Thursday, May 21, 2009

XLRI Duo to Open e-store: Brandtadka.com

Jamshedpur, May 20: Want an Olive green branded T-shirt? Log on and have it delivered at your doorstep. Two second-year students of XLRI School of Business and Human Resources are set to make men’s shopping easy and fun.

Branded apparels from stores in Jamshedpur and Calcutta will now find a place on brandtadka.com, part of XLRI’s first commercial venture in the city.

B. Prathik and Manoj Joshi, two business management students heading the e-commerce plan aim to bring popular brands on one platform, giving competition to single-branded stores.

“We want to make online shopping an experience. The concept came from our own shopping habits. Brand conscious people look out for their preferred colour and the perfect fit and we are going to give it to them,” promised Joshi, adding that seniors had inspired them by taking up similar projects as a part of social entrepreneurship, but this was pure business. The venture is being funded by the two students and a third-party.

The students feel what sets them apart from other online shopping websites is a tool called “wardrobe management”. The website will use this system to ensure that fitting of garments bought would not be an issue for the customer. The students did not wish to elaborate on this yet, as the website was still under construction.

Among the list of items to be made available on brandtadka.com were fabric, accessories like ties, cuff links, belts, caps and branded merchandise. Levi’s Signature and New Bombay Stores, based in Jamshedpur, have already signed up. A store from Calcutta is also on board. Zodiac, Lee, Wrangler, Polo, Arrow and Adidas will also have merchandise on display in the first phase.

The website will also provide style tips every day.

The duo plans to have more brands on board and also expand the delivery to cities other than Jamshedpur.

“We feel stores have space constraint issues. Here, a customer can log in, find his favourite items, surf through the entire range and place an order. The products will be delivered at their doorstep and one can opt for cash on delivery,” said Prathik.

The young entrepreneurs are getting full support from XLRI to start the venture. It has allowed them to use the XLRI address for registration purposes and has also given them office space on campus.

“We are trying to provide all possible help. We will try to link them with the finance houses if they have funding issues. We want to promote entrepreneurship,” said Prabal Kumar Sen, chairperson of the Entrepreneurship Development Cell, XLRI.

1 comment:

tush said...

Way to go manoj and prathik!!

Congratulations and all the very best!