Most Indian buyers shop online for three reasons only – 1) Discounts 2) Discounts 3) Discounts.
But where does that leave the discerning Buyer who is looking for fun, quirky products that fulfill a special need. Where does he go when he needs a gift for his Comic Con attending Best Friend, the perfect gadget for his Tech Geek Dad or the perfect Desk Accessory to brighten up his workspace?
Handtribe was built as the answer to that. It is a peer to peer marketplace that sources products from Micro-Entrepreneurs & SME’s, all across the country, to bring the best of the internet to you. The Founders Arihant Singhvi & Manavika Phukan, former colleagues at TimeOut Magazine, got together to realize their shared vision of reinventing eCommerce in India. After spending many days holed up in the various Coffee Shops across Mumbai, the idea of creating a Marketplace that empowers both Small Sellers as well as Buyers was formulated, thus giving rise to Handtribe.
Handtribe is unique in that not only does it feature curated products but also the fact that Sellers get a chance to run their online business all on their own terms - be it deciding their Return policies, choosing their own Shipping Partners along with being able to message Buyers and answer their queries. As for Buyers - it is the first platform to provide multiple features such as Customization of Products, Buying Digital Media Products such as Photographs and being able to contact Sellers directly – all under one roof. They work on a commission basis, earning a % of the order value on each transaction.
The website currently caters to an Indian audience but has plans to scale operations internationally. The vision of the company is to create a Social Marketplace that fosters the community of creative enthusiasts from all across the world.
Despite the stiff competition and current slowdown in eCommerce, the Founders are of the opinion that while the going gets tough in the short run, the industry as a whole is going to benefit from the struggle as India’s eCommerce industry is expected to cross $38 billion in value by 2020, so the idea is to continue with differentiating and promoting your platform as you grow.
In a span of 4 months, the platform has managed to add 200+ vendors to its marketplace selling a catalog of over 20,000 products throughout India. It has also gained recognition for its catalog by winning the Debutante e-Retailer of the Year Award at the star Retailer Awards in 2016, barely two months after its launch.
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Soumya is a young writer and journalist, with bachelors in Multimedia and Mass Communication. She is an alumini of the Asian College of Journalism, and finds politics and sustainability intriguing beats to work with.
