The Kirana Benefactor: Shruti, Co-founder and CEO, ApnaKlub The company holds the full stack of logistics and operates its own warehouses + fleet of vehicles, aside from an omnichannel ordering app. So far ApnaKlub has served over 55,000 retailers and 250+ brands, reaching nearly 25 lakh families
By Priya Kapoor
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In Indian households, Kirana stores hold an important place for meeting their day to day needs. But a lot of kiranas fail due to stock management issues-balancing supply and demand while optimizing inventory turnover can be a tricky task. Sensing this problem of retailers (kiranas), Shruti (who goes by her first name), an IIT-Delhi and Harved Business School alumni started ApnaKlub in 2020.
Shruti says that they offer a better assortment of FMCG goods (exclusive products, higher margins and good turnovers, at the correct pricing (which brands want to offer). "We offer delivery in 24-36 hours at their doorstep (which saves time, cost of transport, and hassle), and working capital credit which allows them to expand the inventory they can keep on hand," says Shruti, who also had a stint with Bain and Company before.
It was during the pandemic that Shruti observed the struggles of retailers. "Investigating further and over a longer period we realized the true issue is that General Trade retailers faced challenges in sourcing the right quantity and assortment of goods, leading to dissatisfaction from consumers (who start looking online and in big chain stores) and this reduces income as sales dips, and sales from higher margin articles is missed out," says Shurti.
The model helps increase retailers' sales, thereby increasing incomes earned by them. "We focus on Indiaspecific needs, connecting brands with consumers in non-metro cities, supporting local retail entrepreneurs agains large corporations. We champion wealth creation in local economies, ensuring profits stay within locality and multiplying its economic impact."
The company holds the full stack of logistics and operates its own warehouses + fleet of vehicles, aside from an omnichannel ordering app. So far ApnaKlub has served over 55,000 retailers and 250+ brands, reaching nearly 25 lakh families. Shruti says that 2023 was a breakout year, achieving a topline of over 720 CR+ (ARR) with strong margin growth. "We successfully launched our Bharat-focused cleaning and food brands - Glenzo, Apna Shine, and Nutphat, gaining significant traction in nonmetro markets."
The company is close to attaining break-even, maintaining operational profitability for several months. It has raised a total of $16 million in a series A round of funding, and is also developing an offline channel program for mass and masspremium brands in North India's General Trade. It is backed by Whiteboard Capital, Blume Ventures, Surge (Peak XV), Flourish, Tiger Global, 361 Ventures, ICMG Ventures and Alteria Capital.
"Our focus is on conquering domestic markets before expanding to similar emerging markets globally."
FACTSHEET:
No. Of Founders : 4
No. Of Employees : 300+
Year Of Inception; 2019
