Small sellers go from IRL to URL
The Hindu
A year into the pandemic, 'homepreneurs' and small businesses from tier II and tier III cities are finding their feet online via a growing list of platforms
In Mumbai, engineer-turned-artist Bindiya Shetty puts brush to paper to create a painting for her Etsy India shop, trystwithcoloursbyB. Meanwhile, in Payyanur, a riverside town in Kerala’s Kannur district, Manjunath Pai is curating products for Ayurveda Store, his space on MyEasyStore that sells ayurvedic and wellness products — from moringa powder and aloe cucumber gel to spices and even rice. What do Shetty and Pai have in common? They are part of a large number of entrepreneurs and small businesses who set up an online store in 2020, after the pandemic broke out. Though hetty had started selling on Instagram in 2019, Etsy was a game changer, especially in targeting the international market. “For Indian customers, I use Instamojo [a Bengaluru-based platform that helps businesses] and Amazon as well.” Meanwhile, Pai shares that the number of orders has increased by up to 35% from last year till now.More Related News

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