Between 2017 and 2018, the Indian ecommerce enterprise went via one of its maximum turbulent instances. The 2016 investment wintry weather had left the buyers sceptical approximately new players, while finances were drying up for lots startups, and losses were forcing businesses inclusive of Snapdeal to restructure their operations, even as many others needed to shut keep. Even ecommerce unicorn Flipkart changed into dealing with a management shuffle, with its cofounders stepping down and Kalyan Krishnamurthy of Tiger Global taking on as Group CEO. The state of affairs on the undies retailer Zivame became no unique.
Grappling with an over 80% growth in losses, and just 38% increase in net sales in FY16, Zivame crew was suffering to preserve its survival. As expected, the corporation went through a serious strategy and management revamp. Zivame re-instituted its marketplace model, pivoting from the then private label version. Then Zivame founder and CEO Richa Kar stepped down in what become called an investor-led rejig in January 2017.
Shaleen Sinha, who changed into employed because the COO in November 2015, took over the each day operations. With the future of Zivame in jeopardy, the organisation’s shareholders and investor consortium comprising Kalaari Capital, Zodius Capital, IDG Ventures, Unilazer Ventures among others started out the hunt for the brand new CEO.
Finally, the hunt ended with Amisha Jain, who became Zivame CEO in May 2018.
An INSEAD and Mckinsey & Co alumni, Jain brought over 16 years of revel in in technology, consumer and retail to Zivame. Being a part of brands which include Arvind Sports Lifestyle commercial enterprise and Nike India in advance, Jain was stated to have wealthy experience in leading increase and transformation projects for multinational organizations and fashion brands — some thing that Zivame wanted desperately.
More than a yr later, Zivame has gone from 10 retail shops in 2017 to 35+ in 2019 and is earning a call within the omni-channel underwear retail marketplace in India. Zivame’s merchandise are to be had in 800+ associate stores in 3K special designs and 2 hundred+ sizes catering to all body types. The agency claims to have get admission to to over 28K postal codes for online deliveries these days, which nevertheless brings inside the maximum sales ordinary.
Zivame closed the last monetary yr (FY18) with 56.4% increase in its sales whilst reducing its losses through forty four%. The organisation has hit an annualised run charge of INR220Cr at March 2019 exit with ninety% of its enterprise coming from brand Zivame and additionally claiming to very own forty five% of the online underwear marketplace proportion amid gamers together with Clovia, PrettySecrets, Bwitch, Amante, Lovableindia, Buttercups, and more.
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In a latest interaction with CFT, Jain threw some mild on her journey up to now, the approaching technological innovations and elements which force the paintings tradition at the business enterprise.
Zivame’s Focus On Customers And Community
For us, this isn't always an ordinary garment. This is the first most critical garment that she wears normal. – Amisha Jain
In 2011, while Zivame commenced, the center idea became delivering a higher and privacy-centered underwear buying experience to trendy Indian ladies. This turned into the time while the verbal exchange across the class become hushed and even talking approximately intimate put on become a taboo in India.
Jain instructed CFT Zivame now not best revolutionised the undies class in phrases of how women shopped but also in phrases of products to be had for the marketplace. Surprisingly, eighty five% of Indian girls still do not understand the proper bra length or their frame kind, Jain said.
“So when a 40-year-old lady writes to Zivame how her seventy five-yr-antique mom were given her proper size now, Zivame has definitely modified the game there.”
Recently, Zivame unveiled its new brand identification at the side of a brand new tagline, “Love Yourself Inside Out.” Jain believes that Indian women are constantly searching for a brand that brings continuous innovation and that the Zivame network is the maximum important aspect of the commercial enterprise.
“Today, a modern-day Indian girl is pushing the bounds of her non-public fashion and is exploring Indian, western and fusion wear. Each of these one-of-a-kind patterns must be paired with the proper innerwear. Hence, with Zivame we believe her innerwear is now not an imposition however an enabler of her private style,” she delivered.
Jain additionally takes pleasure in the current work subculture at Zivame, believing that it gives an perception approximately bringing a distinction with passion, at the same time as portray and shaping the category alongside the manner.
“It’s now not the traditional call for as opposed to supply conversations we are having at Zivame office. A crew of notably passionate folks that trust they're running extra for a cause, being gift inside the lives of the human beings and the way we touch the lives of the people makes this rewarding in itself. That is the DNA of the organization.” she added.
Technology And Data Plays A Key Role At Zivame
“We are a brand new-age organization, a virtual organisation and we take a look at era as a large and extraordinarily crucial tool which allows us to deliver a substantial impact at the existence of a woman.” – Amisha Jain
Jain stated that one factor in Zivame’s success has been its ability to perceive market gaps and incorporate comments via machine studying tools. It also connects with customers at offline retail shops to recognize their choices. This similarly enables the crew decide which aspects of the enterprise want greater innovation.
Zivame used this remarks to clear up demanding situations throughout UI/UX, repeat buys, personalisation and merchandising and inventory manipulate to ensure a clever deliver chain.
This continuous recognition on era has also led Zivame to introduce many industry-first innovations in the underwear space. One such innovation that Jain excitedly spoke about is saree shapewear. “For greater than a hundred years, Indian girls were wearing petticoats as a part of the saree drape, but missing the desired sleek look. That is what saree shapewear does. The concept become to pick out up something as easy as that and make certain that we deliver something on-trend for current Indian ladies,” she introduced.
Zivame’s Next Targets
The buzzword in retail these days is omnichannel, whether or not it comes to income or distribution chain. At present, almost 42% of sales for Zivame come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where on-line sales are being complemented by bodily shops.
Jain stated that Zivame went deeper into the market, it encountered clients who have an affinity to a positive income channel and as a result it’s crucial to have that omnichannel presence. Jain considers it a count of presenting a unbroken revel in to the user at any touchpoint.
“Tomorrow if you want to keep through WhatsApp or Snapchat, you need to store online, or a store, we need to make sure that logo Zivame is available to her anyplace she wants to keep,” she delivered.
As it appears at expanding its attain and scale, Zivame is asking at tech-based improvements to bring greater customers. It’s additionally launching Fitcode 2.Zero which Jain stated will in addition revolutionise the web underwear enterprise. Already below the beta trying out phase, this could essentially allow girls to apprehend the frame type, an appropriate in shape while not having to go through any measurements. It may even allow Zivame customised product necessities and inventory inventory for this reason.
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But demanding situations across the ecommerce atmosphere observe similarly to the Indian undies market, that is currently valued at INR 37K Cr. While Zivame says 80% of its sales is through on line income, it forms just a fraction of the general market.
While the challenges in replicating production and deliver chain tactics of a hit ecommerce platforms pose a high access barrier for the brand new players, the short-converting fashion trends, the want for continuous innovation, and high customer acquisition expenses are a number of the key challenges for Indian lingerie ecommerce structures, particularly as it's far a spot class.
Also, in keeping with analysts, the lingerie class is pleasant served with a personal label model in place of a market, which reduces profit margins significantly for the player. So, even though Zivame has been capable of exhibit boom in the past 12 months and controlled losses, there are still a variety of wrinkles it wishes to iron out that allows you to attain sustainable growth ultimately.
