Deep Ganatra

Goibibo What a #shameless company Goibibo, even after logging in complaints there is no response Ankit Khanna ,Rajesh Magow and Vikalp Sahni is this type of service you offer to customer? Check the hotel which is listed in link below and tell me if you can ask ur family to stay in this dirty hotel , when i called ur support team they where unable to help on 29th may and siad in 48 hrs we will resolve issue and till now they are still working , on 29th May i was waiting in sunny afternoon with family on road waiting for customer support call but thy did not help , funniest part is that your support desk number which is shared is connecting to Make my trip ( i knw tht now u hav grouped) but there is no intimation to customer, when we reach MMT executive they say they can help as ur Goibibo customer, #Shame on you and your #goibibo you are looting customer , i booked for 2 nights in Alibaug and did not checked in seeing hotel condition. #worst #customerdisatisfaction #customer #badservice #disappointed #badcustomerservice, #poorcustomerservice. if you want to loot customer for money dont play with life. #shamefull . you guys are not fit to be in this #business u are playing with #customer . https://lnkd.in/gAV-ZvZc

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We asked our PM Fellows to create a Tear down of a product of choice. Akash Sharma created this tear down of Kuku FM. Nice attempt Akash. Want to do something similar? Join our upcoming batch on ProductHood School #productmanagement #teardowns

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AICPDF, which claims to represent around eight lakh entities, is concerned about the expansion of quick commerce platforms alleging that they are creating an uneven playing field and impacting small retailers. Two things working in favour of these quick commerce platforms are having captive audience and the other is home delivery in place - retailers can give them run for money too - but the question is who will help them get the tech that fixes customer discovery and delivery

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𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆! 😊   It’s a tale of 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 (𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼!) 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩. Read on and take your own “to be or not to be” clues.  𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 A few days back, my home water filter started acting up. So, I decided to explore new options and stumbled upon Livpure Smart. Their brand promise sounded tempting: ₹0 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵, 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵 – all at affordable plans. I decided to go for it.  But my primary concern was installation speed. With my existing filter barely working, 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺. Here’s how the story unfolded: 𝟭. 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 When I called their sales number, I told the agent I had already researched their plans. My only question: 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚?   He checked my address and assured me: - Delivery today ✅   - Installation tomorrow ✅  To back it up, he confidently mentioned their office is in Gurgaon, my city, so it would all be done promptly. Trusting this, I made the payment. 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮: It took additional 𝟮 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀, countless calls, and negotiating with installers to get the job done. 𝟮. 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 Promise ₹𝟬 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩. But the installer 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆, refusing to proceed otherwise.  When I tried calling customer care, I discovered another irony:   Their "𝟮𝟰/𝟳 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁" 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 only operates 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟭𝟬 𝗔𝗠–𝟳 𝗣𝗠 𝗜𝗦𝗧. Since it was off-hours, I begrudgingly paid the installer to get drinking water at home. 𝟯. 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆 Livpure operates in an essential category—𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿. But their process showed 𝙯𝙚𝙧𝙤 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙮 for customers' needs.  From sales to support, no one seemed to understand the urgency of having drinking water at home. Responses like “𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 24–48 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴” 𝘰𝘳 “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵” felt robotic & detached. 𝟰. 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 Livpure’s operations showed a lack of planning for 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲. Their installers are local contractors who:   - Don’t share the brand’s values or commitments. - Are motivated purely by money (e.g., charging me despite their "free installation" promise). 𝟱. 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗿 Livpure did one thing 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹—they chose Sachin Tendulkar 𝘗𝘢𝘢𝘫𝘪 as their brand ambassador. 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘯?   - Sachin is an icon of trust, loved by millions.   - His personal values align with the brand’s mission: clean drinking water at affordable costs. 𝗕𝘂𝘁… A great ambassador can only do so much. I trust Sachin Tendulkar for life but not the brand Livpure Smart anymore :(

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Hypothesis: A brand that wants to be successful in quick commerce, like Blinkit Zepto, has to be in a category that shows high loyalty. Otherwise, it has to be very reasonably priced compared to the giant players on the platform. Example: In a highly fragmented category like perfumes, a consumer will easily switch to a competitor brand. Also, giants like Wild Stone, Engage, etc., are heavily competitive in terms of price. However, in a category like skincare, where, for example, I use a brand like Cetaphil, as I am already very much loyal to the brand, I would not mind buying it from a QCom as I get the benefit of quick delivery. Brands in loyal categories like sanitary pads (e.g., Plush ) and undergarments (e.g., XYXX Apparels) will easily compete with bigger brands and see more traction on QComs, provided they have a good product and affinity. What do you think? #blinkit #zepto #instamart #quickcommerce

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Nothing brings more joy than seeing a vision come to life—empowering businesses to truly have it all. At nurture.retail, our journey is about more than just numbers like 100,000+ retailers and 9,000+ SKUs. It’s about rewriting what’s possible, just like this creative twist on Shashi Kapoor’s iconic line: "Mere paas gaadi hai, bungalow hai, paisa hai… aur maa bhi!" We’re building a platform where our partners don’t have to choose between scaling their business and fulfilling their dreams. Together, we’re redefining success—growing connections, fostering progress, and celebrating every milestone along the way. What does having it all mean to you? Let’s grow and shape this journey together. #Innovation #Empowerment #RetailTech #GrowthJourney #productleadership #ecommerce #agtech

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In India, 300 million people window shop daily, but over 80% can’t buy what they want. Dreampot is here to change that. I’m excited to introduce Dreampot—a game-changer that turns window shoppers into buyers and offers an innovative alternative to BNPL and EMI, helping vendors increase their revenue and sales. Check out this 2-minute video to see how we’re about to disrupt the market and why Dreampot could be the next big thing! Let’s discuss how we’ll make this transformation happen. #dreampot #smarterwaytoshop #ecommerce #bnpl #emi #newwaytoshop #vouchers #indiastartup #D2C #ksum #shopping #winitbeforeyoushopit

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Keen to cater to the vast SME Ecosystem in India via your product / service offering? It’s worth it for sure , but please be prepared for the following - Blurred lines: Personal priorities completely blend into that of their organisation's, oftentimes super-ceding them. Our team keeps in touch with our premium merchants . Some of the reasons we hear for non renewal, inspite of that specific campaign's metrics looking good 1) "Bought a Home, need to ensure I have money for EMIs". No surplus funds 2) "Im travelling"- Digital payments/ UPI is good for shopping, not even remotely so for company's financial ops Medical emergencies at owners' end for example, lead to months' worth of objectives being delayed for the brand - Extensive delays in responses: As time passes, most of us humans are anyway becoming significantly worse at managing time. SME business owners always tend to gravitate to what they consider business as usual, rather than what can potentially introduce efficiency/ optimisation into processes (Which is what most products claim to do, while pitching to such SMEs) Barring loans which is a competitive but LARGE space, anyone catering to the typical Indian 'Lalaji' has to build sales, and product processes considering the above, considering they're catering to mavericks and not the standard 'efficient' professional Pic: Friday fun with ChatGPT :)

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Behavioural science and its applications are booming in India, as covered in this Forbes India article. They've covered secrets employed by brands such as BluSmart, MakeMyTrip and Bumble Inc. to super-charge their product, experience and growth. Here's a short excerpt from the article- "While BluSmart has South Asia’s largest electric fleet, and sees a massive growth in eco-conscious customers proactively looking for sustainable travel options, [it] did not stop at positioning itself solely as a green option. Instead, it bet on what Indian riders emphasised more: Timeliness, reliability, safety and cleanliness. Anirudh explains, 'These insights from existing norms in ride hailing is what BluSmart set out to solve for, introducing industry-first propositions such as zero cancellations, transparent pricing, and before or on-time arrival.'" Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gV379XnQ #behaviouralscience #growth #product #customercentricity

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August is the beginning of better times for the smartphone industry with sales starting to gain momentum, touching their peak pre Diwali. The media does become very active in these times with data from various research agencies getting quoted. If one goes through the articles, majorly 4 points are being raised by agencies as of now : 1. An increase in the ASP in smartphones due to premiumization. 2. An increase in the super premium segment, specifically in the > Rs 100000 price category, with the launch of the new iPhone series, the existing Samsung S24 series, Folding phones and to a very small extent launches by new entrants like Vivo, Motorola, Xiaomi, Oppo. The super premium segment which starts at Rs 68000 is expected to show the maximum growth and in this the Rs. 100000 an even higher growth. 3. The other thing being written about is the rise of sales in the online channel with their sales starting August up to Diwali. 4. The fourth is the high growth being shown by long tail brands like Motorola, and Poco which have crossed the 5.5% share mark as well as the entry of iQoo in the top 10. One thing not getting due attention is the expected comeback of OnePlus which had de-grown in H1 due to channel issues, which I presume now stand resolved and should lead to their growth. Like I said most of this has already been documented. What is not being talked about is the implication of all of the points mentioned above on the mainline channel. In a nutshell the requirement of the channel to invest much more due to the increased ASP, rise in the contribution of the super premium segment, and the rise in the brands with a reasonable share of around 6% like Motorola and Poco. All in all, more brands, more SKU’s , and higher prices means much higher investments. For a small retailer and medium retailer this could be a challenge and may require them to work out a product portfolio to maximise their ROI given that they can put in some extra investments which may still not be enough. Of course this would be advantage Modern Trade and large retailers and of course online who do not have investment issues in keeping multiple brands, and their major SKU’s including those from the premium segment. In a situation of limited resources what is required is to push the most supportive brands and the most beneficial SKU's of those brands in each price segment based on the segment share. Not to forget the brand movement in the recent past, product road maps of brands for the next couple of months and last but not the least- strong relations with distribution partners for adequate stock allocations of fast moving SKU's. If investment is a challenge, the solution for small and medium mainline retailers lies in faster rotation of funds for maximising returns and supporting brands which support them. vivo India Xiaomi India Samsung India realme India OPPO India apple India OnePlus India OPIndia Motorola Mobility India Ltd Transsion India POCO India

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Been entrenched in the Indian ecommerce scene this year and I have come across quite a few business problems that sellers and brands are grappling with. One that made me go whaaaattt?.... was the lack of a proper returns module that can help D2C brands make their customer experience seamless. With Shopify sunsetting their own returns app, D2C brands are left with a few expensive solutions (returns are a cost in the first place and for D2C brands, paying through the nose to offer that to your Customers is nuts!) Did you know that we - Base.com (formerly BaseLinker) - offer Return Forms for FREE to users of our all-in one ecommerce system? If you are a D2C brand facing this issue, please reach out, will be happy to help. Check how you can do it here: https://lnkd.in/gbRGMXMi #d2c #base #returns #shopify #ecommerce Base.com India Govind Singh Rajpurohit Yash Shukla Abhinav Gupta

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Q-Commerce overtaking traditional e-commerce? Currently we are seeing a big boom in terms of the different SKUs being sold in Quick commerce apps like Zepto, Blinkit, etc. - Atomberg Technologies 's fans - Sony's PS5 - Samosa, Chai and what not - Digital Gold from Jar! Zepto is in talks to raise $300m for its broader ecommerce play. While Swiggy is preparing to file for an IPO this year, incumbent Flipkart is readying its entry into quick commerce. Zomato has invested $240 million in Blinkit over the last one year. Taking a step back, the lines between quick commerce and traditional e commerce have started to become increasingly blurred with QCom pretty much catering to every needs! Also, multiple reports suggest that QCommerce can potentially become bigger than traditional e commerce in India!  Case in point : According to Goldman Sachs, the valuation of Blinkit is greater than Zomato's core food delivery biz! Non-grocery boom in Q-Commerce: Categories including beauty, toys, health and electronics are witnessing robust sales growth on quick-commerce platforms overall. While the overall base for the new categories is still small, aggressive expansion by these players is starting to ensure a dominant presence for these categories. Plus AOV is higher which also comes with better margins, making it a win-win! Case in point: Zepto - 2x sales MoM in segments such as toys and electronics accessories - Beauty category expanded 3x QoQ - ~15% of Zepto’s $1.2bn annualised gross sales currently comes from non-grocery products (Source: Goldman Sachs) For several D2C quick commerce has become the fastest growth channel as well as the platform with highest customer engagement This is definitely a positive for the consumers and the Q-Commerce players, but is everything on the up and up?   As the demand for space on quick-commerce platforms skyrockets, niche D2C cos in segments like FMCG, beauty and personal care, and health and fitness are agreeing to pay a 30-45% commission on sales, besides shelling out on advertising and discounting on these Q-Com platforms. On top of the commissions, brands are also regularly spending around 20% of their total sales on ads on the platforms, and discounting their products by about 20-25% (totaling 60-70% revenue!). This is in stark contrast to the 10-20% commission that large FMCG cos pay these platforms reflecting the intense competition for visibility. The brand's scale and comparison with competitors are crucial considerations when it comes to new listings. On the positive side, smaller D2C brands have seen 40-60% total revenue coming from Q-Commerce compared to ~10-20% from traditional ecommerce, which is surprising! Essentially, Q-com currently has a BIIIG Bargaining power against new D2C brands and can essentially make or break their businesses! Is this sustainable on the long run? #ecommerce #quickcommerce #india #zepto #businessmodel #d2c #startups #LIPostingChallenge

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SCOOP: Urban Company has turned profitable at PBT level (profit before tax) on a consolidated basis in the last month. The development will potentially smoothen its public listing plan which is likely to happen in 2025. My story:

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Interesting read on Kirana vs Qcommerce. Key summary points: 1. Short orders/smaller SKUs/loose items/local brands drive lot of grocery orders where Qcommerce is not effective 2. Qcommerce is eating more market share of super markets than Kiranas. So it is more a threat to Dmart than Kiranans 3. Qcommerce is costly and appeals to a certain (middle class+) persona of customer 4. Kiranas will continue to thrive despite Qcommerce (similar threat was cited wrt super markets vs Kiranas a decade back) https://lnkd.in/gEUaPBrP

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Why should you do need based segmentation for your products: You use Zepto/Instamart/Blinkit because you want convenience and want to save time than taking a round to near by grocery store.You don't use such services because you are a Male/Female in age bracket 25-35 with INR XXX as monthly income. So rise above demographic/psychographic attributes while segmenting your users and focus on need based segmentation to really address needs of your users.

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Mamaearth's Stumble... from a Digital Darling to Challenging Times. I have been really impressed by Mamaearth's journey from a digital-only D2C brand to broadening into retail. Their growth story has been inspiring. But recently, there has been a slight fall... Mamaearth has reported a loss of ₹19 crores after a ₹40 crore profit just a quarter ago. It made me wonder—how did a brand that seemed unstoppable suddenly face hurdles? Here’s what I found: 1. Offline Expansion Struggles: In their push into retail, Mamaearth leaned heavily on superstockists, which led to inventory issues and, eventually, significant write-offs of expired products. 2. Overextension in Product Launches: They launched 122 new products in 2022, way above the industry norm. While ambition is great, such rapid expansion thinned their resources and complicated demand forecasting. 3. Marketing Overreach: Allocating 35-42% of their revenue to marketing (which is above the norm) worked online but did not hit the mark with offline buyers. The takeaway? Growth is essential, but not at the expense of solid fundamentals. Expanding too quickly without sorting out backend issues can lead to trouble. I have seen many startups rush to scale and overlook the need for systems. Mamaearth’s situation is one of those stories that even promising brands need to manage their growth carefully. Looking ahead, Mamaearth should: → Rework on their inventory management. → Narrow down their product range to focus on what sells best. → Change their marketing strategies to resonate with in-store shoppers. The journey from here is tough, but I'm cheering for them. Mamaearth's journey reminds us that all businesses have their ups and downs—it is how we handle the challenges and learn from them that truly matters. Thoughts? #Mamaearth #D2CBrands #RetailExpansion #StartupLessons #BusinessChallenges 

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Zepto’s Bold Experiment: Simple UI & Focus on Bulk Buying 🚀 Recently, I noticed two major updates in Zepto’s app that reflect a big shift in their strategy. 1️⃣ A Simpler, Streamlined UI Zepto now offers two store options: Zepto Store: No minimum order, catering to instant needs like beauty products and electronics. Super Saver Store: ₹799 minimum order, focused on bulk groceries like rice and vegetables, claiming the lowest prices in the area. The Super Saver Store’s UI is strikingly simple—prices are displayed above product images, with MRPs canceled out, similar to DMart. It’s an offline-inspired design aimed at making the shopping experience intuitive for homemakers exploring online grocery platforms. 2️⃣ The Shift Toward Higher AOV (Average Order Value) By setting a ₹799 minimum in the Super Saver Store, Zepto is nudging customers to buy in bulk—encouraging a behavior more common in countries like the US. This focus on larger basket sizes is a clear attempt to improve profitability. What Could Go Wrong? This strategy might alienate a key segment of users. In India, many customers prefer small, frequent purchases rather than bulk buying. The ₹799 minimum could push them toward competitors who still offer low-friction, small-order convenience. Why It’s Still a Smart Move Profitability Focus: Larger basket sizes reduce delivery costs and improve margins. Cleaner Segmentation: Splitting the app into two stores clarifies the value for both instant buyers and bulk shoppers. Simplified UI: The straightforward design is refreshing, making it easier for users to navigate and decide. Zepto’s bold experiment signals a shift in q-commerce. It’s no longer just about instant delivery; it’s about balancing speed with value. But they’ll need to tread carefully to avoid losing customers who don’t fit this model. do tell me what you think of these changes? 🚀 #ProductStrategy #QCommerce #Zepto #UXDesign #EcommerceInnovation

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The Hyperlocal Discovery2Delivery model is crucial for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and electronics companies to maximize the benefits of their current distribution setup. The main challenge lies not in technology, but in the mindset of the brand owners. Small retailers are open to stocking and selling the right products, and they are willing to replace dark stores to deliver similar turnaround times. We have been advocating for this for a long time through our Dynamic Engagement commerce, which is a quick commerce Plug and Play tool. Traditional brands can significantly transform the game with this tool, while Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) firms listed on quick-commerce platforms have seen the benefits but at an oversized cost. Read more at: https://lnkd.in/d-yZbkKt Read more at: https://lnkd.in/d-yZbkKt

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