This Delhi Based Startup Enables Brands to Capitalize on Omni-channel Opportunities

Staunch is regarded as one of the Largest distributors for the e-commerce space in India offering an exceptional amenity to the patrons. Staunch is the one stop shop for all big brands in various categories. Staunch enable brands to capitalize on Omni-channel opportunities.

Staunch caters to all sorts of brands and categories which include small as well as large products in the market. Staunch has been founded in 2014 in New Delhi & have own warehouses in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru with a team strength of 50+ people addition to above 10+ warehouses PAN India. The company is a principal distributor of numerous product classes and has now extended its arm in import-export, after sales service and marketing assistance for the brands. In the year 2014, Kartik Agarwal after completing Bachelors in Business from IILM, launched Staunch to provide omni-channel presence to various Indian and Global Brands helping them expand their reach across the nooks and corners of the country in no time as well as for biggies to leverage online distribution to set up a new and futuristic dimension of growth. He follows a ‘customer-first’ approach at Staunch that influences the team to deliver substantial value to its clients. We are publishing an interview with Mr. Kartik Agarwal – CEO, Staunch.

Q.: What is the problem you are trying to solve? Can you share with us any insights that led you to believe that this is a big enough problem?
Ans:One of the major challenges for companies is to be able to chart out a perfect distribution strategy for their products. This includes finding the right market mix and deciding the suitable channels to make their products reach the market faster. Staunch helps companies achieve this and at the same time, deliver greater customer satisfaction. The company has been acknowledged for channelizing the entire spectrum of retail solutions to target multi-fold growth for its clients. As an online as well as offline distributor, Staunch enables brands to capitalize on Omni-channel opportunities. Staunch caters to all sorts of brands and categories which include small as well as large products in the market. Along with distribution, Staunch has expertise in import-export, after sales service and marketing assistance for their clients.

Q.: What is your USP?
Ans: We at Staunch, provide a unified solution to the brands associated with us. We act not just as a distributor but we also share with them insights pertaining to the market such as the current scenario and demand in the market. We have dedicated skilled teams for cataloguing, billing and finance. We have a PAN India reach so we can take the supply to all marketplaces present across the country.
Besides, we deal across multiple categories unlike many other players in the market.

Q.: Please tell us about the investors (if any)
Ans:Staunch is a bootstrapped venture.

Q.: What has been your biggest failure as an entrepreneur and what did you learn from it??
Ans:There has been no failure but a couple of challenges that have helped us grow in the industry and are definitely leading us to the path of success. These challenges have shaped our business strategies and enabled us to analyze the market in a more comprehensive manner. We have learnt so many things in these five years and most importantly to ensure that our customers stay satisfied and content with our services.

Q.: How did you get your first customer?
Ans:Back in 2014, Staunch entered the market with an objective to redefine the distribution and service standards in India. While companies across sectors were embracing the e-commerce boom, Intex was ready to take its products online and was figuring out which e-commerce platform would be the best bet. Staunch helped Intex chalk out the right e-commerce strategy starting with a single model for Intex. The platform selected as per the brand requirement then, was eBay and the sales of the model flourished for Intex. Happy with the results, Intex entered into a long-term association with Staunch and today, the e-commerce strategy & distribution for all product categories of Intex is managed by Staunch.

Q.: Is there any interesting success story? If yes, please write about it. ?
Ans:We are glad that the first company we started working with is our client today for 5 years. This is testimony to the fact that we believe in building strong and healthy customer relations. Today we are the exclusive distributor of Intex in e-commerce and this is a great accomplishment for us.

Q.: What is the big picture of your startup? Is this Product leading to something bigger? If so, how?
Ans:We have grown tremendously since our inception. We have witnessed 100% growth in terms of revenue, team size as well as the brand size. At this crucial point in our company’s journey, we are looking for a stable & steady growth. We aim to expand our business and replicate the Intex story with other brands that we work with.

Q.: List all the names of the core Team Members, along with their Designated Roles.
Ans:The core team of Staunch includes 4 people.

• Kamal Jaiswal Team Lead Operations; Started his career with Staunch
• Mohammad Irfan Exe. Ops (Warehouse); Started his career with Staunch
• Bhawani Singh Sr. Exe. Accounts; holds 9 years of experience
• Pawan Mehra IT Manager; holds 15 years of experience

Q.: Who do You Perceive as Your Competition? How do you differentiate yourself with them?
Ans:In the distribution business, if you look at the ecosystem, you will find that the volume of business in distribution is large enough for companies to co-exist with a healthy competitive spirit. There are numerous companies who currently operate in the market. However, as previously mentioned, Staunch stands apart from all other companies with its expertise in multiple industries & product lines.

Q.: What would be your goal to accomplish in the next six months?
Ans: In the next 6 months, our focus would be to expand the business and at the same time deliver value to our existing clients in order to have an everlasting association with them. We aspire to be widely known as the Largest & best distribution partner for businesses across the spectrum.

Q.: What message do you want to convey to fellow entrepreneurs?
Ans: My only advice to all fellow entrepreneurs would be to not have any challenge or situation down your spirit. Let your shortcomings be no barrier, own them and work hard to weed out any inefficiency in your business model. And most importantly, be patient enough to see the result of your hard work. You never know how close you are to success.
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Thanks Kartik. Best wishes.