In conversation with Saanchi and Shivaani Jain, Co-Founders, Once Upon A Trunk

Online shopping lets you recoup much better and it also facilitates a faster shopping process. With several brands and products from different sellers at one place, e-commerce portal now offer a greater selection of colors and sizes than you will find locally. With online store being a booming business today, one such entrepreneurial story is of the sister duo Saanchi and Shivaani Jain, Co-Founders, Once Upon A Trunk. The idea behind its formation was to solve a simple problem of inconvenient shopping which has come a long way with a commendable collaboration with over 100 top notch premium designers at affordable prices. With an amalgamation of top brands, expert service, and unparalleled convenience, delivering a highly personalized experience that helps you look your best, Business2Business in an exclusive conversation with the duo explores more about the young women entrepreneurs:

Founders background: Saanchi is 29 years old with a degree in Business Management and Interior Designing while Shivaani who is 27 owns degree in Fashion Communication & Merchandising and Business Management from London. Once Upon a Trunk commenced their journey with the concept of home shopping in those stylised curated trunks at your doorstep. Taking the vision and inspiration from this, the duo decided to make lives even more simpler and refined.

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Story behind the name: The Co-Founders share, “We thought of making life easier for all the women on the go! We know the pain of finding the perfect outfit for an occasion too well. If there ever were to be a befitting exhibit of what happens at the end of a real-life fairytale, it'd probably come enveloped in a carry-on, or in our case for measured eccentricity, a bespoke trunk. So we introduced the delicately magical nuances of life with "Once Upon A Trunk”. With each Trunk, the stylist will get better at zeroing in on the user’s specific tastes and fit. And just like a fairytale; magically and effortlessly, we fulfill the client’s fashion needs. Because life is not perfect, but your outfit can be!”

More about the portal: The Co-Founders shared, “We have around 120 premium designers on board like Aashna Behl, Shantanu & Nikhil, Free Living, Platinoir, Banjaaran, Dhruv Kapoor, Kanelle, Kareishma Sarnaa, etc. We work on backorders or drop shipments. Whenever there is an order, we place an order with the designer. Once they deliver it to us, it goes through the quality check process and the gets delivered to the client. We are a consumer friendly portal, we accept free returns unless mentioned otherwise and maintain good relations with the designers. We also comprise of an expert logistics team that manages everything on time and avoids any delay possible. Also, we have tied up with renowned names across the country like Quicklee that provides special service for express delivery.”

The end-users: When asked who are your end-users, the Co-Founders shared, “Well, we provide at-home trunk service. This experience is straightforward and convenient with the stylist just a click away. With once upon a trunk, you can try before you buy at home. Our aim is to achieve comfort for our customers with home shopping facility. Products ranging from clothes to accessories to footwear, it has got it all to gift someone a complete look. From Contemporary to ethnic to kids wear, there is something for everyone.”

The competition: When asked with so much competition in the market, what made you think that ‘Once Upon a Trunk’ is a good idea and how are you different from your competitors, the Co-Founders share, “The always have love for weddings and how in older times, everything used to come at our doorstep with huge trunks and all items curated in one place. Our aim was to recreate the old charm with a contemporary touch. They add, “The challenges faced by many ‘Looking for clothes in stores is overwhelming, but inconvenient and with trunk shopping, you’ll discover great clothes that are ideal for you without ever having to go out.’ So though there is a lot of competition, we never feel that anything is impossible or not meant for us and this is what keeps us going once we start on any endeavour. We feel that we don’t have any competitor except ourself. We do not fall prey to this infection of ‘COMPARING’ since we are in the mode of striving and progressing. So we remind ourself and set ourselves as our own competitor.”

The need of customization: Online shopping for clothes has always been based on general sizes. On discussions on where does the need for customisation and personalization fit in, the Co-Founders share, “To make the home shopping experience bigger and better, we plan to organise offline and online events. Home shopping could be made bigger with a make-up artist for personal clients for a more personalized experience.”

Customer Experience: When asked about who are your typical customers, the Co-Founders shared, “This service is pan India as it can be ordered online and be delivered at your doorstep once the order is processed through COD, Net Banking, Credit or Debit Card. Online Shopping in non metro cities like Chandigarh and Pune, if not more is steadily making its way through among the household sections namely, housewives who engage in socializing and other such activities and youngsters from the age group of 18-24.” They add, “The concept came about with the humdrum of the wedding season and how people love to offer gifts. For special brides to be, we offer complimentary services as well. A booking can be made Online on our Try & Buy page or a special appointment can be made with the stylist sending in the necessary details.”

The team: The Co-Founders shared, “We have a young & creative team with designated profiles who inspire every day, in turn making the work easier. We have a streamlined business strategy and a process that follows. The happiest and the most exciting part of the job is to get the products delivered right before an important event, thereby giving immense customer satisfaction as that is our top most priority. Also, sharing of ideas and getting enthused everyday with the pouring of fresh innovation is the way to go.”

Challenges faced: The Co-Founders share, “Challenges faced by us is the competition from other e-commerce portals, but we aim to overcome that by adding a tinge of difference, more variation with out of the box ideas and promoting young and aspiring designers.”

Future plans: The Co-Founders share, “Our aim is to spread out in all metro and non metro cities with home shopping styling service available. The motto is to specialize in home shopping service and broadcast it to the maximum extent possible with good, refined quality products and top notch designers joining in. Also, to highlight trunks and serve another outlook towards it.”

Advice for women entrepreneurs: Entrepreneurship is tough, be it for a man or a woman. But, for women, it definitely requires that extra bit to break the stereotype opinion. As an entrepreneur, I have been observant towards the way women in India think and perceive their careers, both entrepreneurial and non-entrepreneurial. One tip would be - Big Achievements are Possible : Dreaming big and visualizing yourself in a big role is one of the best ways to get started on a journey towards being a successful entrepreneur. Everyone has the ability to earn this type of title, if they are willing to do the work.

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