When Sugar Cosmetics opened his Colaba Causeway store in Mumbai, the CEO and Shark Tank India Vineeta Singh judge had a major concern – street stands blocking the store’s visibility. A year later, this concern turned into an unexpected commercial victory.
Sharing experience on LinkedIn, Vineeta wrote: “Before signing the lease of our Colaba Causeway store, we had apprehensions on street stands blocking our visibility from the main road. But Colaba is Colaba – Each store has a stand at the front, and it is the stands that have more inheritance than stores, so we decided to try it. »»
Over the next 12 months, store sales have soaked, with frequent purchases exceeding 1 lakh. Curious about this trend, Vineeta decided to investigate.
She found that the fastest growth clientele in the store was Arab women visiting Mumbai for medical tourism. “They like Indian makeup because they also have hot shades like us and need products that are suitable for hot weather, but how do they discover?” She wrote.
The answer was just outside the store – Suraj, a fruit seller whose stand has been there for years. Many Arab women have stopped by its stand to buy local fruit, preferring them to those imported. Having picked up the Arabic over time, Suraj would ask them if they wanted “Kahaal Al Hindi” (Indian Kajal), leading them to explore the products of Sugar. The result? Bulk purchases, each customer collecting 15 to 20 pieces of their favorite shades.
The collaboration was not unilateral. Megha, who heads the Sugar store, also runs customers to the Suraj fruit stand. When business is slow, she invites Suraj and her father inside for tea, using time to learn Arabic – in particular the words related to makeup. “So when Megha has foreign customers, in her broken Arabic, is also able to remind them of shopping authentic Indian fruits before leaving,” said Vineeta.
By concluding her article, she wrote: “India is really a land of entrepreneurs. And although we must have processes and systems, in my limited retail experience, it is the people who make the biggest difference – sometimes, people who do not even belong to the system. »»
The story has resonated with a lot, which hailed organic success and focused on man.
“It is such a brilliant example of how human connections stimulate business in a way that no strategy game could never! Sometimes the best brand ambassadors are not on the wage bill but just outside the door,” said a user.
Another called it “a masterclass in organic marketing”, applauding Suraj’s initiative and Megha’s cultural adaptability.
A third summed it perfectly: “A wonderful example of community entrepreneurship! Ideas like Arab women loving Indian makeup are gold – something that no market study could fully capture.”
At a time of data -based strategies, this story recalls that sometimes the best growth in businesses occurs thanks to simple human connections.
