Edition #19: 📉 Virat's $75Cr Loss, Meta's "AI Slop" Feed, & FREE Report Inside!

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📰 India Retail Pulse

Virat Kohli-backed Wrogn faces another tough year with rising losses- The parent company of Virat Kohli-backed fashion brand WROGN reported a challenging fiscal year (FY24), with revenue from operations declining by over 29% to ₹243.75 crore, and net losses surging by 28.2% to nearly ₹57 crore.Despite raising significant funding, the brand is struggling with intense competition and rapidly shifting consumer preferences in the mass-premium fashion segment. 🔗 Read More

Coca-Cola bottlers to invest Rs 25,760 crore in India's food processing sector- Coca-Cola's independent bottlers in India are planning a massive investment of ₹25,760 crore to strengthen the food processing and beverage manufacturing ecosystem in the country. This significant capital injection aims to boost infrastructure, local sourcing, and production capabilities, signalling a long-term commitment to the rapidly expanding Indian market. 🔗 Read More

Rare Rabbit joins hands with Zepto for quick commerce push- Men's premium fashion brand Rare Rabbit has partnered with quick commerce platform Zepto to enable rapid deliveries of its apparel across major Indian cities. This move marks one of the first collaborations between a premium fashion brand and a quick commerce player, signaling a shift in how fashion logistics and customer expectations are evolving. 🔗 Read More

Swiggy’s Instamart rejig signals a move to inventory-led model- Swiggy's quick commerce division, Instamart, is reportedly undergoing a structural overhaul that suggests a pivot towards an inventory-led model, moving away from a pure dark-store approach. This shift aims to improve supply chain efficiency, stock reliability, and potentially better margins in the hyper-competitive quick commerce space. 🔗 Read More

Nothing to make smartphones in India via $100 million joint venture- UK-based tech company Nothing is establishing a $100 million joint venture in India to begin local manufacturing of its smartphones. This aligns with the 'Make in India' initiative, reduces import costs, and helps the brand cater more effectively to the rapidly growing Indian smartphone market. 🔗 Read More

Smartphone exports up 39%, Shipments to US double y-o-y in Aug- India's smartphone exports surged by 39% year-over-year in August, with shipments to the US market doubling during the same period. This export growth underscores India's rising prominence as a global manufacturing hub for electronics, driven largely by foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). 🔗 Read More

Hindustan Unilever's Priya Nair takes charge: Major leadership restructure aims for growth in India's market- Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has announced a significant leadership restructuring, with Priya Nair taking charge in a key role. This organizational change is designed to streamline operations, enhance agility, and better position the FMCG giant to capture accelerated growth in the evolving and highly competitive Indian market. 🔗 Read More

Trump slaps 100% tariff on branded pharmaceuticals drugs without US-based manufacturing plants- President Donald Trump announced steep new tariffs, including a 100% duty on branded pharmaceutical drugs that lack manufacturing plants in the US. This protectionist move, set to take effect from October 1st, aims to encourage domestic production and will significantly impact global supply chains and drug prices for non-US based pharma companies. 🔗 Read More

🌍 World Retail Headlines at a Glance

Meta launches ‘Vibes,’ a short-form video feed of AI slop- Meta has introduced 'Vibes,' a new short-form video feature that delivers a stream of content generated entirely by AI. The experimental feed is being described by some as "AI slop," highlighting a focus on synthetic content generation as a strategy for platform engagement and content velocity. 🔗 Read More

H&M targets Brazil and India as US, European spending slows- Swedish retailer H&M is shifting its strategic focus and capital investment towards high-growth markets like Brazil and India. This pivot is a direct response to a significant slowdown in consumer spending and challenging economic conditions across its established markets in the US and Europe. 🔗 Read More

H&M Q3 Profits Jump as CEO Bets on Elevated Style and Supply Chain Speed to Bring Back Shoppers- H&M reported a jump in its third-quarter profits, attributing the success to effective cost controls and a strategic focus on elevating its product style and improving supply chain speed. The CEO is banking on these initiatives to attract shoppers and strengthen the retailer’s competitive position in the fashion market. 🔗 Read More

US economy grows at fastest pace in nearly two years in second quarter- The US second-quarter GDP growth was revised sharply higher, recording the fastest pace of economic expansion in nearly two years. This upward revision suggests a stronger-than-expected underlying economy despite ongoing inflationary pressures and global economic uncertainty. 🔗 Read More

Victoria’s Secret launches home fragrance- Victoria’s Secret is expanding beyond its core lingerie and personal care categories by introducing a new line of home fragrances. This launch is part of a broader strategy to diversify its product offering and capture additional share in the lucrative home and lifestyle market. 🔗 Read More

JD Sports profits and sales fall amid ‘strained consumer finances’- UK sportswear retailer JD Sports reported a decline in both profits and sales, citing the impact of "strained consumer finances" due to the cost-of-living crisis. This signals broader economic pressures affecting discretionary spending across the retail sector. 🔗 Read More

Blackstone weighs options for Ancestry.com, including sale or IPO, sources say- Private equity firm Blackstone is exploring strategic options for Ancestry.com, the genealogy and consumer genetics company, which may include a potential sale or an Initial Public Offering (IPO). This move is part of the firm's portfolio management to capitalize on its investment. 🔗 Read More

🔥 Top Funding & IPO

Handpickd raises $15 million in series A funding- Handpickd, a retail technology platform, successfully closed a $15 million Series A funding round. The investment is intended to accelerate the platform's expansion, enhance its AI-driven personalization capabilities, and scale its operations across new markets. 🔗 Read More

Vibe coding platform Emergent raises $23M in Series A round led by Lightspeed- Emergent, a vibe coding platform, secured $23 million in Series A funding, with the round led by venture capital firm Lightspeed. The investment will be used to further develop its platform that helps companies analyze and influence emotional responses in digital content. 🔗 Read More

Nvidia to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI, linking two artificial intelligence titans- Chip giant Nvidia is planning a massive investment of up to $100 billion in OpenAI, forging a deeper alliance between two of the most influential companies in the artificial intelligence sector. This capital injection underscores the strategic importance of integrating advanced hardware with cutting-edge AI models. 🔗 Read More

KisanKonnect raises Rs 72 Cr led by Bajaj Finserv Group- Agri-tech startup KisanKonnect, which connects farmers directly to consumers, has raised ₹72 crore in a funding round led by Bajaj Finserv Group. The funds will be utilized to expand its farm-to-fork supply chain, enhance technology infrastructure, and scale its reach to more consumers. 🔗 Read More

👔 Key Retail Appointments & Exits

• Former BFC Chair Stephanie Phair Named L Catterton Senior Adviser

• Former The Row President Trish Donnelly Named CEO of Chico’s, Sister Brands

• Ba&sh Names Jimmy Lam CEO for Asia-Pacific Amid Leadership Revamp

• Maison Kitsuné Appoints Abigail Smith Creative Director to Lead Its ‘Next Chapter’

🎤 This Week’s Most Popular Post

TLDR: Don't just wing it. To shine as a podcast guest, focus on preparation: record and listen to yourself, define your "Power 3" main points, speak simply, and use a memorable story to connect with the audience. Clarity and confidence are your most valuable assets.

You can click here to read the full post on LinkedIn.

🤖 Deep Dive: Indian Men's Skincare Market Report - FREE Report

"Premium Men's Skincare in India: A Strategic Blueprint for Market Entry" report by World One Consulting. The report confirms the significant opportunity for premium, efficacy-focused brands in the rapidly evolving Indian market.

What Is Happening

The Indian men's grooming market is projected to reach US$3,322.6 million by 2030, with skincare holding a dominant 48.38% market share. Driven by rising disposable incomes and changing social norms, the market is growing rapidly, with a projected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2022-2030 of 9.6%. Consumers in urban centers and, increasingly, Tier-II cities are shifting toward digital purchases.

⬇️ Download the Full 14-Page Report

For a complete understanding of the competitor landscape, go-to-market plan, and strategic recommendations, you can download the full 14-page report by World One Consulting.

🔗 Download the Complete-Premium-Mens-Skincare-in-India.pdf Report Here

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