If you’re one of the people who don’t mind paying a little extra for a dash of quirk in your online orders, then Thathing might be the perfect platform for your next purchase. The start-up, which designs and manufactures creative products such as passport covers, sunglasses covers, luggage tags and pouches, launched its website in April this year after receiving significant traction from its Facebook page, which it had started in December 2015. Founded by Nupur Agarwal and Gazal Goenka Pansari, Thathing was born out of the need to infuse some cheer into staid products like passport covers. “We used to come across many products whose designs never did much to enhance or complement their utility. So, for instance, we instead imprint lines like ‘I need this break’ on passport covers to set the mood for travel,” explains Pansari.
The website witnesses about 100 visits a day, of which it is able to convert four to five into sales, the average ticket size being Rs.1,500. Most products on the site cost between Rs.300 and Rs.2,500 and can be shipped across India. “We have a tie-up with Blue Dart, which manages our logistics for both COD and prepaid orders,” says Agarwal. Although the site receives nearly 40% of its orders online from cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi, the rest comes from events. “We participate in at least one event each month,” Agarwal explains. While the start-up outsources its manufacturing, its designs are conceived in-house under Pansari’s guidance and brought to life by freelancers. “I think designing and product testing are our biggest costs, currently,” adds Pansari. While the company is keen on seeking out more corporate orders, she says the focus is on building relationships with vendors. “We’re already present on Flipkart and will soon be available on Amazon and Snapdeal. We’re also tying up with a few offline vendors,” Pansari says.
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