30 June,2012 05:00 AM IST | | Ruchika Kher
Friends Anupam Agarwal and Suneil Chawla saw potential in e-commerce and so decided to chuck up their jobs and dig deeper. The result was Koolkart[.com], an online shopping destination that helps designers introduce their work to the e-population. It's also a way for shoppers to connect with each other, while keeping abreast of the latest trends.
"In the e-commerce space, we saw a lot of players selling the usual: books and gadgets. But no one was successfully replicating the real-life experience of shopping and discovering interesting products," says Chawla, adding, "We allow shoppers to connect with friends and others in the shopping community."
The website that went live earlier this year has a team of curators that go through the collections of designers across India to find the trendiest products.
According to Chawla, there are two key criterions for selection: one, the collection needs to be unique, and two: the collection needs to be priced, ideally, between Rs 1,000 and Rs 5,000. "Most of the designers on-board are alumni from premium fashion colleges. We have had over 20 designers showcase their collection," adds Agarwal.
Future plans include opening a dialogue between designers and customers.
"We are launching a curated section, where select designers will talk about the latest trends in fashion and will also showcase their collections. This will allow shoppers to connect with designers and to also discover interesting styles and trends," informs Agarwal.
They want to be part of charitable causes too. Explains Chawla, "We are also exploring an initiative to benefit NGOs, in which certain funds collected from shopping activities can be donated to select non-profit organisations."