Chumbak- A Quirky Indian Store

Chumbak Story

Chumbak is ranked third among Bangalore's top ten startups. Among the younger generation, it is a well-known startup. They sell coffee mugs, posters, t-shirts, iPhone cases, backpacks, and other apparel and accessories. It all began with Vivek Prabhakar and Shubhra Chadda's passion for travel and souvenir collection. Chumbak, which means "magnet" in Sanskrit, was launched in Bangalore in the year 2010 with the goal of creating entertaining and interesting souvenirs and collectibles for travellers and visitors.

Growth of Chumbak

India served as a source of inspiration to them. Chumbak has evolved into an internationally influenced lifestyle brand that creates happy goods in areas such as home decoration, fashion, accessories, and personal care, all of which are meant to cheer up your home, workplace, and wardrobe. Their products and designs are inspired by cultures and art forms from all over the world, mixed with a happy and uplifting fun, bright, and modern style. Chumbak has grown to become a lifestyle brand with locations in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi. It also has flagship locations in Bengaluru and Delhi, as well as 35 pop-up shops around the country.

Vivek, the Co-Founder, says of the original concept that led to Chumbak: They had become tired with the standard marble Taj Mahal replicas and handicrafts that had become the sole souvenir choice for travellers. They believed that visitors and tourists deserved more trendy alternatives that still reflected India and its culture and heritage. Chumbak was born as a result of this.

Growth Prospects

Chumbak began with a seed investment of INR 40 lakhs from their savings and has now expanded its product line to include stationery, purses & wallets, jewellery, key chains, clothing, and home furnishings. According to Vivek, they discovered that Chumbak's biggest admirers were young Indians who proudly wore their country on their sleeves. 

Chumbak moved from being a souvenir business to being a symbol of this new India once they realised their clients wanted more. The products were first put at MBOs (Modern Brand Outlets), but the company quickly got feedback that buyers wanted to see all of their products in one location. Pop-up stores began to appear in prominent malls around the country as a result of this. They moved from a niche brand to a household brand in the gifting and collectibles market throughout the country in such a flash it was all in an instance.

First Brand Flagship Store

The designs had begun to shift away from early India-themed goods toward a more whimsical and modern India. Chumbak now portrays India and the culture in a modern quirky way that fascinates more buyers. Chumbak debuted its first flagship shop in Indiranagar, where it also debuted specialty goods in the Home and Decor area. Chumbak's colour and design appeal were preserved, but it was presented to the clients in a whole new light on dinnerware, lamps, dining accessories, wall art, and much more. However, no success tale is complete without obstacles. The difficulties began with bringing all of the items together in one location - the pop-up shops. It wasn't simple, according to Vivek, to pick the correct model, store size, and type of space. This was the first time a brand was displayed as a solo store. 

The flagship shops confronted a similar issue, but on a far bigger scale. They had to come up with a completely new category, sell it, merchandise it, and come up with marketing language for it. Vivek claims that it was a wild time, but that they had a great time. They came out of it better, stronger, and with more vitality, according to Vivek. Chumbak has evolved from a 30-person team to presently employing many more individuals across all departments. Since the introduction of the new website, they've seen a substantial increase in their tech staff, and the production has been excellent with the continuous development of the online business.

The team thinks that the different retail forays have determined its development. Vivek claims that their kiosk company and the increasing large store footprint have completely distinct growth stories. Average basket sizes have doubled in their major shops since the launch of the home line, and this trend is being replicated on their website. In terms of gauging demand and delivering for all channels, Vivek says the obstacles of having a strong online and offline presence are extremely different.

Apart from their presence on Flipkart and Amazon, which includes a brand shop on Amazon, they are devoted to creating an equally powerful Chumbak web store that is excellent in experience and quality. The group also plans to keep exploring how design is thought about and developed. The Indian customer has developed over time. They are increasingly exposed to many design styles from around the world adds Vivek.

Website: https://www.chumbak.com/