D2C: Still a Drop in the Consumer Goods Ocean

Despite making some progress, new-age brands have barely made a dent in the market share of legacy companies

- Suneera Tandon

Like many other founders, Dhruv Madhok and Dhruv Bhasin launched Slick Organics, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand that sells hair care products under the brand Arata, to address a perceived gap in the market. That gap: a lack of effective hair styling solutions for curly and wavy hair in India.

The Indian hair care market has long been dominated by large companies such as Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), Dabur India and P&G. These companies have historically focused on solutions that promote "straight" and "shiny" hair, while addressing concerns like dandruff. However, India's hot and humid climate leads to other problems such as frizziness, which require a wider range of solutions.

"Legacy brands have been trying to use a one-size-fits-all approach for years," Madhok told Mint. "They have taken what's worked across the globe and replicated it here. That has led to a rise in opportunities for brands looking to cater to very specific use cases," Madhok said.

Slick Organics was launched in 2018 to tap this latent opportunity, borrowing a home-made flaxseed recipe to build on hair styling products; it has now diversified into shampoos, conditioners, hair growth serums and related products. The D2C company, which recently closed $4 million in a series A funding round led by Unilever Ventures, will close fiscal year 2025 with a ₹75 crore top line built entirely on online sales.

While official data on the impact Arata has had on existing brands is unavailable, Madhok cited internal data indicating that it holds a 3% market share within the hair care product category on quick commerce platforms. That small but growing number epitomizes a shift in consumer demand away from legacy consumer goods brands towards niche products, and how these sales channels are making the most of this shift.