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- Deepak's Musings #164: 🏛️ Marketplaces are not created equal
Deepak's Musings #164: 🏛️ Marketplaces are not created equal
🦈 Veeba’s Viraj Bahl to be a guest shark on India’s Shark Tank
Deepak Shahdadpuri
December 16, 2024
I am interested in all things consumer and insurgent brands. In my newsletter, I share what I read, think about, and reflect upon. You can follow me on Twitter at @dishahdadpuri or DSG Consumer Partners at @dsgcp.
p.s. You can click any summary link to read the full article from its source.
Mocha Mousse is the 2025 colour of the year
🎨 Mocha Mousse is the 2025 colour of the year
Every year, I wait for this announcement. And here it is for 2025.
Pantone code: 17-1230
Description: A warming, brown hue with a rich quality
Inspiration: Reminiscent of chocolate mousse or latte coffee
🦈 Veeba’s Viraj Bahl to be a guest shark on India’s Shark Tank
Viraj Bhal has built one of the fastest-growing CPG brands in India in the last 20 years. Now doing over 1,000 Crs in annualised net revenue, Veeba has done this with a pragmatic playbook, zero debt, and capital efficiency. It will be great to see him on Shark Tank India as he adds a different dimension to the other sharks.
🧘🏻♀️ The business of wellness
The global wellness market has surged to $1.8 trillion annually, with 82% of US consumers prioritizing wellness in their daily lives. McKinsey's latest research identifies five key trends shaping this dynamic sector: the rise of at-home health solutions, the proliferation of biomonitoring wearables, the enhancement of personalization through generative AI, a consumer shift towards clinically proven products over "clean" labels, and an increased reliance on doctor recommendations amid the influencer economy. These insights reveal a consumer base that is more informed and proactive about their health than ever before.
🛒 Amazon India Aims to Accelerate Delivery Times in Non-Metro Cities to Meet Rising Demand
Picture this: In the bustling lanes of Bhilai and the sun-baked streets of Mangalore, a quiet revolution is reshaping India's e-commerce landscape. While metro dwellers have long enjoyed lightning-fast deliveries, Amazon India has uncovered a striking reality: its heart beats strongest in the nation's smaller cities. With an astonishing 85% of its customers and 70% of its Prime members calling these emerging urban centres home, the e-commerce giant is now orchestrating an ambitious transformation of its delivery network. The mission? To bring the same swift, seamless shopping experience to millions of Indians who've historically waited longer for their packages to arrive.
👀 The New Consumer Trends Report 2025
Hot off the press. This is a US-centric report, but many of the trends are being seen around the globe. Dan Frommer at The New Consumer and the Coefficient Capital in New York team continues to do great consumer insights work. Please keep it up.
Click to download the full report.
The chart that made me go, “Wow, really??”
🏛️ Marketplaces are not created equal
Over my 20+ years of investing in consumer brands, I have backed very few marketplaces. Why? I did not understand what it would take to build a profitable business and was unaware of the required capital efficiency. Most importantly, as an early-stage VC with limited capital, I could not fund them if they needed more capital. The closest I got was in Singapore’s Redmart, and I learnt so much from that experience.
Last week, Forerunner Ventures published a fantastic research paper on the marketplace business model. It is compulsory reading for everyone at DSG Consumer Partners, and I urge all consumer business builders to do the same.
☠️ How does Liquid Death pull off these marketing campaigns?
Watch the video. Enough said.
🛍 Fireside's Kannan Sitaram: Why Insurgent Brands are thriving
Before Shark Tank India made consumer brands sexy, DSG Consumer Partners actively sought to partner with founders who wanted to build insurgent brands. It was a hypothesis that, thankfully, has played out. When Kanwaljit Singh, an industry veteran I admire, partnered with Kannan Sitaram to launch Fireside Ventures with a similar playbook, it was like watching your favourite indie band inspire a whole new music genre.
Fun fact: I've known Kanwal for two decades - back when D2C meant "Door to Consumer" and VCs thought “CPG” in any pitch was a typo 😂🤣😂🤣
In this candid interview, Kannan outlines how these upstart brands thrive against the one-size-fits-all incumbents and reveals where Fireside sees the next wave of brand innovation.
🍾 How Young India is Upgrading its Drink Choices
From Chardonnay in Bengaluru's wine bars to premium whiskey in Punjab's lounges, India's alcohol consumption is undergoing a sophisticated transformation. Industry data reveals a remarkable shift toward premium spirits and wines, with UB Group reporting a 14% surge in premium beer sales and growth rates of 12-20% across high-end spirits categories. What's driving this evolution?
🚀 Zepto’s numbers say a lot about how QCom is changing consumer behaviour
The rise of QCom, as demonstrated by Zepto's growth, highlights significant shifts in consumer behaviour driven by convenience, speed, and evolving expectations.
🇮🇳 Bombay Banta has landed in Bombay!
My favourite flavour is the Kala Khatta.
Consumer funding and deal news that caught my attention
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