Niche design commerce players tapping offline routes for aggressive sale targets

Design commerce players such as India Circus, Chumbak and others are opting for an omni-channel model to increase footfalls and improve topline. Known for home decor design products, India Circus is targeting a 7-8 times jump in its topline over the next three years with an aggressive offline and B2B expansion strategy. It is looking to open nine stores by March 2019 across top metros to meet its INR100 crore revenue target in three years. The firm is also betting big on its B2B business which includes partnerships for design licensing, royalty and products for the hospitality industry.

India Circus is not alone in shifting its strategy. Rival Chumbak too follows a strong offline model with 18 stores across nine cities and is looking to add another 10-15 stores in 10 months. Chumbak is also planning to double down on more marketplaces online to enable stronger sales. Vivek Prabhakar, CEO of Chumbak, commented that “Our offline channel contributes to 70% of the overall business and online channels contribute 30%. Our growth plan kicks in for the next year as we look to double our store presence”. For design commerce players, offline presence helps with higher average order values compared to online channels due to better upsell opportunities.