So, this is an Infibeam ad that occupies a full page in today’s edition of Times of India.
Infibeam is a very reputed Company and it means its business.
As the ad explains, it ‘invites’ entrepreneurs to create their own online store so as to start selling their goods instantly.
This ‘platform’ enables store owners to get instantly ‘e-commerce’ enabled!
Now, amongst all the examples mentioned in this ad meant to inspire entrepreneurs like me to start an e-commerce venture (and catch the bus that we have all missed), the idea that I LOVED the most was the one that encourages me to start a BUFFALO STORE!!!!
Wowowowowo!!!
I HAVE NEVER EVER, EVER owned, sold, traded, hoarded, exchanged, escrowed, venture capitalized, angel funded, or exited a BUFFALO Business before!!!
This IS the time to start!!
So, this is my plan, and I want you to help me think through it:
– First, I assume that I will go to some places in ??? (hmmmmm…..where can I go around my house at Peddar Road and buy some buffalos?), acquire some of these fabulous animals, photograph them, and the SELL them online!!!
Shall we agree to call it the “Rodinhoods Buffalo Store”???
Next, when you visit my online Buffalo store, you will find:
– A RANGE of Buffalos! (ps – what else did you expect)?
– Listed in colours, sizes, quantities of milk that they supply, etc etc
– PS – I am a complete veg and a monk in the making, so none of my buffalos can be bought for eating.
– I will offer gifting options, BUT GIFT PACKING IS NOT POSSIBLE. Sorry. Maaf Karo bhai.
Now, when you buy a Buffalo, Infibeam has promised me all credit cards and other payment gateway integrations, so paying me will not be a problem.
PLEASE NOTE – CASH ON DELIVERY WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE.
I mean, if you live on the 19th floor of a skyscraper in Versova, then how can my delivery boy get the BUFFALO up to your house in the elevator and then deliver the buffalo to you and take money from you??
Given that there are 40-50% returns in Cash On Delivery e-commerce sales, and you find that the Buffalo you ordered is not exactly smelling the way you expected it to, then what can my Company do??
Also, goods once bought will not be taken back. It’s rather difficult to collect buffalos back, after they have been delivered.
Finally – I’m not gonna be spending much money on ‘marketing’ ‘coz I’m a Marwari and I don’t like to spend – I just like to earn money. So, if you can tell your friends, family, bosses, girlfriends and mother in laws to also buy a Buffalo from me, I am happy to discount your own Buffalo by 18%.
Please gimme feedback in case I have forgotten anything else!!!!!???
******
– Taking a deep breath and getting a bit more pensive, I ask – is THIS WHAT LEADING E-COMMERCE sites in India should be advertising and projecting???
– Is this what they get funded to do??
Ashish Kothari
On a lighter note:
I guess you have your first customer for the “Rodinhoods Buffalo Store”
Aji (Digital Marketing)
On a serious note.
They should have given 45 days trial 🙂 …
This is a great market growing for this. Shopify, markjack & many more ….
The ecommerce potential in India is really large .. esp from real makers to real buyers without a middle man ..
Best Regards,
Aji Issac
Anirudh B Balotiaa
I see it differently Alok. What it means it that “any” kind of goods can be traded by opening a store. Also trading animals is not that far away in the future. Where buffalos are being brought today, why cant it be entirely online? Of-course it cant be delivered to any home and why would anyone order such a thing.
Not every ad is perfect. To me the ad conveyed what it meant to be.
Sorry but I see your views as an over-exaggeration. I feel nitpicking to this extent could have been avoided. Of-course its your site and everyone has rights to post whatever they want. Its just my personal views.
On another site its good to see other e-commerce sites serious about doing business or so it seems.
Aji (Digital Marketing)
Also don’t miss this one https://www.meabhi.com/blog/buffalo-ebay/ buffalo on ebay
Samudra Neelam Bhuyan
Steps for free publicity:
1. Follow Alok Kejriwal closely enough to understand his POV.
2. Bait.
Himanshu Agarwal
Hi Alok,
Nice write-up and I am glad to have read this post or else would have missed the ad (I do not subscribe to TOI!)
Though I am not into capital markets or exchanges of any kind, I just thought, if we can have a commodities exchange wherein humongous quantities of commodities are traded even before some of it is harvested, actually someone starting a BUFFALO e-com site is not far-fetched or not something to be laughed at.
Though you took a different perspective of the ad and laughed of the Buffalo example, but think about it, we don’t have an Animal Husbandry exchange yet in India and it may be a good idea to start one!
Just wondering what’ll be the web address if at all you get serious about it…https://www.husbandry2win.com! 🙂
P:S. The said domain is available for INR 489 for 2 years…(checked it on bigrock)
Kapil Verma
I want a buffalo with metalic black colr.
Nitish Mehta
believe me sir but i have seen a site selling bakra (goat) online , it was a Pakistani site though .! , here is the link https://bakra.pk/
John Nagarkar
Well like the Maruti Suzuki ad goes, your Buffaloe… Kitna deti hai? 🙂
On a serious tone, I am keen on starting an e-venture and it’s been on my mind for a long time but to be honest, I’ve been lacking guts (and finance to an extent) to jump on to the bandwagon though I firmly believe in my e-venture concept… Reading some of your lighter posts and some of others including some very inspirational ones, I don’t think it’s far away when I’ll have my e-site online.
Thank you and all others who make it easy for people like me to take the plunge!
Hari Rastogi
In e-commerce the existing players selling much below their cost prices to get initial traction. So you first need to find out the buffalo rate in local mundies and sell it in your online store for atleast 20-30% loss price…leave it online retail is not for Marwaris who invest to make profit it’s for people who invest to loose all.
-Hari, http://www.wewillact.com
Amit Shroff
Alok the ideas look gr8, you can also pickup cows as well… So when are you starting it. After buying it can i keep in my house. Will my neighbors in Delhi or Calcutta or Mumbai allow me???