When refurbishing homes in the 1990s, people paid less attention to aesthetics and colour schemes because it was difficult to find furnishings that worked well together. To find a great offer, it would be inconvenient to visit every furniture store in the area. However, with the rise of the internet furniture market, the procedure has recently undergone a transformation. Now that furniture is readily available online, we can easily choose the type we want, place an order, and have it delivered and assembled in our homes without any hassle. Today, with just one click, we can locate the ideal piece of furniture for our modern, contemporary, or industrial homes. It used to be time-consuming and exhausting.
The epidemic has been crucial in fostering new market trends and assisting manufacturers in identifying novel business prospects. Given the current situation, where a significant number of the country’s corporate employees and students work remotely online due to the pandemic, the need for home office furniture, such as study tables and office chairs, has sharply increased. Due in major part to the progressive movement in consumer behaviour and preferences from offline to online platforms, the Indian furniture business has been growing quickly. Due to the current epidemic, traditional and contemporary customers alike are becoming more and more dependent on internet retail to meet their shopping needs. Pepperfry is one of the top furniture brands that has grown and solidified its position even more, especially during the most recent lockdown.
In this startup story, we’ll examine Pepperfry’s success and look at some of the factors that contributed to it rising so quickly. Ambareesh Murty and Ashish Shah, who oversaw sales and operations and had a decade of experience at eBay India as national managers for India, the Philippines, and Malaysia, made the decision to launch in the first quarter of 2011. In fact, they even updated their LinkedIn profiles in June 2011 to say they were “starting up.”
The website concentrates on elements of home design such lighting, furniture, cleaning, dining room appliances, and many more. There is a wide selection of products on Pepperfry. Its straightforward and sophisticated distribution system for goods has enabled it to take the top spot in the market. The website concentrates on elements of home design such lighting, furniture, cleaning, dining room appliances, and many more. There is a wide selection of products on Pepperfry. Its straightforward and sophisticated distribution system for goods has enabled it to take the top spot in the market. According to Times Now, the e-commerce platform includes three warehouses and 21 distribution hubs, with more than 8 million individuals who have enrolled. Its returning customers carry out about 58% of its transactions.
The entire process, from installation to assembly, is handled by Pepperfry.It may surprise some people to learn that Pepperfry, the market leader in online furniture, began as a horizontal online marketplace with a focus on fashion and lifestyle. Flipkart had not yet gained traction, and Amazon was not yet available in India. India’s largest online furniture retailer is Pepperfry. Ashish Shah and Ambareesh Murthy, two Indian businessmen, and it has since grown to be a major force in the e-commerce industry. Pepperfry stands apart from rivals due to its emphasis on quality and innovation.
ABOUT PEPPERFRY
Pepperfry was founded in 2011 by Ambreesh Murthy and Ashish Shah, and it is currently one of the top online furniture retailers in India. Both Shah and Murthy have held senior executive roles with renowned corporations like McKinsey & Company, eBay, and Squaretrade prior to founding this online furniture store. Murthy has an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, while Shah holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
The company was founded with the intention of reducing the hassle associated with furniture delivery. In January 2012, they both employed programmers and launched their websites, since then, they have grown to become one of the most significant furniture retail platforms. The business began by offering goods in a variety of categories, but after a year they discovered their specialty and began to concentrate on selling furniture and home furnishings.
EARLY DAYS
“There was a considerable time lag between the signing of the term sheet with Norwest in July and the transfer of the money in late September into our bank accounts” says Murty.
Those were anxious months, as their funds ran thin. Murty and Shah invested all of their savings—roughly Rs 2 crore—into the creation of a website, office setup, and a 30-person team, but they received nothing in return. The promised funds from the investors had not yet arrived, and the website hadn’t even been established. When the partners were down to their last Rs. 10 lakh in September 2011, they were in such a tight spot that they nearly abandoned the project. But the pair exhibited composure. They are both experienced hikers who have climbed some of the most difficult treks in the world, including Chadar, the Wari La Pass, and Zanskar in Leh and Ladakh. This unbreakable mentality had a purpose.
Murty and Ashish Shah invested their last remaining dollars in a business outing in Goa. According to Murty, “We resolved that if we were going to fail, we would fail spectacularly.” An investment arrived like a ray of sunlight on a dreary day just as the founders were about to end their partnership with Norwest. The founders of Pepperfry were ready to make a big statement in the market with their newly rekindled optimism and an influx of $5 million in cash. The crew determined it was time to focus on just one particular line of furniture as its size began to increase over time.
The company has also opened offline stores in major cities across India. It is now a household name in India and is well on its way to becoming a leading player in the global e-commerce market.
BUDDING MARKET
The internet furniture sector is still in its infancy. According to a RedSeer Management Consulting report, 1-1.5 percent of internet sales in 2016 were made up of furniture. The prospects of Pepperfry could be jeopardised by newer business models, such furniture renting. The entrance of Ikea, the biggest furnishing retailer in the world, is a further cause for anxiety. Early next year, the Swedish retailer will start doing business in India.
The company takes special pride in its omni-channel capabilities, which let customers place orders whenever and wherever they want from any channel or device. This is made feasible by the availability of mobile and online platforms, which let customers effortlessly transition between them during any stage of the purchasing process.
GROWING CHALLENGES
The company takes special pride in its omni-channel capabilities, which let customers place orders whenever and wherever they want from any channel or device. This is made feasible by the availability of mobile and online platforms, which let customers effortlessly transition between them during any stage of the purchasing process.
The rivalry from major online retailers Amazon India and Flipkart, which have increased their home and furniture offers since 2015, is another difficulty. These well-funded online retailers may want to buy verticals like Pepperfry in order to expand their product offerings and market share. When demand in tier-1 cities begins to decline, the corporation will likewise have trouble serving semi-urban markets. “Those markets are cost-conscious and do not place as much emphasis on design, “says KPMG’s Prasad. “The available options will need to change. Additionally, it will be difficult to recruit workers in smaller cities who are qualified for delivery and assembly.”
WHAT MAKES PEPPERFRY DIFFERENT FROM OTHER ONLINE FURNITURE RETAILERS?
The emphasis Pepperfry has placed on quality has been one of its primary differentiators. The company has its own production facility and sources its goods from more than 5000 vendors around India. Prior to being made available to customers, all of the Pepperfry products are rigorously tested for quality and built of high-grade components. The company’s emphasis on innovation serves as another significant point of differentiation. One of the first businesses to offer the idea of virtual reality shopping in India was Pepperfry.
The business has also launched a variety of innovative programmes, like the “try before you buy” service and the “rent-to-own” choice. These programmes have helped Pepperfry differentiate itself from the competition and win over a devoted clientele. The business has also made significant investments in marketing and advertising. Make Your Home Beautiful and Happy Homes Start with Pepperfry are two of the Furniture Store’s well-known advertising campaigns. These ads have boosted brand recognition and stimulated commerce.
The startup is an incredibly creative and client-focused business. The company has become India’s top online furniture retailer thanks to its emphasis on quality, innovation, and marketing. The Furniture Store is positioned to compete with the world’s largest e-commerce companies and establish itself as a dominant force in the market thanks to its solid basis.
While initially only serving the online market, Pepperfry expanded to serve both online and offline clients, and by 2014, the Company had built its outlets all throughout India. According to its growth chart, this startup currently holds more than 50% of the market share for the furniture business, and it has no intention of slowing down any time soon.
PEPPERFRY FUTURE PLANS
While initially only serving the online market, Pepperfry expanded to serve both online and offline clients, and by 2014, the Company had built its outlets all throughout India. According to its growth chart, this startup currently holds more than 50% of the market share for the furniture business, and it has no intention of slowing down any time soon.
REVENUE
Currently, Pepperfry is acknowledged as the top online furniture store and holds a 50% market share. Between 2015 and 2017, the company expanded on average at a compound annual growth rate of 85%. The company’s sales was estimated to be Rs. 140.60 crores in FY17, and it increased by 47% the following year. However, despite the sales increase, the company was still reporting losses of up to Rs. 138 crores. In order to reduce the losses, the corporation decided to cut back on advertising for FY20.
Pepperfry’s ambitions for growth and expansion were disrupted by the lockdown, and they were forced to reduce their spending as a result. However, Statista predicts that the Indian furniture market will expand with a CAGR of 8.7% by 2025, providing Pepperfry with plenty of room to grow.
REFERENCES
https://thedigitalyug.com/startup/pepperfry-story-business-study-marketing-funding-growth
https://www.analyticssteps.com/blogs/success-story-pepperfry
Aishwarya Says:
I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THE SAME, DO LET ME KNOW.
Do follow me on Facebook, Twitter Youtube and Instagram.
The copyright of this Article belongs exclusively to Ms. Aishwarya Sandeep. Reproduction of the same, without permission will amount to Copyright Infringement. Appropriate Legal Action under the Indian Laws will be taken.
If you would also like to contribute to my website, then do share your articles or poems at secondinnings.hr@gmail.com
In the year 2021, we wrote about 1000 Inspirational Women In India, in the year 2022, we would be featuring 5000 Start Up Stories.