Hopscotch.in focuses on mom delight

Knowing well that parents want only the best for their little ones and realizing that time is a major constrain & taking babies to crowded malls an issue, quite a few players have forayed into child products segment.

Among them is Hopscotch.in. Launched nearly three years back, Hopscotch is riding high on its international product range. Another key differentiator is that it has stuff for moms and would be moms too! As to what differentiates shopping experience here vis-à-vis other websites in the same space Rahul Anand, Founder, Hopscotch.in says, “The baby and kids segment has seen a lot of consolidation in the recent past. In fact, of the seven players originally in this segment, only two have survived. Most websites operate on a search based model, so shoppers visit the website with a specific need. We operate on a discovery-led platform and launch 9-12 new boutiques every day. The new products remain on our site for about 3-4 days.  Our unique shopping experience allows for strong engagement with mums, who are very loyal customers.”

In this category, not only the user experience but also the product quality has to excel for parents to trust the brand. Another key aspect, of course is customer service. Anand says, “Our biggest challenge is ensuring that our customers get the right product experience and service day after day. This is of highest value to us as a brand. For this we are constantly hiring the best and the brightest minds from across the country.”

The company has tied up with a number of global brands in its attempt to deliver the best to the Indian parents. It has become a launch pad for leading brands from around the world who want to enter the moms and kids space in India. Anand elucidates, “We’ve launched the best global brands for kids including Carters, OshKosh B’Gosh, See Kai Run, Pediped, Juicy Couture, Petite Bateau, Chateau De Sable etc.  We are the exclusive Indian partners of Carters, one of the biggest baby brands in the world.”

The company is not only focusing on getting the product and user experience right, but also on creating enough buzz around itself. Objective is to be noticed by the right target audience and hence the key focus is on mothers. As per Anand, “We build a relationship with moms by sending them a personalized newsletter each day that speaks to their needs and interests. We maintain an open dialogue with moms who write to us each day sharing feedback, their favourite brands and other categories of products that we should consider. Through building and maintaining this relationship, we have been able to scale our business with little investment in marketing.” The brand believes that its direct interaction with consumers and positive word of mouth are its key marketing drivers.

Customer satisfaction is paramount to Hopscotch.in and it continually measures itself on a Net Promoter Score (a tool to gauge the loyalty of a firm's customer relationships).  Like most flourishing e-tailers, it has also built tools that allow customers to track their orders online. Its customer care team actively engages with the logistics and delivery partners to proactively manage the customer experience.

Interestingly, Hpscotch.in does not only sell to mothers but also provides exposure to mompreneurs. “Over the last two years, we’ve not only exposed moms to highest quality merchandise from international brands but also successfully turned into a platform to highlight ingenious work by moms who have turned into entrepreneurs. I think the challenge and opportunity both lies in finding the plethora of vendors across the world and giving them an engaging platform to establish their brands in India.”
The company aims is to continue to build a business that will transform the shopping experience of Indian moms. Anand states with conviction, “Our business centers on delighting moms with fresh, exciting and fun merchandise from all over the world. We want to be the front-runners when it comes to unique, high-quality merchandise for moms and kids. Over the next two years we look to support more mom-entrepreneurs and of course, invest in technology, an agile team and customer acquisition.” 

The company’s performance has been noticed and it found investors who believed in its vision. In December 2014, Hopscotch.in raised $11 Million in an investment round led by Facebook Co-Founder Eduardo Saverin and Velos Partners.