The wedding was five years ago. And the expensive saris that were part of Shweta Khanna’s (name changed) trousseau lay packed away carefully. She couldn’t wear them to any events, and they took up a lot of space in her closet. After all, there was sentimental attached to them, and besides, what could one do with them?
Then Ms. Khanna discovered Khoobsaree. The Mumbai-based startup offered to connect her with buyers interested in highly discounted saris. And soon Ms. Khanna not only de-cluttered her wardrobe, but she also ended up earning a cool Rs. 40,000.
‘Pre-loved’ and ‘gently-worn’ are the words 31-year old chartered accountant Trupti Agrawal uses to describe the saris she sells through Khoobsaree. Simply put, these are second-hand or used saris that the rich and not-exactly-famous do not want to wear again. (Sometimes sellers would never have worn them at all, as they had got them as gifts.)
You will never know who the seller is, though. And no one need know that you bought that sari via Khoobsaree. As Ms. Agrawal, who knows a thing or two about the psyche of her customers, says, “No one wants to be seen buying a used sari, of all things. So we have to maintain complete anonymity regarding the buyers and sellers.”
All she’s willing to disclose is that she procures the saris from ladies who could not possibly be seen twice in the same sari. These range from women from wealthy families, and celebrities, mainly, but also the wives of politicians or bureaucrats who sell their saris that have been just lying in their wardrobes. Ms. Agrawal is happy to talk about the products themselves, though. “We do not compromise on quality. Every sari goes with a quality card that clearly states if there is any visible or even a teeny-weeny stain. We also mention if there are any issues with the embroidery or embellishment.” What is on offer is diverse and exquisite: georgettes, chiffons, silks, crepes, chanderis, kathas and kanjeevarams to name just a few.
Ms. Agrawal, who has previously worked with consultancy major EY and L&T Infrastructure, got the idea for her startup while vacationing in Goa in September last year.
She began by discussing the idea with her family and friends but did not receive encouraging feedback. Undeterred, she made cold calls to nearly 500 women and was pleased to find that there were ladies who were ready to buy used saris, only that they didn’t want their friends to know that they are buying second-hand stuff. “Nearly 95 per cent of the women said it was a great idea. It is a win-win for all. One can sell saris that she knows she will never wear again, and, buyers get genuine stuff for nearly half the price.”
She launched her website on April 8, the auspicious occasion of Gudi Padwa. Khoobsaree has two models: either 70:30, where the seller gets 70 per cent of the sale price and the company keeps 30 per cent, or where she buys the saris outright and then sells at a price she deems fit.
One seller spoke to The Hindu , but requested anonymity. “The price that we get is less than 50 per cent of the original price but that’s understandable,” the Hyderabad-based lady said. She has sold around 30 saris to Khoobsaree. “Ours is a large family, where there are many functions and so saris keep on piling up. I came in contact with Trupti through a common friend and liked the concept. Since I cannot repeat my saris, I sold them through Trupti.”
Since the launch, while traffic on the website hasn’t been impressive (around 50 unique visitors every day) — she has been able to sell only two saris online — she has got traction in the offline space. “Women like to touch and feel a sari before buying. So we arrange for exhibitions, and we have sold nearly 80 pieces. The encouraging part is that we have repeat clients as well. Though we have around 100 saris catalogued online, our total catalogue has more than 200 saris.”
To maintain quality and determine pricing, she has hired Jeeta Kothari, a designer, who does the first-level screening of the condition of the garments and the material. The proposed price is then evaluated by a separate team of three women.
Ms. Agrawal has a closed group on Facebook of more than 100 women who get to see the ‘old arrivals’ first before they are catalogued online. And, lack of success selling online notwithstanding, she plans to scale up the online platform, and launch an app for women who are interested in becoming Khoobsaree resellers.
