These days Onasadya, Onakkodi and Onam snacks are just a click or a call away. All these are delivered home in no time. Similarly, flowers for pookkalam (floral carpet) too are just a click away. That is what naadan.store, has been doing this Onam in Thiruvananthapuram.
The store is a branch of Thiruvananthapuram-based Le-Vin Business Solutions run by Prasobha Madhu, Leena Vinod and Reshma Arun. “We launched it a year and a half ago to sell products that are indigneous to Kerala,” says Prasobha We started it for the expatriate community that is always on the lookout for things to connected to their roots.”
Le-Vin was launched two years ago to help small-scale industrial/business ventures that do not have a digital presence. “We as entrepreneurs had our share of difficulties. So we provide support to wannabe entrepreneurs.”
Prasobha V Madhu, Leena Vinod and Reshma Arun
When naadan was launched, products such as homemade food products, handlooms and handicraft items, especially those sourced from small-scale vendors, were showcased. “We got orders from Europe and the US. Some of them were delivered through people who were travelling between countries. Things were going well until the pandemic slowed down the growth. There were travel restrictions and it became difficult to deliver.”
However, after nearly a year, the trio decided to relaunch the store during Onam. “Our initial priority was weavers struggling to sell their stock because of the pandemic. That was when we thought of helping flower merchants who were also in dire straits. Even though there are online shopping platforms to market other products, we didn’t come across any selling flowers.”
They offer a flower kit at ₹999 with lotus, chrysanthemum, marigold, oleander and cock’s comb. They have tied up with small-scale flower merchants and not wholesale vendors in Chala market. Although there has not been a flood of orders, the team is happy to have reached out to the merchants. “We have got in touch with several residents’ associations and hope to get more orders in the remaining days to Thiruvonam (August 21),” she says.
The orders can be placed till Uthradam or Onam eve (August 20). The store sells jasmine and pichipoo (both loose and as garlands) too.
Visit www.naadan.store or contact 0471-2374787
