In the crowded beauty care market in India, where trends come and go like the seasons, one brand has managed to carve out its own unique space and capture the hearts of skincare enthusiasts across the country. The Kolkata-based company – Dot & Key has become one of the best D2C skincare brands in India, providing a wide range of beauty products. In this blog, we will uncover the success story of Dot & Key and understand
How Did It Begin?
The idea of launching Dot & Key first came into Anisha Agarwal’s head when she scoured supermarket shelves and couldn’t find a single pre-swim skin cream. The avid swimmer then started to think that it’s not her personal problem as many other people in India also found it difficult to get products which could protect them from the post-swim tan. For them, the only option left was to apply oil and let’s be honest, no one really likes that.
Hailing from a family of businessmen, Anisha put her thinking cap on and researched the market for a year before deciding to finally take an entrepreneurial plunge. She and her husband, Suyash Saraf, then began working on various products and distributed surveys and sample products among their friends and relatives.
After eight months of trying and testing, the couple launched their brand – Dot & Key Wellness in 2018. Anisha and Suyash, who were initially looking after their family’s real estate business, bootstrapped the beauty brand with an initial investment of around Rs 3 crore.
In the beginning, the duo started their journey by collaborating with third-party manufacturers to produce approximately 2500 units. Currently, they are selling more than 1 lakh units every month on their website, and other online marketplaces such as Amazon and Nykaa.
Obstacles In The Road
For Dot & Key, the path to success was far from smooth. The company faced several challenges along the way, each one testing the founders’ patience and pushing them to innovate further. One of the initial hurdles for Anisha and Suyash was establishing a presence in an already crowded market. With big beauty brands casting long shadows, breaking through the noise and capturing consumer attention proved to be a daunting task.
Moreover, scaling the business posed its own set of challenges. As demand for Dot & Key products surged, the founders grappled with the complexities of expanding their operations while maintaining the brand’s commitment to quality.
From optimizing manufacturing processes to making sure a seamless supply chain management, every decision was made with the goal of preserving brand’s integrity and delivering unparalleled customer satisfaction. Defying all the odds, Dot & Key has now emerged as one of the best D2C brands in the Indian cosmetic industry.
Success Of Dot & Key
In the last three years, Dot & Key has grown more than 30X as the brand launched 12 new products in March 2020. The skincare brand, which has mainly served customers in top metro cities so far, is now looking to expand its operations in Tier II and III cities as well. They are planning to establish 600 stores across 14 cities.
Today, Dot & Key stands as a perfect example of what can be achieved through passion, resilience, and a commitment to excellence.