya, said, “It is a passion for immaculate design and an innate understanding of the woman and her journey that drives Zoya. Zoya has always challenged traditional notions that endorse the view that jewellery was meant to display one's status and be worn sparingly. Samāvé is designed to make your daily wear meaningful, with artistic pieces that reflect your individuality, resonate with personal meaning, are crafted to be wearable and celebrate your every day.”
Impeccably crafted, one piece at a time, every aspect of the crafting process in Zoya’s signature setting, is a labour of love and a demonstration of technical mastery. Stones are cut with precise artistry by Zoya’s master craftsmen to tease out their lustre. They are then placed at an unusual incline to seamlessly match the geometry of the outer square while balancing the inequities of natural stones. The angle and placement of baguettes in an unending loop, gives rise to a continuous stream of light, structurally designed to create a dramatic play of light and shadows.
In the unexpected ‘reverse’ architecture of the setting, a round brilliant cut diamond is placed in the centre, representing the aquatic heart of the stepwell, the essence of life. The inaccessibility of the areas inside the setting presents a challenge for precision in shaping, making traditional prongs impossible to use. Samāvé’s unique setting is then achieved through the very precise casting of diamonds directly into the gold. Only diamonds of the finest quality are chosen for Samāvé, based on their ability to survive the intense heat of the casting process that takes place in a furnace. Tiny azure-cut windows behind the stones ensure accessibility for polishing tools, that finally deliver the impeccable finish that has become synonymous with a Zoya product.
Ajoy Chawla, CEO, Jewellery Division, Titan Company Limited, added, “This collection is a distinguished feat in jewellery making. The design story celebrates the centrifugal force that is the Zoya woman while the patent underscores Zoya’s commitment to continuous investment in design innovation, excellence in craftsmanship and legacy of creating works of art that bring together global sensibilities, and redefine the way in which fine jewellery is presented in India and globally.”
Samāvé is now available in Zoya boutiques in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru and in Zoya Galleries in Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kolkata.
SUGAR Cosmetics, which has approx. 550+ SKUs to date, has forayed into merchandise with the launch of SUGAR Merch Station earlier this year. Extending this range, the Merch Station now has a variety of bags, wallets, umbrellas, tees and caps; and will be available on the brand’s website and app exclusively.
After receiving a phenomenal response to the Merch Station launch that happened in April 2021, the brand decided to extend the range with the addition of more products. The SUGAR Merch Station is a culmination of its most loved merchandise, providing consumer value and some more brand love to SUGAR loyalists.
SUGAR, a cult-favorite amongst Gen Z and millennials, is one of the fastest-growing premium beauty brands in India. Launched in 2015, the brand has quickly made its way into most makeup aficionado’s vanity. With its clutter-breaking persona, signature low-poly packaging, and chart-topping products, SUGAR is the makeup of choice for bold, independent women who refuse to be stereotyped into roles.
With Monsoon season around the corner, it’s time to unleash the quirky side of you. The joy of getting drenched in the rain outside your home, jumping in puddles, or just sitting back and relaxing in this weather with a cup of tea with your loved one and all you seek for is ‘comfort with fun’.
Live it up with a fashionable yet comfortable pair of footwear from Crocs and personalize your pair with fun and sentimental Jibbitz charms to showcase your vibe this monsoon season. Jibbitz is the best way to express your moods and form a unique way of self-expression.
The Crocs Classic collection is lightweight, easy to clean, quick to dry, and hence, is perfect to enjoy the rains. They work best in the monsoon as they not only have pores for your feet to breathe but also stay firm on slippery grounds.
Crocs are easy to maintain and can be cleaned with just water and soap. Whether it's the classic clogs or comfy sandals, each pair is water-resistant due to the superior Croslite material, keeping your feet dry with cushion-like support inside to give that vital comfortable feel to your feet.
You can choose from sandals and clogs in an array of vibrant colors and tie-dye prints.
With its availability in a wide range of colors, keep your wardrobe updated with the matching pairs and different styles this monsoon.
Bewakoof has roped in Bollywood actor Sanya Malhotra for a new campaign. The brand believes that the actor appeals to the millennials and GenZ, is fiercely independent, and has a point of view on the world.
The marketing campaign will see Sanya flaunting a range of eclectic fashion from Bewakoof as she makes the statement, “Boring kapdo mein abhi bhi ho atke, phone uthao, and try something hatke.”
Youth D2C brand Bewakoof, known for being on point with its range of bombers, t-shirts, denim, jackets, and dresses, has signed Sanya Malhotra for promoting the brand across all digital platforms. Sanya with her critically acclaimed work in movies like Badhai Ho, Shakuntla Devi, Ludo, Pagglait, Pataakha, and Photograph will be seen in a series of digital videos.
Launched by Prabhkiran Singh in 2012, Bewakoof has become one of the fastest-growing youth D2C brands and is backed by marquee investors like IvyCap and InvestCorp. The company sells 20,000 units of apparel and accessories a day and has a customer base of over 10 million.
Prabhkiran Singh, Co-Founder, and CEO, Bewakoof, said, "As a brand, we have carved a space in the minds and hearts of the millennials with our fashion range of Apparel, Backpacks, Flip Flops, and Mobile covers. We understand our customers well, feel the solutions they need for different occasions, are a vehicle for their expression, speak their language tone and tenor. We get them."
"We recently launched a digital marketing campaign with Rajkummar Rao and our customers gave it a big thumbs up. Sanya brings out our brand ethos as her journey is inspiring and her achievements are extraordinary. She is 'Hatke Apun Jaisai'. Bewakoof wants to connect with and via celebrities who are fearless and unapologetic about their choices. For our brand, Sanya is the perfect representation of what Bewakoof is," he added.
Bewakoof with a fan base of over 6 million across its social media platforms is popular for engaging with its customers through topical memes.
Sanya Malhotra talking about her association with the brand stated, "I am happy to be part of the Bewakoof family. Bewakoof has all the fun and quirk that I always look forward to when I indulge in a brand."
Renowned Fashion Designer Mithi Kalra has launched a bridal collection of drape-sarees for this season, an easy to wear attire, these eclectic range of sarees are draped in a contemporary style to give you a modish look.
When it comes to wedding attire, drape sarees are prominent in most closets, they can be embraced in myriad hues and patterns. The label has added some fresh elements to the collection that are designed in floral motifs all over that are embellished with cutdana, thread, zari, sequins, and stonework.
According to designer Mithi Kalra, "When it comes to the six-yarder then I wanted to launch a collection that can be cherished in the trousseau of the bride, my muse for this collection was someone who is swooned by this comfortable, soft and enchanting attire, and hence the reason for launching these drape-sarees."
She further reiterates, "Today the brides like to shop an array of designs that are contemporary and diverse, keeping their choices in mind we have experimented with the regular drapes into an intricate art."
Speaking on the upcoming collection with sustainable fabrics, she adds, "Today, bridal wear has a vast spectrum, it not only includes those heavily embroidered lehengas and embellished sarees but it has a good mix of Rich Anarkalis with Ethnic Skirts, our new collection includes subtle yet rich blouses paired with heavy skirts, making it a complete look of home-grown Lehengas."
Capturing the beauty of the seven yards in an effortless manner, Taneira presents its latest offering, Essentials by Taneira, a collection featuring gorgeous silk, tussar, and cotton sarees, for women who love to wear sarees.
Available in a wide range of fabrics, these pieces are a perfect fit whether you are on a day out with friends, heading for an important meeting, or looking for the perfect gift for a dear one.
Essentials by Taneira adds a dash of glamor, bringing a break to the monotony of daily routine. High on comfort and light to wear, the pieces from the Essentials collection can be the perfect #OOTD (Outfit Of The Day) on any day of the week, as well as an impeccable choice for a party, wedding, or dinner. The sarees incorporate light and natural fabrics, complemented by the array of colors ranging between hues of greens, blues, pinks, and yellows, among others.
The use of elegant fabrics such as silk cotton, tussar, georgette, crepe, and cotton, makes these comfortable and equally chic sarees an ideal choice for daily wear as well as an excellent gifting option. And for the special days and occasions, the Banarasis and Kanjeevarams will add the elegance factor and elevate the overall look.
For the women who like a fine blend of elegance and style, this collection works perfectly whether at work or a brunch out with friends, draped in an effortless style of your choice, with pleats, casual draping, pant style, or with a belt, the choice is yours.
With the starting price of Rs 999, the Essentials collection offers an eclectic mix of fabrics to choose from, at an economically priced range, available at Taneira stores all across India and online.
Skechers, the global lifestyle and performance footwear brand, is expanding its #OriginalsKeepMoving campaign with its new collection featuring actress Ananya Panday. The campaign will include the launch of Skechers Energy Racer in India, and the popular Skechers D’Lites for women as well as men.
Rahul Vira, CEO of Skechers South Asia, said, “Together with Ananya, we’re excited to double the thrill as we launch the Energy Racer across India alongside the D’Lites range which has been demanded by sneaker lovers since its debut. We’re infusing an element of novelty while continuing to blend expressive style with fashion that appeals to all kinds of tastes and we believe that this new Skechers campaign with Ananya which celebrates the ‘original’ spirit of the youth will help them make strong style statements and give our designs their own unique take.”
Ananya Panday added, “My insatiable love for trendy and comfortable sneakers gets me excited every time a new Skechers collection is about to drop. This collection, in particular, had me waiting with bated breath: the Skechers D’Lites range has been a favorite, and the Energy Racer is a natural extension of how I like to express myself through my fashion. The fact that these have launched as part of the #OriginalsKeepMoving Campaign makes it sweeter for me personally, because I deeply believe in the message that it carries: true originals keep moving forward in life and evolving, no matter what the odds are.”
Iconic for its chunky platforms, the Skechers D’Lites range reflects spring and summer’s optimistic style sentiment with its colorful splash while the Energy Racer range heads from its success on the runaway to a trendy style boost for every wardrobe.
The new collection will be available at Skechers retail outlets nationwide and online at Skechers India. Since Skechers India launched in 2012, the company has offered a wide range of its 3,000 footwear styles to men, women, and children across the country, along with introducing apparel and accessories in nearly every category.
Turmeric commonly known as Haldi is rich in antioxidant curcumin, which is anti-inflammatory and can lighten the pigmentation while Chandan helps in fighting skin blemishes, healing rashes delaying wrinkles and lines, reducing dullness and tans.
Namyaa Skincare, one of India's leading natural skincare companies, has added two more products into its own kitty, which is one of its kinds in India.
Haldi Chandan Intimate Hygiene Wash helps in lightening dark and patchy intimate parts and is paraben-free. It comes with the goodness of Haldi, Chandan, Aloe Barbabensis Leaf Juice, Green Tea Leaf Extract, Cucumber Fruit Extract, etc. It helps maintain proper intimate area hygiene. The price for the same is Rs 299
Haldi Chandan Intimate Lightening Serum comes with the goodness of Haldi, Chandan, Aloe Barbabensis Leaf Juice, Green Tea Leaf Extract, Cucumber Fruit Extract, etc. It is free from skin-damaging chemicals, metals, and hydroquinone. The serum is known to help reduce hyperpigmentation, scars, and marks. It also helps to lighten the skin of the intimate area and is enriched with Haldi, Chandan, Bearberry Extract, etc. The price for the same is Rs 699.
Both these are available on Nykaa, Flipkart & Amazon.
Karan Gupta, Director, Namyaa Skincare, said, “This is our latest launched most highlighted product. It comes with the goodness of Haldi and Chandan, which has always been in our Kitchen for many years now. The health of the intimate areas is still ignored by many people. After proper market research, we came up with these products which are combinations of Haldi and Chandan and help heal various problems.”
Namyaa is India's leading natural skincare company, which has formulated great skincare products after years of research and innovation that are scientifically proven and safe with zero side effects. Started in the year 2017, over the years the brand has added various skin-friendly products to their portfolio.
Skinella, one of India’s leading skincare brands that offer fresh fruits and superfood-powered products, is helping women to rejuvenate their skin with its latest launch. The skincare brand has rolled out three new products, including Goji Berry With Vitamin C Face Wash, Camu Camu SunScreen SPF 40, and Green Papaya Tan Removal Peel Off Mask.
The launch further aligns with the brand's commitment to take the skincare experience for young women a notch higher through innovative products and exotic formulations. Its newly launched exquisite products are crafted with natural ingredients to provide skin with the right nutrition.
Speaking about the launch, Dolly Kumar, Cosmetic Engineer, and Founder and Director, Cosmic Nutracos Solutions Pvt Ltd, the parent company to skincare brand Skinella, said, "I believe that the only way to improve and maintain healthy skin is by following a consistent routine. So, each one of you must steal a minute to think about your skincare routine as if it’s your diet. And we also realize that there is no better way to groom yourself naturally than by feeding your skin with the power of fruits and superfoods."
"Hence, we have created these very unique skincare products using fresh fruits and superfoods that will provide your skin with nourishment and smoothness while leaving a natural glow," she added.
All the three products can be purchased from all leading retail outlets pan-India and will be soon available on Amazon, Flipkart, and Nykaa.
German online retailer Zalando has announced a strategic partnership with LVMH's Sephora. With this, the beauty products chain can offer its products via Zalando's platform.
Zalando x LVMH's Sephora partnership will be launched in Germany in the fourth quarter. It will be expanded to other Zalando markets from 2022.
Martin Brok, CEO of Sephora, said, “Fifty years after opening its first store, Sephora once again disrupts prestige beauty by joining forces with Zalando to create the ultimate online prestige beauty destination for Zalando's 42 million active customers.”
Sephora is operating in 35 countries and has 2,000 stores globally, with roughly half in Europe.
David Schneider, Co-CEO, Zalando, said, “Beauty represents a huge and exciting opportunity for us, with the online beauty market still largely untapped in Europe.”
Europe's online-only fashion retailer Zalando has seen sales soar during coronavirus lockdowns, with revenues in the January-March period up 47 percent to $2.67 billion.
Pacific Mall, Dwarka in association with Sunset Cinema has started a drive-in cinema facility at Pacific 360°, the rooftop. Families and friends can simply drive in their vehicle and enjoy the marvelous cinematic experience using FM waves safely in their cars for the first time in India.
With the launch of this unique idea, Pacific Mall has also become the second in Asia to give theatrical feels that take audience back in time. It is a unique concept where people can watch movies safely with social distancing.
The mall authorities have kept mandatory temperature checks and Aarogya Setu app installation compulsory for every visitor. Snacks and other eatables are being served via QSR chain outlets like Dominos, Burger King, and KFC. The location is simply iconic as viewers get to witness an open theatrical experience along with the serene view of Dwarka’s skyline, under the starry sky.
Abhishek Bansal, Executive Director, Pacific Group said, “Pacific D21 has been popularly known as an ultimate entertainment destination in the capital city of Delhi. We always try to live up to our patrons’ expectations. Due to the pandemic, people have become increasingly cautious to make a visit to the theatres, but the desire of watching movies on big screen is something which cannot be let go off so easily, we hope to bring back the same experience every weekend with our rooftop drive in cinema.”
Myntra has launched Bath & Body Works on its platform.
Bath & Body Works is one of the world's leading specialty retailers and home to America's Favorite Fragrances® offering a breadth of exclusive fragrances for the body and home, including the #1 selling collections for body lotion and body cream, body wash, hand soap and fine fragrance mist. For more than 25 years, customers have looked to the brand for quality, on-trend products and the newest, freshest fragrances and will now be available on Myntra.
As a leading player in the beauty and personal care space, Myntra offers its customers over 500+ brands, including some of the top global and domestic brands on its platform. The category has registered over 80 percent Y-o-Y growth. During the pandemic, the category saw an accelerated growth and witnessed 26 percent surge in demand coming from customers including Y-o-Y growth, of which 30 percent, from T2 and T3 markets, highlighting a strong base of brand conscious customers across these regions.
The association with Bath & Body Works further enhances the proposition of the category on Myntra’s platform, introducing the brand to Myntra’s wide consumer base, while also attracting Bath & Body Works’ loyal customers to the platform for their favorite products to be delivered home.
The brand will launch 400+ styles which includes exclusive products across body care and home fragrance.
Commenting on the launch, Ayyappan Rajagopal, Head of Business Myntra, said, “Beauty and Personal care is an important category on Myntra and witnessed strong demand during the course of the pandemic, as shoppers preferred and experienced the convenience of shopping them online. We doubled our customer base for the category in the last 2 quarters of last year and also added about 100+ new brands to our portfolio in the last six months. Myntra’s association with Bath & Body Works is a significant one, considering the popularity of the brand and its discerning customers. Myntra’s reach and popularity make for an ideal platform for the brand to spread its presence across geographies and connect with a wider base of consumers.”
Online used-phone seller Cashify on Thursday said funds advised by Olympus Capital Asia are investing US$ 15 million (about Rs 109 crore), a move that will help the company scale up its presence in the mobile phone reuse and recycling sector in the country.
Olympus Capital Asia investment will be made through Asia Environmental Partners (AEP), its clean energy and sustainability platform, a statement said.
Cashify plans to use the proceeds from this investment for further expanding its footprint in India, it added.
Founded in 2015 by Mandeep Manocha, Nakul Kumar and Amit Sethi, Cashify is an online platform to sell old or used mobile phones for instant cash and offers free home-pickups. It also sells its own brand of refurbished smartphones under the brand 'Phonepro'.
The company, which also deals in laptops, tablets, desktops and gaming consoles, has over 2 million customers and 1,500+ serviceable cities.
"We are pleased that Asia Environmental Partners, one of the most experienced clean energy and sustainability investors in Asia, chose to partner with Cashify. We are looking forward to accelerating our investment in the electronics reuse and recycling sector and thereby enabling OEMs and consumers to materially reduce their carbon footprint," Cashify, Founder and CEO Mandeep Manocha said in a release.
Pankaj Ghai, Managing Director of AEP, said the management team at Cashify has an excellent track record in building a strong consumer-facing franchise and building relationships with OEMs, e-commerce companies and electronic product retailers to be present across all touch points for the consumer.
"We look forward to partnering with the company in the next leg of its growth," he added.
Benetton raised the curtains on a new store concept in Florence. Featuring intensive use of sustainable materials and state-of-the-art, energy-saving technologies, this new location is a real trailblazer for a revolutionary approach to low environmental impact retail.
The result of an intensive research and innovation effort, the new store is part of a major sustainability project that Benetton is carrying out to consolidate best practices, improve its environmental and social performance throughout the supply chain, and become a model for sustainable fashion - not only in Italy, but throughout the entire world.
“The concept behind this store is unique in the world. It was developed to launch a new phase for our firm,” Massimo Renon, Benetton Group Chief Executive Officer, commented. “It’s a project our company firmly believes in, a milestone on our path to becoming a global reference point in terms of sustainability, and in which Florence represents the symbol of a sustainable Rinascimento. Benetton has always made courageous and cutting-edge choices in terms of social impact. We will continue in this tradition, with ever more determination and conviction.”
The 160-square meter, single floor boutique makes abundant use of upcycled natural materials. The floor is made with gravel from the river Piave and waste wood from beech trees brought down by Vaia (a storm that hit the Italian Veneto region in 2018), while the walls are treated with a mineral paint with antibacterial and anti-mold properties that can also reduce pollutants in the environment.
The store interiors are made with new materials created from textile industry scrap: the perimeter platforms and bases of the display stands are made with a compound created from used buttons (difficult to dispose of) mixed in hydro-resin; recycled wool (in its raw wick state) is reused in the design of the perimeter lining and as decoration for the curtains of the dressing rooms; shelves, display bases and mannequins are made in ‘rossino’, a material created from upcycled, mixed textile fibres.
The shop window displays make use of sustainable solutions that reduce the use of resources. Transparent panels fixed to the ceiling can be moved at will, creating a sort of theatrical backdrop that forms a connection between the store and the street. The windows are equipped with low environmental impact transparent LED screens, which will feature content about product visuals, commercial information and communication.
The Florence boutique is also a benchmark in terms of power consumption: the new shop uses 20 percent less energy than a standard store. A system based on tiny sensors, artificial intelligence and data analysis maximizes the energy efficiency of the points of sale and guarantees comfort for the customer, for example by automatically adjusting store temperature based on the amount of people in the shop.
Visitors to the store can choose from among the wide range of United Colors of Benetton sustainable garments in organic, recycled or BCI (Better Cotton Initiative) cotton, regenerated nylon, natural fibres such as linen, and other sustainable materials. Customers can then choose to take their purchases home in either washable, easily recyclable organic cotton bags or in paper bags made with materials sourced from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified forests.
Myntra, one of India’s leading fashion and lifestyle destination, announced ‘Myntra for Her’, event between March 6-9. This is slated to be the biggest fashion event for women in the country, allowing them to not only refresh their wardrobes with the latest styles and designs ahead of the hot Indian summer, but also do so at the most attractive and affordable prices.
Paying tribute to the company’s much-cherished women customers, this year, Myntra has ramped-up the ‘Myntra for Her’ event from a limited-scale, category-led occasion, to a big-ticket event with 360-degree marketing campaigns. By ensuring the event is the biggest fashion spectacle for women, Myntra wishes to celebrate and value each and every aspect of being a woman.
Exclusive Ladies Night
The ‘Myntra for Her’ event will also host ‘Ladies Night’ every evening from March 6-9, from 7 pm till midnight, to provide a 50-80 percent off on top brands and articles types, as well as other exciting deals on a number of women's go-to categories. Among various unique propositions specially curated for women, shoppers can Buy 1 and Get 3, and Buy 1 and get an extra item at Rs 49 on select catalogues.
Men too can play their part, with the season being apt for gifting. With women's ethnic wear, western wear, personal care products, sports apparel, lingerie and loungewear, footwear and jewellery, all available at never-before-seen prices, male buyers can shower the women in their lives with exciting gifts without denting their wallets.
Exciting Offers Up for Grab
The action starts right from the very first minute of the ‘Myntra for Her’ event, with Opening Hour Deals, between midnight to 2 am on March 6. This gives shoppers the chance to get their hands on exciting offers, with 30-70 percent off across categories such as ethnic wear, sarees, women’s westernwear, lingerie and inner wear, footwear, and accessories. The Beauty and Personal Care category will have some of the most irresistible deals from brands.
Additionally, all customers, who shop for Rs 4,000 or more, will get vouchers worth Rs 4,000. The ‘Highest Shopper’ at every hour will also be eligible to receive Rs 5,000 off on their next purchase.
Commenting ahead of the ‘Myntra for Her’ sale, Amar Nagaram, CEO, Myntra said, “In a concentrated effort to celebrate every woman in our life, Myntra For Her promises to present them with never before deals across categories. The event will give women the most exciting opportunity to indulge themselves in a blissful shopping experience. With curated offerings and holistic campaigns planned across channels, we expect to garner 1.4X jump in women customer traffic over BAU during the event.”
Myntra has witnessed a consistent growth in women shopper base in the country, at over 60 percent YoY, giving a strong indication of their growing purchase intent. Some of the most popular article types that were bought in the last few months by millions of women across the country include, kurtas and kurta sets, jeans, t-shirts, dresses, sarees, beauty, grooming products and accessories, footwear, lingerie and other fashion essentials.
After making waves with digital content creation and launching his podcast called 'The Ranveer Show' which has been trending no 1 on Spotify All India Podcast Charts since all of 2020 and establishing Monk Entertainment with his college friend Viraj Sheth, Ranveer Allahbadia is now all set to turn investor by investing in ‘Ready Set Jet’, an LA based beauty brand founded by a serial entrepreneur Shalini Vadhera. He is all geared up to play a huge role as a partner to expand the India operations of Ready Set Jet.
Ready Set Jet is globally inspired beauty brand built for busy women and anyone on the go with a social impact to give back geared to empower and inspire women by using beauty as vehicle for global change.
Inspired by his mother, an entrepreneur and doctor, Swati Allahbadia, he plans to follow suit with an aim to empower women through this move in his career at such a young age. Apart from helping Ready Set Jet to just amplify their presence in the Indian market, he plans to help the brand with strategy and expansion thereby adding more value and creating more jobs in the country.
Ranveer Allahbadia on partnering with RSJ said, “Absolute honor to be a part of the Ready Set Jet team. Shalini has been like family to me, and I cannot wait to see where the RSJ story takes us together. Lots of cool things are being planned, but what I can assure you is that the RSJ team will play a role in impacting women's businesses all over the world. That’s the aspect of this partnership that appeals to both of us on a deep level. Of course, it goes without saying that I really believe in the product and in Shalini's process of creation. Years of learning and accumulating wisdom have resulted in the products you see from Ready Set Jet. India is only just about to discover these high quality and high value pieces. I’m very excited about being an investor and partner in this brand!”
“It's always been a mission of mine to use beauty for a higher purpose in giving women the tools and resources to live their most powerful life. Throughout my career and travels, I have had the opportunity to meet so amazing people. Ranveer is one of those special people who is such an incredible story teller and an inspiration to so many. When I shared my vision behind Ready Set Jet, there was an instant mutual understanding and excitement at the opportunity to impact change for women while also bringing innovative products and community to India. It’s such an honor to have Ranveer on board not only as an investor, but as an active partner who believes in harnessing the power of beauty and education as a vehicle for change. I could not be more excited to have him join the Ready Set Jet Family,” said Shalini Vadhera, Founder of Ready Set Jet.
Nestle India reported a 2.25 percent increase in its net profit for the quarter ended December, on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, at Rs 483.31 crore.
During the corresponding quarter of 2019, the company had reported a net profit of Rs 472.64 crore.
The company's revenue from operations increased nearly 9 percent during the last quarter of 2020 to Rs 3,432.58 crore, said a regulatory filing.
For 2020, Nestle India reported 5.79 percent rise in its net profit at Rs 2,082.43 crore. Its operational revenue last year increased by 7.9 percent to Rs 13,350.03 crore.
"Under these circumstances, I am pleased to share that we delivered strong domestic sales growth. Nearly two thirds of our key brands like Maggi Noodles, Kitkat and Nescafe Classic posted double digit growth last year. This was backed by a step up in marketing spends, especially in the last quarter," Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and Managing Director, Nestle India said.
He added that e-commerce continued to grow, surge ahead and now contributes 3.7 percent of domestic sales.
Over the years, ITC has strengthened its partnership with the retailer community which spans across 2 million channel partners in the network. In the last 2 decades, ITC Ltd. has forayed into the Foods and other FMCG businesses and retailers across the country have extended invaluable support in reaching its world-class products to consumers and build popular food brands like Aashirvaad, Bingo!, YiPPee!, Sunfeast Biscuits, Candyman, B Natural, Fabelle, ITC Masterchef et al. which are driven by robust market share and consumer franchise.
In line with ITC Ltd.’s credo of ‘Nation First: Sab Saath Badhein’, the company right at the onset of the pandemic had spearheaded efforts to ensure safety of thousands of neighbourhood kirana and general store retailers, who ensured last-mile availability of essential products to consumers. Retailers were provided equipment and assistance to help continue running their establishment whilst adopting hygiene and safety protocols.
The pandemic also led to ITC accelerating its R&D towards developing digital tools to make retailers ‘future-ready’ and the multi-dimensional efforts culminated with a first-of-its-kind virtual event. As an initial step to further strengthen the local ecosystem of neighbourhood grocers, ITC Ltd. organised a virtual summit on ‘Digital Enablement for Kirana Outlets’ toeducate and upskill retailers on best practices in retail management, usage of digital ecosystem while also providing them digital solutions developed/ curated specially by the company to aid their growth and sustain their businesses in the coming years.
Over the years, the company has undertaken a large gamut of activities to boost its retailers business which ranges from assistance in making physical in-store improvements to introducing them to digital solutions that enable better inventory management. The unprecedented year of 2020 presented an opportunity to recalibrate retailer initiatives and further build, support and foster its strong relationship with the community.
ITC Ltd. has already developed digital tools like Virtual DS, Unnati App and Store Locator to support its retailers. The Virtual DS is aimed at reducing losses of incumbent orders due to salesman absenteeism. Unnati App is a specially developed state-of-the-art retailer application that enables the kirana store operator to directly place online orders with ITC Ltd. Likewise, the Store Locator is a WhatsApp chatbot, bringing the Kirana store and consumer together, aiding the kirana store in building its consumer base and bringing convenience to the consumer. Furthermore, ITC Ltd. plans to develop more enhanced digital tools to accelerate digital transformation.
Commenting on the initiative, Hemant Malik, Divisional Chief Executive, Foods, ITC Ltd. said, “In the initial months of Covid-19 pandemic, local kirana stores became the lifeline for consumers by maintaining a near-steady supply of daily items and essential commodities.We felt it would be befitting to acknowledge the tireless effortsof retailers and thank their families, who played a significant role in helping them serve the country by standing by them all through this period. While the pandemic reinforced the strength of the retailer community, it also made us realise the importance and need of enhancing digitization across the sector. We look forward to further innovating and introducing digital tools, educate the retailers on its applications and executions and extend unwavering support to build a sustainable and growth-led business environment for the retailers of our country.”
Sandeep Sule, Divisional Chief Executive, Trade Marketing and Distribution, ITC Ltd. said, “India has a vibrant, diverse and a highly competitive retail ecosystem, and a sizeable chunk consists of smaller retailers across the country. However, the evolution of digital landscape within the retail environment needs to gain momentum, when it comes to smaller retail stores. Identifying the need-based gaps, we look forward to developing and introduce digital tools to help them grow and sustain business in this fast evolving world. The digital summit - Digital Enablement for Kirana Outlets, was a great starting point and we were overwhelmed by the tremendous response that we received for the same. It also reflects the industry’s willingness to adopt newer ways of doing business and we are happy to play the role of a catalyst in the journey of digitization for the retailers of our country.”
STUDDS Accessories Ltd, the world’s largest two-wheeler helmet manufacturer (in terms of volumes sold in a year), inaugurated all new state-of-the-art, Exclusive Brand Outlet (EBO) in Karol Bagh, Delhi. This increases the retail footprints of EBO by STUDDS in the country with an aim to further strengthen such touch-points to around 20 across the country in FY’21.
Located at Faiz Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi, the exclusive brand will feature products from the company’s two flagship brands - STUDDS and SMK HELMETS. Aimed at offering superior value products, customers can now access a wide range of premium helmets and two-wheeler accessories, including, side boxes, top boxes, biking gloves, helmet locks, rain suits, biking goggles etc.
Indigenously designed to offer unparalleled in-store experience, this store acts as a one-stop-shop for the riding community and purchase from a wide range of new-age helmets with advanced head protection technology. The other exclusive brand outlets are already operational at Rohtak, Kochi, Bengaluru, Vijayawada, and Mumbai.
Talking about the outlets, Sidhartha Bhushan Khurana, Managing Director, STUDDS Accessories Ltd., said,” Entering the capital has been on our cards for a very long time, and we are confident to offer a variety of innovative products in our portfolio with the exclusive new store in Delhi. The city itself is one of the main financial hubs, making it an aspirational point of location. With an objective to transform the riding experience, we are thrilled to strengthen our network with the first launch of 2021.”
“With an aim to promote road safety amongst the riders in the county, STUDDS being the world’s largest two-wheeler helmet manufacturer is inclined with the Government’s rules and regulations. We also plan to add an advanced range of headgears and accessories in due course of time,” he further added.
The new outlet will feature an extensive range of products from STUDDS and SMK, thereby, presenting an exciting and contemporary portfolio to customers. SMK is a premium brand which was conceptualized in Europe and is popular among biking community for its comfort, style and value-added features.
In line with its phased expansion strategy, STUDDS plans to open several exclusive outlets across the country. With rising demands for two-wheeler accessories, the company is aiming to double its manufacturing capacity in helmets and motorcycle accessories in the coming years.
Dollar Industries Limited, one of the leading Garment and Hosiery Company in the country has announced its financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2020.
Highlights for Q3 & 9MFY21 Standalone Financials:
- Total Revenue for Q3FY21 & 9MFY21 stood at Rs 312.44 and Rs 730 crore as compared to Rs 255.43 and Rs.733.14 crore for Q3FY20 and 9MFY20 growth of 22.32 percent for Q3FY21 and de-growth of 0.43 percent for 9MFY21.
- Operating Revenue for Q3FY21 and 9MFY21 stood at Rs 311.79 and Rs 728.64 crore as compared to Rs 254.81 and Rs 731.65 crore for Q3FY20 and 9MFY20, growth of 22.36 percent for Q3FY21 and de-growth of 0.41 percent for 9MFY21.
- EBITDA for Q3FY21 and 9MFY21 stood at Rs 43.81 crore i.e. 14.02 percent and Rs 108.32 crore i.e. 14.84 percent as compared to Rs 33.94 crore i.e. 13.29 percent and Rs.85.07 crore i.e. 11.60 percent for Q3FY20 and 9MFY20, growth of 29.09 percent and 27.32 percent for Q3FY21 & 9MFY21.
- PAT for Q3FY21 and 9MFY21 stood at Rs 28.38 crore i.e. 9.08 percent and Rs 68.07 crore i.e. 9.32 percent as compared to Rs 19.58 crore i.e. 7.67 percent and Rs.46.58 crore i.e. 6.35 percent for Q3FY20 9MFY20, growth of 44.95 percent and 46.11 percent for Q3FY21 and 9MFY21.
Commenting on the results, Vinod Kumar Gupta, Managing Director, Dollar Industries Limited said, “The company crossed the mark of Rs 300 crore of turnover this quarter. Also, this quarter the Industry witnessed a sharp increase in prices of cotton and yarn starting November, 2020. It will take a while before the prices stabilize for yarn. The company continues its journey of growth working on revamping the distribution channel and digitization. We look forward to a bullish Q421.”
Care for your hair? It is time to make a switch and adopt a healthier routine that can make every day a good hair day. Nykaa has taken a step forward to bring a Natural Hair Care Range that not only cares for your mane but also addresses common hair concerns through ingredient led solutions. Here’s presenting Nykaa Naturals Hair - Shampoo and Conditioner in two variants- Apple Cider Vinegar & Ginger and Onion & Fenugreek.
A hair care routine is as important as your skincare routine. Hair goes through a lot during the day keeping in mind the kind of hair styling products being used, pollution, and other factors that lead to further damage. Understanding the diversity of Indian hair, Nykaa has launched the perfect range that delivers international formulations coupled with the science of ‘natural ingredients’, curated for all hair types for multiple hair concerns.
There are 2 variants under this segment:
Nykaa Naturals Apple Cider Vinegar & Ginger range combats concerns of dandruff and clarifies the scalp. Apple Cider Vinegar is a natural PH balancer that lowers the PH of your scalp to lock in hair cuticles and natural oils to ensure a healthy, build up free scalp. Enriched with vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, ginger invigorates the scalp to get rid of dandruff and contribute to a clarified itch-free scalp.
Nykaa Naturals Onion & Fenugreek range helps promote hair growth and prevent hair fall. Sulphur rich onion, promotes collagen and keratin production which is necessary for strong hair growth. High in protein and Vitamin B3, Fenugreek prevents hair fall by increasing the blood circulation in the scalp.
Commenting on the new category launch, Reena Chhabra, CEO Nykaa Brands, said, “Over the last year consumers have indulged a lot more in personal and hair care regimes that have been tied to a form of ‘self care’ and wellness. There has been a clear shift towards a demand for products with a focus on Natural ingredients that are safe, gentle yet effective when used. This led us on our journey to create rigorously researched nature-friendly formulas that meet international standards of being free of harmful chemicals. The Nykaa Naturals Hair Care range features ingredient-led solutions, to tackle specific hair concerns while ensuring a healthy mane, from root to the ends..”
Pacific Mall, Tagore Garden, Delhi’s ultimate fashion destination, recently celebrated its 10th Anniversary with an assemble of the top brands in the mall. The decor placed centrally in the mall featured celebratory elements along with mannequins from different brands, each showcasing a different trendy look, thus reflecting the diversity of shoppers and brands the mall caters to. The concept was to project brands as the soul of a mall, united in the spirit of fashion.
The top 10 lucky winners would win merchandise from brands like SuperDry, Onitsuka Tiger, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Under Armour, Forever New, Mango, GANT, Shantanu & Nikhil, Ritu Kumar, Yell, Mulmul, Mohanlal Sons, NeedleDust footwear, along with ‘Mia’ by Tanishq diamond necklace and Daniel Wellington watch.
The mall is also running a mega offer, wherein shopping for 20k will assure 10% cashback in form of assured vouchers. The offers will continue up to 7th February 2021.
Abhishek Bansal, Executive Director, Pacific Malls, said, “We are glad to complete this beautiful journey of 10 years, and express our gratitude to our patrons, retailers, and mall staff. The decade celebrations hosted in our premises are planned in a way to bring delight to our shoppers.”
Licious, one of India’s largest fresh meat, meat products and sea food brand, has kick-started the New Year with the announcement of the strategic expansion to 7 new cities in India. After launching in Jaipur and Coimbatore in Nov-Dec 2020, the Bengaluru-based brand has extended its operations to Vijayawada, Vizag, and Kochi. The brand is also all set to enter Puducherry and Kolkata, India’s key culinary hub for meat and seafood, by early 2021.
With its foray into these 7 new markets, the brand aims at unlocking the huge business opportunity in the fresh meat and seafood segment, while adding to its roster of 7 existing markets across India. Today, the company delivers more than 1mn orders per month and continues to delight the customers with high-quality, fresh and hygienic products.
Elaborating on the expansion strategy, Abhay Hanjura and Vivek Gupta, Co-Founders, Licious said, “We have spent the last five years perfecting our knowledge on meat and seafood ecosystem in India- be it the supply chain, processing methods or consumer preference. Our nuanced understanding gives us the confidence to soar ahead and serve superior quality meats & an unparalleled meaty experience to more Indian consumers.”
“Be it Kolkata and its Kosha Mangsho or Kochi’s Meen Molagita Curry, there are few culinary hubs in the world that can compete with such flavour and fervour. An equally discerning and potent market exists in Jaipur, Coimbatore, Vijayawada, Vizag, and Puducherry – towns that are home to well-heeled residents and expats and cuisines that are pre-dominantly seafood- and meat- based. Despite these factors, meat lovers find it a challenge to source world-class products that deliver on freshness, hygiene, and a standardized experience, consistently. With our superior quality products, we believe Licious will not just raise the bar for quality meats and seafood but uplift the overall culinary experiences in these markets,” they further added.
Licious’ entry into these strategic markets, including Tier II cities, highlight the brand’s commitment to elevate an industry which is still 96 percent unorganised. India’s meat market is valued at $40 billion, with over 73 percent of the country’s population being meat eaters.
Licious plans to offer its entire range of over 200 SKUs in all their new markets as well. These include fresh cuts like chicken biryani cuts, fish and seafood, cold cuts, ready-to-cook delicacies such as kebabs, and the brand’s signature chicken and prawn spreads in the ready-to-eat category.
Flipspaces, India’s leading interior design and build venture has launched Vizstore, a virtual store which allows furniture and furnishing product owners to digitize the product display, visualization and selection experience using virtual reality technology.
The cutting-edge technology has been especially created to revolutionize furniture and furnishing retail businesses and boost their sales by reducing the store rent to mere 3 paise per sq.ft. Vizstore comes packed with unique features that effectively solve all logistical and operational problems for enterprises such as high store rent, manual update of catalog, dependency on customer footfalls, lack of customer data, limited product mock-ups etc.
It is poised to reinvent the furniture and furnishing retail landscape as businesses can now sell anywhere with the virtual store, cut down on exorbitant rent costs, create 10+ product mock-ups (businesses can showcase their products with multiple mock-ups helping clients to choose faster), maintain digital catalogs, store and easily track customers’ details, and make data-driven business decisions with the in-built analytics.
Flipspaces provides end-to-end solutions to businesses looking to set up their virtual store, right from discovering and digitizing product catalogs to deploying Vizstore license in the business’s hardware to disseminating training to the staff and associates.
Commenting on this revolutionary development, Kunal Sharma, CEO & Founder of Flipspaces said, “We are living in digital times wherein almost every business has migrated to the digital medium. Businesses across different industries are leveraging technology to provide their customers with seamless experiences. The ones who haven’t made the transition are lagging behind their competitors. We truly believe that technology can tremendously benefit retail furnishing businesses. Giving a virtual tour to customers before they finalize the products that they would like to buy will give an immense boost to the sales. A virtual store can sell nearly a limitless number of items. You can create thousands of new display rooms or showcase new furniture or furnishing product with a few clicks. A physical store is plagued by too many restrictions and would need to expand their property so as to add the same number of products and showcase them.”
Flipspaces has leveraged their domain knowledge in technology and workplace strategy with global experience in designing and building for Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, and co-working spaces to put together resources required to fight this pandemic and adapt to an evolved world of commercial interiors.
Klub, a pioneer in revenue-based financing in India, announced facilitating an undisclosed amount of investment in Indian fashion and lifestyle e-commerce brand - The Label Life. The brand, curated and styled by Style Editors Malaika Arora, Sussanne Khan, and Bipasha Basu specialises in trend-focused, elevated clothing, home decor, and accessories while personally guiding the shopping experience for consumers.
The Mumbai-based lifestyle brand was founded by Preeta Sukhtankar in 2013. Parent company The Label Corp. initially housed three brands -- The Home Label, The Closet Label, and The Trunk Label. In 2019, the brands merged under one umbrella as The Label Life.
In an official statement, Preeta Sukhtankar, shared, "We are thrilled with the support and faith we have received with this funding which will allow us to increase our working capital and build up our inventory. Given Klub's strength of community engagement and deep data-driven analytics, this endorsement by its patrons will set us up to achieve continued success as we scale our omni-channel strategy. We have ambitious plans to expand our product offerings this year, with beauty and skincare at the top of the list based on high demand from The Label Life's frequent customers."
Malaika Arora, Style Editor, The Label Life said, "The partnership with Klub will infuse fresh life in the brand and we look forward to engaging more deeply with the Klub patron community. By backing The Label Life, Klub has also endorsed our strong philosophy of women empowerment - as a team of women targeting working women and as we build a thriving ecosystem of female vendors and partners."
The Label Life provides elevated fashion, accessories and home decor catering to urban women aged 23 to 45 years living in the top ten cities of the country. The company will use the funds from Klub to scale up its operations, including marketing and partnerships.
Ishita Verma, Co-founder & COO, Klub said, "The dynamics around retail saw a huge disruption last year with E-commerce taking centre stage for all shopping needs of consumers. Brands in the direct-to-consumer space have seen robust and accelerated growth with consolidation of the digital market. We find tremendous potential in The Label Life to capitalise on this opportunity and firmly believe that Klub's revenue-based-financing will help the brand scale new heights."
Hybrid investment platform Klub was launched in 2020 to provide growth financing to consumer brands. So far, it has partnered with over 25 popular D2C brands in sectors like fashion, beauty, personal care, FMCG, social commerce, and consumer subscription. The company raised its pre-seed funding from Sequoia Capital's accelerator programme Surge, and multiple angel investors -- Naveen Tiwari of InMobi and Kunal Shah of Cred, among others. It aims to empower more than 350 brands by the end of this year.
"After every storm a rainbow appears"
Reverie (Spring Couture 2021) is design maestro, Seema Gujral’s latest collection that celebrates vibrance and colour and sets a joyful tone for the year to come. ‘Reverie’, is an ornately woven ode to a new dawn, new hope and a new way of life brimming with vibrance and effervescence.
With an inherent aura of positivity and light, the line is a cornucopia of three dimensional floral motifs, geometric embroidery and splashes of colour. The effortless georgette drapes are crafted for the modern and bold muse, who loves to embrace her own personal style. The intricate play of net against an extremely unusual, almost transparent material falls beautifully against the skin, while trapping the light between the body and the fabric. The lightweight fabric feels almost weightless in the summer breeze and exudes a free-spirited charm.
The colour palette, too, is a stunning rendition of the driving philosophy of the line - a note of positivity and radiance to envelope us all. Classic silhouettes crafted in subtle tones like soft pinks, whites and peaches as well as vibrant hues like red, yellow and grey. With subtle detailing like bead tassels on the back of the blouse, airy tulle dupattas and colourful thread work, Reverie truly celebrates life, the light that can be found in the darkest of places and the true spirit of optimism.
Speaking about the launch of her latest labour of love, Couturier Seema Gujral said, "When I was creating this collection, I found myself gravitating towards all things that gave me joy, inspiration and kept me going after a challenging year. As a result, Reverie is the manifestation of a mindset that embraces the light, that finds joy in the smallest of places and that strives to reach a brighter tomorrow. This ‘happy’ collection has started 2021 for me on the loveliest note and set the tone for what I feel will be a very rewarding year!"
The collection includes a variety of ensembles including saris and lehengas, launching on SeemaGujral.com, shipping across the globe.
Reverie is also available at Seema Gujral’s Noida studio, as well as Aza, Ogaan, Pernia’s Pop Up Shop, and Origins Hyderabad
It's time to give your lashes a lift and get them to do the real talking as Nykaa welcomes its much-awaited Mascara range in the Cosmetics family. Nykaa Lash Talk Mascara lets you glam up any look with its gorgeously rich jet-black pigment. The no clumping, no flaking, waterproof formula has a long-lasting impact and leaves your lashes feeling feathery soft. From major volume to XXL lashes and dramatic curls, these mascaras give you that tailored lash effect and all-day comfort. Effortless to apply using a unique brush that evenly coats your lashes from root to tip without weighing them down.
The new Lash Talk Mascara range comes in three variants to match the lashes you need. Super Sizer is specially designed to give you major lash volume. If you have fine lashes then this mascara is your perfect match as it comes with a dense brush loading maximum formula to create fuller, plumper lashes. Like It Long mascara gives you that instant lash extension look. It is great for short lashes as it helps lengthen, define, and lift them. And finally, the Curl Power mascara, gives your lashes that dramatic curl you have always dreamt of. The unique brush grabs, separates, lifts and curls your lashes, all in one go!
Nykaa Lash Talk Mascaras are designed for different types of eyelashes and their unique brushes help coat every single lash right from its root to the tip. The formula is waterproof, smudge proof and is non-flaky. It gives your lashes that intense black color, adds definition to your eyes and completes the look with a bang.
Reena Chhabra, CEO Nykaa Brands, “Eyelashes can really do all the talking which has been proved time and again, just by adding a dash of Mascara! Consumers are going all out to explore different products or procedures to enhance their eyelashes. At Nykaa we always listen to our customers; this has definitely been one of the most awaited launches, and we wanted to create a product that can give our consumers a quick, fuss-free and effective solution. This is our first launch in the Mascara family, so we have introduced 3 different variants to match the lashes you want, at accessible price points. Some consumers need volume, some want to curl, and some want their lashes to look lengthy, and we’ve got them all covered!”
Three years in the making, Nykaa Lash Talk Mascara has launched with a high-voltage video featuring the brand ambassador Janhvi Kapoor. Nykaa Beauty Lash Talk Mascara Range is 100 percent cruelty-free and paraben free.
Aditi Rao Hydari has always won us over with her creative versatility. An actor who is loved across languages and industries, for her work, her choices, singing dancing and for her effortless style.
During the lockdown, Aditi collaborated with Mallika to design a very special limited edition collection for 'Cancelled Plans' amplifying the brand’s ethos of sustainability. Cancelled plans was founded and launched at the London Design Festival in conjunction with London Fashion Week in September 2019 and celebrates the use of recycled and rejected materials otherwise deemed as waste.
Cancelled Plans uses materials that are discarded and considered waste and usually end up in landfills or oceans without serving any purpose. The brand works with local factories to collect non-hazardous waste that often is of high grade and unused due to the nature of industrial processes. These materials are then converted into design elements which when combined with conventional materials create useful and durable everyday products.
Talking about her collaboration, Aditi says, “The idea to collaborate started with my first present from Cancelled Plans during the lockdown. It was a sweatshirt sent to me by Mallika which I wore non-stop (and then bought more). I love what the brand stands for and the world it is trying to build. To me it was simple, comfort and fun rooted in responsibility, and so I started by sharing Cancelled Plans with my friends. Mallika and I customised unique sweatshirts for them and this led us to think why not create a tiny line together since I enjoyed this process so much.
We sat at the drawing board and played with waste materials from various factories to design and create this line. We made multiple samples and I’ve literally lived in these co-ord sets over the past few months. It’s a small line and it’s simple and effortless, an extension of my personality. We’ve used quotes and graphics that I love and now i’m sharing them with you. I hope you love them as much as I do."
Panasonic, a multinational electronics conglomerate, announced its partnership with global software-as-a-service (SaaS) product company Anchanto to streamline, and expand its e-commerce operations across the Asia-Pacific region. Through the partnership, Panasonic will leverage Anchanto’s omnichannel Order Management System (OMS), SelluSeller, to improve its e-commerce capabilities and have a single source of truth for real-time sales, inventory, and Product information for all online channels.
As part of its strategic growth plan for 2021, Panasonic will be deploying its omnichannel retail strategy and rely on Anchanto's technology to drive consumer engagement and enable the development of a unique experience for its customers, across multiple touchpoints, and along the whole customer journey. The implementation of the SaaS system is aimed at bringing coherence to Panasonic’s business operations across different countries, models, and systems. In the longer term, the company is aiming at a 4x growth of its e-commerce revenue share through this strategic move.
As the retail space is going through profound changes, brands' relationships with their customers are also constantly evolving. Hence, Panasonic felt the need to get closer to them, through a more Direct-To-consumer (D2C) approach. The electronics conglomerate plans to achieve this through strong multi-channel content distribution management, upgraded promotion and pricing management, safe and seamless data reconciliation, and by offering customers high-quality pre and post-purchase services. The Panasonic IT team was on the lookout for a technology partner that could offer in-depth industry knowledge and these pre-existing core capabilities to shorten their time-to-market.
Jiro Nakami, Marketing Director at Panasonic Appliances Marketing Asia Pacific, said, “A prerequisite for us at Panasonic is to keep fascinating our customers with a unique experience. Therefore, we are adopting and optimizing an omnichannel strategy to not only drive sales, but also consumer engagement. E-commerce in particular is a window for all of our product categories, and we understand that consumers are becoming increasingly tech-savvy. But given the fragmentation of the e-commerce landscape in SouthEast Asia, we needed an OMS (Order Management System) solution with the ability to integrate online and offline touchpoints with proven scalability and future expandability. This is what Anchanto provides.”
Besides, Panasonic aims to unify its backend operations across countries, teams, and business units, and consolidate their inventory control. Anchanto helped identify Panasonic’s pain points and integrated all critical systems of the brand with the rich and customizable capabilities of its multichannel eCommerce management system SelluSeller. The company also offered an adapted solution by improving Panasonic’s order and delivery tracking visibility, inventory management, invoice management, and an integration with their SAP system for seamless execution and record of operations.
Jake Hirose, Managing Director at Panasonic Appliances Marketing Asia Pacific said, “Our Infrastructure and priorities vary from one country to another. Anchanto’s ready-made and powerful solutions with most web stores and marketplaces pre-integrated added to their ability to implement a customized solution integrated with SAP at lightspeed, and their unique strong presence within the APAC region were driving factors for us to select them to accompany Panasonic in the long term. Panasonic enters this new decade with great objectives and ambition. We want to be at the forefront of the growing eCommerce trend with every part of our business.”
Vaibhav Dabhade, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Anchanto added, “Our objective has always been to accompany ambitious companies on their e-commerce journey through the development of powerful and agile technology, and strong expertise. We are honored and humbled to be working with Panasonic and enabling their long term omnichannel strategy. With the help of our platform, our strong local presence in the APAC region, and our network of integrated partners, we will support Panasonic’s ambitious digital commerce plan across markets.”
Rishi Vasudev, CEO of Lifestyle and Home Centre has decided to move on from Lifestyle International Private Limited due to personal reasons.
“The company will announce his successor in due course. In the interim, Kabir Lumba, CEO – Designate and Group Director, Landmark Group will be managing the responsibilities, in addition to his current role within the Landmark Group,” the company said in a release.
Vasudev, a former CEO of Calvin Klein in India, had joined Lifestyle in June 2020 from Flipkart where he was heading the fashion vertical.
Vasudev’s departure comes barely a month after the Dubai-based retail group said it is elevating Lumba to the chairman of its board of directors of Lifestyle International.
H&M, Hennes & Mauritz AB, the international retailer known for fashion and quality at the best prices in a sustainable way, is elated to announce the launch of its 50th store in India. The newest H&M store will open in Bhubaneswar.
H&M opened its first store in 2015 and in a little over 5 years has expanded their retail footprint considerably. In November 2020, the brand opened its 49th store in Lucknow and today operates stores across 25 cities that include all the leading metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore as well as other key cities such as Dehradun, Kochi, Bhopal, Jalandhar, Pune, Amritsar, Indore, Coimbatore, Mohali, Mysore, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Raipur.
“We are excited and thrilled to open our 50th store in the country! The journey so far has been exciting and memorable. We opened our first store in 2015 in Select City Walk, launched our online platform hm.com in March 2018 followed by our launch on Myntra.com in August 2019 with an aim to give our customers a convenient and inspiring experience in which stores and online interact and strengthen each other. We wanted to celebrate the 5-year milestone by celebrating the customers who made it possible! The newest endeavor to strive for a seamless shopping experience was the launch of our digital loyalty program in October last year. We look forward to continuing to bring the best global fashion to India and welcoming more and more customers to all our stores,” said Amit Kothari, Head, Marketing and Communications, H&M India.
The leading retailer in India today, H&M complements its offline presence with a strong online channel. H&M launched their own online platform, hm.com, in March 2018 followed by the launch on Myntra.com in August 2019 with an aim to strengthen their omnichannel strategy of extending a seamless shopping experience both online and offline.
Satya Paul, a renowned fashion designer and the founder of an acclaimed fashion label, died at the age of 78 on Wednesday. He died at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore.
Satya Paul's son Puneet Nanda and the founder of Isha Yoga Centre, Sadhguru, announced the news of the fashion designer's death on Thursday. In a Facebook post, Puneet Nanda wrote that Satya Paul suffered a stroke on December 2, following which he was admitted to a hospital, where "he was slowly recovering." However, he was later shifted to the Isha Yoga Centre, "his home since 2015," as per his wish.
Puneet Nanda's post read: "He (Satya Paul) had a stroke on December 2 and as he was slowly recovering in the hospital, his only wish was to get all the things he was being monitored and poked with - removed so he could fly away. We finally got clearance from doctors to take him back to Isha Yoga Center, his home since 2015. As per his wish, he gently passed on with blessings of the Master."
“Most people are not aware that more than as a designer or an entrepreneur, he has been steadfastly a seeker. In the 70s, his inner journey started as he attended talks given by philosopher J. Krishnamurti. Later, he sought guidance from Osho. After Osho left in 1990, though he wasn’t seeking another Master, he discovered Sadhguru in 2007. He immediately started enjoying the path of yoga and eventually moved here in 2015,” he added.
A tweet on the official handle of Sadhguru read: "#SatyaPaul, a shining example of what it means to live with immeasurable passion and unrelenting involvement. The distinct vision you brought to the Indian #fashion industry is a beautiful tribute to this. A privilege to have had you amongst us. Condolences and blessings -Sg."
#SatyaPaul, a shining example of what it means to live with immeasurable passion and unrelenting involvement. The distinct vision you brought to the Indian #fashion industry is a beautiful tribute to this. A privilege to have had you amongst us. Condolences & Blessings. -Sg pic.twitter.com/DNMZ0DXvOf
— Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) January 7, 2021
Over a million small retailers in the country and hundreds of MSMEs continued to repose their faith on online platforms and digitisation as the entire retail ecosystem opts for e-commerce as a mode of doing business during the challenging times of the pandemic. Flipkart Group’s B2B businesses -- Flipkart Wholesale and Best Price cash-and-carry stores -- have witnessed an increased uptake of e-commerce in 2020.
Flipkart Wholesale, the digital B2B marketplace of India’s homegrown Flipkart Group which was launched in September, and 29 Best Price modern wholesale stores enabled growth and prosperity for small kiranas by offering a wide range of selections at great prices.
Speaking about the increased adoption of e-commerce at Flipkart’s B2B businesses this year, Adarsh Menon, Senior Vice-President and Head, Flipkart Wholesale and Walmart India, said, “As India’s leading omnichannel B2B marketplace, we strive towards making e-commerce inclusive for every small kirana and drive growth for every MSME in the country. As the entire retail ecosystem was grappling with unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic, suppliers and buyers came together seamlessly to unlock the potential of technology and e-commerce. At Best Price, during the lockdown, we encouraged members to place orders on our e-commerce platform and have products delivered to them. We also launched a revamped Best Price app and website and saw order volumes surge through our e-commerce channels. Our members adapted very quickly to ordering online and we believe this trend will continue going forward. Flipkart Wholesale, launched in September, has also seen tremendous success from retailers who can now order fashion products just at the touch of a button. We have consistently worked towards creating an ecosystem that serves kiranas’ growing needs and helping Indian MSMEs access the pan-India market more effectively and we will step up our efforts in the coming year as well.”
Future is Digital
Flipkart Wholesale app which currently offers fashion products -- clothing, footwear and accessories -- to retailers across 23 cities has also just launched the grocery category in NCR on its platform.
Fashion retailers, who were not able to travel to fashion hubs for sourcing products in the aftermath of COVID-19, came on board Flipkart Wholesale which is a one-stop destination for a wide selection of men’s wear, women’s wear, kidswear and footwear from hundreds of suppliers across all the fashion mandis of India such as Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Kanpur, Delhi, Surat, Agra, Tirupur, among others.
Flipkart Wholesale has already recorded 50% month-on-month growth in fashion category suppliers and enabled 2.5 lakh listings on its platform since its launch, delivering a major boost to MSMEs in the country and helping realise the Atmanirbhar Bharat dream.
Bharat Retailers Opt for E-Commerce
Within just a few months of its launch, Flipkart Wholesale app has become a runaway success with 90 percent month-on-month growth in transactions on its platform. Encouraging trends have emerged from retailers in small towns who have taken onto e-commerce as a preferred mode to do business at ease. Infact, one in every five customers on Flipkart Wholesale is from tier 2 or tier 3 cities.
Through the year, Best Price cash-and-carry business worked closely with its supplier partners on transportation and logistics and significantly ramped up e-commerce and delivery capabilities to ensure members could order and receive products conveniently amidst the pandemic. As a result, its e-commerce channels saw a significant uptick.
E-commerce adoption by Best Price members grew over 10X across 29 stores, with smaller towns such as Meerut, Kota, Guntur, Rajahmundry, Aurangabad, Karimnagar, Amravati and Vijayawada accounting for a large part of the e-commerce traction at Best Price, which signals a surge in Bharat transacting online.
Kirana is King
Flipkart Wholesale app saw 75 percent month-on-month growth in customer base since launch in September. This growth is the affirmation of the trust that kiranas place with e-commerce and the potential it has to enable convenience, value for products, reach and selections, thus helping small businesses thrive.
Despite the challenging business environment posed by the pandemic, Best Price launched a new store in October in Tirupati to cater to kiranas and small businesses. The newly launched store in Tirupati is Best Price’s 29th store in the country where it is present across nine states, and serves kiranas, offices and institutions, and hotels, restaurants and caterers (HORECA) through a membership model. The launch of the new Tirupati store further ensured that the retail ecosystem has a safe and robust omnichannel option for retailers who are constantly looking for avenues for business continuity.
MSME Champions
Best Price’s suppliers, most of which are MSMEs, showed exemplary entrepreneurship amidst the pandemic and created opportunity out of adversity. Rahul Bajaj, Director of Shree Shakti Enterprises, who has been selling kitchenware to Best Price stores for the last decade, pivoted to manufacturing hands-free sanitiser dispensers and hand wash stations at a time when the outbreak had just started. Best Price helped this supplier during the product building stage through insights on technical feasibility and commercial viability. Babita Gupta of Sarangi Creations, who sells bed sheets and pillowcases to Best Price stores, pivoted to selling cotton masks during the lockdown using surplus cloth she had at her factory. Ananth Sagar of Sagar Asia Pvt, a ladder supplier, pivoted to building disinfection tunnels and COVID testing booths and supplied these to local hospitals. Flipkart Wholesale’s connection with the retail ecosystem helped several MSMEs become atmanirbhar (self-reliant) despite challenges posed by the pandemic.
Kidswear, as a category of apparel and accessories, registers the highest growth among all categories on Myntra in 2020. As a platform that holistically caters to the fashion needs of people under one roof, the kids’ category is an integral part of the overall value proposition of the online fashion major and has registered a 90 percent growth over the last one year. This may be attributed to the growing attractiveness of online shopping, from the perspective of safety, during the pandemic.
As one of nation’s largest destination for fashion, Myntra currently houses over 1.1 lakh styles from over 450 leading brands, in the kid’s category. Some of the leading brands on the platform in the kids’ segment are, H&M, UCB and GAP, among others, while leading products include, Dresses, T-shirts, Sweatshirts, Value Packs and Night Suits. The category also performed extremely well during the course of the pandemic, when its share of revenues doubled, registering strong organic growth for home wear and day wear article types, such as value packs, night suits and innerwear, among others. During the current year-end festive season, Myntra witnessed huge demand for party and outer wear, with sequins and embroidered dresses for girls and blazers and suits for boys. Winter Jackets and sweatshirts are also emerging as favourite among kidswear.
Interesting Facts on Kidswear:
- The ratio of products for boys and girls being sold on Myntra – 45:55
- Most searched product/ style in the category – Girls (Dresses), Boys (T-shirts), Kids (Jackets)
- Peak Seasons – Festive Season, Summer Holiday Season, Children’s Day
- Upcoming Trends in Kidswear – Printed joggers, colour blocked sweatshirts, brand carriers, casual dresses, smart sleepwear with witty quotes and cartoon printed T-shirts
The ongoing End of Reason Sale, EORS, on Myntra which will end on December 24, offers the perfect opportunity for parents to shop for winter wear for their children. On offer are over 150 brands and 11,000 winter styles, with some of the top brands offering ‘Specially Curated for Myntra’ ranges, bringing a very differentiated and fashionable line-up that is priced sharply.
Strengthening the kids’ category even further, Myntra has launched ‘Toys’ on the platform recently. Coming as it does, ahead of Christmas, the section is live with 850 styles currently and on track to launching 1,500 more in the next 3-4 months. Some of the leading brands in the segment include ToysRus, Disney, Barbie and Mattel among other leading toys brands in the country.
Speaking on the segment, Ayyappan Rajagopal, Head of Business, Myntra, said, “The kids’ category is one of the major areas of focus for Myntra, especially after a very successful run in the recent months, peaking during the festive period. We have always been stronger in this segment in the metros and up north, and with the launch of a number of south and regional selection and brands our penetration into T2 and T3 cities has also increased significantly. Right now, we are witnessing over 100 percent growth in kids’ winter wear, with teens and pre-teens in the age group of 8 to 16 years, growing the highest. Overall, we are expecting strong traction in winter wear, T-shirts, dresses, infant apparel and ethnic wear, as a category in the days ahead.”
“We strengthened our portfolio in the infant space with big launches like Chicco and Mothercare. Along with that, many new launches like Max, Levi's kids, converse, Jordan helped Myntra grow its footprint in the branded space,” he added.
Melorra, one of India’s fastest growing lightweight fine jewellery brand designing affordable jewellery for everyday wear, recently launched its first brick-and-mortar store in Orion Mall, Rajajinagar Bengaluru. The women-centric jewellery ‘experience centre’ for millennials is fresh and fun, driven by Melorra’s three pillars -- fashion, technology and variety.
Built in line with the online experience that Melorra currently offers, the physical outlets are unique, fresh, and iconic. The brand aims to enhance a customer’s sense of touch, feel and trial of Melorra jewellery, through the experience centre.
Speaking about this, Saroja Yeramilli, Founder and CEO, Melorra, said, “Melorra’s journey in the jewellery world has been completely unique in every respect. From online to offline, the launch of the retail stores will provide a seamless, customer-in-control experience. We are a brand taking inspiration from global fashion trends, and launch a new collection every week. Melorra is known for its design innovation offering customers easy to wear, comfortable everyday jewellery. We offer the largest range of over 10,000 unique, contemporary, lightweight gold and diamond jewellery designs.”
“At our physical stores, customers can shop worry free with the option of a digital checkout. They walk in not just to buy jewellery, but also to get informed about global fashion trends. There is a Bliss Bar wherein women can get along their friends, have fun trying Melorra’s latest jewellery or just go through the recent trends,” Yeramilli further added.
Functionally, the stores are designed for any of the many journeys a customer may choose to adopt: shop online pick up in store; shop in-store ship to home and everything in between.
The brand warmly welcomes their customers with beautiful full-length mirrors and in-store stylists available as advisors and consultants, enabling the woman to build her fashionable fine jewellery wardrobe. The brand aims to give its customers a high-energy and high-fashion experience – with the physical stores becoming a super happy place to be!
Unicommerce, India‘s largest e-commerce focused SaaS platform, has once again brought an insightful data-driven festive trends report to understand the changing dynamics of India’s e-commerce ecosystem. The report analyses shopping trends for the festive month of 2019 and 2020. The time period for the analysis is 30 days prior to Diwali with a sample size of over 44 million orders.
This festive season e-commerce industry reported 56 percent growth in order volume as compared to the festive season last year. The increasing order volume also led to a 50 percent growth in GMV as compared to last year's festive season. The consumers have become more value-conscious than before and now are shopping across new categories. The rise of new categories such as personal care and beauty products and higher sales of lower value products has led to a decline in average order value by 4 percent as compared to last year's festive season.
This was the first festive season after the world was hit by the pandemic earlier this year and the report deep-dives into sector-wise growth, rising demands from consumers from 'Bharat' and trying to understand the new consumer behaviour. The report will also decode some interesting facts about the growth of brand websites and companies getting serious and focussed on the D2C business model.
What India Shopped During the Festive Season?
- One of the most promising signs for the e-commerce industry is the rising number of first-time online shoppers and the new emerging categories. The personal care category has emerged as the biggest gainer with 176 percent order volume growth over last year's festive month. Beauty and wellness is another category that has reported a 52 percent order volume growth as compared to the previous year’s festive season.
- As people plan to travel and meet families during the festive season, the number of consumers indulging in fashion shopping during the Diwali sale increases significantly. This festive season, the fashion and accessories category witnessed an order volume growth of 71 percent as compared to the previous year’s festive month, which is higher than the industry average.
- The electronics segment continues to be the highlight of festive season sales, with all marketplaces extensively promoting discounts and offers on electronic products. The segment saw substantial growth of 65 percent in order volume as compared to the festive month of 2019.
- Returns continue to be a concern for e-tailers across India. Automation and increasing consumer awareness are leading to a consistent decrease in returns. This festive season, the industry overall observed a 35 percent decrease in return orders as compared to the last year. The fashion and accessories category continues to the category with maximum return orders
Brands Focused Ongoing D2C
- This year we have seen brands getting serious about online selling with constant growth in brands developing their own website. Post-lockdown, the brands have started adopting technology solutions to improve business efficiency.
- This festive season, not just marketplaces but brand websites have also reported huge growth in consumer demand. Big brands are now committed towards selling through their own websites. The brand websites witnessed ~77 percent order volume growth as compared to 60 percent order volume growth of the marketplace.
- It’s interesting to see that in spite of the disparity in order volume growth there is a marginal difference in GMV growth of brand websites and the marketplaces. The GMV for brand websites increased by 48 percent while for marketplaces the GMV increased by 50 percent. This signifies that brands offered more discounts on their own websites than marketplaces to get more customers. This also led to a significantly low average order size on brand websites. The average order size on the brand website decreased by 16 percent as compared to a 5 percent dip for the marketplaces for the period of last year's festive month.
Increasing Shoppers From Tier-II and III Cities of India
- The Tier II and Tier III cities have been growing way-faster than metropolitan cities and its impact is also visible in the festive season sale as well. The Tier II and beyond cities have witnessed a growth of 99 percent as compared to last year's festive season. The growth in Tier I and metropolitan cities remain at around 20 percent.
- The contribution of Tier II and beyond cities is increasing exponentially. In this festive season, Tier II and beyond cities of India contributed over 59 percent of the online consumer demand of India, while traditional metros and Tier I cities contributed around 41 percent to the overall online retail.
- States with metropolitan cities continue to be the dominating states with Delhi, Maharashtra, and Karnataka being the biggest drivers of e-commerce. These three states combined contribute 55 percent of India’s e-commerce volume in the festive month.
Speaking on the festive season report, Kapil Makhija, CEO, Unicommerce, said “The festive season is the most important and opportunistic time of the year for the e-commerce industry. However, this festive season was particularly more special as the world continues to deal with the effects of the pandemic. This festive month we have seen e-commerce grow beyond expectations, and it’s interesting to see the new emerging categories like personal care and beauty and wellness continuing their growth trajectory even during the festive season. With the rising consumer demand on brand websites, brands are now committed towards going D2C and offering great deals to attract more consumers. We are confident that with the rising number of shoppers from Tier II and Tier III cities, the e-commerce industry will continue to see growth momentum in the coming years. This report is another step in our continuous effort of providing valuable insights into the e-commerce industry and helping sellers to simplify e-commerce selling.”
They are an essential part of our daily life, right from the toothpaste or soap up to condoms, every day we use them from morning to night in most of food we consume like bread, biscuits, or medicines, and the cosmetics and toiletries we use. Their presence is felt through their flavour and fragrance than the product itself. Unless, they are used in food, cakes, biscuits, chocolates, ice-creams, or even the soaps, detergents, creams, lotions, and the countless items we consume or use, these items cannot be sold in the markets. Therefore, they are the critical supplements and these aromatic ingredients called fragrances and flavours. They can mask, provide, enhance, and accentuate the taste or smell in whichever product they are added. However, the Indian Fragrances and Flavours industry is currently suffering heavily due to the extended lock down in the country. Their supply chains are completely disrupted, and the production has been badly hit due to the pandemic Corona Virus spread across India.
The Indian fragrances and flavours industry is considered one of the fastest growing industries globally and a significant competitor to China in terms of exports. However, due to the temporary lock down in the country, the Indian industry is fearing to lose its ground to China as the latter is currently operating in full swing while we are still in the lock down.
Speaking on the occasion, Rishabh Kothari, President, Fragrances & Flavours Association of India (FAFAI) said, “Our palette is very large. We are one of the biggest exporters and importers of ingredients. Due to the prevailing logistics issues in the country, as inter-state transportation is either restricted or difficult, there is a substantial impact on our industry. If the situation is not improved quickly, there will be a huge economic cost for us. China will benefit from the situation as we may lose some of our global customers to the neighbouring country which will result in a significant business loss and market share for us”.
According to Kothari, amidst the pandemic it is difficult to accurately estimate the total quantum of losses, but he feels that production has been hit to an extent of 80% and exports and imports too have been similarly impacted. The growth of the industry, which was growing at over 10%, is likely to become negative both due to the lockdown during the pandemic and the consequent likely drop in demand for consumer products and processed foods in the rest of the year.
Although the fragrance and flavours products are treated in the essential category, as almost all products in the food processing industry as well as hygiene and cleaning products like sanitizers and hand-wash use them for providing better colour, taste and smell, the production and supply of products are currently disrupted due to the ongoing lock down. Fragrances and flavours are used in food, pharma, detergents, condoms, shampoos, soap, paste, agarbattis, perfumes, deodorants and many more.
According to the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, the Indian Fragrances and Flavours industry size is estimated at around $500 million which is growing at 11% per annum while the global fragrance and flavour industry is valued at $24 billion. With its rich diversity of flora and fauna, Indian fragrances and flavours industry is projected to grow exponentially in the coming years due to increasing demand for personal care products, brand awareness, growing demand from the middle class due to rising disposable incomes and products now being available at affordable price points.
Considered as an ancillary industry to FMCG and Food Processing and Pharma industries, the Indian fragrances and flavours industry is well distributed across the country. There are over 1,000 small, medium and large size enterprises operating in this industry - which is in the form of organized and un-organized sector. As significant part of the ingredients come from extracts of natural plants while the bulk is aroma chemicals and synthetics which are used in this industry. As almost all the food, pharma, FMCG industries are dependent on fragrances and flavours, it is imperative to resume the operations of units involved in production of these products.
“It will take another 4-6 weeks to resume our operations completely even after the lock down is lifted. Supply of manpower will again become a major problem as most of them have gone to their native places. Hence, the government should bail out the industry by announcing an appropriate fiscal stimulus package which will stimulate demand rather than only a 3 month moratorium which favours the banks than the enterprises. Otherwise, the industry will acutely suffer apart from losing its competitive advantage in the global markets”, Kothari added.
Globally, there are about 300 key natural fragrant raw materials in which about 50% are cultivated and the rest are collected from the wild habitations. Out of the cultivated raw materials only 110 widely used which account for about 95% of the global fragrance oil production. With about 31 key raw materials, India has made the significant impact in global fragrance oil markets by producing essential oils of menthol mint, sandal wood, jasmine, tuberose, and spices. Similarly, there are more than 1,000 synthetic aromatic molecules or ingredients of which around 250 constitute more than 90% of global aroma chemical production. A large majority of these are manufactured as well as exported from India to key international markets making India a key player in global fragrance supply chain.
Inbase, a portable digital product company has forayed into the Smartwatch segment by launching 2 new Smart Wearables – “Urban Fit” & “Urban Beep”. With the launch of the latest series, Inbase is all set to change the course of Smartwatches by bringing in the premium products at competitive prices to a larger section of the market.
The newly launched Smartwatches keep a track of your health while letting you create your own style statement. This device not only keeps you updated on your daily physical activities but helps you monitor various other health aspects as well. Powered by unparalleled features, Urban Series Smartwatch is a real treat for fitness enthusiasts. While Urban Fit is available in Midnight Black, Pink Salmon, Pearl White and Space Grey Strap colours, while Urban Beep comes in Midnight Black, Pink Salmon, Space Grey, and Space Blue Strap colours.
Both these Smartwatches consist of a host of features ensuring the best for their customers, an apt device to keep a check on our daily activities, i.e., to measure the vitals, Heart Rate, calories, sPO2 as well as the steps taken accurately. The devices are powered by leading chipsets which makes it smooth, stable and fast. With its Bluetooth 4.0 & 4.2 connectivity, the Smartwatches connect swiftly with iOS and Android Smartphones.
Speaking at the launch, Aashish Kumbhat, Founder and Director, Inbasequoted, “We at Inbase are committed to bringing in lifestyle products with world-class features and styles that are appealing to a larger section of the market while remaining accessible to people from all walks of society”.
“With the launch of Inbase range of URBAN Smartwatches, we are looking forward to capturing and expanding the Indian Smartwatch market. We plan to launch 30 newer models with futuristic design and technology in near future which would be added to the stable of Inbase”, added Kumbhat.
India’s largest online supermarket, bigbasket has announced its partnership with India’s largest smartphone manufacturer, Xiaomi’s operating software MIUI. This seamless integration will enable customers to complete their grocery purchases faster and with a better overall experience – a philosophy that is integral to both bigbasket and Xiaomi.
Speaking about this, Arun Jayaraman, Marketing Manager, bigbasket, said, “This partnership with Xiaomi’s MIUI is a step forward in working towards our vision of enriching user experience and fueling bigbasket’s growth. bigbasket has always believed in offering the three-fold benefit of convenience, affordability, and innovation to all its users. This partnership is another milestone in that direction and complements Xiaomi’s vision of making MIUI the most user-friendly operating system as well.”
Anuj Sharma, Chief Marketing Officer, Xiaomi India further added, "Xiaomi's journey started with MIUI when we wanted to launch the most immersive and innovative operating software for millions of users. Today, MIUI has over 190 million users and we continue to make it more relevant in every market we are present in. The partnership with bigbasket is a step in that direction and we hope it will enhance the user experience for all our customers"
Xiaomi users will now be able to access the bigbasket widget in the Utilities Card on the minus 1 screen and complete their shopping on the bigbasket mobile site. All Xiaomi users using MIUI 9 and above will be able to avail this service by updating their App Vault. The update will first be rolled out to beta users and will soon be accessible to all users.
By Indian Retailer Bureau
ANN ARBOR, Mich: Domino's Pizza has partnered with Quikly to give one lucky recipient free pizza for a year. The recognized world leader in pizza delivery is inviting fans to register for the Fan Perks giveaway, and participate in the giveaway that will take place at a time designed to surprise Domino's fans.
Speaking on this initiative, Dennis Maloney, Domino's Pizza vice president of multimedia marketing, said “From technology, to new products, we're always looking for new ways to innovate. Our latest innovation is an evolution of the Fan Perks program with a new way of surprising our customers. Part of what makes this fun is that customers won't know when the giveaway will happen, so we hope they'll stay tuned."
To join in the giveaway, customers should visit Domino's Facebook or Twitter page and click on the link to register for the giveaway through the time the giveaway begins. Once the giveaway begins, customers who have registered will receive a text message or email (depending on the notification method they select during registration) with a link to the giveaway site. The faster fans click through to claim their reward, the better their reward will be. The fastest person will be rewarded with free pizza for a year (in the form of $500 in Domino's gift cards). In addition, Domino's will award more than $100,000 in e-gift cards to 50,000 other fans who click through to claim their rewards.
The leading footwear and apparel firm, Woodland plans to pay greater attention on smaller cities, as part of its growth strategy. And, it plans to open 60 stores in tier-II-and-III towns across the country.
Harkirat Singh, Managing Director, Woodland India, in a media interaction, said, "We will leverage the growth opportunities in smaller towns.”
Trip Advisor, a leading travel portal, has acquired a mobile application GateGuru for an undisclosed amount. GateGuru offers flight and airport information, and would help Trip Advisor expand user-generated content and information related to airports, and insights on stores, restaurants and amenities. The GateGuru team will continue to operate out of New York. Steve Kaufer, co-founder and CEO, TripAdvisor, said, “This acquisition would help us expand our services in a fast growing segment.”
HomeShop18, a leading player in the online and home TV shopping segment, has expanded its presence in the food and grocery segments and it would offer olive oil, drink concentrates and mocktail syrups, amongst others. In addition, this player is also looking to enter the ready-to-eat category. Sundeep Malhotra, Founder and CEO HomeShop18, said: "The introduction of the food range is an important step for us to be a one-stop-shop for our valued customers at affordable prices.” Prior to this development, HomeShop18 offered products in categories like home décor, gadgets and lifestyle, and allied items.
Flipkart, according to website is closing its music download service, Flyte MP3 store, due to problems of music piracy and micro-payments. One of its kind service Flyte, was started in February 2012. The service allows people to download music at affordable prices. Customers, by 17 June, can purchase the music from the store. Moreover, all the purchases made from Flyte on or before June 17, 2013 will be available for download till August 18 2013. But after that, buyers won’t be able to download those afresh. According to Mekin Maheshwari, Flipkart Head (Digital Media and Payments), Flyte MP3 was launched a year back with an aim to bring legal digital content to consumers in India. In one year’s time it had built a customer base of nearly 100,000 customers.
Oberoi Mall is hosting the much-awaited and anticipated 50-50 mega sale, wherein more than 70 brands will offer merchandise at flat 50 per cent discount only for one day on Wednesday, January 16th 2013.
The 50-50 mega sale offers an opportunity for shoppers to cram their carts with major brands and the latest introductions - from apparels to jewellery, footwear, branded bags, and watches at fabulous prices from brands like Adidas, Allen Solly, Biba, Gini Jony, Jashn, Levis, Lifestyle, Lords, Malgudi, Mufti, Nautica, Pavers England, Pepe, Provogue, Raymond's, Reebok, Seven East, Simba, UCB etc to name a few.
Commenting on this occasion, Mr. Nirzar Jain, Vice President, Oberoi Mall, said, “This being the fourth season of the 50-50 sale, we have added more brands, both Indian and International, for our valued customers. It is a win-win situation for everybody–brands earn higher sales in one day, while customers get the best deals possible on premium brands.”
To add more excitement to the overall shopping experience for women,’50 brands-50% off’ sale has been clubbed up with the ‘Women’s Wednesday,’ which is Oberoi Mall’s existing property exclusively for women with additional offers for women only.
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