Brands
Pepperfry reveals 2023 trends with launch of its ‘Home Beat’ Report
Mumbai: Pepperfry, the e-commerce platform for Furniture and Home Goods, has unveiled a compelling narrative in its Home Beat Report 2023. Based on all transactions made on the platform from January 1 to December 11, 2023, the Pepperfry Home Beat Report 2023 provides interesting insights into consumer trends as well as the home goods purchasing habits of Indians from different states and cities of the country.
According to the report, Maharashtra led the demand surge for Furniture and Home Goods among Indian states in 2023. The other states that feature among the top five for buying Furniture and Home Goods in 2023 were Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi.
In 2023, India witnessed a notable shift in home shopping patterns, revealing a surge in demand for personalized home decor and furnishings. Pepperfry’s comprehensive analysis highlighted this trend, indicating a growing consumer inclination towards enhancing their living spaces. Projections indicate Tier 1 and Tier 2 markets as pivotal growth drivers in the forthcoming 3-5 years, propelled by evolving consumer behaviour and economic advancements. The rapid rise of organized retail in the Furniture and Home Goods sectors underscores the significance of an Omni Channel strategy, pivotal in instilling consumer trust. With an increasing focus on home aesthetics, the Home Goods category is poised for remarkable expansion, fuelled by consumers’ desires to tailor their homes to reflect their personalities.
Pepperfry chief executive officer Ashish Shah said, “Pepperfry’s Home Beat Report 2023 illuminates the evolving landscape of Furniture and Home Goods consumption, providing a comprehensive overview of consumer preferences in a country as diverse as India. It gives a fascinating insight into the lifestyle of each region and their home décor priorities. The report highlights how consumption patterns and preferences change from one region to another and how India is decorating their Homes.”
Pepperfry chief category officer Kushal Budhia added, “We are excited to share significant insights gleaned from our customers over the past year. Whether in a bustling Metro city or a Tier-II location, the Indian buyer is making a distinct mark. The diversity in their purchases is truly heartening, ranging from sofas to shoe racks, wall art to dhurries, and home fragrances. As we step into 2024, it will be fascinating to observe the trajectory of these trends.”
The products that were high in demand in 2023 from among Pepperfry’s more than 50 Furniture categories and more than 120 Home Goods categories were sofas, beds, study tables, office furniture, centre tables, bed sheets, cushions and covers, bath linen, mattresses, and lamps. The diverse range of high-quality products offered by the brand also witnesses impressive sales frequency. Brisk sales of specific products take place every 10, 15, 30 minutes, and hourly intervals, catering to the diverse needs of valued customers.
When it comes to pan-India appeal, there was a high demand for 2-seater sofas, Queen Beds, Queen-size bedsheets, and office chairs across India. Remarkably, among sofa categories, sofa-cum-beds emerged as the most sought-after product, with a substantial number of purchases recorded in Mumbai, a place where space is precious to come by. Mumbai, ranking third among the top five cities to witness substantial traction in furniture and Home Goods purchases, is leading in several categories.
Pepperfry, in its 12 years, has gone on to become the largest marketplace in e-commerce Furniture and Home Goods. It is consistently living up to its commitment to excellence and relentless pursuit of making every house a warm and inviting home. With over a lakh listings representing more than 1,000 brands, and a presence in 170 stores across 90 cities, the e-commerce furniture brand is dedicated to serving customers in over 300 cities. The company boasts an impressive, owned supply chain, ensuring timely deliveries to more than 200 cities.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
