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In a market where consumers like to ‘interact’ with products even before considering a buy, launching a décor e-boutique seems like an ambitious endeavor. But that’s exactly what prompted INSEAD graduate Maya Hari to launch Stylkist.com.

“During my time abroad, I had the chance to experience several retail and e-commerce brands focussed around décor and lifestyle products. I often thought about how the potential of this category in the e-commerce space hasn’t been fully exploited back home,” she elaborates. So, teaming up with four fellow students at INSEAD, Hari began working out the details of launching an online store along similar lines in India.

Just about a year old, Stylkist is off to a good start. “We have been growing steadily. We now retail our products in six stores across the country and our online business is healthy,” says Hari. The brand was initially introduced via a viral teaser campaign that was e-mailed to the target audience: “men and women between 25 to 38 years of age; typically, people who appreciate creativity, aesthetics and quality.” This was followed up with an online marketing campaign on Facebook and Google. Finally, Stylkist ‘look-books’ were sent as physical direct marketing to high net worth individuals.

The Stylkist team is small, comprising professionals from the media and the entertainment industry who also have business degrees. The products, designed in and sourced from India and also other parts of the world, are warehoused at the outskirts of Mumbai. Stylkist also collaborates with select product designers, provided their style is in sync with that of the brand.

Addressing the question of e-commerce in India, Hari admits, “It certainly is challenging. E-commerce is very nascent here; this has its advantages and disadvantages. We have a first-mover advantage with genuine e-commerce. This means we are learning and mastering what to do and what not to do to make e-commerce work in India.”

The downside, of course, is that while people appreciate the offering, they aren’t comfortable shopping online. Aware of this challenge from day one, the team focussed their efforts on both online and offline shopping. “We retail in boutiques and stores to get our products out in the market through the traditional [route]. This way, people can start to recognize and develop a trusting bond with Stylkist.”

“In the long run, this trust, combined with practical measures—such as high-quality photography, alternate views of a product and the option to return a purchase within seven days of receipt—might put consumers at ease while shopping online,” Maya believes.

Both retail formats share a symbiotic relationship. While in-store visibility helps build trust, the website generates leads from retailers and queries about city-specific availability from consumers. Among the stores that currently stock Stylkist products are the Design Store (Bengaluru and Coimbatore), Vanilla (Ahmedabad), DCube (Hyderabad) and Enchante (Mumbai). There are also plans for launching an exclusive brand retail store. Stylkist delivers worldwide and recently launched USD and GBP services.

As far as the future goes, Hari is as ambitious as ever. “There are always plans for expansion,” she says. “Since our products are contemporary, they are likely to appeal to a global audience. We are currently looking at expanding our retail partner base, internationally as well; we are finalizing talks with some boutiques in Los Angeles and San Francisco for this. Other cities of interest are New York, London and Singapore.”

©Entrepreneur March 2010

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décor, design, E-Commerce, lifestyle, Maya Hari, online, retail, Stylkist, Stylkist.com