[Exclusive Interview] India's 1st Combo Deal Ecommerce Portal Aims To Disrupt $110 Billion Indian Ecommerce Industry

Recently, we interacted with Pooja Sodhi and Saurabh Nanda, co-founders of Combonation, which is India’s first combo deals e-commerce portal, enabling thousands of online shoppers to save money, and grab best deals.

Here are the highlights from the interview!

1. Please give a brief description of your company, the founder’s background, and your business model

Combonation is India’s first combo deals e-commerce portal with “all in one” online feature, where people can purchase products from grocery, housekeeping, personal care, baby care, beauty, and men’s grooming categories. With more than 1000 brands of pre-curated combos, ranging from cosmetics, healthcare and wellness, and organic goods. Combonation has a diverse workforce with extensive retail experience, and it is backed by the promoters of Nature Essence, a 20-year-old skincare company. We offer 100% authentic products, free shipping, hassle-free delivery, relevant recommendations from AI-enabled tools, rapid customer service, secure payment, and simple returns and refunds.

The company is led by Pooja Sodhi and   Saurabh Nanda. Pooja is a Woman Entrepreneur, with an experience of over 20 years in the telecom & marketing industries.  Saurabh Nanda is a promoter of Nature’s essence and a present promoter of the top-notch makeup brand Coloressence. We are operating on a D2C channel with both e-commerce platforms and offline retail stores. 

2.  Why did you feel a need to establish India’s first deal e-commerce platform

India has a great history in retailing, though in the ancient era we have observed diversity in food and clothing patterns in India. Thereupon, environmental circumstances governed the retailing scenario in India. The Indian e-commerce market is predicted to develop at a 19.24% CAGR to US$ 111.40 billion by 2025, up from US$ 46.20 billion in 2020, with food and fashion/apparel set to be the primary drivers of further growth. The trend has only continued, especially as more industries seek to expand their manufacturing operations. With the development of the economy, rural as well as urban areas are beginning to flourish and play a more active role in contributing to India’s e-commerce activities. These locations offer a larger network of untapped resources and consumer bases for e-commerce businesses than ever.

Furthermore, the creation of Digital India in 2015 aided in the provision of Internet connectivity and the affordability of technology. Following the introduction of the campaign, India’s internet usage increased dramatically, creating an amazing chance for E-Commerce companies to provide their services. Similarly, with a goal to make customer experience convenient and streamlined, while availing them with the best of the deals and the finest combo offers on their favorite brands! Unlike many other online retailers, the offers and discounts are specially chosen by combining products from your favorite brands across multiple categories. 

3. How has AR enhanced the reality of online shopping

The retail industry has experienced a number of opportunities for growth since Augmented Reality has been introduced. Even if people have grown accustomed to the concept of e-commerce, there are still some purchases that require a little more domain knowledge. Which can act as a potential barrier when trying to sell a specific range of products online. However, Augmented Reality has made the process and experience easier for E-commerce audiences and Businesses. Before making a purchase, e-commerce buyers can sample products or experience services in their own environment and on their own time using Augmented Reality. If you’re offering a product that requires some learning before it’s easy for new consumers to use, an interactive user manual could be a wonderful AR application to help users better grasp how your product works. 

Much augmented reality user manual apps scan the product and indicate the buttons in the real-world environment with graphical arrows and text animations. Now that you understand the many forms of augmented reality, associated use cases, and benefits of employing it, you can decide whether it’s the best decision for your company.

4. How should businesses optimize digital strategies for conversion

Entrepreneurs who wish to increase sales or generate leads should optimize their digital approach for conversions. Remarketing or retargeting allows you to go back in time and reclaim transactions that were lost when purchasers changed their minds at the last minute. A successful digital strategy begins with a thorough understanding of your target demographic. You’ll be able to generate content that speaks directly to your target clients if you know who they are and what they respond to. This is critical for increasing conversions since the more relevant your material is, the more likely people are to engage with it and share it with others. One of the simplest methods to improve your digital strategy for higher conversions can be done through adding Human touch. 

People are far more likely to do business with you if they can relate to your brand. Including a human touch also aids in the development of trust, which is vital for converting leads into consumers. Individuals buy from people they trust, so ensure that your digital strategy reflects this. One Such ongoing, campaign designed by Combonation is #ShadiWaliShopping. It is thought of and structured especially by taking a closer look at the wedding season in India from November onwards till February.   The Campaign brings multiple brand combo deals for customers. People looking to shop for a wide variety of wedding-related items such as tailored gift sets, grooming kits, makeup and cosmetics, and a host of other accessories can benefit from the array of deals under this campaign. Popular brands like Lakmé, Faces, BodyCare, Minimalist, etc are available at exciting top-up offers ranging from 20%- 100%. 

5. How personalized filters, big data, chatbots, and API-driven e-commerce sites have changed and what can be expected in 2023

Post covid there has been a behavrioul shift in the purchasing pattern of consumers caused by the innovations in e-commerce domain. With compounding advancements in technology, there’s something new competing for online retailers’ attention every day. Over the past couple of years, AI technology has matured and become a powerful tool to boost sales and optimize operations. Even many small ecommerce businesses are using technology with some kind of AI capability. As per recent reports, chatbots will be the main customer service tool for 25% of companies by 2027.

API-driven E-commerce solutions allow businesses to optimize their processes — from content management to fulfillment — and get access to the most sophisticated, flexible, and cutting edge front-end applications, without having to build anything in the back-end. Big data enables e-commerce companies to improve decision making, gain a competitive advantage, enhance their performance, products, and operational processes. It also allows customer behavior analysis and prompts the discovery of actionable insights.

It is only right to say that with technology driven approach the ecommerce business both in India and abroad will grow multifolds. However, it is unlikely that retail stores are going away, shopping in the end by design is a rather social activity than personal and hence, customer experience and engagement will dictate the trajectory of the business.

6. What are your goals for the financial year 2023? Any further geographical expansions or plans in FY2023

The primary goal of Combonation’s inception was to prevent pricing discrepancies from disrupting business for the firms that had signed on. Due to substantial discounts available in the online format, product combinations make it impossible to compare prices across different items.

 Combonation has over 1000 brands of pre-curated combos, ranging from cosmetics, healthcare and wellness, and organic goods. The company has grown multi-folds at a significantly fast pace since it first revealed its first retail store in the Greater Kailash 1 area of New Delhi.

Combonation has recently raised pre-seed funding worth two million dollars in its latest funding round.  The funds will be employed primarily for the company’s expansion, including technology and recruitment. In addition, approximately 50 offline retail stores will be opened in the Delhi NCR over the next six months. The organization has stated that it has plans to grow to more than 100 locations in Northern India.