Why D2C footwear brand The CAI Store is betting big on the festive season

D2C footwear brand The CAI Store is expecting to see a 3X growth in sales as the festive season kicks off. It has pinned high expectations on this festive season as the brand has lined up a slew of launches in the next couple of months. 

According to Dhanraj Minawala, Co-founder, The CAI Store, the brand is seeing consumers extensively shop for heels this festive season. 

Along with most businesses, The CAI Store was also hit by the pandemic but sales picked up owing to the brand's online presence. 

“We have seen a major shift in consumer behaviour – in the way people think, believe, and how they want to shop. We adapted to that and we tried giving our consumers what they want,” says Dhanraj in an exclusive interview with YourStory’s Daily Dispatch. 

Minawala also adds that the average order value at the company has gone up by over 30 percent. In the context of the festive season, the Mumbai-based brand has grown by over 300 percent from the previous year’s festive season. 

Claiming to be a 100 percent vegan company and PETA approved, the brand has over 190 varieties of footwear in categories of flats, heels, and wedges. Going forward, it is looking to foray into new footwear categories, including boots. They are also in the process of launching 30 new designs in the coming months. 

The brand’s central focus will be on providing customers with high-quality, comfortable footwear. 

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“We have come fully prepared for this festive season. We launched a new Diwali collection last week and have something new coming up every week for the next two months,” shares Dhanraj. He adds that they have noticed a lot of excitement among customers in their small retail front at the Mumbai office.

Founded in 2015 by husband-wife duo Aradhana Minawala and Dhanraj Minawala, they began The CAI Store to provide creative and environmentally-conscious products. The shoes offered are made by artisans in a factory that exercises a strict ban on the use of leather. 

The fashion ecommerce platform onboarded influencer Masoom Minawala as an equity partner in 2019. Masoom promotes Indian brands and designers under her initiative -  #SupportIndianDesigners.  

The CAI Store is now in talks for a fundraise and will be announcing it shortly, says Dhanraj. 

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