Anveya: A D2C brand trying to find local solutions to curly hair

With curl-centric hair care products to temporary hair colour, Anveya is trying to find a business model in the hitherto unaddressed niche in India

Today, people prefer products that resonate with their personalities. And that was the core thought behind the inception of Anveya, a sustainable and organic haircare and skincare brand that is primarily targeted at curly-haired people.

Founders Saurav Patnik and Vivek Singh wanted to offer consumers a brand that promotes personalization. So, they developed products that filled a particular gap in the market for curly-haired people.

Finding the niche

The founders did not have to look too far to get their business idea: they got one from one of the founder’s own life experiences. Singh’s wife, who has curly hair, often shopped for products for her hair whenever she travelled outside India as such products were virtually alien to India. So the two partners found their niche—curly hair.

The brand focuses on curly hair care which is a relatively new segment in the Indian market, thus making it interesting for people who couldn’t find the right products for their hair.

They then went on to develop other unique products such as temporary one wash hair colour make-up. However, before developing each of its products, Anveya surveyed a host of consumers and tried to address what they found. “We have put in 18 months behind each product unlike a lot of mass brands which would release new products every month,” said Patnaik, chief operating officer and co-founder of Anveya.

Online to offline

Having started online, like most D2C brands, Anveya too will take the omnichannel route. “In the last few years, we have been seeing inbound demand from offline retail as well. We will be taking our first few steps into offline retail this year. We have already had some pop-ups and events that have given us the confidence that we can work well in offline space,” said Patnaik.

The brand plans to operate in multiple models including kiosks, franchise models and collaborations.

“After looking at the feedback and tracking the locations that get us the most orders, we will plan expansion in the offline sector. We already have warehouses in 16-20 locations across the country, therefore, it would make it easier for us to operate physically at any location,” added Patnaik.

Marketing strategy

Curly hair care is a relatively new segment in the Indian market. Anveya, therefore, is putting a lot of effort into educating the consumer. It plans to talk about curl confidence and create similar content to inspire more curly-hair audiences to begin their journey in this direction.

The brand has also expanded into hair colours with temporary hair colour, and semi-permanent hair colour products, which need to reach the right audience. “We are excited to show the world the limitless possibilities with hair colour. We will be taking this excitement forward in our marketing plans too,” said Patnaik.

Apart from traditional marketing mechanisms, the brand also looks forward to working with beauty and fashion influencers.

Supply chain

Supply chain is the backbone of any D2C first brand. And that is why Patnaik and Singh wanted to have full control over theirs. So, the brand manufactures most of the ingredients including the hyaluronic acid used in the products.

“We are deeply involved in the formulations, procurements, and production of all our products. We have an internal R&D team and facility. We work with some of the top ingredient providers and manufacturers that specialize in their respective beauty categories,” said Patnaik.

“We operate through our own as well as third-party warehousing facilities. And work with the best logistics service providers to get our products to our customers fast and sure,” he added.

The tech angle

Another aspect that the duo decided to keep under its own control is technology. The brand uses third-generation flex technology, which was built in-house. “We figured if we do it from another vendor, then it won’t work, therefore, we built the role technology ourselves. It took us a year to build, but it cost one-third of what it would have otherwise cost, which is an advantage for us and gave us independence,” said Patnaik.

Not everything is done online and the brand works with e-commerce tech providers Shopify and the marketing automation platform WebEngage as well. “We’re also using a few warehouse/orders management and logistics tech that is proving useful,” he added.

On the growth path

The brand has come a long way since its launch in February 2019, despite the Covid 19 pandemic. Sometimes, the brand’s fast success even surprised its founders. “At a point when we were expecting ₹60,00,000 sales in a month, we touched ₹5 crores a month,” said Patnaik, who feels that the key lies in listening to its customers. It is what builds the connection and brings them back.

The brand sees about 40% repeat customers every month. “We keep taking feedback from customers, which helps us to cater to their needs in a better manner, thus making the customer feel valued and happy,” added Patnaik.

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