Your browser is currently blocking notification.
Please follow this instruction to subscribe:

Notifications are already enabled.

Times They Are A-Changin: Traditional Brands Embrace D2C

An Inc42 Plus Story

Times They Are A-Changin’: Traditional Brands Embrace The D2C Way

Shanthi S

Inc42 Staff

18 Aug'20 14 min read

For many traditional businesses, second-generation entrepreneurs have been keen on taking the D2C route to appeal to younger audiences

After the pandemic, 100% offline brands such as Havells, Cornitos, Kiehl’s have strengthened their online presence, embraced the latest engagement solutions and UI/UX standards to drive sales and loyalty

For most brands, pursuing an ecommerce strategy was not just an option, but absolutely crucial. Will the entry of valuable primarily-offline brands with huge capital be a threat to D2C startups?

Playbooks

India's D2C Rush

As more and more consumer brands go digital to reach customers faster and carve a unique identity, India’s direct-to-consumer (D2C) moment is well and truly here. With thousands of brands competing in the D2C space, will this be the future of India’s retail market?

“Digital sales have their squirrel’s share that goes up to 5%, as compared to the offline distribution sales channel,” – Nevil Patel, director, Ajanta-ORPAT Group.

It’s early days for many of India’s traditional brands in the D2C space, but slowly and certainly, brands such as Ajanta-Orpat, Cornitos, LG, Kiehl’s, Havells and dozens of others are looking to own the customer journey from product development to last-mile delivery.

From retail presence and traditional distribution, direct-to-consumer (D2C) is fast becoming the new buzzword for brands in India’s storied consumer products and goods market. Over the past few years, even traditional businesses have had to rethink their approach to selling. And if many brands were on the fence in the past, the pandemic has well and truly pushed them on to the D2C corner.

The success stories of centuries-old brands has acted as a catalyst for many of India’s consumer goods manufacturers. And while not all of them might have embraced D2C completely, there’s a greater degree of certainty about their D2C destiny, thanks to the market conditions.