“The use of sustainable products in the lifestyle section is booming, be it the surge of clean beauty products or the use of organic cotton fabric in everyday apparel or home décor articles made with natural material,” says Gunjan Jindal Poddar, founder, Amala Earth, an earth-friendly, conscious marketplace.
After functioning as a sustainable e-marketplace for three years, the company, which serves as a one-step shop for items ranging from health and beauty products to fashion and home décor, launched its first concept store in Delhi recently.
“In a world dominated by all things digital, there is a growing desire for tangible experiences that resonate on a deeper level. The store aims to recognise the craftsmanship and unparalleled expertise infused into every handcrafted creation, offering a holistic shopping experience,” Poddar commented on delving into the physical space.
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Amala Earth is one among the increasing number of sustainable marketplaces in India that are working towards offering consumers a one-stop shop for all things sustainable. This is especially crucial at a time when the grilling impact of climate change is felt across the country – from the heatwave and water shortage in Bengaluru, to the lack of snowfall during the peak season in the Himalayas earlier this year. And average consumers are increasingly waking up to this reality.
As per a survey by Bain & Company released in November, consumers in India are willing to pay an over 20% premium for sustainable items. This was the highest amongst the 11 nations surveyed for which the average was 12%. In an earlier survey by American Express Trendex, 87% of the Indians surveyed said they always or often purchase sustainable products. On top of that, 98% of the respondents said they want to spend on items that would build low-carbon communities around the world.
While Amala Earth is opening shop offline, Vanity Wagon, a clean beauty marketplace, announced a partnership with Shoppers Stop last year under which the company would be the exclusive curator of clean beauty products for Shopper Stop’s both offline and online stores.
“Our partnership strengthens the clean beauty community and promotes an interconnected business ecosystem,” Vanity Wagon’s co-founder and CEO Prateek Ruhail said then. The company has 300 brands listed on its website, and reportedly has plans to become a Rs 100-crore company in the next three years.
Today, “consumers are looking for solutions that are healthier for them, their families, and the environment as they strive for a conscious way of living,” said Poddar, adding that in just three years, “the Amala Earth marketplace community is 800 homegrown brands strong and offers over 60,000 earth-friendly products.”
Similar is the case with Brown Living, another sustainable e-marketplace launched by Chaitsi Ahuja. “At Brown Living, our goal is to make sustainability mainstream,” says the company, which not only offers a platform to sustainable brands but also claims to deliver the items without any waste or plastic. Since November 2019, “we have been able to save 2,37,862 kgs of plastic from entering landfills,” it says.
Offering products across lifestyle categories, Brown Living has over 65,000 earth-friendly products from over 400 sellers across the country. “Through our consciously curated lists of highly-vetted makers and their products, we aim to build a community that then promotes a waste-free and plastic-free lifestyle to their peers and social circles,” Ahuja said, as per an earlier report published in FE.
Last year, the entrepreneur was also a part of The Google For Startups Accelerator — India Women Founders, a three-month programme for women entrepreneurs, who are using technology to solve problems and making a positive impact on society.
Not only consumers, investors, too, are increasingly looking for sustainability solutions, as according to a report by the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing and Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, published in January, 77% of the investors globally showed interest in firms that prioritise their environmental and social impact. Adding to that, 60% of the investors indicated allocating funds towards sustainable investments in the coming years.
The interest among both consumers and investors reflect in the lifestyle space, with enterprises offering solutions and influencing on what a consumer spends.
From: financialexpress
Financial News
