FirstCry –
The Startup Story
The Founder
In 2010, Supam Maheshwari launched FirstCry.
Supam graduated from IIM Ahmedabad with a degree in engineering from Delhi
College of Engineering. First-generation business owner that was driven to
create something on his own, he founded FirstCry voyager. He is a founder of
XpressBee, one of the biggest logistical platforms in the nation.
What is FirstCry?
FirstCry is a dedicated baby and children's merchandise
e-commerce website. More than 2 lakh products are available on this site in
many categories, including diapers, toys, clothing, and accessories.
Additionally, this industry titan in e-commerce provides mother care products,
such as food, nursing, skin, and wellness items.
The idea and foundation of FirstCry's
inspiration
Supam's love for creating his own things inspired him to
launch the First Cry. Supam had the concept for FirstCry after he observed that
there were few options for infant supplies on e-commerce platforms in India.
He saw this as a chance to develop a platform specifically
for infants and young children. It results in FirstCry's initial conception.
Supam estimates that the baby and children's sector in India generates a
revenue of about 50,000 INR crore after conducting additional research. What's
more intriguing is that the offline market accounted for 95% of the total
revenue.
Challenges which Appeared During the
Commencement
India's FirstCry launched its baby care e-tailing business
in December 2010. The business was started by Supam with a seed investment of roughly
25 million INR. He overcame every obstacle in a variety of fields, including
payment gateway and logistics. Across the nation, there was tremendous
competition in the marketplace for new clients.
Collaborations and the
First Milestone for FirstCry
First Cry previously used an inventory-based paradigm. With
their four ware house situated in Pune, Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata, they
were exclusively managing the logistics of goods within the nation. Later, they
also began adding different sellers to the FirstCry portal, giving them the
chance to offer their goods on its marketplace.
Additionally, FirstCry just debuted its BabyHug clothing
line and CuteWalk shoe line. They have also gained control of Babyoye, a
Mahindra platform for infant products in 2016.
The FirstCry worked with Masala Baby, a lifestyle, children's, and infants-focused business with headquarters in New York.
The Current Growth
Status of FirstCry
Amitava Saha, co-founder and chief operating officer, and
Supam Maheshwari, co-founder and chief executive officer, recently added
SoftBank, a major Japanese internet and telecom company, to their list of
principal investors.
These additional funds will probably be used to strengthen
FirstCry's technological platform and increase its offline and online
visibility. The whole amount raised will raise the First Cry's estimated value
to $800 million.
Right now, FirstCry is the biggest online retailer for
children in Asia. Over 300 of their offline franchise locations are spread over
100 different cities in India.
Trends in the Babycare and Mom Products Market
Have Changed
As was already indicated at the beginning of the essay,
there is a significant changeover in the Indian baby and children's market.
However, the nation is currently becoming much more urban with a rise in
nuclear families. Most parents today have two incomes, so they are more likely
to spend the extra money on their kids. The number of children's items with the
correct brand image and superior quality will inevitably increase.
Mothers in particular choose stylish and casual clothing
for their children with new party and function dress. Children today are
exposed to a variety of media, and as a result, they are more aware of their
brands. Children are also actively making decisions about their clothing in
another way.
As a result, FirstCry acquired a product inventory of
varied items from over a thousand Indian and foreign brands. It carries some of
the most well-known children's product brands, such as Barbie, Hot Wheels,
Disney, and Pampers.
Baby and kid markets: specialized or
overloaded?
The market for baby and children's products is still
underdeveloped. However, FirstCry is looking for a niche in which it may
develop an entrepreneurial environment for parents. The business makes sure to
provide the top brands and quality products available.
FirstCry is making a lot of effort to make sure that
customers can easily access both its online and physical stores. Additionally,
they are constantly improving its FirstCry Box campaign for wide-scale
awareness to quickly reach their clients.
FirstCry – The Vision
In order to increase its offline market, The
First Cry is looking for an aggressive strategy. FirstCry intends to continue
seeing annual growth of above 100%.
The ultimate goal of First Cry is to dominate
the Indian market for baby items.
Currently, FirstCry's key priorities are
innovation, improvement, and effectiveness for its consumers' improved buying
experiences. According to FirstCry, there is room for high-quality baby
boutiques within 5 km of every Indian city. They are therefore attempting to
close this gap by increasing their outlets.
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