Let’s revisit the year 2015, a time when the Indian cosmetics landscape was far from crowded. The available brands were limited, with names like Lakme and L’Oreal dominating the market.
However, their offerings were often insufficient for the daily needs of Indian consumers, especially those who sought makeup for everyday wear, whether it be for work, college, or daily routines.
This gap in the market laid the groundwork for the entry of Sugar Cosmetics, a brand that would redefine the Indian makeup scene with its range of matte, long-lasting products.
What set Sugar Cosmetics apart was not just its product quality but its commitment to serving the diverse skin tones of its Indian customer base. The introduction of a foundation line featuring over 22 shades was a groundbreaking move that resonated with the Indian audience.
In no time, Sugar Cosmetics gained popularity in the Indian cosmetics market.
But today, in 2023, as multiple international make-up brands enter the Indian market, with similar USPs as that of Sugar, one thing is for sure Sugar needs to keep up with its competitors!
One of the major aspects when it comes to having an edge over competitors in the world of e-commerce is product availability.
We also spoke about this in one of our previous posts, you can check it out here: Product Availability During the Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale!
So why is product availability important?
Well, the simple answer would be that only when a product is available will it be sold. However, it’s so much more than that.
- Customer Satisfaction: The availability of products contributes to enhanced customer satisfaction, increasing the likelihood that customers will discover their desired items and complete a purchase.
- Sales and Revenue: Consistent product unavailability can lead to missed sales opportunities for e-commerce businesses, resulting in a substantial adverse impact on their overall revenue.
- Competitive Advantage: Ensuring product availability establishes a competitive advantage as customers are more inclined to opt for a retailer that consistently stocks the products they seek.
- Customer Loyalty: Shoppers are more likely to return to e-commerce websites that consistently meet their product needs.
- Reduced Cart Abandonment: When customers find items consistently in stock, they are less likely to abandon their shopping carts.
- Inventory Management: Effective inventory management ensures that products are available when needed but not overstocked, which can lead to unnecessary costs. Proper inventory management helps balance product availability and cost control.
Sugar Cosmetics’ Product Availability
Now that we know why product availability is important for brands, let’s see how Sugar’s product availability was across platforms (Amazon & Flipkart) in the year 2023.
Over the past 6 months, this is what the product availability of Sugar Cosmetics’ products looked like on Amazon and Flipkart.
On both platforms, most of Sugar’s products were unavailable in May. However, Sugar seems to have overcome this issue by August, as since August most of their products have consistently been in stock!
Here’s what Sugar Cosmetics may have done to ensure Product Availability:
- Demand Forecasting: Sugar Cosmetics may have employed demand forecasting techniques to better understand their product demand trends. By analyzing historical sales data and market trends, they could have anticipated when and which products were likely to be in high demand.
- Inventory Management: Effective inventory management involves optimizing stock levels to prevent overstocking or understocking. Sugar may have used inventory management software and tools to streamline its supply chain operations.
- Supplier Relationships: Building strong relationships with suppliers and manufacturers can help ensure a steady supply of products. Sugar Cosmetics may have worked closely with their suppliers to maintain consistent stock levels.
- E-commerce Analytics: Sugar Cosmetics might have leveraged e-commerce analytics to gather data-driven insights into customer behavior, sales trends, and product performance. These insights could have been invaluable for monitoring product availability, assessing sales patterns, and identifying areas for enhancement.
- Production Scalability: To meet the growing demand, Sugar may have invested in scalable production capabilities. This allows them to increase the production of popular products when needed, ensuring products are available when customers want them.
Conclusion
In an increasingly competitive market, Sugar Cosmetics’ ability to maintain product availability is an essential factor in its continued success, ensuring it can meet customer expectations and outshine competitors. As the beauty industry evolves, the brand’s commitment to both product quality and availability remains the cornerstone of its thriving presence in the Indian cosmetics market.
