ShwetaGupta, Final Document PDF

Once Upon A Trunk: E-Commerce Category
Extension from Apparel to Home & Decor

Live Industry Project
Submitted To
Alka Gupta
&
Neeraj Kapoor
School of Business
In fulfillment of the
B.A. (Hons.) Degree in Fashion and Lifestyle Business
Management
Submitted By: Shweta Gupta

DFLBM150492 (2015-2018)
Submitted on: 30th April, 2018

Declaration
I hereby declare that this dissertation is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge
and belief, it reproduces no material previously published or written, nor material that has
been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma by any educational institution,
except where due acknowledgement is made in the text.
Name – Shweta Gupta
Date –30th April, 2018
Signature -
Acknowledgement
This has been the most crucial project in my three-year journey at Pearl. The journey I have
taken to complete my dissertation has not been unaccompanied. There are many people who
contributed to make it a fairly enjoyable process and a great learning opportunity. I would like
to express my gratitude to all those who have directly or indirectly helped me in the
compilation of this dissertation project. There are, however a few individuals who deserve a
special mention.
First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude towards my teachers for their
tremendous contributions and feedbacks. I would especially like to thank my mentor Ms. Alka
Gupta who guided me in the whole process, always motivating to improve, gave me
constructive advice and direction throughout the study. Without whom the project wouldn’t
have come out to be in this shape.
I would like to thank Dr. Sunita G. Konwar for guiding me in the area of research methods
and, for assisting me in the process of referencing.
I shall also take this opportunity to thank Mr. Piyush Pandey, for imparting knowledge about
various graphic software’s and for his input on report-formatting and Mr. Varun Duggal who
helped me with statistical analysis.
The valuable feedback and suggestions provided by Mr. Neeraj Kapoor helped me improve
the aesthetics of my project. I thank them for their constant inputs.
A sincere acknowledgement to Ms. Priya Mary Mathew, Head of School of Creative

Business, for her valuable insights and suggestions to improve the dissertation and special
thanks to all the respondents who gave their valuable time in filling questionnaires and to all
the industry experts who gave their views and gave their precious time for interviews. Without
the expert input, support and cooperation of all the above-mentioned people, this project
wouldn’t have commenced and acquired the standard of work that it presently has.
I would also like to show my appreciation to my family and friends who motivated me
continuously and encouraged me to make this project see the light of the day. They have been
there like a backbone and supported me at each step.
Certification
This is to certify that the project file titled “Once Upon A Trunk: E-Commerce Category
Extension from Apparel to Home & Decor” is a bona fide work undertaken by Shweta Gupta
done in fulfillment of the requirements for the undergraduate course, B.A. (Hons) Fashion
Business Management, 2014-2018.
Name – Shweta Gupta

(FLBM 2015-18)
Table of Content
Page No.
Declaration I.
Acknowledgement II.
Certification III.
Table of content IV.
List of Figure VI.
List of Tables VII.
Abstract VIII.
Chapter-1: Company Overview

1.1. Vision & Mission 2
1.2. USP 3
1.2.1 Try & Buy 4
1.2.3 Customization
4
1.3. Organizational Structure
1.4. Logo 5
1.5. Marketing Mix 6-22
1.6. Designers 23
1.7. Key Influencers for Customers 24
1.8. Brand Identity Prism 25
1.9. SWOT Analysis 26
1.10. Competitors Analysis
26-28
1.11. Summary
28
Chapter-2: Background Study
2.1. E-Commerce 29
2.1.1. Growth of E-commerce Industry 29
2.1.1.1 E-Commerce Website 33
2.1.2. Advantages & Disadvantages of E-Commerce
38
2.1.3. Current Players in the E-Commerce Market
2.1.4. Millennial Women Demographics of Online Shopping 38
2.1.5. Cash on Delivery v/s Cashless Transactions 39
2.1.6. Factors Prompting Sales 40
2.2. Fashion E-Commerce
2.2.1. Advantages & Disadvantages 43
2.2.2. E-Commerce Fashion In India
2.2.3. Characteristics of Indian E-Commerce
44
2.2.4. Challenges of the E-Commerce Market
2.3. Home & Décor Industry 47
2.3.1. Home Décor E-Commerce in India 50
2.3.2. Facts & Challenges
2.3.3. Why Is Home Décor Market Growing? 51
2.3.4. Influencing Factors 52
2.3.5. Trends Towards Home & Décor
2.3.6. Target Audience for Home & Décor Market 53
2.3.6.1 A Look at HENRYs Spendings
2.3.7. Categories Under Home & Décor
2.3.8. Scope of Home & Décor Market 55
2.3.9. Startups In Home & Décor E-Commerce
2.4. Case Study- IKEA 59
2.4.1. About IKEA
2.4.2. Social Media Campaigns 61
2.4.2.1 Sleep Like A Princess 62
2.4.2.2 Bedroom Makeover
63
2.4.2.3 Malmo’s Facebook Showroom
2.4.2.4. Augumentated Reality 65
2.4.2.5 IKEA in India
2.4.3. Takeaway From IKEA’S Campaigns 67
2.5 Consumers’ Acceptance towards Brand Extension
2.5.1. Consumer 68
2.5.2. Brand Extension
2.5.3. Consumers’ Acceptance Towards Brand Extension
2.6 Summary 74
Chapter-3: Research Process 75

3.1. Research Rationale
3.2. Need Gap
3.3. Research Significance 76
3.4. Project Goal
3.5. Research Objectives
3.6. Research Process
3.7. Research Methodology 79
3.8. Research Chapter Scheme
3.9. Research Approach/Model
3.10. Research Design
3.11. Research & Samplig Plan
3.11.1. RO1-To gain in-depth understanding of Home & Décor
80
Market In India
3.11.1.1. Sampling Plan for RO1
3.11.2. RO2- To understand the consumer acceptability of home & 82
décor for Once Upon A Trunk
3.11.2.1. Sampling Plan for RO2
3.11.3. RO3- To explore the pre-launch strategies of Once Upon A 84
Trunk in the Home & Décor category.
3.11.3.1. Sampling Plan RO3
3.11.4. RO4- To analyze the post launch response to Home & Décor
and recommend future growth strategies. 86
3.11.4.1. Sampling Plan RO4
3.12. Limitation 88
3.13. Summary
Chapter-4: Findings & Analysis 89
4.1. RO1 To gain in-depth understanding of Home & Décor Market in
India.
4.1.1. Home Decor Market in India
4.1.2. Market Trends &
92
Developments
4.1.3. Online Players in this
Category
4.2. RO2 To understand the consumer acceptability of Home & Décor 93
for Once Upon A Trunk.
4.3. RO3 To explore the pre-launch strategies of Once Upon A Trunk in 94
the Home & Décor category.
4.3.1. Target Market
95
4.3.2. Survey Analysis
4.3.3. Home & Décor Designers 100
4.3.4. Photoshoots
4.3.4.1. Catalogue Shoot 106
4.3.4.2. Editorial Shoot 108
4.3.4.3. Website Banners
4.3.5. Promotion Plan 110
4.3.5.1. Social Media
4.3.5.2. Facebook ADS 114
4.3.5.3. E-Mail Marketing
4.3.5.4. Magazine Feature 116
4.3.5.5. Event
4.3.5.6. Exhibition 119
4.4. RO 4 To study the post launch response to Home & Décor and
recommend future growth strategies.
4.4.1. Agenda & Marketing Plan
4.4.2. Analysis of Social Media Posts & ADS 125
4.4.2.1. Analysis of Instagram Posts
4.4.2.2. Facebook AD Analysis
4.4.2.3. Sales Analysis
4.4.3. Customer Reviews 133
4.4.3.1. Challenges
4.5. Customer Engagement Activities
135
4.5.1. Thank You Notes
4.5.2. Collaboration with NGO
4.5.3. Refer to a frend
4.5.4. Basket Sale 137
4.5.5. Promotions
4.5.6. Social Media Activities to attract Milennials
4.6. Summary 142
Chapter-5: Conclusion & Recommendation 143
5.1. Recommendations
5.1.1. Website & Tech
5.1.2. Promotions & Social Media
5.1.3 Logistics & Customer Care 144-147
5.1.5 Merchandisers
5.1.5 Employees
5.2. Conclusion 148
References 150
Annexure
List of Figures
Figure
TITLE Pg. No.
No.
1 Website Homepage 2
2 Try & Buy 3
3 Try & Buy 3
4 Customization 4
5 Logo 5
6 Logo 5
7 Marketing Mix 6
8 Merchandise –Women Ethnic Wear 7
9 Merchandise- Women Western Wear 8
10 Merchandise- Women Accessories 9
11 Merchandise- Women Footwear 10
12 Merchandise- OUAT Trunks 11
13 Merchandise- Menswear- Clothing 12
14 Merchandise – Men Accessories 13
15 Merchandise- Men Footwear 14
16 Place 15
17 Promotion 16
18 Promotion 16
19 E-Mailers 17
20 E-Mailers 17
21 Instagram 18
22 Facebook 19
23 Pinterest 19
24 Exhibition Invite 20
25 Event Invite 20
26 Packaging Boxes 21
27 Positioning 22
28 Designer Page Screenshot 23
29 Designer Page Screenshot 24
30 Brand Prism 25
31 The Loon 27
32 Jaypore 27
33 Organized V/S Unorganized Retail 30
34 E-Commerce Expenses 30
35 Online Sales 31
36 E-Commerce Expenses 31
37 Types Of Website 32
38 Growth In Retail Segment 37
39 COD V/S Cashless Transactions 39
40 Reasons People Prefer Online Shopping ( 40
41 Fashion E-Commerce 41
42 Fashion E-Commerce 42
43 Fashion E-Commerce Share 44
44 Fashion E-Commerce Share 44
46 Home Decor 48
47 Top Factors Impacting Home Décor Market 49
48 Understanding Henrys 53
49 Understanding Henrys 54
50 Wishing Chair Website Screenshot 56
51 Natty.In Website Screenshot 57
52 Natty.In Website Screenshot 57
53 Bunosilos Website Screenshot 58
54 Bunosilos Website Screenshot 58
55 Sustainable Product 59
56 Beliefs Of IKEA 59
57 Beliefs Of IKEA 59
58 Ikea Website Screenshot 60
59 Ikea Instagram Screenshot 60
60 Social Media Campaign 61
Factors Influencing Consumers’ Acceptance Of Brand
68
Extension 69
69 Research Planning 78
70 Research Planning For RO1 80
74 Ouat, Founder 89
75 Consumer Acceptance Of Brand Extension 93
76 Gender Analysis 95
77 Age Analysis 96
78 Income Analysis 96
79 Online Shopping Analysis 97
80 Home & Décor Online Shoppers 98
81 Awareness 98
82 Factors 99
83 Products In Demand 99
84 Home & Décor Merchandise 100
85 Home & Décor Merchandise 101
86 Screenshots Of Emails 102
87 Screenshots Of Emails 102
88 Sample Style Sheet 103
89 Screenshots Of Product Descriptions 104
90 Screenshots Of Product Descriptions 104
91 Catalogue Shoot 106
96 Editorial Shoot 106
99 Website Banners 107
103 Instagram Posts 110
106 Facebook Page 112
107 Working Of Facebook 113
108 Facebook Ad 113
109 Newsletter 114
110 Vogue Feature 115
111 Trunk Of The Month 116
112 Trunk Of The Month 117
113 Exhibition 119
114 Exhibition 119
115 Exhibition Invite 119
116 Exhibition Thank You Note 120
117 Exhibition Set Up 121
120 Social Media 125
121 Instagram Post 1 125
124 Facebook Ad Analysis 128
126 Top Selling Products 130
127 Top Locations 130
128 Thank You Note 135
129 Ngo Collaboration 136
132 Refer A Friend 137
133 Promotion 138
134 Promotion 138
135 Promotion 139
136 Promotion 139
137 Social Media activities to attract millennials 141
138 Recommendations 143
139 Return Process-PART 1 146
140 Return Process-PART 2 146
List of Tables
Table No. TITLE Pg. No.
1 Competitors Analysis 28
2 Categories of Home & Decor 53
3 Categories of Home & Décor 100
4 Facebook AD Analysis 131
5 Sales Analysis 131
Abstract
Title- Once Upon A Trunk: E-Commerce category extension from Apparel to Home & Décor.
Author- Shweta Gupta
Purpose- The purpose of the research was to launch a new category of Home & Decor on the
website www.onceuponatrunk.com. To follow through Pre launch and post launch phase to
understand how an e-commerce website works. To understand the need of it, and how to create
awareness in the market place.
To find out the problems, the strategies applied during the first month of the launch and to
find results and evaluate and understand what worked and suggest corrective measures. The
research would help academically and would help in exploring possibilities of a viable
business proposition.
Design/Methodology/Approach- Research Design used for this study were both exploratory
and descriptive and further the study was conduct through secondary and primary data
collection method. Secondary data was collected from websites, journals, articles etc. Primary
data was collected from Questionnaire and expert interview from industry experts.
Findings- The high rate of industrialization, growth of service sector and better employment
opportunities have increased consumers’ disposable income, developed new lifestyles and
awareness and a drastic change can be seen in their buying behavior. The Indian consumer
now days want to live in present and prefers a life full of luxury & comfort and are not much
price sensitive. They are now living in a time when competition is driving brands to innovate,
giving their customers better products, customizable options and more purchasing channels to
choose from.
However, there is no middleman between these sources. This is where Once Upon A Trunk
fits in. Once Upon A Trunk is an online fashion forum, transcends the online retail landscape
for women by offering leading-edge styles covering a rainbow of categories. Hence, adding
another category Home & Decor.
Practical Implication- Since the researcher is hands on employed by the company the
implications are directly applied to the company to suggest and correct and increase profits
and acquire more customers for the company
Originality/Value- By working in the company, the researcher gained first hand experience
& knowledge about the company. Hence, this dissertation is original to it’s value. The current
study has been conducted through interview of customers & founder of Once Upon A Trunk.
The existing research in this field is minimal as new startups/companies are coming up with
E-Commerce Home & Décor.
ONCE UPON A TRUNK: E-COMMERCE CATEGORY EXTENSION FROM APPAREL TO HOME & DECOR
CHAPTER 1
COMPANY OVERVIEW
This project commences with starting out to build the reasoning behind the launch of a
new category of Home & Decor on the website www.onceuponatrunk.com. This long
industry attachment is a study of the brand Once Upon A Trunk while launching Home &
Decor in its pre and post launch phases and defining the way ahead with concrete analysis
for suggestions. The aim is to follow an inverted pyramid research method studying e-
commerce, and Home & Lifestyle in India.
1. ONCE UPON A TRUNK
Once upon a trunk is an online shopping site for fashion & lifestyle in India. We are
known to offer unique shopping experience outside the box, by recognized independent
designers who are known to experiment craft in beautiful and unique ways.
We adhere in designer crafted shoes, clothing, accessories and lifestyle products for both
women & men. By adding a blend of combination of top brands, expert services, personal
style guides and unparalleled convenience we deliver a highly personalized experience
that helps create an enthralling look which makes heads turn with AWW! We also
specialize in made to order products which adheres to all shapes and sizes. We offer
style and shopping experience which is off the rack.
Our team is highly passionate, motivated and we are always at a lookout for ongoing
trends and we make sure it reaches our trunkers at affordable price range. The OUAT
designer trunk includes designers ranging from well-established to fresh and budding
designers who have a crisp outlook towards fashion.
Hereby, customers are given the power to customize as per their preferences of colors
and silhouette. We also provide our customers with personal styling services to guide
them through every step of the way till the spot light hits them hard.
We believe, we incorporate and encourage a fresh outlook towards fashion and we
welcome fresh minds who are willing to drift away from what’s already done. We deal
in styles which are known to be fun, quirky at the same time elegant and classy, we love
playing with a lot of colors, patterns and designs.
Key Philosophies:
• Customers are given high priority and we make sure we meet their demands.
• Designer wear is made available at affordable price range and variant sizes.
• We are always updated with the ongoing trends and offer the same to our customers.
• We specialize in Made to order garments for special occasions.
• We put in extensive efforts for smooth and hassle free shopping experience.
Page | 1
SHWETA GUPTA|DFLBM150492
Officially Launched On: 2014

Head Office: Ghitorni.
Communication, PR, and Creative Agency: Ghitorni.
Warehouse: Ghitorni.
Photography: Udyog Vihar
Outlet: www.onceuponatrunk.com
Fig.1: Website Homepage

(Source:onceuponatrunk.com,2018)
1.1 VISION AND MISSION
Vision
Once Upon A Trunk operates with perfection in every aspect, cherish beauty and style
within the fashion industry, and aims at maintaining its brand name and reputation.
In addition, they seek to expand the company by getting more & more designers on board.
Mission
Once Upon A Trunk aims at maintaining the highest standards in terms of customer
service, quality of product, and a wide range-selection to satisfy the needs of the target
market. This also helps maintain the organization’s image and reputation in the market.
Page | 2
1.2 USP
Once Upon A Trunk was the first ever company to start with try & buy. They also have
customizations available for sizes. They also offer a stylist service where a stylist is sent
to the customer’s place and they help the customer in choosing the right merchandise for
the customer.
1.2.1 TRY AND BUY

Once Upon A Trunk has introduced the long awaited ‘Try & Buy’ feature. This new
option in the world of online shopping has broken the barrier of all the hesitations faced
by retail shoppers before trying their hands on online shopping.
In the world of online fashion ‘Touch & Feel’ option for the customer is the biggest
drawback. In case of apparels this new Try & Buy method is expected to bring a wave
of change in online shopping industry.
Fig.2&3: Try & Buy Trunk

(Source:onceuponatrunk.com,2017)
Page | 3
1.2.2 CUSTOMIZATION
Once Upon A Trunk believes everyone has a different size & body shape. Hereby,
customers are given the power to customize as per their preferences of colors and
silhouette. With a few measurements like chest, arm, waist etc. the customer gets the
product according to their fitting.
Fig.4: Customization Banner

(Source: Facebook.com, 2018)
1.3 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Chart 1: Organizational Hierarchy

(Source: self-illustrated)
Page | 4
1.4 LOGO
Attempt 1 Attempt 2
Fig.5 & 6: Logos

(Source:facebook.com,2018)
Page | 5
1.5 MARKETING MIX

A) PRODUCT
All merchandise is carefully selected in order to offer customers exclusive, one-of-a-kind
products that reflect excellent quality at a great value.
Fig.7: Marketing Mix

(Source: Relativemarketing.co.uk, 2015)
Page | 6
WOMENS WEAR
CLOTHING
ETHNIC WEAR
Anarkali, Suits, Shararas, Sarees, Kurtas, Lehengas, Dupattas
Fig.8: Merchandise
(Source: self- illustrated)
Page | 7
WESTERN WEAR
Bottoms, Dresses, Co-Ord Sets, Gowns, Jumpsuits, Tops & Tunics, Jackets, Shirts, Night
Wear
Fig.9: Merchandise
Page | 8
ACCESSORIES
JEWELLERY
Bracelet, Earrings, Hair Accessories, Necklaces, Rings, Bags & Clutches, Sunglasses
Fig.10: Merchandise
Page | 9
FOOTWEAR
Flat, Heels, Juttis
Fig.11: Merchandise
Page | 10
OUAT TRUNKS
Fig.12: Merchandise
Page | 11
MENSWEAR
CLOTHING
Bottoms, Jackets, Shirts, T-Shirts, Sandos, Sleepwear, Sweatshirts, Ethnic wear
Fig.13: Merchandise
Page | 12
ACCESSORIES
Bow Ties, Wallets, Socks, Buttons, Bags
Fig.14: Merchandise
Page | 13
FOOTWEAR
Fig.15: Merchandise
Page | 14
B) PRICE
Product price ranges from low to high.
• Clothing- Min price : Rs. 1100 Max price: Rs. 20,000 & above
• Accessories- Min price : Rs. 1500 Max price: Rs. 15,000 & above
C) PLACE
Once Upon A Trunk has its head office and warehouse in Delhi. Being an e-commerce
business and an online platform, Once Upon A Trunk services can be used from any part
of the globe given the following two conditions are met:
• Customers have access to the internet
• Customers have access to Paytm and other payment methods allowed by OUAT.
• It was limited to Delhi only but now it is available internationally also.
Fig.16: Place
(Source: Brandsfun.com, 2018)
D) PROMOTION
Promotional strategies offered by Once Upon A Trunk:
• College student receive 10% discount on showing student ID

• E-newsletters
• Social Media
• Promotions through Radio
• Catalogues
• Exhibitions
• Regular promotions up to 50%
Page | 15
Fig.17: Promotion
Fig.18: Promotion
Page | 16
E-newsletters
Fig.19 & 20: E-Mailers

(Source: self-sourced)
Page | 17
Social Media
Instagram
Fig.21: Instagram
Page | 18
Facebook
Fig.22: Facebook
Pinterest (Source: self-sourced)
Fig.23: Pinterest
Page | 19
Exhibitions & Events
Fig.24: Exhibition Invite

Fig.25: Event Invite

Page | 20
E) PACKAGING
Packaging is responsible for providing accurate, useful, and interesting information to the
customers as well as ensuring brand consistency throughout.
• Approval on packaging hangtags, labels, etc.
• Pre-production sample/Final sample approvals
Fig.26: Packaging Boxes

Page | 21
F) POSITIONING
Once Upon A Trunk has developed a position where the brand is known for being high
quality at a moderate price. When Once Upon A Trunk is compared to Pernia’s Popup
Shop, Once Upon A Trunk ranks lower because Pernia’s Popup Shop focuses on
providing more expensive pieces.
Once Upon A Trunk ranks as above par, In order to be a best e-commerce, it needs to be
expert in the products they carry, passionate about sharing their expertise, and sell
customers on the latest – most fashionable products. The retailer needs to have strong
organizational structure, distribution systems, strategic product timing, and sophisticated
promotional strategies.
Fig.27: Positioning
(Source: HOME and Blog, 2018)
Page | 22
1.6 DESIGNERS
The main aim of OUAT is to tap all the unknown, small designers in the Indian market
& help them grow. These are some of the best-selling designers on board:
• The Pink Elephant

• TrueBrowns
• Aakar
• Free Living
• Prishie
• Anushka Das
• Anju Agarwal
• The Bedtime Story
• Mirakin
• August Line
Fig.28: Designer Page Screenshot

(Source: onceuponatrunk.com, 2018)
Page | 23
Fig.29: Designer Page Screenshot

(Source: onceuponatrunk.com, 2018)
1.7 KEY INFLUENCERS FOR CUSTOMERS

• Less Expensive: If we see the changing trend of the whole fashion sector, cheap
characterizes our age. This is because, in the fashion industry, everything, from
production to distribution, can be de-localized with relative ease, which makes cheap
more widely developed than other industries (BOSSHART 2006). Fast fashion’s soul
is to make fashion democratized with its low price and speed, which means cheap
plays an essential role in fast fashion.
• Cater: as quickly as possible. Fast fashion aims at bringing in new styles constantly,
to shorten their products shelf time, to make sure the customer has something new
each time.
• Dominance: A fast fashion system combines quick response production capabilities

with enhanced product design capabilities, to both design hot products that capture
the latest consumer trends and exploit minimal production lead-times to match supply
with uncertain demand.
Page | 24
1.8 BRAND IDENTITY PRISM

Brand identity prism applies human traits to a brand to recognize what consumers
actually think of a brand. They consider brand to be a person. The brand identity prism,
in the prism with 6 different traits at each end of the prism. The brand identity prism of
Once Upon A Trunk is as follows:
Fig.30: Brand Prism

(Source: self-made)
Page | 25
1.9 SWOT ANALYSIS
1.10 COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

Looking at the brand and product level from a fashion point of view, Once Upon A
Trunk’s main competitors in the market are:
 The Loom
 Jaypore
 The Wedding Brigade
 Shopthat1too
 Bunosilo
 Natty.in
 Jivaana
THE LOOM
The products from The Loom are hand-picked and unique with highest quality. And the
designs are sophisticated, fresh and exciting. Indians love celebrations and they
incorporate an element of celebration in their designs striking a perfect balance between
Page | 26
subtle and statement. They have a wide range of apparels, jewelry, accessories & home
décor.
Fig.31: The Loom

(Source:theloom.in,2018)
JAYPORE
Jaypore focuses on products with unique, high quality craftsmanship; unmistakably
local designs that feel at home anywhere in the world. Their products include home
decor, accessories, jewelry, apparel, gifts, vintage items and more.
Jaypore is about bringing the world a little closer together, they discover the best
designs from artisans and craftsmen from all over India, and deliver them at exceptional
value to their members.
Fig.32: Jaypore
(Source:jaypore.com,2018)
Page | 27
Basis The Loom Jaypore Once Upon A Trunk
Description Jaypore focuses on Once Upon A Trunk
The products from The products with unique, is a carefully
Loom are hand-picked high quality curated design
and unique with highest craftsmanship; platform. With this
quality. And the designs unmistakably local expertise it brings
are sophisticated, fresh designs that feel at home you the opportunity
and exciting. anywhere in the world. to enhance your
wardrobe with the
creative excellence
of our most coveted
designers as well as
the vibrant energy
of bright young
talent.
Year Of 2016 2012 2015
Establishment
Products Clothing, Jewelry, Clothing, Jewelry, Clothing, Jewelry,
Accessories, Home & Accessories, Home & Accessories, Home
Decor Decor & Décor
Price Range Rs.500- Rs.12,000 & Rs.180-Rs.100,000 & Rs.500-Rs.60,000 &
above above above
Location Wazirpur Saidulajab Ghitorni
USP - Have their own label Try & Buy &
Customization
Table 1: Competitor Analysis

(Source: self-made)
1.11 SUMMARY
This chapter on literature review helps give an insight into the company more deeply. The
information collected in this chapter makes a better base understanding of the company
& helps to understand where the company stands as of now. It helps in understanding
the positioning, price, SWOT & competitors of the company. This makes it easier to
give suggestions & to implement them.
Page | 28
CHAPTER 2
BACKGROUND STUDY
The following chapter aims to give an in-depth idea of research done through secondary
sources of the research topics studied related to the launch of the website. Starting from
a general overview of understanding what E-commerce, to studying its global scenario
and the situation of Fashion E-commerce in India, the current market players. The
various strategies and models a company can apply and use and the various advantages
and disadvantages each has, which helps to build and guide a new brand better.
2.1 E-COMMERCE
E-commerce backs to 1960’s where it was initially launched to transact data through
electronic transfers. By definition, ecommerce or electronic commerce, is the buying and
selling of products or services via the Internet (MIVA,2011). Today, consumers can
purchase anything from a pin to a plane ticket and experience to a house on the Internet,
with various services and portals available, the options are endless.
Ecommerce was introduced 40 years ago and, to this day, continues to grow with new
technologies, innovations, and thousands of businesses entering the online market each
year. The convenience, safety, and user experience of ecommerce has improved
exponentially since its inception in the 1970’s. The millennial who spend 66% of their
time on digital platforms are habitual to phones and laptops and e-commerce hits the
target with introduction of mobile shopping apps, each brand is making its stand
(SIWICKI, 2014).
E-Commerce, also known as e-Business, or electronic business, is simply the sale and
purchase of services and goods over and electronic medium, like the Internet. It also
involves electronically transferring data and funds between two or more parties. Simply
put, it is online shopping as we commonly know it.
e-Commerce started way back in the 1960s when organizations began to use Electronic
Data Interchange (EDI) to transfer documents of their business back and forth. The 1990s
saw the emergence of online shopping businesses, which is quite a phenomenon today.
It has become so convenient and easy, that anyone can shop for anything right from a
living room, with just a few clicks. This has evolved more with the emergence of
smartphones, were now, you can shop from anywhere and anytime, with a wireless
device connected to the Internet. Now you can search for almost any product or service
online, without having to go anywhere physically. (Vangikar and Vangikar, 2018)
2.1.1 GROWTH OF E-COMMERCE INDUSTRY
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Fig. 33: Organized v/s Unorganized Retail

(Source: Founding Fuel,2018)
Indian retail is predominantly unorganized and highly fragmented with thousands of local
brands controlled by local distributors. This structure makes it easier to let vendors list
on a platform, rather than build inventory ground up.
Fig. 34: E-Commerce Expenses

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The one factor that will have a maximum impact on profitability is cutting down on
discounts. At 30%, it's second only to the cost of goods sold.
Fig. 35: Online Sales

If the trends in the West is any indicator, it will also be driven by the offline players, if
they play their cards right.
Fig. 36: E-Commerce Expenses

(Source: axon-labs, 2017)
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2.1.1.1 E-COMMERCE WEBSITE
E-commerce websites are online portals that facilitate online transactions of goods
and services through means of the transfer of information and funds over the
internet. In the early days, e-Commerce was done partially through emails and
phone calls. Now, with a single website, anything that a transaction needs, can be
executed online.
There are different e-Commerce websites for every field. The most common type is
retail selling, but there are many others too, like auction websites, business-to-
business services, music portals, finance management websites etc.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF E-COMMERCE WEBSITES:

• Business-to-Business (B2B): Electronic transactions of goods and services
between companies.
• Business-to-Consumer (B2C): Electronic transactions of goods and services
between companies and consumers.
• Consumer-to- Consumer (C2C): Electronic transactions of goods and services
between consumers, mostly through a third party.
• Consumer-to-Business (C2B): Electronic transactions of goods and services
where individuals offer products or services to companies.
• Business-to-Administration (B2A): Electronic transactions of goods and services
between companies and public administrations.
• Consumer-to-Administration (C2A): Electronic transactions of goods and
services between individuals and public administrations.
Figure 37: Types of websites (Source: jobsxs, 2017)
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2.1.2 ADVANTAGES OF ECOMMERCE

 Enhances convenience: Customers can make orders for goods & services from the
comfort of their homes without having to travel to the business premise. Orders are also
delivered to them at their most ideal locations. It’s the best shopping option for people
who are always working.
 Allows for product and price comparison: Customers want to get the best deals. This
business model allows for product and price comparison by consumers so that the best
products are bought at the fairest prices.
 Easy fund-raising for start-ups ventures: So many people have the desire to venture into
business but lack sufficient funds to set up. Leasing a physical store can be quite
expensive. E-commerce makes it easier for start-ups to do business and grow.
 Efficient: Resources are used efficiently since most of the business services are
automated. Business owners sometimes spend a lot of resources meeting business needs
and this eats into profits. E-commerce thrives on efficiency.
 Customer reach: It’s easier to reach many customers on the internet. Using social media
links and good search engine optimization strategies, an online business can increase
brand awareness and grow its customer base. It also has the advantage of being able to
connect buyers and sellers from all corners of the globe.
 Prompt payments: Payments are fast since online stores use electronic or mobile
transactions payment methods. The mobile wallet system for merchant accounts drive
up sales and increase revenue generation.
 Ability to sell different products: The flexibility of conducting business over the
internet makes it possible for entrepreneurs to display and sell several products and also
cater to a wider demographic.
 24/7 Potential Income: With Facebook ads, one can attract customers at 11 p.m. or 4
a.m. Being available at all hours attracts the customers as they don’t have to schedule
their shopping times.
 Sell Internationally: Even after sitting in India, one has the potential to sell products
internationally through various ads. The customer base becomes larger in size.
 Personalized Online Experience: Some websites offer personalized/customizable

features which attracts more customers as they get the products according to their
requirement.
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 Variety at one place: Since there is no limit on the amount of space an online portal
has, they can expand innumerably vertically and horizontally in categories and variety
within categories.
 Convenience and Ease: The whole process of ordering to receiving the order requires
a minimal effort, no physical movement and easy transfer of funds.
2.1.2 DISADVANTAGES OF ECOMMERCE
 Poor quality products: One can’t physically see and inspect anything purchased online
before it is delivered. Customers, therefore, run the risk of falling victim to false
marketing and buying poor quality products from the virtual shop.
 Impulsive purchases: Online stores display a large number of products and due to the
convenience of shopping, customers can find themselves through impulsive purchases.
 Internet scammers: The internet is a good thing but some people have decided to use
it for all the wrong reasons. Scammers have made this type of business model
unattractive for some consumers.
 Lack of after sales support: As a result of lack of physical premises, customers find it
hard to access after sales support. It can take up to several days before any help is
accorded to a customer in need.
 Fast changing business environment: Technology evolves so fast. Some entrepreneurs

find it hard to keep up and lose a lot of business in the process. This may make business
growth unattainable.
 Loss of personal touch: Business is all about relationships. This business model erodes
the personal touch between a customer and the business owner. Cultivating loyalty can
thus be a problem since there are many such businesses that provide different options.
 Delivery of goods can get delayed: It takes time before the goods ordered for are
delivered. Sometimes the delivery delays and this inconveniences the customer. This
is different from physical business premises where customers walk out with the
products bought. (Esalestrack.com, 2018)
 No restriction for Entry: Anyone and everyone can start an online business, no amount
of experience or expertise or criteria exists for the same, which sometimes makes it
hard to give creditability to an online platform.
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 Mobile Marketing: Can be a big problem for retailers as it is impossible to put all
inventory online and make all details available, questions can’t be answered swiftly
and hence can cause delays.
 Data Management: With a huge inventory it can get difficult to protect and manage so
much data and to prevent theft and copy.
 No Guarantee of Product quality: What a customer might order and what might be
delivered can be completely different, there is no guarantee of quality just by looking
at visual pictures. This can be a big challenge for consumers.
 Glitches and technical problems can occur: It is impossible to control technical

problems and glitches, however precautions can be taken, these can occur at any time
and cause harm and delays to the business.
 Less Personal: One of the biggest drawbacks of online shopping is the lack of personal
touch, as there is no face-to-face human interaction-taking place in the process.
 Delayed Delivery: Delivery can be delayed due to unforeseen reasons, there is no fixed
time assured. (Esalestrack.com, 2018)
 Not everything can be sold online: Many items cannot be sold online as they might
have less shelf life, difficult to store and send, etc.
 No experience before purchase: There is no try and buy factor involved, a consumer
does not have any experience with a product they want to purchase before its delivered
to them, other than visually getting a look at it.
 Security & Privacy: This is the biggest threat to online portals as they can be hacked
in to relatively more easily, which makes it unsafe for data shared by consumers as
well and reduces privacy and control.
 Hidden Costs: Online businesses have various hidden costs for the business as well as
the consumers due to unforeseen reasons. If not accounted for in advance they can
cause harm to both the parties.
 Internet connection: A strong Internet connection is a must for using any online portal,
which can sometimes not be available which delays and stops work.
 Need to be updated and kept fresh every day: Online portals need to be refreshed every
day and be different and new everyday as consumers come back can get bored.
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 Constant checkup: A 360 Degree checkup is required constantly to make sure hacks,
poor comments, functioning, feedbacks are all up to date.
 Easy to copy: Items and picture’s shared online are visible and accessible by everyone,
which makes it when easy to copy.
 Spam mails: Online portal tend to send lots of emailers to attract customers on an
everyday basis, and when there is a glitch these emailers could harm the company.
 Low trust: Since the factor of touch and feel and personal touch lacks on online portals,
the trust factor in consumers is low.
 Uncontrollable problems: The scope of control on online platforms is very low as there
are no filters, anyone can comment or share anything they like. There can be fake and
negative reviews and filters applied. (Esalestrack.com, 2018)
 Confusing promotions: The promotions done by brands with time limitations can
confuse the consumers.
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Figure 38: Growth in Retail Segment

(Source:Ibef.org,2016)
In fact, the industry director at Google India, Nitin Bavankule, said (at the time of
releasing the report), “Every second shopping search on Google today is fashion
related. It is an indicator of the things to come over the next two to three years. Lifestyle
and consumer electronics will continue to dominate e-tail spend. However, lifestyle
Page | 37
will overtake consumer electronics as the largest category (35% and 20% of e-tail
spend respectively by 2020).” (Menezes et al., 2018)
2.1.3 CURRENT PLAYERS IN THE E-COMMERCE MARKET
 Flipkart: Founded in 2007, operates in India only and offers a vast range of products.
 Snapdeal: Largest marketplace model in India, free shipping and low prices.
 Myntra: Branded clothes of various range for casual lifestyle.
 Jabong: Online shop for men, women and men catering to many categories.
 Shimply: Marketplace with lots of discounts and deals.
 Yebhi: Home, fashion and lifestyle retailer, since 2009.
 Amazon: Huge variety of goods less than one roof. (WALK THROUGH INDIA,
2015) • Limeroad: Huge variety of fashion goods, good prices, cheap quality.
 Koovs: Asos run brand in India, marketplace model, lots of variety and great prices
however not such great quality as informed by customers.
 Fashionara: Run by Reliance, deals and discounts on fashion goods, mass products
2.1.4 MILLENNIALS WOMEN DEMOGRAPHICS OF ONLINE

SHOPPING
With the rising interest in lifestyle category, the main focus is on female demographics
and rightfully so! Women online shoppers are more than double their online shopping
spends.
There google report states there will be a 5 times growth in these numbers by 2020.
Out of the 20 women surveyed, they would shop online more if:
 45% said if Etailers have an offline presence.

 25% said they would if their orders were delivered by female staff
Top Categories among women:

 Clothes & Accessories – 94.7%
 Cosmetics – 52.6%
 Home & Décor - 52.6%
 Electronics – 21.1%
 Medicines – 5.3%
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2.1.5 CASH ON DELIVERY V/S CASHLESS TRANSACTIONS
Ecommerce trends suggest cashless transactions will cross cash on delivery (COD) by
2020, according to the report. In 2015, COD transactions were expected to reduce from
57% to 45%. By 2020, the mobile wallet share will rise to 15% from its mere 8% at
present. Despite these trends, COD will still prevail, the report forecasts. (Menezes et al.,
2018)
This is because online consumers comprise of people with low income, people without
bank accounts and even people not entirely comfortable with online transactions
especially women who still do not believe in shopping online but cannot restrict
themselves from shopping. Women don’t trust online sites for purchasing expensive
jewelry. Other categories which do not attract online shopping include Medicines and
Automobiles.
Also, old age people who cannot go through the whole process of putting in card details
prefer the COD mode.
According to survey conducted, 55% said Cash On Delivery is the most preferred
payment method.
According to UK’s Payment Council’s data, “Cash remains a vital part of our day-to-
day lives and has a bright future, as we continue to value notes and coins so highly for
their familiarity and widespread acceptance.” (Singh, 2018)
Figure 39: COD v/s Cashless Transactions

(Source:Ibef.org,2016)
2.1.6 FACTORS PROMPTING SALES
Nowadays, the new generation look beyond just heavy discounts. They want new and
innovative things to make an online purchase.
The millennials are willing to purchase different value adds like, extended warranty,
hassle free returns and faster delivery. Try and buy is the newest form to enhance sales.
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Try & buy is when a consumer makes a purchase on cash on delivery mode, the runner
takes the products to the customer’s home, the customer tries, if they like they pay and if
they don’t they return there and then. Especially women, who are not sure of their shoe
or dress sizes and are not sure whether the particular product would look good on them
or not, would love to buy only after trying. This gives a feel of the offline stores but at
your ease of your home.
46% of consumers in the study said they’d pay extra for faster delivery. 35% said they
are willing to pay for extended warranties and 37% do not mind additional payments for
hassle free returns. (Menezes et al., 2018)
Fig.40: Reasons people prefer online shopping

(Source: indianonineseller, 2016)
Page | 40
The report highlights product assortment and convenience in ordering and delivery as the
main reasons why people love online shopping and would forego discounts.
2.2 FASHION E-COMMERCE
The Fashion Industry plays the biggest part in the rise of the E-commerce Industry. From
baby brands launching online, to now luxury brands such as Chanel, who has recently
launched its own beauty online e-shop. Dior, who today provides customization and
production of their iconic sunglasses which can be purchased from anywhere in the world
from the website. With small brands catching up to power, each will have to fight to
deliver the best shopping experience to successfully leverage E-commerce
(CECILIO, 2015).
Variety, trends, fitting, colors and brand options are the main factors that impact the
consumer's online buying experience. Technologists across the globe are working to
enable such near-real experiences of online purchases. Social media enabled fashion e-
commerce and has led to take
trends, styles and other influential aspects to the next level with sources of feedback and
sharing of user experiences (KARWA, ca 2016).
Figure 41: Fashion E-Commerce

(Source: ThemeForest, 2018)
The millennial are habitual to phones and laptops and e-commerce hits the target with
introduction of mobile shopping apps, each brand is making its stand. The fashion
industry is unique in its need to reinvent itself every season. Customer preferences,
tendencies, needs and desires change all the time. This means that fashion has a lot to
Page | 41
gain from applying and leveraging behavioral analytics in order to get the right offers to
the right shoppers at the right time. In the process of going online over the past ten years,
the fashion industry has undergone not only cultural business changes, but logistical ones
in terms of stock, shipment and storage. To state the obvious: fashion went global.
Apparel is seen and purchased from every country in the world. This change entails more
opportunities for retailers and consumers, but also much more brutal competition. The
ease in which a consumer can switch between sites is basically a click away
(COOLADATA, 2014). One of the most positive changes over the last five years has
been apparel retailers and brands putting an increased focus on their online user
experience. Companies like Nike, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and many others are
setting a new standard for how shoppers buy clothes online (BOLDMETRICS, 2016).
Instagram, fashion and lifestyle blogs, and even new emerging apps are used along the
customer journey ahead of completing a purchase. These are all platforms, which have
the addiction factor and keep users wanting to come back for more. Millennials will
continue to lead the way in the e-commerce and mobile space and the shopping app fever
is set to spread to every retail area, so it’s time to catch up. With consumers spending
89% of their time on media through mobile apps, it’s no longer something that can be
ignored (CECILIO, 2015).
Figure 42: Fashion E-Commerce

(Source: ThemeForest, 2018)
Page | 42
2.2.1 ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
 Rise in investor confidence: With an ever-increasing rate and promising returns, and
low investment costs, investors are more confident with online businesses, which will
make it grow more.
 Virtual fitting evolving with smart technologies: New technologies coming up are
enabling customers to try on garments virtually to understand and perceive how it can
look.
 Online shopping as a social activity: The positives and psychological benefits of
shopping also apply to online shopping as its even simpler and easier.
 Sharing economy extending to fashion: Fashion, is now a major chunk of economic
benefits and countries like Bangladesh, Mexico and India are benefitting from it.
 Fashion no longer an exclusive industry (MARIA, 2016).
 Return rates still sit at 28%: since there is no experience of try and buy consumers face
issues in terms of the correct sizes, and since they have the advantage to exchange and
refund they mostly take it for granted.
 Conversion rates are still low: With costs being so low, the conversion rate is very
dicey and unsure. Profits are not achieved easily in short term, as there are lots of
hidden expenses involved in running an online business.
 Size charts are still confusing: There are no standard size charts and different
producers can take their own measurements, sizes can vary due to material, fit and
silhouette which makes it difficult to fix on what’s right.
2.2.2 E-COMMERCE FASHION IN INDIA
With a user base of over 50 million users, the Indian e-commerce industry is growing at
a fast rate with a large number of new entrants.
The main drivers being:
 Increase in broadband Internet, which is growing at 35% MoM, and the 3G
penetrations with now free, Internet being provided by Reliance (JIO) and Airtel and
Vodafone.
 Rising standards of living and an upwardly middle class.
 Availability of wider product range (whereas International styles are also being bright
it at convenience).
 Busy lifestyles, urban traffic congestion and lack of free time available for shopping.
 Lower retail price, compared to Brick and Mortar Retail stores, as low costs involved.
Page | 43
According to a recent Assocham-Forrester

study, the current estimated revenue of
Indian ecommerce, as of 2016, is about
USD 38 Billion and is projected to hit
USD 120 Billion by the year 2020. This
means an annual growth rate of about a
staggering 51%.
An analysis by Technavio says that the
online fashion retail market in India is
expected to
grow at a CAGR 64.87% in terms of
revenue over the period of 2014-
2019.Nitin Bawankule, Google India.
Director for Ecommerce and Online has
made startling revelations in an event organized in New Delhi: By 2020, India is expected
to generate $100 billion online retail revenue, of which $35 billion will come from fashion
ecommerce. Online apparel sales are set to grow four times in the next 5 years. Ever third
query on Google is related to Fashion and this trend is increasing at 65% annually with
the current trend, it is estimated that
fashion sales on the Internet will grow to
35% by 2020 from the current market
share. *Estimations are done keeping
Google in point of view, which captures
70% of the total search (ASSOCHAM,
2016).
Figure 43 & 44: Fashion E-commerce

Share
(Source: ASSOCHAM, 2016)
2.2.3 CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIAN E-COMMERCE

 Today, India’s Retail e-commerce is attracting 65 million (nearly as much as the
entire population of the United Kingdom), unique online users a month, and this
is growing at a rate of 55%, within which apparel is as close to 24% of the growth.
 By 2020, the Indian shopper will not be just affluent girls nearly half the shopper
base will be women and more than 50 per cent will come from lower tiers (tier-2
or even lower); 37 per cent will be older than 35 years of age," said Rohit Ramesh,
partner & managing director (MD) of BCG in India.
Page | 44
 Cash on Delivery: Since the mindset of electronic money is still settling one in
India, the majority chooses to pay by cash on delivery, however, companies like
Paytm are now coming up to encourage digital cash.
 The Demand of international consumer products is growing much faster than the
incontrol supply from authorized dealers. The revolution of westernization has
influences India greatly, which is causing this shift towards goods sourced
internationally.
 With Rising incomes and a greater variety of goods and services that can be bought
over the Internet is making buying online more attractive and convenient for
consumers all over the country.  
 In addition to the assurance of increased security, consumers are also likely to be

tempted online by new and more convenient ways to pay. ICICI Merchant Services
and First Data are well positioned to deliver those new payment tools and will
work closely with the regulator to deploy global solutions locally.
 With the growth of mobile phones and increased issuing and use of debit and credit
cards, mobile commerce is yet to be an explored stratum for the Indian society.
 Social media networks such as Facebook are likely to increasingly become
channels for sales and consumer engagement. With Google Wallet, millions of
consumers will no longer need to carry their leather wallets. This mobile
application securely stores credit cards, offers, gift cards and more on their mobile
phone. This virtual wallet is changing the face of commerce by enabling customers
to simply make “tap and go” payments with their mobile devices, while increasing
loyalty at merchant locations. Suchi Mukherjee – CEO & Founder @ LimeRoad
says, “Social commerce plays on the two fundamentals of human behavior, if many
others like it, you will want to see the product and if your friends like it, you will
want to see the product”. Limeroad makes the shopping experience a social activity
and gets a significant amount of traffic from social networking site Facebook.
 Around 75% of Indian Internet users are in the age group of 15 to 34 years. This
category shops more than the remaining population. Peer pressure, rising
aspirations with career growth, fashion and trends encourage this segment to shop
more than any other category and India, therefore, clearly enjoys a demographic
dividend that favors the growth of ecommerce. In coming years, as Internet
presence increases in rural areas, rural India will yield more ecommerce business.
Kunal Bahl, Co-founder and CEO of Snapdeal.com, says that currently, around
60% of their orders come through mobile platform and is expected to grow to 75%
in next few months.
Page | 45
 The new government elected in 2014 has has a great influence on E-commerce
investments, from grocery, to real estate to fashion, everything is moving towards
digital selling.
 Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, which first did not have access to better quality goods, are
now able to purchase and use them with the accessibility increased due to
expansion through E-commerce. “Currently, nearly 60 per cent of traffic for
designer wear comes from Tier I cities and the rest from Tier II and III cities,” says
Ritika Walia, assistant vice-president (designer business), Myntra.
 The better shopping experience has now increased the demands and ease of
consumers; the awareness level has increased which has brought a positive change
in the society.
 With introduction of new technologies such as virtual walls and mirrors, the
customer experience is becoming better and better. Virtual mirrors let shoppers
“try on” clothes and accessories virtually before making buying decisions; the
walls help customers scan barcodes of their desired items, which places a direct
order to the retailer. E.g.: HomeShop18 has launched India;s first virtual-shopping
wall, Scan-N-Shop at New Delhi’s International Airport is using the same
technology.
 Thanks to e-commerce today millions of people around India are able to gain
insight to what goes on in the rest of the world. Farmers know crop prices,
customers understand global quality measures, rural India is aware, and citizens
are now more expressive.
 The number of mobile subscribers in India jumped from 261 million in 2007-2008
to 910 million in 2013-2014. Moreover, the number of rural Internet users is
growing by 58% annually. Increases in the number of smartphones and 3G
subscriptions are further driving this growth. Indeed, the number of smartphone
users is expected to grow at a CAGR 91% from 2012 through 2016, jumping from
29 million to 382 million. Similarly, the number of 3G subscribers could expand
at a CAGR of 84% - from 23 million to 266 million - during the same period.
 The Indian E-commerce differentiates from the other countries such as China as
there they have monopolies such as Alibaba, which owns and runs the entire
market, however in India the market share is divided among many small
businesses, which provides customers with a large range of products and services
to choose from. (PWC, 2015)
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2.2.4 CHALLENGES TO THE E-COMMERCE MARKET
The main hindrance of any e-commerce business is logistics; many multi-nationals

such as DHL & Fed-ex are operating in India however the goods are shipped via third
party carriers. However due to the poor infrastructure and connects, this is an uncertain
sector. The other challenges are-
Internal Challenges:
 Organization Scaling: It is imperative to assure the business strategy along with
governance, management, for growth strategies, acquisition opportunities, fund
raises and IT. Each one should have synergy and must all define the scaling
correctly.
 Tax and Regulatory Structuring: Issues around sub-optional warehouse tax
planning, imbalance between FDI norms vs. results, Companies Act, transaction
policies, and introduction of GST.
 Cyber security and risks: This causes huge issues in the company, as its beyond
control whereas protective measures can be applied.
 Compliance framework: Potential issues around cyber law compliance, legal
agreements, VAT & MRP and various others can cause major issues to the
organization.
External Challenges:
 Product strategies: With an uncontrollable evolution taking place for products there
is no control over copies, infringement, new variety launching. No company can
control this on a global scale.
 Market strategies: The perceived perception of the market might not always work
for the company and there is no assurance to what can work, hence it is a risk the
company has to make.
 Customer experience: This being a subjective matter which can be different due to
emotions, perceptions, living conditions etc., is in no control of the brand.
 Digital experience: Sometimes social media works, sometimes digital marketing,
there is no guarantee on what can influence a customer to buy a certain good, these
costs again are a huge risk to the company.
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2.3 HOME DÉCOR INDUSTRY
Figure 46: Home

Decor (Source:
Wishingchair.in, 2018)
Page | 48
The class' three wide portions – decorations, furniture and stylistic layout, have been
developing decidedly. There is a little move of piece of the pie from furniture to style amid
most recent few years. This is because of the reason of controlled utilization which brought
about spending less on high esteem things like furniture. Customers kept on spending on
decorations as it has been and put more in overhauling insides and stylistic layout things to
get reviving take a gander at home and office. The furniture advertise saw minimal drop of 1
for each penny and stylistic layout picked up with same since past retail report.
The furniture segment contributes highest in the overall market with small
furniture like chair, table, stools, cabinets, desks etc. Collection of such items
generates volume business for the category. The large furniture items such as
beds, sofa set, dining furniture set, large wardrobes, cup-boards are high ticket
items which require higher investments. The market share of small furniture
is 75 per cent and that of large is 25 per cent.
Home furnishings segment, on the other hand, contributes the lowest share of
26 per cent. The segment is further broken into sub-segments of bed linen,
towels and robes, kitchen linen, curtains, upholstery, blankets, rugs and
carpets. Among these sub-segments bed linen has the largest share close to
half of total market. But the faster growing sub- segments are curtains,
upholstery, blankets, rugs and carpets.
Fig. 47: Top Factors Impacting Home Décor

Market (Source: Allied Market
Research,2018)
Page | 49
2.3.1 HOME DÉCOR E-COMMERCE IN INDIA
The Indian Home Décor market which stood at $13 billion in 2010 will touch $20 billion
by 2020. The category sees a huge scope for growth & acceptance among the customers.
This is a niche category where both sellers and consumers are comfortable in e-tailing, as
the market was unorganized up till now with few brands and rest mom and pop shops
catering to the needs that prevailed. Inclusion of home decor in online retail has provided
a reach and option for enthusiastic buyers and young couples who otherwise had to rely
on local retailers for designs and quality.
The market is unorganized with only 4 or 5 big players in comparison to other categories,
apparel, electronics, etc. where more organized players are present. The entry barrier in
this category still seems low and provide better scope for differentiation and even a private
label for merchants (@businessline, 2018).
2.3.2 FACTS & CHALLENGES - THE HOME DÉCOR MARKET
FACTS
 Home Decor is almost a $15-$20 billion category including offline and online.
 In furniture, out of 40%, 25 % is the larger furniture items such as Sofa, Beds etc and
rest small furniture items such as linen, bar table, chairs, stools etc.
 The $20 billion market consist of 40% furniture & 60% is home décor.
 Home Décor seems to have a huge scope in online presence because the products are
smaller in size & not much of personal touch & feel is required before buying.
 Also, the logistics required for delivering home & décor products is comparatively
easier compared to the heavy furniture.
CHALLENGES
 Supply chain and inventory management are the biggest challenges as the demand
forecasting is very hard due to ever changing trends and customer interests.
 More access to the internet has made it easier for people to look at the changing trends
and change their interests. If the demand for a particular product soars up, then it’s
hard to fulfill it from the backend in comparison to other categories such as apparel or
groceries where more options are available.
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 25% of furniture category constitutes of large items such as bed, sofa, etc. and these
are the items which Indian consumers still want to refrain from buying online as they
want to have a touch and feel factor involved (Agarwal and Agarwal, 2018).
2.3.3 WHY IS HOME DÉCOR MARKET GROWING?
Increasing disposable income and improving life style of individuals would offer several
opportunities for investors in the home decor market. In the current scenario, eco-friendly
home décor products are gaining high acceptance among the consumers. Thereby,
players operating in the market are consolidating their efforts into developing eco-
friendly products to capitalize on the increasing demand. Operating players in the market
compete on certain parameters such as product design, style and quality of raw
material. Besides this, many manufacturers are collaborating with importers, contractors
and interior designers to sell/retail their home décor products. Additionally, companies
have opted for e-commerce platforms to sell their products and increase their profit
margins by reducing the distribution costs.
2.3.4 INFLUENCING FACTORS-GROWTH OF HOME DÉCOR

MARKET
The home décor and furnishing market in India has witnessed phenomenal growth
particularly in the last ten years. Still it is in the early stage in India compared with any
other advanced countries. Organized home decor retail has the opportunity of a dream
run if the brands understand the customer requirements and offer them what they want.
This sector’s growth has been driven by the socio-economic changes and rapid
urbanization in India. A country such as India with a large population of millennials &
or young people who have a high disposable income and are also willing to spend for
better lifestyle won’t mind investing their money in such products.
Over the last few years, the real estate boom has allowed the young population to own a
house of their own. The new homes for the small families have been a major driving
factor as they are spending a considerable amount of setting it up. This has opened up a
major market for home décor and furnishing brands.
In the demography pyramid according to family incomes, there is a high growth in middle
class families than the lower and upper class. Middle class to be around Rs48,000 crore
as compared to upper, which is at Rs7,000 crore and the lower Rs10,000 crore. Also,
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the average age of a buyer has changed from 45 years to 37 years over the span of last
five years. (Saini, 2018)
The factors which are propelling the growth of Home Décor:
 People have started taking their home as the reflection of themselves and so, a lot of
people are now spending more on both furniture and fixtures and also on home decor.
 Working women are spending a lot on home fashion.
 Disposable income, better education and also the growing trend of individuals opting
for professional services to do their interiors have together led to a rise in this
category.
Indians are well travelled now and have an exposure to lifestyles in other countries,
this finspires them to have a similar lifestyle for themselves too. (Saini, 2018)
2.3.5 TREND TOWARDS HOME DÉCOR

Clothes alone do not follow seasonal trends, as may be popularly believed in India. In
today’s markets, home décor and furnishing sectors too have to perennially remain in
vogue, by closely following changing consumer lifestyle and preferences on an ongoing
basis. Just like what is inside the consumers’ wardrobe changes seasonally, so does the
look of their homes. After all, following the global trends, decorating smarter is the new
mantra for contemporary consumers in India.
It is said that furniture should be designed to last. However, frequent updates with new
look accessories can bring a distinct change to the look and feel of the space housing
such furniture with little investment in time and money. Classic big-ticket furniture
pieces when combined with a bolder genre of furnishings, upholstery and accessories,
make up the new ethos of contemporary home design.
2.3.6 TARGET AUDIENCE FOR HOME DÉCOR MARKET
High earners, not rich yet (HENRYs) are individuals who currently have significant
discretionary income and a strong chance of being wealthy in the future. The term
HENRYs was coined in a 2003 Fortune Magazine article to refer to a segment of
families earning between $250,000 and $500,000, but not having much left after taxes,
schooling, housing and family costs - not to mention saving for an affluent retirement.
(Staff, 2018)
Henry is a term for someone who earns enough but whose outgoings mean they see little
of it at the moment – High-Earner, Not Rich Yet. Still, understandably the Henries among
us would like the lifestyle that goes with it. (the Guardian, 2018)
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The middle class isn’t the middle class any longer, now that the bottom has fallen out of
the discretionary spending power of the middle-income customers. The HENRYs are the
new middle-class mass-affluent. So if you traditionally targeted middle-class, middle-
income consumers then the HENRYs are your new target customer but they are poorly
understood by those who traditionally sell to the masses.
2.3.6.1 A LOOK AT HENRYs DISCRITIONARY SPENDINGS
Fig. 48: Understanding HENRYs

(Source: Equifax, 2018)
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Fig. 49: Understanding HENRYs

(Source: Equifax, 2018)
2.3.7 CATEGORIES UNDER HOME & DÉCOR

According to research on home & décor, the following categories fall under home &
décor:
 Houseware
 Kitchenware
 Tableware
 Bed Linen & Accessories
 Hotel ware
 Bathroom Accessories
 Lawn, Garden Ornaments & Accessories
 Lamps, Lighting & Accessories
 Furniture
 Home Furnishings & Made ups
 Carpets, Rugs & Floorings
 Festive Decorations
 Candles & Aromatics
 Corporate Gifts
 Stationary
 Bags & Storage
 Luggage & Accessories
 Pet Accessories
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Once Upon A Trunk, on the other hand, is catering to the following categories only:
Furnishings Décor & Living Table & Kitchenware
Bedsheet Sets Boxes Coasters
Cushions Cosmetic Boxes & Bags Cake Stands
Cushion Covers Mirrors Trays
Bedcover Sets Stationery Napkins
Pillows Dustbins Runners
Rugs Wall Accessories
Trunks
Table 2: Categories of home & décor

Source: Self
2.3.8 SCOPE- THE HOME DÉCOR MARKET

According to the reports, it can emerge as one of the profitable categories in the e-commerce
market. Average ticket size is larger, with a margin of 30-40% thus consumer acquisition cost
is justified. Till now, mainly offline shops were operating in this category catering to a smaller
consumer base within a village, town or city except few large players who are also limited to
specific areas, so online retailing can leverage the reach component.
For example, a consumer sitting in Andhra Pradesh has no access to the furniture made in
Kanpur ideally, but with online business it can get hold of that inventory at almost same prices
& at the ease of his comfort.
3 online retailers including The Wishing Chair, Natty.in, Bunosilos were launched in home
decor niche thus proving the demand in the category.
2.3.9 STARTUPS IN HOME DÉCOR E-COMMERCE
A) The Wishing Chair
Found in 2012, The Wishing Chair is a lifestyle retail brand in the home accessories,
decor and gifting space. With a strong creative and feminine aesthetic, they seek to
connect with their customers on a personal and poignant level, imparting a sense of
wonder and happy nostalgia – an amalgam of childhood memories and adult ingenuity.
At The Wishing Chair, we try to make things that delight your soul – thoughtful and
detail-oriented design at reasonable prices, available both online and offline. It’s the
small things in life that generally inspire joy, and it is that wonder which we choose to
use when we design our products. Quirky, playful and splendiferous – our products are
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carefully designed and curated to speak the language of magic, whimsy, playfulness,
dreamlike incredulity and feminine charm. (Wishingchair.in,2018)
Fig. 50: Wishing Chair Website Screenshot

(Source: Wishingchair.in, 2018)
B) Natty.in
Natty aims to provide a refreshing shopping experience where our customers can
discover extraordinary brands and unique creative entrepreneurs and shop directly from
their studios.
Amidst today’s mass-market madness, we carefully handpick sellers who work on the
finer details in each product they create. We believe the process of creation and the
footprint it leaves on the world are just as important as the product itself.
Natty’s marketplace brings together passionate creators and thoughtful consumers. It is

your go-to place to shop differently!
(Natty.in,2018)
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Fig. 51 & 52: Natty.in Website Screenshot

(Source: Natty.in, 2018)
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C) Bunosilo
Bunosilo is an ethically driven, clothing company with a spirit to change the fast fashion
clothing industry. Our ideals guide us to make high quality, handmade, honest clothing
in india.
With our aesthetics rooted in time honored designs combined with sustainable fibers and
ethical craftsmanship, bunosilo clothing is meant to eclipse trends and be timeless.
The design, materials, processes and equipment used, make our products purposeful and
durable. Each garment has an heirloom quality, with a sense of personalization that can
be handed down to the next generation.
Bunosilo supports ethical suppliers and sustainable practices. We choose to use natural
materials and traditional craftsmanship with an emphasis on sourcing elements locally
with fair pricing. This choice makes our products comfortable, beautiful and unique, in
and out.
Bunosilo supplies good quality products at with a competitive pricing, without
compromising on ethical responsibilities. Having taken a revolutionary approach to
creating and selling our own clothes, we work directly with our suppliers and consumers,
thus cutting out the middlemen who significantly drive up costs. Hence our cost reflects
the quality and craftsmanship required to create superior products and sustain
communities creating it. (Bunosilo.com, 2018)
Fig. 53 & 54: Bunosilos Website Screenshot

(Source: Bunosilos.in, 2018)
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2.4 CASE STUDY - SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS ADOPTED BY

IKEA
2.4.1 ABOUT IKEA
IKEA is a privately-held,
international home products
retailer that sells flat pack
furniture, accessories, and
bathroom and kitchen items in
their retail stores around the
world. The company, which
pioneered flat-pack design
furniture at affordable prices, is
now the world's largest furniture
retailer. IKEA was founded in
1943 by 17-year-old Ingvar
Fig.55: Sustainable Products
Kamprad in Sweden and it is
(Source: Ikea.in, 2018)
owned by a Dutchregistered
foundation controlled by the
Kamprad family. (Ikea.in, 2018)
The main financial principle of the IKEA Group is to grow by using our own resources.
In other words, we earn our money before we spend it. This makes it possible for us to
make long-term investments for the future.
The IKEA vision is the foundation for our growth. We want to make sure that IKEA is
accessible, so that more people can create a better everyday life at home. We re-invest a
majority of our profits in existing and new IKEA stores, as well as in product
development, sustainable solutions and by continuously lowering prices to our
customers. (Ikea.in, 2018)
Fig.56 & 57: Beliefs of IKEA

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Fig.58: Website Screenshot

2.4.2 SOCAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS
Fig.59: Instagram Screenshot

(Source: Instagram.in, 2018)
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2.4.2.1 SLEEP LIKE A PRINCESS
In 2012, IKEA run a campaign on Facebook named 'Rest like a Princess' that enticed
faithful IKEA customers with a chance to win a bed worth up to £1,500. This humorous
campaign was hung on Facebook and urged clients to transfer amusing photos of their
companions dozing.
The intention of the battle was to advance IKEA quaint little inn to demonstrate that if
clients rest like a princess amid the night, they won't nod off for the duration of the day.
A video was released on their Facebook page which had amusing scenes of individuals
nodding off and Facebook clients voted in favor of the best picture who got the prize
towards the finish of the campaign. (Sonavane, 2018)
Fig.60: Social Media Campaign

(Source: Sonavane, 2018)
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2.4.2.2 BEDROOM MAKEOVER
IKEA propelled an opposition on Facebook in 2011 called 'room makeover' in Hong

Kong. The Facebook crusade held an intelligent rivalry where clients on the IKEA
Facebook page needed to share their account of how IKEA could help them to conquer
their most exceedingly awful room bad dream alongside their photo.
The champ of this crusade had HK $10,000 worth items up for snatches. An open vote
short-recorded 10 finalists out of which 3 victors were picked, where they were given a
chance to stack a trolley with as much plunder as they could get inside 90 seconds.
(Sonavane, 2018)

(Source: Sonavane, 2018)
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2.4.2.3 MALMO’S FACEBOOK SHOWROOM
During the autumn of 2009 Ikea used Facebook’s picture tagging tool to run a
competition designed to promote its new store in Malmo, Sweden.
Armed with very little budget, ad agency Forsman and Bodenfors created a Facebook
account for the store manager, Gordon Gustavsson, and uploaded 12 pictures of the
store’s showrooms over a two-week period.
Users could win the products on show by being the first person to tag their name on it.
This obviously meant that thousands of other people were exposed to the campaign when
it cropped up in their timelines and newsfeeds. (Arica, 2018)
Fig.62 & 63: Social Media Campaign

(Source: Arica, 2018)
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2.4.2.4 AUGUMENTATED REALITY
IKEA Tells You How To Place Your Christmas Tree, With The Help Of AR
IKEA partenered with Space10 & TWNKLS for development and UX design of the
feature, and 72andSunny Amsterdam on the marketing campaign around it, which
includes an online film, as well as GIFs and influencer activity.
IKEA’s augmented reality app IKEA Place, is eager to help you imagine furniture in your
home, without it being physically present there. With the arrival of the wonderful time
of the year, you can add something more to the holidays. With a help of augmented reality
technology, the furniture retail company has created #Placeatreeonit, a new feature that
helps you position your tree in the exact right spot. (Arica, 2018)

(Source: Arica, 2018)
When you launch the mobile app, open your camera and point it at the floor so it can
scan the place. Then, point your phone at the general area of the room where you’d like
your tree to be. Choose a tree option, then use your finger to drag-and-drop your tree into
the exact location you decide. You can move around to see how the tree looks from a
different view, then take pictures or videos of the tree. Moreover, you can replace and
drag it to a new position. Once you find a spot you like, you can also consider how the
different types of trees fit there.
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2.4.2.5 IKEA IN INDIA
International furniture retailer turned to Indian designs for their limited edition collection
named ‘True Blue,’ which were sourced entirely from India. The website showcased the
products in the ‘true blue’ range allowing visitors to choose their desired shades of blue
from the color wheel.
Along with Facebook, they escalated this campaign to the visually alluring site, on the
social media site. The collection that drew inspiration from Indian culture had products
from pillows to glassware and more.
Pinterest shed light on the native collection and along with that also highlighted tales
from where the designers discovered their inspiration for the collection. (Sonavane,
2018)
Fig.65 & 66: Social Media

Campaign (Source: Sonavane,
2018)
Page | 65

(Source: Pinterest, 2018)
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2.4.3 TAKEAWAY’S FROM IKEA’S MARKETING CAMPAIGNS
1. Create an Experience, Not Just a Product
Making this novel experience for your clients will take some imagination and a decent
comprehension of what it is your group of onlookers might want to see from you. These
kind of experiences can include things like providing helpful information, in-depth
tutorials, workshops to accompany your products, offering other services that are helpful
or fun for the customers. (OptinMonster, 2018)
2. Have Strong Brand Identity

.
Every promotion that is run should moreover add to and reinforce the brand's photo, to the
point where over the long haul people will have the ability to tell it is association's commercial
without much examination.
To do this, one would need in any case a sensible idea of what the brand stays for.
Incorporate these characteristics into an improvised statement of purpose. All promoting ought
to be made in view of this mantra, and it should stretch out to all that you do as an
organization.
3. Invest in Content Marketing
Who are your clients? How could they discover you? Is it accurate to say that they will
probably hang out on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram? What require would they say they are
searching for you to accommodate them?
Knowing the responses to these inquiries will enable you to create fruitful substance
promoting efforts that vibe regular instead of constrained.
On the off chance that you shoehorn your item or administration into your substance, your
clients will take note. (OptinMonster, 2018)
4. Make Use of Your Social Media Channels
• Post frequently. Social media moves fast, so publish often to stay on top of your
customer’s minds.
• Advertise and post social media-specific deals and promotions for your customers.
This will increase your followers and keep people interacting with your page.
• Listen to your followers. You can help turn a bad experience into a good one by
responding to complaints quickly and resolving issues promptly. Check in on social
media at least once a day to answer comments and private messages.
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• Cross promote your posts across multiple social media platforms to maximize your
reach.
5. Get to Know Your Customers
Reach out to your customers and ask them questions.

Email surveys is the best possible way to reach to the cutomers. Post a link or phone
number on your website to get the reveiws.
Many people like sharing their opinion on issues impacting their lives. This could be
specific to your product or to the marketplace as a whole.
6. Keep It Fresh
Avoid advertising that appears heavy handed or sensational. It’s unlikely the product
you’re selling is going to change your customer’s lives forever, but you know that it will
improve it! (OptinMonster, 2018)
2.5 CONSUMERS’ ACCEPTANCE TOWARDS BRAND EXTENSION
2.5.1 CONSUMER
An individual who buys products or services for personal use and not for manufacture
or resale. A consumer is someone who can make the decision whether or not to purchase
an item at the store, and someone who can be influenced by marketing and
advertisements. Any time someone goes to a store and purchases a toy, shirt, beverage,
or anything else, they are making that decision as a consumer.
2.5.2 BRAND EXTENSION
With the new technologies and the change in consumers’ behavior (24/7 access to
product data- prices, ratings and reviews, the possibility to compare them, transition from
offline to online shopping, etc.) it is crucial that companies carefully plan their new
product launches. One of the most important decisions they have to make is about the
brand. As the brand extension strategy is having a lot of advantages, companies very
often try to transfer the positive associations they had already created for the brand into
the new categories they enter. This is a risky strategy not only long term, but also short
term, therefore knowing the factors which influence the consumers’ acceptance of a
brand extension is a must.
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2.5.3 CONSUMERS’ ACCEPTANCE TOWARDS BRAND EXTENSION
According to research paper, International scientific conference - ERAZ 2016:

Knowledge based sustainable economic development, research on consumers’
evaluation of brand extension try to answer two main questions- “Which factors can
influence consumers’ acceptance of brand extensions and how these factors act?” and
“How extensions influence consumers’ attitude towards the brand?”. (Eraz.org.rs,
2018)
The factors will be classified in 5 categories:
 Brand extension characteristics

 Parent brand characteristics
 Company related factors
 Consumer related factors
 Marketing environment
Fig.68: Factors influencing consumers’ acceptance of brand extension (Source: Adapted

and enriched by Völckner ɚnd Sattler)
1. Brand extension characteristics.
 Perceived fit between the extension and the parent brand. From the very first
research on brand extension this factor has been thought of as the most important for
defining the extension success. Aaker and Keller define three directions of the fit-
addition, substitution and transfer (i.e. the possibility that the company uses the same
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resources and competences to produce the extension). They prove that from the
three, transfer has the highest importance for the brand extension success. Smith and
Andrews enrich the meaning of transfer and they define it as the consumer’s
comfort/security (that the company will deliver the promised result) and they find
that the connection between the fit and the extension evaluation depends on the
consumer’s security. All research of brand and line extensions show positive relation
between the fit and the extension evaluation. The bigger the fit between the
categories, the more parent brand characteristics are transferred to the extension.
 Technology. It is defined as the technology that the company uses for producing the
parent brand and to what extent consumers believe that the company has the capacity
to produce the extension. Jun, Mazumdar and Raj prove that consumers evaluate the
extension higher when the technology for production of the parent brand is more
complex than that of the extension. Aaker and Keller point out those consumers will
evaluate the extension lower if it is too simple for production. In line extensions this
factor has no influence as the technology is the same (the modification of the product
is very small- a new size, scent, etc.). (Eraz.org.rs, 2018)
 Perceived risk. The purchase of a new product is associated with a certain level of
insecurity and consumers have to take some risk. This risk can be the purchase of a
product with low quality or a product that does not fit their taste. Unlike previous
research where branding is seen as quality guarantee. The empirical results show
that the umbrella brand acts as a tool for reducing the risk and its effect is higher
for products with higher price.
2. Parent brand characteristics.
There are two parent brand characteristics which directly influence consumer
evaluation of the extension- brand equity and brand width.
 Brand equity. When investigating the influence that the brand extesnion could have
on the market share and ad efficiency Smith and Park find that brand equity and the
number of products of the same brand influence consumer decision. When
researching the brand extension success, the brand equity is being evaluated by the
association consumers have with it. Smith and Park define the equity as consumer’s
perception of brand quality. In the very first research about brand extension it has
been found that the strong brands contribute more for the extension success
compared to the weak ones. (Eraz.org.rs, 2018)
 Brand width. Boush and Loken say that the brand width is a function of previous
extensions. The bigger the similarity of the previous extensions, the more narrow the
brand is. They prove that the wider the brand is, the higher the consumers’
acceptance of extensions that does not fit the parent brand. The logic behind this
comes from the categorization theory- by increasing the number of products having
the same brand, its meaning in consumers’ minds starts to fade and that is why it
does not offer base for further extensions. When the category of one extension is
unclear, the chance for positive transmission of brand associations to the extension is
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lower. Dacin and Smith say - „Despite the fear that adding extension to a brand can
weaken it, there isn’t research on how the brand portfolio influences the brand
equity”. That is why they make two experiments which show positive connection
between the number of products in the brand’s portfolio and the positive evaluation
of the brand extension. Their research finds that the number of products is in straight
dependence of the positive evaluation, as well as how similar the products are
(having any connection between themselves), the more positive the consumer
evaluation is.
3. Company characteristics. It might seem strange at first sight that the company
condition might influence consumers‘ acceptance of ɚ brand extension, but many
studies have proven its importance. (Eraz.org.rs, 2018)
 Company size. Han and Schmitt prove that the company size is not influencing
American consumers’ evaluation of the brand extension. For them, more important is
the fit between the brand and the extension. However, for Hong Kong’s inhabitants
when the brand extension is in a category far from that of the parent brand, the size
of the company influences their evaluation of the extension. Reddy, Srinivas, Holak
and Bhat prove that the company size has positive influence on the extension
success.
 Company image (credibility). It is important for consumers that the company has the
capability of producing the extension. The more successful extensions the company
has, the more credible it becomes.
4. Consumer characteristics. Each consumer has different factors in mind when

evaluating the extension. Most of these factors depend on consumer’s own
personality.
 Product knowledge. One of the most important things when evaluating the extension
is whether consumers know the main brand. Muthukrishnan and Weitz [20] prove
that when the similarity between the extension and the parent brand is based on
technology, then experts are more inclined to transfer their positive attitude to the
extension compared to the newcomers (early adopters). When the fit is based on
common usage or is more abstract, then the newcomers are those that transfer their
opinion on the extension. Broniarczyk and Alba [5] prove that the more consumers
are aware of the specific for the brand associations, the more inclined they are to
transfer them on the extension as well.
 Experience with the main brand. Swaminathan, Fox and Reddy [25] prove that there
is a direct relationship between the testing stimulus for the extension amongst the
nonloyal consumers and the non-users of the main brand. This positive relationship
is being transformed later on in higher market share. They also prove that the more
similar the parent brand and the extension categories are, the lower this positive
effect is. The role of the experience with the parent brand for extension evaluation is
decreased when consumers once test the extension.
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Research on consumer behavior shows that the information and the experience
consumers receive when using a product usually happens at a certain state of mind [13].
This information is more vivid and that is why it has a bigger impact on their thinking
and stays longer in their mind [13]. It has been acquired independently and it is quite
normal for consumers to think of it being more credible than all the other sources of
information (e.g. those being controlled by the company). Consumers’ experience creates
stronger beliefs, they know the parent brand better, have stronger associations and it
comes to their mind more often. Erdem proves that when an established and well-
known brand is present on the product, it is a quality guarantee and thus it reduces the
risk of buying the new product. The conclusion is that the experience with a brand
stimulates consumers to try extensions. (Eraz.org.rs, 2018)
 Individual and cultural differences. Culture, mood and age differences are three main
factors which influence consumer acceptance of the brand extension. Zhang and
Sood [29] found that with children, the extensions name is much more important for
the way they evaluate it, rather than how similar it is to the main brand. Barone,
Miniard and Romeo prove that the positive attitude/ mood can positively influence
the consumers’ acceptance of the extension.
 Consumer innovativeness. One of the main points in Bass’ diffusion model (1969) is
that consumers react differently to new products. In the specific case of brand
extension (which is a specific type of new product), the early adopters are more
inclined to react positively to a category which is far from that of the parent brand,
compared to the late majority. The main reason for this is the reluctance of the latter
to take risk (which is higher when the product is new). Brand extension in a
completely new category from that of the parent brand is a far riskier compared to a
line extension for example. However this does not mean that the line extensions are
perceived by consumers as free of risk. The majority of researchers are in favour of
the idea that the risk that is associated with the constant innovations can be reduced
by the presence of an established brand being on the product. Consumers which are
least willing to take risks will accept an extension which is in a category far from
that of the parent brand only because they see the established brand on the new
product. Those who are most sensitive towards risk taking might not accept the
extension. Therefore the more innovative consumers are towards new products, the
more important will be the fit between the parent brand category and that of the
extension. (Eraz.org.rs, 2018)
 Marketing mix. By investigating the marketing mix separately from the company’s
characteristics, more focus is put on it- it has the biggest influence on determining
consumers’ evaluation of the brand extension.
 Positioning. The difference in product positioning leads to different consumer
attitudes. Milberg, Park and McCarthy prove that when the brand extension is in a
category far from that of the parent brand, the usage of a sub-brand (adding a name
next to the main brand) leads to a more favorable evaluation of the extension
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compared to when only the main brand is used. Aaker and Keller prove that when
the positioning focuses on the quality of the parent brand, then the evaluation of
the extension does not change; when in the positioning a specific feature of the
extension is in focus, then this leads to a more favorable evaluation.
 Pricing. Pricing is especially important in the case of a line extension and when the
parent brand and the extension categories are close to each other (in this case
consumers can make direct comparison between the quality of the main product and
the extension). Taylor and Bearden investigate how the price information can
influence the extension evaluation. They make the conclusion that a higher price has
a better influence on the quality perception when there is a weaker connection
between the categories of the parent brand and that of the extension. When the two
categories are close, there is a negative correlation between the quality perception
and the purchase intention. One of the important contributions of Taylor and Bearden
research is that companies can use price promotion during launch for incentivizing
trial for launches in more distant categories without risking the image of the parent
brand. (Eraz.org.rs, 2018)
 Communication strategy. Lane [15] investigates the influence that advertising has on
the extension evaluation. He evaluates to what extent the ad exposure can influence
the acceptance of unfit extensions. He proves that consumers who had seen the
extension ad five times evaluate it higher compared to those who had seen it just
once. Smith and Park [24] measure the ratio between the ad spending and the sales
generated. If the company uses the same advertising budget, the extension should
bring additional sales, which will decrease this ratio. If the company wants to have a
specific ratio of the net sales, extension should help this happen with lower
advertising costs compared to if the company relies only on existing products.
 Distribution channels strength. Distribution channels are becoming more complex
and more powerful. Competition is further strengthened by the launch of private
labels which the channels can afford to sell at lower price and respectively higher
margin. Another factor which influences the market is the short time before a new
product is being copied by the competition which makes the product life cycle
shorter. Line and brand extensions which are being launched later (especially the
“me-too” products) might never pay off [20]. Distribution channels are very
conservative in accepting new products- for them the followers are what creates
healthy competition. All brands that follow the innovations either have something
more to offer to consumers, or they just copy the innovation. According to Quelch
and Kenny [21] the line extension which are adding different size or packaging does
not satisfy any consumer need. The acceptance of these extensions depends very
much on the goodwill of the distribution channels and their good relations with the
producers. However even in this case the channels will define some KPIs which the
extension should achieve for a certain period of time. Nijssen [20] proves that the
stronger the distribution channel, the lower the chances of success of the extension.
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CONCLUSION
Knowing the factors which positive influence consumers’ evaluation of brand

extensions will not guarantee successful implementation of the strategy. However,
it will increase the chances of the new product launches of having better long term
performance. The understanding of the current brand and company status, the
extension category, marketing mix and the target group of the extension are the
must- haves before taking the decision for extending the brand.
2.6 SUMMARY
This chapter on background study helps give an insight into the matters studied more deeply.
Reviewing the existing literature gave the research a very strong foundation, contributing
significantly in the subject matters it deals with. The facts, figures and informative text
gathered with relevance to different aspects of e-commerce, home & décor industry, need
and benefits, Indian and global industry was extremely insightful. The study of the inherent
relationship of online shopping and Indian culture, also generated meaningful results. Many
helpful findings have been derived from this secondary data, to build important links
between the variables that emerged in the study. These links further helped develop the
responses to the research objectives. Growing disposable incomes, rising affluent class and
increased emphasis the wellness growth in India. Clients want value for money, this means
they are prepared to pay for luxury but they want to have the best products and benefits
which money can buy. Home & Décor business is presently very disorganized. From the
literature review the foundation of the idea of home & décor e-commerce is build and a clear
picture of things to be kept in mind while market research, business plan was established.
Secondary data not only does help in backing up the idea but also gives an in depth
information about the spa industry, its working, challenges, government policies etc. which
helped in future to extend the business. The problems and need gap was identified for which
further recommendations were proposed in the coming chapters. The target market for
survey was also finalized after the intensive research done in literature review.
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CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH PROCESS
The chapter describes and justifies the research method and tools, which are used in the
research project. Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research
problem. The system of collecting data for research project is explained in detail in this
chapter. This also includes various steps in studying the research problem along with the logic
behind them.
3.1 RESEARCH RATIONALE

To launch a new category of Home & Decor on the website www.onceuponatrunk.com.
To follow through Pre launch and post launch phase to understand how an e-commerce
website works. To understand the need of it, and how to create awareness in the market
place.
To find out the problems, the strategies applied during the first month of the launch and
to find results and evaluate and understand what worked and suggest corrective measures.
3.2 NEED GAP

The high rate of industrialization, growth of service sector and better employment
opportunities have increased consumers disposable income, developed new lifestyles and
price sensitive. They are now living in a time when competition is driving brands to innovate,
giving their customers better products, customizable options and more purchasing channels
to choose from.
However, there is no middleman between these sources. This is where Once Upon A
Trunk fits in. Once Upon A Trunk is an online fashion forum, transcends the online retail
landscape for women by offering leading-edge styles covering a rainbow of categories.
Hence, adding another category Home & Decor.
3.3 RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE
Being a part of the company, and watching an idea come to life and post launch analysis,
provided first-hand experience and knowledge to understand how to create a market, and
to capture and seize it. And how to make and implement strategies to increase sales. Each
aspect needs to be analyzed carefully, from the Brand’s vision & mission, to the brand
identity, from sales to understanding customer behavior, after analyzing and applying
theories, to find results on exactly what the customer demands and how to make it
possible to provide them with the correct goods and services at the right time.
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3.4 PROJECT GOAL

Home & Decor: An analysis of launch and performance of Home & Decor on Once Upon
A Trunk.
3.5 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

RO1: To gain in-depth understanding of Home & Décor Market In India.
R02: To understand the consumer acceptability of Home & Décor for Once Upon A
Trunk.
RO3: To explore the pre-launch strategies of Once Upon A Trunk in the Home & Décor
category.
RO4: To study the post launch response to Home & Décor and recommend future growth
strategies.
3.6 RESEARCH PROCESS

The research extends in three strands:
 Home & Décor E-commerce Market In India: The first research strand sought to
understand the E-commerce market, analyzing what E-commerce is, its history and
why it has gained popularity.
 Pre-launch phase of the category: The second research strand explored into the
strategies and idea behind the launch of Home & Lifestyle.
 Post-launch phase of brand: The third research strand analyses the post launch
phase of the Home & Décor within the first month of its launch.
3.7 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Both Exploratory and Descriptive Research Designs are applied to conduct this study, as
qualitative and quantitative data both hold equal importance. Exploratory enables to
understand the aspects with more subjective points, descriptive was required to analyze
data and numbers to judge the performance of the company.
Both Secondary and Primary Research: Most of the data was obtained from secondary
sources such as websites, reports, blogs, social media, journal articles, previous
dissertations, research articles etc. However, through the prelaunch phase, data was
collected through primary research as well.
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3.8 RESEARCH CHAPTER SCHEME

 Chapter 1: COMPANY OVERVIEW - A brief summary of the company
covering the aspects like vision, mission, USP, marketing mix, promotions,
competitors etc.
 Chapter 2: BACKGROUND STUDY - Understanding and analyzing the main
areas of the study: E-commerce, Home & Décor E-commerce. The Indian Scenario.
 Chapter 3: RESEARCH PROCESS - Explaining the research method and
process applied to conduct the study.
 Chapter 4: ANALYSIS - To analyze all the data that was collected through the
study.
 Chapter 5: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION - A derivative of all the above
chapters, after thorough analysis and understanding, and providing future suggestions.
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3.9 RESEARCH APPROACH/MODEL

Based on the topic studied so far, the researcher designed a research model outlining the step-
by-step process, which commenced in lieu of its conduction.
Home & Decor: An analysis of launch and performance of Home &

Decor on Once Upon A Trunk.
Home Décor Industry Marketing Strategies of Once Upon A

Trunk
RO3: To analyze
RO1: To gain in- RO2: To explore the post launch
depth the pre-launch response to Home
understanding of strategies of Once & Décor and
Home & Décor Upon A Trunk in recommend future
Market In India. the Home & Décor growth strategies.
category.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESEARCH
DATA COLLECTION
FINDINGS
DATA ANALYSIS
CONCLUSION Fig.69: Research Planning

(Source: Self)
Page | 78
3.10 RESEARCH DESIGN

A research design is a framework or blueprint for conducting any research project. It details
the procedures necessary for obtaining the information needed to structure or solve the
prevailing research problems (Malhotra, 2010). An overall strategy that the researcher chooses
to integrate the different components of the study in a coherent and logical way, thereby
ensuring effective solution finding to the research objectives.
Exploratory Research Design
This approach is principally used to gain a deeper understanding of aspects in an area of
research. The design is far more flexible and dynamic than that of Conclusive Research. An
Exploratory Research Project attempts to lay the groundwork that will lead to future studies.
It is usually adopted in a scenario where the problem is subjective and has not been clearly
defined (Malhotra, 2010).
Descriptive Research Design
This approach is typically concerned with determining the frequency with which an even
occurs or the relationship between two variable. To make predictions of market and consumer
behavior, to describe characteristics of a certain groups, descriptive research design focuses
on description however such studies should not be conducted as fact gathering expeditions
(Shukla, 2008)
The most appropriate method of research design used to understand the first and second
research objective is Exploratory Research.
Exploratory research will help understand research objectives, the insight of business
ecosystem of spa industry in India, how the spa industry works, what is the market scenario,
various challenges encountered by Indian online business in running a business. Thus, it will
help understanding the concepts better and will help curate a business plan. It is used when
the researcher has an idea or has observed something and seeks to understand more about it.
It is a systematic, but a flexible method of research design that allows the researcher to
investigate through various sources like qualitative techniques, secondary research and
expert’s opinions. For example, the researcher from previous information can use books,
syndicated research, case studies, expert interviews and survey techniques to conduct
exploratory research. To achieve the research objectives, a major chunk of data was collected
from secondary sources like market research reports, blogs, websites, journal articles,
previous dissertations, articles in periodicals, and books – all of which dealt with people’s
views, practices and thought processes.
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3.11 RESEARCH AND SAMPLING PLAN

3.11.1 RESEARCH PLAN FOR RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 1
RO1:
To gain in-depth understanding of Home & Décor Market In
India
EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Market Research Reports

Websites
Journal Articles
Dissertation Thesis
Magazines
Books
Blogs
Fig.70: Research Planning for RO 1

(Source: Self)
Page | 80
3.11.1.1 SAMPLING PLAN FOR RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 1

Exploratory research will help understand research objective the insight of the business
ecosystem of Home & Decor industry in India and the current lifestyle & fashion trends in
India. Thus, it will help understanding the concepts better and will help crystallize the defined
gap.
Data Collection Method used is Secondary Research. The secondary data is collected through
articles, research papers, journals and current information on the websites, the secondary data
helped to identify the need gap in the industry. The data helped in getting clarity about the
market scenario, scope of home & decor, and statistics of the target market. It has helped build
a structure and understanding for the primary research.
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RO2:
To understand the consumer acceptability of home & décor
for Once Upon A Trunk.
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Market Research Reports

Websites
Journal Articles
Dissertation Thesis
Magazines
Books
Blogs

(Source: Self)
Page | 82

Exploratory research will help understand research objective the insight of the business
ecosystem of Home & Decor industry in India and the current lifestyle & fashion trends in
India. Thus, it will help understanding the concepts better and will help crystallize the defined
gap.
Data Collection Method used is Secondary Research. The secondary data is collected through
articles, research papers, journals and current information on the websites, the secondary data
helped to identify the need gap in the industry. The data helped in getting clarity about the
market scenario, scope of home & decor, and statistics of the target market. It has helped build
a structure and understanding for the primary research.
Page | 83
RO3:
To explore the pre-launch strategies of Once Upon A Trunk in the Home &
Décor category.
PRIMARY RESEARCH SECONDARY RESEARCH
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH Market Research Report

Websites
Journal Articles
Dissertation Thesis
Books
Interview- CEO, Business Blogs
Head Questionnaire
Studying the Website- Once
Observations Upon A Trunk
Netnography – Instagram,
Facebook, Blogs
Close Ended Question

Sample Size - 150
Sample Unit – Males &Females (18-
50)
Purposive Sampling
Sample Frame – Delhi-NCR

(Source: Self)
Page | 84

The most appropriate method of research design used to understand the forth research
objective is Exploratory Research.
Data Collection Method used is both Primary and Secondary Research.
The secondary data is collected through articles, research papers, journals and current
information on the website, the secondary data helped to identify the need gap in the industry.
The data helped in getting clarity about the market scenario, scope of home & decor, and
statistics of the target market. It has helped build a structure and understanding for the primary
research.
And the primary data is collected through both Qualitative and Quantitative Research. The
Qualitative data comprises of Expert Interviews, Observations and Netno-graphy whereas, the
Quantitative data is collected through a Questionnaire/Survey.
Sampling Technique: Noting that the study is formulating the launch of Hone & Décor on
the website– Purposive Sampling Technique, which comes under Judgmental sampling best
suited for the sample selection process, since the intent and target group, both are specific in
this research.
Sample Unit, Size and Frame: when using Purposive Sampling, one must ensure that the
chosen sample is representative of the target population. To confirm the validity of the
research finding, the researcher conducted a survey of 50 males & females between the age
of 18-50 comprising of both present target and future target. The research focuses on opening
a store in Delhi-NCR therefore; consumers in Delhi-NCR are only considered, as its Sample
frame.
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RO4:
To analyze the post launch response to Home & Décor and recommend future
growth strategies.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Interview
Observations Questionnaire
Netnography - Instagram,
Facebook, Blogs
Close Ended Question

Sample Size - 200
Sample Unit - Females (18-40)
Purposive Sampling
Scaling Method - Likert Scale
Sample Frame - Delhi-NCR

(Source: Self)
Page | 86

The research design used to understand the third objective is Exploratory Research. Primary
data is collected through both Qualitative comprising of Expert Interview, Observations,
Netnography and Quantitative research comprising of a Questionnaire.
Sampling Technique: Noting that the study is focused on analyzing the consumers
acceptance when exposed to the idea of baby spa – Purposive Sampling Technique, which
comes under Judgmental sampling best suited for the sample selection process, since the intent
and target group, both are specific in this research.
Sample Unit, Size and Frame: when using Purposive Sampling, one must ensure that the
chosen sample is representative of the target population. To confirm the validity of the
research finding, the researcher conducted a survey of 200 females between the age of 18-40
comprising of both present target and future target. The research focuses on consumers in
Delhi-NCR only, as its Sample frame.
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3.12 LIMITATIONS
• Some of the respondents were reluctant to answer the questions of the questionnaire.
• Lack of resources for data collection - quantitative research methodology usually
requires a large sample size. However due to the lack of resources this large-scale
research becomes impossible.
• Inability to control the environment where the respondents provide answers to the
questions in the survey.
• Quantitative research method involves structured questionnaire with close-ended
questions. It led to limited outcomes outlined in the research proposal. Also, the
respondents have limited options of responses, based on the selection made by the
researcher.
• Time consuming - research is difficult, and requires a lot of time to be perform the
analysis.
3.13 SUMMARY
The chapter on Research Process displays the framework for this research report, outlining
the complete process from ideation, background study, formation of the research objectives,
process of data analysis and conclusion. As explained in the chapter in details, the research
approach is both Exploratory and Descriptive, dealing with collection and evaluation of data,
which is qualitative and quantitative in nature, which shall be seen in the chapters ahead.
Page | 88
CHAPTER 4
FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS
This chapter presents analysis of the data collected for the purpose of this study, through
secondary and primary sources. The researcher presents relevant results by correlating the
data that emerged from the literature review and the survey conducted, as per the flow of the
research objectives considered to study the subject areas.
With a positive rate of growth in customer acceptability of Online shopping and the
positive curve has encouraged more and more ventures to open up in India.
With more and more disposable income available to customers, and awareness of “Less
is More” mantra, customers are now pushing towards buying Quality over quantity, they
are ready to pay more for better quality and thus prefer to buy High street than low.
In India, there are many online fashion retailers such as UrbanLadder, PepperFry,
FabFurnish, The Wishing Chair, Natty.in etc. all of which aim at serving the purpose of
providing variety at super low prices. In the offline world the popular (SONI, 2014) home
decor brands are Pure, D’Decor that provide great variety at very affordable prices,
however lack quality. The price range is usually between (Rs.1000-Rs. 10,000) on an
average that are the highest players in this market. After which the Indian market directly
jumps to designer goods, which are inexpensive and have great quality and designs.
However, there is no middleman between these sources. This is where Once Upon A
Trunk fits in.
Expert Interview –
Question 1 – Do you think Home & Décor market is growing in India?

Question 2- Why do you want launch Home & Décor on your website?
Question 3- Who is the target audience for this market?
Fig.74: Once Upon A Trunk,

Founder
(Source: Self)
Shivaani Jain, Founder

Once Upon A Trunk
Page | 89
“The home furnishing market in India has seen a productive blast in the
country. There were various variables which have prompted a development
in home furnishing demand in the Indian family units over the most recent
couple of years. The developing period of framework and land advertise has
expanded the interest for home furniture items in the nation. With a higher
discretionary cashflow, home decorations, once considered an extravagance
are turning into an ordinary need. Introduction to worldwide patterns and
configuration has motivated individuals to enhance their homes with more
interest. Regular changes call for change in stylistic layout. Curtains,
cushions, smaller pieces of home décor can be changed to bring in festivity
along with each season. These factors are all leading to a growth and boom
in the home furnishing sector and creating a very strong future for the
same."
On being asked who is she targeting the most, she says,
“A high percentage of India’s population constitute of millennials and even the

home decor and furnishing retailers are trying their best to leverage this
demography.
The new generation or the millennial generation is extremely media savvy and
digitally active. They are also aware about the global trends and practices. To cater
to this particular customer-base we have launched home & décor. We have brought
together more than 10 designers to provide the latest, contemporary design and
luxury products for the fashion savvy customers. Also we have created easy online
navigation and payment gateway to ensure convenience and ease of shopping. We
also strive to bring new designs and brands every week. We also do digital marketing
aggressively to reach out to every single customer in a personalized way.”
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4.1 ANALYSIS FOR RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 1
To gain in-depth understanding of Home & Décor Market in India.
An intensive background study of the Indian Home & Decor market has been done to
understand how industry emerged to its current scenario. The growth that has been observed
and what the future trends show have all been analyzed in the literature review. Now for
research objective one, we will use secondary data collection method to understand the entire
home & decor industry in India, evolution, market share.
4.1.1 HOME & DÉCOR MARKET IN INDIA

Home & decor have turned out to be more requested by buyers in India, Traditionally,
customers' attention on doing their homes in India was limited to room and living room
furniture. Nonetheless, with expanding desires of purchasers to give a superior look to their
homes, they have begun spending on other outfitting classifications like feasting and kitchen.
Going ahead shoppers are relied upon to build their spending on home outfitting items.
Individuals are required to put more significance on quality and plan than on value, which is
relied upon to drive the offers of home decorations in the nation.
Further, the online home stylistic theme showcase report expresses that in spite of the
accessibility of various applications and different administrations web based, picking the right
item with the right measurements can be a worry for purchasers.
Another related report is Global Home Furnishings Market 2016-2020, which estimates overall
home furniture market to develop at a CAGR of 5.36% amid the period 2016-2020. The home
furniture market will demonstrate positive development amid the gauge time frame. The
developing globalization of organizations has assumed a noteworthy part in driving the market,
enabling best players to grow their activities and address client issues crosswise over limits.
4.1.2 MARKET TRENDS & DEVELOPMENTS

 Growing Demand for Custom Designed Furniture- most manufacturers have
adopted to the modern design trends, leaving behind oriental and Prussian designs.
Innovations have been made in use of yarns by blending different materials like
viscose, wool, cotton and Jute in yarns, which allows production of contemporary,
bright colors and designs which appeal to younger consumers.
 Increasing Adoption of Environment Friendly Products- Rising consciousness of

a healthy environment has increased the demand for eco-friendly furniture and other
furnishings. Awareness of consumers of the ill effects of deforestation on the climate
and the effects of toxic finishes in the air inside homes have led many furniture
manufacturers to go green. Market players offer a wide range of aesthetic furniture
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made of bamboo that is stronger and harder than most other types of wood, including
oak.
 Rising Demand for Hand-Crafted Products- Keeping in view substantial growth of

middle class population in India, and knowing fairly well about their aspiration for
better lifestyles and well decorated houses, there are lots of marketing opportunities
within India for handicrafts which the manufacturers need to explore. Handmade area
rugs and other floor coverings can adore the floor of most Indian households as a
center-piece, as most houses built in India today have large use of wood, granite and
marble floorings as part of modern architecture and interior designs.
 Consumers Opt for Wall-Decals over Paints & Coatings- With just 7 or 8 textures
to offer and high dependence on attributes like durability, luster, weather proofing, the
conventional wall paint industry is rapidly losing out to wallpapers, a wholly new
concept in wall décor and wall finishes.
4.1.3 ONLINE PLAYERS IN THIS CATEGORY
There are many players who have already made their entry into this niche segment and are
doing unexpectedly well. Some such players are:
 Urbanladder: Launched in 2012 and a venture of Bangalore-based Descasa Decor

Online Pvt Ltd, Urbanladder is currently delivering to Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi
/ NCR region (Gurgaon, Noida). The online store has made a strong foothold in the
segment and have recently raised$1 million in series A funding and is looking to
close a Series B round in coming months.
 Pepperfry: An online Home & Lifestyle marketplace, launched in January 2011 is

having a current user base of 7 lakhs and 3 million unique visitors on monthly basis.
Also it is doing almost 1200 orders a day. The company has raised $13 million in
total with $8million in Series A(2011) and $5 million in Series B (2013).
 Fabfurnish: A rocket internet backed venture and the most visited online home store
in India, fabfurnish was launched in January 2012. It is currently known for its
designer furniture, furnishings, décor items and kitchenware.
 Roomstory: An online multi-brand home store, Roomstory is offering products

across three classifications, Bed & Bath, Décor & Furnishings and Kitchen &
Dining. It was launched in 2011 with an aim to become a one stop destination for all
home decor products. The company is currently looking for funding of around $1
million.
 The Home Label: An online marketplace by Sussanne Roshan, Home Label is

backed by The Label Corp., the first retail brand in the online marketplace to
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introduce a unique tastemaker styled model. Under this business model, the celebrity
Creative Directors bring along an assortment of exclusive and trendy products.
 Bedbathmore: An online portal, bedbathmore deals in home decor, bed, bath and
other furnishings. It also has its own warehousing facility in Mumbai. It is a part of
Creative group, one of the India’s largest exporters of home furnishing and apparels
to US and Europe. Bedbathmore also raised an undisclosed amount recently in Series
A funding from Blume ventures with plans to establish private labels and expanding
the technology team.
To understand the consumer acceptability of Home & Décor for Once Upon A
Trunk.
Fig.75: Consumer Acceptance of Brand Extension

(Source: Self)
Increasing competitive forces in the global markets are compelling companies to differentiate
themselves in order to survive and achieve further growth. The strategy behind leveraging on a
company's existing brand to enter new markets, products or sectors is called brand extension.
This way, firms can enter new markets by using an existing, well-known brand name. This
Page | 93
growth strategy has been used by many companies and has increased in popularity in the
recent times.
In spite of the recognized and noticeable importance of using brand extensions as a marketing
strategy for introducing new products (Tauber, 1988), relatively little is known about how
consumers react to them.
Consumers' reactions to brand extensions appear to involve a categorization process in which
the new product is judged according to the perception of similarity between the parent brand
and the extension, and consumers' perception regarding the quality of the core product
associated with the brand. (Evangeline and Ragel, 2018)
According to research paper, “Consumers’ Attitudes towards Brand Extensions: An Analysis

on Food and Textile Industries” During the analysis of the findings of the study, the
evaluations were made on the basis of the sex of the participants. As the range of ages of the
participants is not very wide and the income level of the participants is close to each other, the
aim was to explain how the participants’ views differ between female and male participants.
The participants of the study are adults and have income level that is above the average
therefore their brand awareness and usage rate of branded products and services are high. The
participants have specifically indicated that consuming branded products in food industry
states importance and health issues such as allergic concerns require the use of branded
products that represent “quality” in cosmetics sector and textile and clothing industry. The
participants did not consider themselves as loyal to brands they frequently consume, follow
and like. They instead think of brand loyalty as “unreasoning obedience”. In the light of this
view, the participants of the study have declared that they prefer experiencing different brands
rather than being loyal to a brand. (Sahin and Ergin, 2018)
To explore the pre-launch strategies of Once Upon A Trunk in the Home &
Décor category.
The pre-launch & launch plan:
 Deciding the target market

 Survey of target market
 Finding the Home & Décor designers
 Getting them on-board
 Selection of products
 Making style sheets
 Photoshoots (Catalogue, Editorial, Website Banners)
 Promotion Plan
 Launch
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4.3.1 TARGET MARKET

The first and most important step for any business is to define the market and customers who
are being catered to.
Target Customer: City slickers to tier two and three fashion forward style conscious women
& men. People who are conscious about styling their homes & want to remain up-to date
always.
Couples between the ages of 25 and 35 establishing their first "adult" household fall into this
group. They both work, earn in excess of $50,000 annually, and now want to invest in their
home. They seek to enjoy their home and communicate a "successful" image and message to
their contemporaries. They buy big when they have received a promotion, a bonus, or an
inheritance.
Our target audience: 18-50 year whose aware of trends and fashion and is exposed to
international trends through online means and magazines which we target to promote through.
4.3.2 SURVEY OF THE TARGET MARKET
For this research objective to understand the customer point of view a questionnaire was
designed. This questionnaire was then given to specific potential customers to understand their
acceptability of the idea.
Demographics
For any research it is necessary to begin with the demographics of the population that has been
surveyed. The study of the population is based upon factors such as gender, age, and family
household income.
Gender
As per the understanding of the main target market for Once Upon A Trunk both men &
women were surveyed. This survey was based for Delhi/NCR clients only.
Fig.76: Gender analysis

Source: Self (Based on
questionnaire)
Page | 95
Age
For the survey all age groups from 18 to about 40 years were surveyed. As per the analysis,
the age group of the target population studied is as follows:
Fig.77: Age analysis

Source: Self (Based on questionnaire)
Analysis – The survey done for all the age groups especially 18-33 depending on the
accessibility covering both present target customers and future target customers in Delhi-
NCR. We will relate the age to various factors to understand the preferences of each group.
Once the age is linked to different factors it will be easier to understand the feasibility based
on perceptions of each age group.
Income
People of various income groups were surveyed keeping in mind the target market is upper
middle class (HENRYs) with a disposable income of more than 1lakh/month. As per the
analysis, the average monthly household income of the target population is studied as follows:
Fig.78: Income analysis

Page | 96
Analysis – based upon the results of the survey, 21.6% of people fall under the income group
of Rs.4-6 lakhs per month. 37.8% falls under Rs. 2-4 lakhs per month and followed by less
than Rs 2 lakhs with 20.3%. Also, both income groups 6-8 lakhs and more than 8 lakhs had
the same approx. 8-11% people.
Psychographics
For any research it is also necessary to understand the psychographics of the population for
classification of people according to their attitudes, aspirations, and other psychological
criteria, especially in market research.
Awareness
In order to find out the awareness of online shopping, this question was asked to all.
DO YOU SHOP ONLINE?
Fig.79: Online Shopping Analysis

Analysis – according to the survey, 87.5% of people shop online which gives a sign for their
acceptance of awareness & knowledge. This is a good sign.
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Shopping Home & Decor

It was important to understand if the people are likely to shop for home & décor online or not
to understand their current lifestyle.
Fig.80: Home & Décor online shoppers

Analysis – as per the survey conducted 34 people are very likely to shop for home & décor
online followed by, 26.9% people are most likely to shop. Whereas, only a negligible amount
of people are not likely to shop.
Awareness
To understand how do the people keep themselves updated about the latest trends
about the home & décor industry.
Fig.81: Trend Awareness

Analysis – According to the survey, 80.3% of people said that they keep
themselves updated with social media i.e. Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest etc.
followed by 46.9% who said internet
i.e. blogs helps them the most & magazines, exhibitions & events were almost 40.8%.
Page | 98
Factors considered while shopping

There are various factors that determine whether you initially choose or decide to shop for a
product in terms of how important they are to every individual. Now the major factors for
choosing are analyzed below.
Fig.82: Factors considered while shopping

Analysis – Above graphs show various factors that are important for choosing to shop online,
it is evident that quality of products are most important whilst opting to buy a home & décor
product online, followed by after sales services, depend on both these factors majorly. Also,
delivery time, variety & special offers are important.
Page | 99
4.3.3 HOME & DÉCOR DESIGNERS

First, the categories were identified.
Furnishings Décor & Living Table & Kitchenware

Bedsheet Sets Boxes Coasters
Cushions Cosmetic Boxes & Bags Cake Stands
Cushion Covers Mirrors Trays
Bedcover Sets Stationery Napkins
Pillows Dustbins Runners
Rugs Wall Accessories
Trunks
Table 3: Home & Décor Categories
(Source: self-made)
To find home & décor designers different exhibitions such as The Pink Post Inc., Pernia’s Pop
Up Show, Amazon Fashion Week, Indie Room were visited. The merchandisers contacted the
designers and got them on board.
Also, an extensive research on Instagram & Facebook is done to find more designers for Home
& Décor.
A mail is sent to all the designers asking them to come on board. After the acceptance of the
designer an agreement is signed between both the parties.
To start with, the first 4 designers on board were:

 Pop Goes The Art
 Papeljam
 Little Miss Makes
 The Orange Sand
Fig. 84: Home & Décor Merchandise

Page | 100
Fig. 85: Home & Décor Merchandise

Page | 101
Many more designers such as Elan, I Value Every Idea, Nur, Pinklay are being approached
for the month of April & May.
Fig.86 & 87: Screenshots of

Emails (Source: self-sourced)
(Clear Pictures attached in
annexure)
Page | 102
4.3.3 SELECTION OF PRODUCTS
After the agreement, the merchandisers get the products from the designers and few of them
are selected to go live on website according to the merchandise plan.
Style Sheets
Style Sheets are received from the designer end to do the tagging according to the merchandise
plan.
Fig.88: Sample Style Sheet

(Clear Pictures attached in
annexure)
DESCRIPTIONS
After the style sheet is received the process of writing descriptions is done, the
descriptions were made to be as elaborate as possible in order to provide the maximum
information to the consumer.
Product name: Pink Floral Earring Stand
Brand name: Little Miss Makes
Price: Rs.2150
Color options (where relevant)
Drop down box for size, with 'Size guide' link next to it (where relevant)
Buttons for wish list and shopping bag/cart
Description:
 Pink and Peach earring stand
 Multiple layers Spacious for hanging Earrings
 It has a floral design all over
Page | 103
Product information:
Composition: Wood
Care: Do not scratch against hard surfaces.
Disclaimer: This product will be shipped after 7 working days from the date of order placed.
Fig.89 & 90: Screenshots of Product Descriptions

Page | 104
4.3.4 PHOTOSHOOTS
A shoot chart is made to decide the number of products to be shot per shoot day.
Two types of shoots are done: Catalogue Shoot & Editorial Shoot.
4.3.4.1 CATALOGUE SHOOT

Styling ad fashion, look and feel of the website, layout, quality of shoots, catalogue, each
product and shot styled.
Page | 105
Fig.91-95: Catalogue Shoot

4.3.4.2 EDITORIAL SHOOT
Various editorial shoots were done for social media and website page, these are done
approximately twice a month according to the themes to be followed.
Page | 106
Fig.96-98: Editorial Shoot

4.3.4.3 WEBSITE BANNERS
There are various components of the websites which need to be updated on a weekly basis.
The most important ones were the banners, as they grasp the most attention and can be clicked
on to reach the specific section of products.
Page | 107
Fig.99-101: Website
Banners (Source: self-
sourced)
Page | 108
Fig.102: Website Banners

4.3.5 PROMOTION PLAN
The following platforms were used for promotions of the Home & Décor category:
 Social Media (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest)

 Facebook ADS
 E-mail Marketing (Newsletters)
 Blogger Giveaways
 Magazine Features
 Event & Exhibition
4.3.5.1 SOCIAL MEDIA

Various interactive social media posts were designed to be shared on Facebook and Instagram
according to occasions and themes. Such as the below:
Instagram
Success for businesses on Instagram relies on more than simply publishing a few nice-looking
images. You need to also have these elements:
 Clear vision and strategy
Page | 109
 Consistent frequency
 Familiarity with your audience
 Clear visual style
When you combine together these ingredients, Instagram can deliver huge results for your
business. (Buffer.com, 2018)
Page | 110
Fig.103-105: Instagram
Posts (Source: self-
sourced)
Page | 111
Facebook
Fig 106: Facebook

Page (Source: self-
sourced)
Page | 112
4.3.5.2 FACEBOOK ADS
How do Facebook ADS work?
Fig.107: Working of Facebook

ADS (Source: facebook,2013)
JUST IN TIME!
Don't miss out on the all new collection
handpicked for you.
Fig.108: Facebook
AD (Source: self-
sourced)
Page | 113
4.3.5.3 E-MAIL MARKETING
Email marketing is the use of email to develop

relationships with potential customers. Email
marketing is a type of internet marketing, which
means online marketing via websites, social media,
blogs, etc. It is the same as direct mail, the only
difference being it is done through an email instead
of a postal mail.
The advantages of e-mail marketing are that it is

direct, less expensive, easy & not time consuming.
It is the most inexpensive way to market a
business/product. It is & not time consuming
because it can be done at once & reaches the whole
of customer data base with ease & at the comfort of
yourself.
Newsletters can be sent to the email list you've built

from the people who provided the necessary
information on your website, for instance,
providing these potential customers with news
updates about your company, upcoming events
and/or special offers – and, of course, reminding
them that your business exists and that maybe it's
time for another visit. (The Balance, 2018)
Fig.109: Newsletter
Page | 114
4.3.5.4 MAGAZINE FEATURE
Once Upon A Trunk collaborated with Ridhi Mehra to make new & beautiful trunk with
different materials & designs. This collaboration got featured on the Vogue Blog.
Fig.110: VOGUE Feature

(Source: Manjani, 2018)
Page | 115
4.3.5.5 EVENT
Once Upon A Trunk launched “Trunk Of The Month”, most exclusive handpicked products,
available exclusively online at www.onceuponatrunk.com.
With this standout trunk, a new collection that offers the perfect mix of trend focused designs
with wide customer appeal. Once Upon A Trunk believes that all the products should be as
fun and unique as the wearer and should be carefully tailored to ensure every piece offers the
highest quality and design excellence that the customers have come to expect.
Every month a new trunk is launched with different products. The first trunk launched on 5th
April was themed ‘Mother’s Day’. It was sent to many bloggers with a press release.
It was also available on the site & could be bought by the customers. This was a way of
promoting both home & décor and apparel/jewelry.
Page | 116
Fig.111 & 112: Trunk Of The

Month (Source: self-
sourced)
Page | 117
4.3.5.6 EXHIBITION
An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a

selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within museums, galleries and
exhibition halls, and World's fairs.
Once Upon A Trunk participated in a kid’s exhibition called “LMNOP”
A Full Day Carnival which will showcase the best exhibitors around your town to cater to
all the children's needs. Products from baby essentials, apparel, accessories, Events, Return
Favors, Home Furniture and accents, toys and
much more! More than an eventful shopping experience.
The total sale though exhibition was Rs.60,000.
Fig.113 & 114: Exhibition

(Source: self-
sourced)
Page | 118
Fig.115: Exhibition Invite

Page | 119
Fig.116: Exhibition Thank You

Note (Source: self-sourced)
Page | 120
Page | 121
Fig.117 & 119: Exhibition Set Up

Page | 122
To study the post launch response to Home & Décor and recommend future
growth strategies.
4.4.1 AGENDA & MARKETING PLAN

Agenda: Create new leads, make the target customers try the product and retain them via
brand loyalty.
Process: Engage customers and prospects daily, create top of mind recall.
 Targeting prospects for website visit, promoting the new category.
 Targeting similar audience which converted to website visits.
 Ad promotions for ‘Claim offers’ where by the visitor from the ad can claim the offer
visiting the website.
 Multiple product carousel ads can be shown with price to pre-qualify the leads before
they click.
 Testimonial contest. Post 4 months of the launch an ad contest can be done on why
you love the brand, tell us and tell your friend. The most loyal customer will win a
1year free shopping. (this can include 12 cards combo).
 Ads promoting subscription can be run.
 SEO for long term results.
Others:
 Referral marketing- Continued

 Concentrate on both soft and hard conversions. Soft conversion e.g.. enquiry,
subscription, sign ups, referral etc. for getting the prospects contacts and getting
them used to the brand
 Promotion of coupons and vouchers
 Weekly/monthly offer
 Festival /seasonal offer
 Offer codes/Loyalty points for liking/following on social media
 Volume/cart size offer
 Exclusive social offer
 Customer loyalty offers
 Campaign Strategy creation
 Industry & Competitor Audit
Page | 123
 Creating Multiple Ad campaigns basis Ad objectives

 Ad Type planning
 Ad placement planning
 Tracker Code Installation
 Creative creation
 Impactful Ad Content & headline creation
 Targeting the ads to the suitable audience using parameters like age, gender,
location, interest, etc.
 Spend plan for Facebook
 Bid type selection & Bid Management
 Auditing the campaigns analytics
 Ad optimization
 Remarketing
 Micro - managing the campaigns
 Reporting Results
 Strategizing for next campaigns
 Campaign Strategy creation
 Creative creation
 Impactful Ad Content & headline creation
 Targeting the ads to the suitable audience using parameters like age, gender,
location, interest, etc.
 Bid type selection & Bid Management
 Auditing the campaigns analytics
 Ad optimization
 Remarketing
 Micro - managing the campaigns
 Reporting Results
 Strategizing for next campaigns
Fig.120: Social Media

Logos (Source:Self-made)
Page | 124
4.4.2 ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND ADS
4.4.2.1 ANALYSIS OF INSTAGRAM POSTS
How to analyze?
 Profile Visits- The number of times your profiles was viewed.

 Follows- The number of accounts that started following you.
 Reach- The number of unique accounts that saw this post.
 Impressions- The total number of times the post has been seen.
A) First Post for Home & Décor
Fig.121: Instagram Post 1 Analysis

Initially, there was no hype about the

launch of Home & Décor & therefore,
there was not much response to it.
Page | 125
B) Second Post & Third Post
After the second post was posted, it created a little

hype among the people & and this post had some
response. The reach is 3527 i.e. this post was seen
3527 times in total.
Fig.122: Instagram Post 2

Analysis (Source: self-
sourced)
Page | 126
After the third post was posted, people started

buying the home décor products. The reach is
6405 i.e. this post was seen 6405 times in total.
And 3% people started following Once Upon A
Trunk after seeing this post.
Fig123: Instagram Post 3

sourced)
Page | 127
4.4.2.2 FACEBOOK AD ANALYSIS
Facebook dominates as a source of social traffic and sales. Nearly two thirds of all social
media visits to Shopify stores come from Facebook. Plus, an average of 85% of all orders
from social media come from Facebook. Hence in social media we will primarily promote
targeted ad campaigns on Facebook
In spite of great ad descriptions and splendid products and its benefits, people are hesitant to
open their wallets. Hence we strongly recommend to incentivize them to take action. On a
survey 67% of Facebook users said they were likely to click on a discount offer. However, we
recommend it should come with deadlines
JUST IN TIME!
Don't miss out on the all new collection
handpicked for you.
Get them at unbelievable prices NOW.
Fig.124: Facebook AD
sourced)
Page | 128
Reporting Starts 05-03-18

Reporting Ends 06-04-18
AD Set Name 050318-100-OUAT-INT-(Home Decor)
Amount Spent (INR) 77783.08
Website Purchases 60
Reach 487100
Link Clicks 10317
Impressions 777964
Website Adds To Basket 779
Website Purchases 32575
Table 4: Facebook AD Analysis

The AD was run for approximately 1 month starting from 5th March to 5th April. The total
amount spent on the ADS was Rs.77783. Total Impressions were 777,964 and reach was
487,100.
4.4.2.3 SALES ANALYSIS

Sale Report (5/03/18-5/04/18)
Designer System Status Orders Sum of Amount
Festive Treasures Successfully Delivered 1 1305
Little Miss Makes Successfully Delivered 23 38403
Papeljam Successfully Delivered 5 3005
The Orange Sand Successfully Delivered 8 7537
Returns 2 2797
Grand Total 39 53047
Sales of Home Décor as on 5th April, 2018,

Table 5: Sales Analysis
The total number of orders received during one month are 39 orders. Out of which, 2 were
returns. The total amount of sales was Rs. 53,047.
The most selling designer was LITTLE MISS MAKES.
Page | 129
Top 10 Selling Products
Ganesha With Laddo Big Wall Hanging

Ganesha Lotus Wall Hanging
Floral Ganesha Border Wall Hanging
Blending is My Cardio Makeup Pouch
Things to do After Coffee Notepad
Off-White & Gold Rosalia Rose Square Tray
London Paris Passport Cover
Gold & Red Desert Rose Square Tray
Gold & Peach Tweeting Birdie Cane Basket/Dustbin
Multi-colour Birdie & Lotus Love Cane Basket/Dustbin
0 2 4 6 8
Fig.126 & 127: Top Selling Products &
Locations (Source: self-sourced)
Top Locations
Delhi Pune Haryana Mumbai
Tamil Nadu Hyderabad Kolkata Arunachal Pradesh
Chandigarh Karnataka Punjab
2% 2% 3%
2%
8% 23%
8%
18%
13%
8% 13%
Page | 130
4.4.3 CUSTOMER REVIEWS

A few customers were contacted for reviews.
Personal Interview- Qualitative
Questions Asked-
Question 1- What did you buy from Once Upon A Trunk?
Question 2- How was your experience?
Question 3- Will you refer your friends for buying from Once Upon A Trunk?
Question 4- Why did you leave the site after adding the product to your cart?
Question 5- Any suggestions/recommendations?
Amazing service & customer supper. I

ordered a cake stands and trays for my
home. It was a wonderful experience. Not
only they offered best services but amazing
offers. Best place to buy. Highly
recommended. You guys rock. Shruti Garg,25
Whilst I had a stressful experience with

my passport covers which was ordered in
good time. The staff did very well indeed
to get my order to me as per my request
on time here in the UK. I really like it,
special mention to Ashish who went
above and beyond her remit to ensure this
happened. For this reason, I am awarding
it 5 STARS. THANK YOU!!!
Srishti Saluja, 21
Page | 131
Terrible experience with them! Strict

no for early deliveries. They are very
bad in delivery time. I received my
planner and trays and quality was not
up to the mark. Extremely high
priced products don’t do justice to
the
quality. :(
Bhavna Garg,29
Page | 132
It was an amazing experience

shopping from Once Upon A Trunk.
The products that I ordered were of
fine quality and their delivery
services are excellent. The new home
& décor collection is amazing.
Looking forward to shop more from
here. Keep up the good work guys.
Surbhi Gupta,30
I wanted to order passport covers &

customized letters for my kids. I selected
everything and as soon as I added them to the
cart, the website stopped working. Tried
calling customer care but nobody picked up
the phone.
Rani Mann,50
The website is extremely slow. It takes

ages to go from on page to another. They
should improve their website timing.
Archana Gupta,49
Page | 133
Website - 2/10, collection - 8/10, prices - 6/10

- lots of markup. Contacting them for
customer service, follow ups etc - 2/10.
Website takes too much time to open and no
customer support is provided.
Aastha Ahuja,29
I was trying to order stationary from the

website, the add to cart button was not
working. I tried calling customer support
and mailed them. They helped me place
my order. Good service.
Kanika Kalra, 35
4.4.3.1 CHALLENGES
 Customers are still reluctant to online shopping, as touch and feel is a very important factor to
be considered before buying.
 Sizing: Indians are not well aware of their sizes specially when it comes to
international fashion, hence why each item has specific sizing.
 Sales: Deals, they need to push. After 3 months we have learnt that everyone is looking
for the deal. Customer acquisition is very important.
 High rate of 35% what pulls our customers back to the company, it is important to keep
hold off them and indulge them in the website regularly.
 After sale service: most brands fail at providing a good experience to customers in order
for them to return to the brand.
Page | 134
4.5 CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
4.5.1 THANK YOU NOTES
With every order, a thank you note is sent to the customers and customers are told to share
their pictures and tag Once Upon A Trunk. All the social media handles are mentioned on it.
Fig.128: Thank You Note

(Source: Self)
Page | 135
4.5.2 COLLABORATING WITH NGO

For every customer’s birthday, they are sent a card and gift made by the children of a NGO.
This helps as a corporate social responsibility as well as engages the customers as they
expect something or the other on every birthday.
Fig.129-131: NGO Collaboration

(Source: Self)
Page | 136
4.5.3 REFER TO A FRIEND
Refer to a friend or a relative has always been the best marketing strategy as there is nothing
better than word of mouth. When people refer to other people both get a 15% discount
whenever either of them buys.
Fig.132: Refer a friend

(Source: Self)
4.5.4 BASKET SALE

Basket Sale is one of the marketing strategies that I recommended which got incorporated.
For this, we basically collected all the stock that was in-house & returns of the customers
and made baskets out of the stock.
For example, a basket with one stole, a pair of earrings & a tunic and priced it lower than
the actual cost. We made approximately 20 such baskets to be put up on the site at throw
away prices. It was a successful idea and approximately everything was sold out within 3
days.
Page | 137
4.5.5 PROMOTIONS
On a regular basis, different types of

promotions are held. This helps in
attracting customers to buy products
on discounts.
Also, on every Wednesday, WOW
Wednesday is held i.e. one or the
other category goes on discount. It is
like a surprise sale.
They are promoted through all kinds
of social media platforms.
Page | 138
Fig.133-136: Promotion
Banners
(Source: Self)
Page | 139
Page | 140
4.5.6 SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITIES TO ATTRACT MILENNIALS
Fig.133-137: Social Media Activities

(Source: Self)
Page | 141
4.6 SUMMARY
The entire analysis and pre and post launch analysis is conducted through this chapter,
showing the various stages the website went through for development and the promotion of
home & décor & the results being analyzed.
The secondary and primary data collected, contributed immensely in gaining meaningful
insights relevant to this study. Each of the research objectives undertaken for the purpose of
this research, have been analyzed in details to identify the need gap existing in the current
market for home & decor. The results discussed in this chapter have contributed in
formulation and development of category extension keeping in mind the target customer and
their requirements, which the researcher puts forth in the last chapter on Conclusion
Recommendations.
Page | 142
CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The whole study comes to a conclusion in this chapter, and suggests recommendations
according to the areas studied. The pre-launch and post launch phase gives an understanding
of the brands performance and lays a foundation for the next few months for the brand to
succeed. These have been based on the understanding of the target market in the study and
the links that emerged while doing analysis.
5.1 RECOMMENDATIONS:
Fig.138: Recommendations
(Source: Self)
Page | 143
5.1.1 WEBSITE AND TECH:
 Position of the brand should be clear (high end, luxury, eco-friendly, animal-friendly,
natural - there are a ton of choices that you can pick from as your brand positioning)
 The promotion the brand should trigger more purchases in the mind of the consumer.
 Create a great, mobile-friendly, ecommerce website.
 The access of the website should be more easy which can be achieved by: Smoother
Scroll, More defined categories, pricing meter, de-cluttered and easy homepage.
 The traffic which comes to the site needs to be converted into transactions for which
each time a customer clicks on the website, he/she gets a benefit and incentive to make
a purchase.
 State delivery time clearly on the cart/check out page so the customer knows when
he/she should expect a delivery and be available for the same and not have false
expectations from the company.
 Virtual Mirror: adding a virtual mirror on the website makes it possible for customers
to understand and perceive how they would look in the particular product.
 Referral System: Personalized Codes, given to their friends and Id's. When second
person is buying something the new and old customer is getting 5% back on the
wallets. 60 days expiry. A tab for referral system should be added.
 Sanction notes should be created for every event to maintain records and set budgets.
 Wallet System: Customer registers - INR 100/- Is added to the cart (minimum 4000)
and 25% off. Product worth 1000/-, 25% off. 5% cash back credited to the wallet
5.1.2 PROMOTIONS & SOCIAL MEDIA:
 Advertise more through adverts popping on other websites, blogger pages where there
is a lot of traffic
 Increase database by finding more and more ways of getting customers contact details
to reach them directly.
 Expand marketing not only through digital means but also through print and other
medias in order to grasp more market and organic consumers.
 Provide more incentives and benefits to repeat customers to retain them.
 There should be more participation in exhibitions & events according to the target
audience.
 Deals, deals and deals: customers love a good deal and this pushes them to purchase
more from the website. The company needs to be smart while pricing their goods in
order to make sure they do not meet any losses while providing deals and discounts to
the customers.
Page | 144
 A constant check on the list of Unsold products should motivate the marketing and
communication department to know which products to promote more through different
campaigns, celebs etc.
 What’s new and featured products
 Online Secret Sale/ Special Preview for customers.
 Celebratory Promotions (Birthdays, anniversary, etc.)
 Do more blogger promotions as the main target audience is blogger influenced.
 Special previews for existing customers of new collections, etc.
 More events spread out at other locations including Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities making the
brand more accessible.
 Interactive and funny posts which encourage millennials to share them, which is free
marketing for the brand.
 Flash sales, deals, with time constraints which makes a customer buy quicker.
 Promote items under 1,999 to push sales.
 Referral System: Personalized Codes, given to their friends and Id's. When second
person is buying something the new and old customer is getting 5% back on the
wallets. 60 days expiry.
 Affiliate Program: Bloggers/websites send our marketing clicks and when they do they
gain profit. (e.g.: mysmartprice.com)
 Fraternity Marketing: Do special things for customers as per themes (Night out
ensemble, date night, work wear, etc.) Making up stories & blogs to put on social
media.
5.1.3 LOGISTICS & CUSTOMER CARE:
 Train customer care executives to help and ensure satisfied customers.

 A constant check on the list of inventory should take place and limit the number of
returns accordingly.
 Install: Complaint tracker, Accessories tracker, summary reports of orders, inbound
reports, disposition report, attendance tracker, feedback from customer’s delivery
tracker for customer’s understanding of the order delivery system.
 Money expires after 14 days. Reminders: after 1 week, 10 days, 13 days.
o After purchase is made: Net value's 5% gets converted into money in their wallet.
o Validity of the wallet: 6 months.
o Send trigger emails after every 15 days. "The money left in your account."
o Emailer with wallet balance with expiry mentioned.
Page | 145
 To reduce return rates and increase customer satisfaction even if they want to return a
good, the whole process needs to be quicker and easier. Below is a suggested format:
o RETURNS PROCESS: PART 1 (First 3 days)
Fig.139: Return Process-PART 1

(Source: Self)
o RETURNS PROCESS: PART 2 (The next 4 days)
PICK UP FROM CUSTOMERS: within 24 hours of request.
QUALITY CHECK: NEXT DAY, REPORT SENT (Same day)
Fig.140: Return Process-PART 2

(Source: Self)
Page | 146
5.1.4 MERCHANDISERS:
 Get more known designers on-board to create awareness about the website. The
website as of now has only unknown and untapped designers on board. Getting new
& known designers will help the website in growing.
 Customers prefer to buy more basic colors and clothes, as its in the basic clothes they
need more variety, the brand should try to promote and provide more of that.
 Provide more detailed descriptions so a customer even without the touch and feel can
understand more about the product.
 More customized designers should be contacted to come on board as this could
become one of the USP’s of the company.
 Customized products should not be taken as returns.
 A constant check on the list of Unsold products should motivate the marketing and
communication department to know which products to promote more through different
campaigns, celebs etc
 Pricing: Since 81% of the customers lie between Rs. 2,000-6,000/- range of average
spend, more goods which fit into this category should be included.
 Get more merchandise under the price range of 1999 this helps in promoting items
under 1,999 to push sales.
 Merchandisers should be extremely organized and should maintain the upload charts &
shoot charts.
 Merchandisers should be easily available. As product tagging requires a lot of help.
5.1.5 EMPLOYEES:
 The employees should have no communication gap.
 Everything being communicated in between the employees should be done through
email and not word of mouth.
 Everyone could stand to learn how to write better emails. To be more clear, concise,
and actionable, the following strategies should be followed:
1. Get right to the point immediately and do your explaining later

2. Establish your credibility
3. Make the next step clear
 Employees should have defined KRAs, this helps them in growth in their department.
 There should be unity in between the employees.
 Employers should find ways to encourage social relations. Consider an office
arrangement that fosters communication. Arrange workstations so employees can see
each other and talk.
 Feedback is two-way communication. It is the opportunity to share opinions and find
solutions. Too many managers think should be the province of the annual personnel
revue. It’s not. It should be a daily occurrence.
 Employees should also be able to provide feedback about the company & share their
problems with the company.
Page | 147
5.2 CONCLUSION
The target customers are mainly millennials wanting to pamper their homes. There are
various factors that have given rise to the target market such as growing disposable incomes,
rising affluent class and increased emphasis on buying designer products. The millennials,
who live in nuclear families, want value for money, this means they are prepared to pay for
luxury but they want to have the products and benefits which money can buy. Home & décor
industry is presently very disorganized.
Lifestyle changes have given rise to new set of products and services for homes. Major
change in income, that is if the consumer has more money to spend therefore their life style
started to change, lifestyle changes take place because of different age group, lifestyles can be
environment driven new generation sweeps comes in and find that new things begin to
happen, new technology comes, and new ways of doing.
The high rate of industrialization, growth of service sector and better employment
opportunities have increased consumers’ disposable income, developed new lifestyles and
price sensitive. They are highly aware about the product, price, quality and options available
with them. Indian consumers believe that branded products are more reliable. The brand
which identifies and support family values are more popular and accepted easily by them.
Introduction of credit culture has made the Indian consumers to purchase products on credit
and pay tomorrow.
Since markets are changing rapidly, they create immense. Life- style, simply reflect on what
you do, what your opinions are and what your interests are In typical marketing language they
are activities, interests and opinions. The Indian consumer market, which is primarily
dominated by young generation, is becoming increasingly sophisticated and brand conscious.
A typical upper middle class young consumer is beginning to look beyond the utility aspect of
a product to seek intangibles like brand and lifestyle statement associated with the product.
This modern consumer wants his purchases to reflect his lifestyle or at least the one he aspires
for. As a result of this brand consciousness.
The luxury products market in India is expanding its ambit from the conspicuous-
consumption consumers of the early years to the truly affluent households that wish to stand
apart from the crowd. In the rapid growth of the luxury market, the consumers are accepting
and adopting global trends much faster than anticipated. Digital and social media have made
it possible for companies to connect with the once hard-to-reach Indian consumer. Align on
anticipated growth rates of 20% given the tremendous potential waiting to be harnessed such
products: apparel and accessories, pens, home décor, watches, wines & spirits & jewelry etc.
For the success of any brand the most important thing Is to keep the customers happy. With a
return rate of 35%, Once Upon A Trunk has definitely done something right in order to
achieve this, but what the brand needs is a push to convert and acquire more customers. With
various strategies and recommended solutions, it can achieve the same.
The goal is to reach 10,000 customers within the next two months, and increase the rate
Page | 148
constantly by 10%. More incentives and variety brought in by the designers will assure its
success.
From the above analysis, it is clear that the business proposition of doing a category extension
from apparels to home & décor definitely has potential and can do very well in future. To
take this study further a detailed plan is given in the recommendations along with the go-to
market strategy where clearly the launch of the idea is shown. This dissertation document
would therefore act as a backbone for that would provide an organized sector for home &
décor.
Page | 149
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Page | 152
Annexure
To understand the women demographics of online
shopping.
Dear Ma’am,
I am a student of Pearl Academy, doing a research project. The following information will be only used for
academic purposes only.
1. Age
Mark only one oval.
18-24
25-30
31-37
37 & above
2. How often do you shop online?

Mark only one oval.
Once a week
Once a month
Once in 3 months
Never shopped online
3. Would you prefer shopping more from a particular site if it has an offline presence as well?
Mark only one oval.
Yes
No
Maybe
4. Would you prefer shopping more from a particular site if they offer to deliver it through female
staff?
Mark only one oval.
Yes
No
Maybe
5. What are the top most categories you shop for online?
You can choose more than 1 option.
Check all that apply.
Cosmetics
Medicines
Clothes & Accessories
Electronics
Groceries & Household Items
6. What attracts you the most?

You can choose more than 1 option.
Cash On Delivery
Discounts
Buy 1 Get 1
Extended Warranty
Try & Buy
Customization
Hassle Free Returns
Other:
7. Which mode of payment do you prefer the most?

Mark only one oval.
Cash On Delivery
Card Payment
Wallet (Paytm, Mobikwik ec.)
Net Banking
Powered by
INTRODUCING HOME & DÉCOR ON ONCE UPON A
TRUNK
This Questionnaire is only for Academic purpose and all! Your information will strictly be kept confidential
and would be used only for analysis purposes only.
Once upon a trunk is an online shopping site for fashion &

lifestyle in India. They are known to offer unique shopping
experience outside the box, by recognized independent
designers who are known to experiment craft in beautiful and
unique ways.They adhere in designer crafted shoes, clothing,
accessories and lifestyle products for both women & men.
1. Please specify your gender?

Mark only one oval.
Female
Male
2. What age group do you fall in?

Mark only one oval.
18-25
26-33
34-41
41 & above
3. What is your monthly average family income?
Mark only one oval.
Less than 2 lakhs

2 – 4 lakhs
4 – 6 lakhs
6 – 8 lakhs
More than 8 lakhs
4. Do you shop online?

Mark only one oval.
Yes
No
5. How likely are you to shop for Home & Décor products online?
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4 5
Not Likely Very Likely
6. How do you update yourself with new trends & products of home & décor? (You can choose
more than 1 option)
Exhibitions/Events
Internet (Blogs)
Social Media (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest)
Magazines
Other:
7. Have you shopped from any of these sites?

Natty.in
The Wishing Chair
Bunosilos
Jaypore
Craftsvilla
Other:
8. If yes, how satisfied were you with the shopping experience?
Mark only one oval per row.
Highly Not Satisfied Not Satisfied Neutral Satisfied Highly Satisfied

Availability of products
Price
Delivery Time
Quality
Variety
After Sales Services
9. Which of these products would you like to buy online? (You can choose more than 1)
Bedsheet Sets
Cushions
Cushion Covers
Bedcover Sets
Pillows
Rugs
Boxes
Cosmetic Boxes & Bags
Napkins
Runners
Mirrors
Stationery (Planners, Greeting Cards, Folders etc.)
Passport Covers
Dustbins
Wall Accessories
Trunks
Coasters
Cake Stands
Trays
10. On the scale of 5, what factors would ideally determine whether you will buy Home & Decor or
not?
Mark only one oval per row.
Least Important Not Important Neutral Important Very Important

Quality
Price
Special Offers
Designer Name
Variety
Delivery Time
After Sales Services
11. How likely is it that you would buy Home & Décor products from Once Upon A Trunk?
Mark only one oval.
1 2 3 4 5
Not Likely Very Likely
Powered by
OUAT code (not to
VENDOR STYLE FABRIC Type of Work made to order lead Margi
S.NO Image be filled by the COLOUR Product title stock available MRP
CODE COMPOSITION (emb/printed) time n
vendor)
1 Lotus Love LMM-DEC-17-01 Pink and Peach Earring Stand Wood Decoupage Yes 7 days 2150 30%
White and Pink

2 Kiss from a Rose LMM-DEC-17-02 with polkas
Hangers Wood Decoupage Yes 7 days 1950 30%
White and Mint

3 Blushing Roses LMM-DEC-17-03 with hints of Gold
Hangers Wood Decoupage Yes 7 days 1950 30%

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Once Upon A Trunk: E-Commerce Category

Extension from Apparel to Home & Decor

Submitted By: Shweta Gupta

Submitted on: 30th April, 2018

Name – Shweta Gupta

Date –30th April, 2018

A sincere acknowledgement to Ms. Priya Mary Mathew, Head of School of Creative

Name – Shweta Gupta

Chapter-1: Company Overview

Chapter-3: Research Process 75

Author- Shweta Gupta

1. ONCE UPON A TRUNK

Officially Launched On: 2014

Fig.1: Website Homepage

1.1 VISION AND MISSION

1.2.1 TRY AND BUY

Fig.2&3: Try & Buy Trunk

Fig.4: Customization Banner

Chart 1: Organizational Hierarchy

Fig.5 & 6: Logos

1.5 MARKETING MIX

Fig.7: Marketing Mix

Anarkali, Suits, Shararas, Sarees, Kurtas, Lehengas, Dupattas

• College student receive 10% discount on showing student ID

Fig.19 & 20: E-Mailers

Exhibitions & Events

Fig.24: Exhibition Invite

Fig.25: Event Invite

Fig.26: Packaging Boxes

• The Pink Elephant

Fig.28: Designer Page Screenshot

Fig.29: Designer Page Screenshot

1.7 KEY INFLUENCERS FOR CUSTOMERS

• Dominance: A fast fashion system combines quick response production capabilities

1.8 BRAND IDENTITY PRISM

Fig.30: Brand Prism

1.9 SWOT ANALYSIS

1.10 COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

Fig.31: The Loom

Table 1: Competitor Analysis

2.1.1 GROWTH OF E-COMMERCE INDUSTRY

Fig. 33: Organized v/s Unorganized Retail

Fig. 34: E-Commerce Expenses

Fig. 35: Online Sales

Fig. 36: E-Commerce Expenses

2.1.1.1 E-COMMERCE WEBSITE

DIFFERENT TYPES OF E-COMMERCE WEBSITES:

Figure 37: Types of websites (Source: jobsxs, 2017)

2.1.2 ADVANTAGES OF ECOMMERCE

 Personalized Online Experience: Some websites offer personalized/customizable

2.1.2 DISADVANTAGES OF ECOMMERCE

 Fast changing business environment: Technology evolves so fast. Some entrepreneurs

 Glitches and technical problems can occur: It is impossible to control technical

Figure 38: Growth in Retail Segment

2.1.3 CURRENT PLAYERS IN THE E-COMMERCE MARKET

2.1.4 MILLENNIALS WOMEN DEMOGRAPHICS OF ONLINE

 45% said if Etailers have an offline presence.

Top Categories among women:

2.1.5 CASH ON DELIVERY V/S CASHLESS TRANSACTIONS

Figure 39: COD v/s Cashless Transactions

2.1.6 FACTORS PROMPTING SALES

Fig.40: Reasons people prefer online shopping