After the food and grocery sector, the Indian fashion apparel market is considered as the second-largest sector. This is due to the entry of international brands in the market, changes in customer taste and preferences from purchasing non-branded to branded clothes, constant growth in the economy and increase in the number of young population has made this sector a highly lucrative market in India.

Apart from physical stores, online shopping on e-commerce websites has been seen blooming at a very rapid pace. By introducing online shopping sites the ecommerce sector has been able to bridge the gap between Tier II and Tier III cities and premium brands.

With the constant growth in media exposure, an increase in awareness about the sector, and an increase in income, the Indian consumer market has been getting access to fashion brands globally. This has provided sellers and retailers with the opportunity of reaching more number of customers and also to increase their profit margins.

Welcome to the world of FirstCry

Do you know what is FirstCry? It is Asia’s largest online retail store for baby and kids products I.e. from before the birth of your child up to his or her early teen. The company’s main mission is to provide top quality products at affordable prices combined with a great shopping experience, zero shipping and handling charges and excellent customer service.

FirstCry has the following products that they ship from their warehouses which are located across the country.

1. Diapers
2. Baby food
3. Accessories for infants
4. Gears such as strollers, high chairs
5. Furniture for kids nursery
6. Clothing and footwear
7. Toys
8. School products

Apart from these products, FirstCry also keeps stock of items procured from leading importers and also from domestic manufacturers in India. Before the products are stocked and shipped each of the items undergoes a complete and thorough check by the company’s Quality Assurance team.

History of FirstCry

• FirstCry commenced its operation in 2010 with its office located in Pune, Maharashtra.
• In 2011, FirstCry started delivering around 500 products in a day.
• In 2012, FirstCry opened its first 80,000 Sq.ft fully automated fulfillment centre.
• In 2013, the company successfully crossed a milestone by having over 1 million happy customers. In the same year, the brand started its very own FirstCry hospital gift box program (presenting one-of-a-kind free-of-cost gift boxes to new mothers as a part of they’re marketing strategy). As of now, the company has a tie-up with over 7800 hospitals in India.
• In 2014, FirstCry launched a wide range of assorted products from Babyhug.
• In 2015, the legendary actor Mr Amitabh Bachchan was signed as FirstCry’s ambassador.
• In 2016, the company acquired BabyOye, a retail brand company from Mahindra. In the same year, FirstCry also launched Carters in India exclusively.
• In 2017, FirstCry launched India’s biggest parenting platform, a community for over 32 million parents who can explore articles, ask questions, share their memories, track their child’s growth and vaccination dates, join a discussion group and many more things to keep them updated with the parenting world.
• In 2018, FirstCry was funded with $400 million by Soft Bank.

Currently, FirstCry has more than 200,000 unique products from over 5800 brands which are supplied to more than 400 retail stores across the country and also sold online through their website and mobile application which currently has around 7.5 million registered users.

What Is the Unique Selling Point of First Cry?

1. FirstCry has a wide array of product line procured from premium leading brands both domestically and internationally. The product ranges from diapers to strollers to clothing to footwear and many more.
   
2. FirstCry is present both online and offline. Online through its website and mobile applications and offline through its brick and mortar outlets which are spread across the country. This has led the company to create a strong foothold and build a strong and established brand name which is trusted by more than 20 million families across the country and counting.
   
3. One of the successful marketing strategies of FirstCry was the launch of FirstCry hospital gift box program. This particular program has provided an added benefit for the franchisees as well. FirstCry till date has given out over 600,000 gift boxes to new mothers in over 7800 hospitals that it has tied up with. This has helped the company with a constant increase in its customer base.
   
4. To ensure that its brand is well-known FirstCry has collaborated with reputed brands such as Funskool, Pampers, Disney, Huggies, Chicco, Lego, Carter’s, BabyHug, Mark & Mia and many more. Thus providing its customers with affordable price range products for every income level parents.
   
5. Loyalty services such as Shop n Earn loyalty cash program has increased the customer base on their online portal. This particular program lets its users search for their favourite products on its portal. Every product will show how many loyalty cash points are available against the product. Once the product has been purchased, the loyalty cash is automatically added to the account which then can be redeemed against their next orders. Such services help FirstCry to retain its existing customer base and attract in more.
   

What Are the Benefits of Owning a First Cry Franchise in India?

Every FirstCry Franchise owner will receive products with high margins. This will also be a more cost-effective deal for the customers thereby creating a win-win situation for both the parties.

Complete guidance will be provided from the main company in setting up a franchise outlet.

The company will also provide assistance in doing the interiors of the franchise store so that it matches perfectly to the company’s guidelines.

The head office will also provide its franchise outlets with marketing and advertising assistance to ensure brand visibility.

FirstCry will also send in a team and provide assistance in researching the best location for the franchise outlet and deciding on an appropriate location for the same.

What are the requirements for becoming a potential FirstCry franchise outlet owner?

What is the area required for setting up a FirstCry franchise outlet?

The total built-up area required to set up a franchise outlet ranges from 1000 to 2000 Sq.ft. The property can either be owned or can be taken up on a rental basis by the owner. The property must be located at a prime commercial location. It should be located either in shopping malls or on high streets as this will increase the customer footfalls constantly.

What is the skill required to run a FirstCry franchise outlet?

The franchise owner must have high energy and a strong desire to create his/her name in the retail sector. The potential buyer must also possess entrepreneurial and leadership skills so that he can be flexible in running the store according to the emerging market trends. The staff members must be polite, courteous and should also have the skill to relate with parents and their needs and preferences.

What are FirstCry’s regions of operations?

FirstCry has its retail stores operational in over 400 cities such as Bangalore, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Gujarat, Punjab, Chennai, Mumbai, Jaipur, Uttarakhand and many more.

What is the training required to run the FirstCry franchise?

There is an on-site training facility that is provided to franchise owners and its staff members. The company also provides all the necessary assistance and guidance required to set up and start a fully operational franchise outlet.

What is the minimum number of employees required at a FirstCry franchise outlet?

Based on the built-up area taken up by the franchise owner, the employee needed ranges from 6 to 8 employees.

What are the financial requirements to become eligible for buying a FirstCry franchise outlet?

The total investment required to set up a FirstCry franchise outlet is between Rs.20,00,000 to Rs.30,00,000.

The company also provides a standard dealership agreement with a 5-year contract. The agreement can be renewed once the term comes to an end.

The profitability of the franchise outlet can be better explained through a detailed hypothetical example shown below

Total investment made in franchise = Rs.20,00,000

Expenses incurred in a month

• Rent paid for a 2000 Sq.ft area = Rs.7.00,000
• Salaries paid to 4 employees (Rs.10,000*4) = Rs.40,000
• Miscellaneous expenses incurred for the month = Rs.10,000

Total expenses incurred in a month = Rs.7,50,000

Income earned in a month

• The average footfall of customers in a day = 80 customers
• Average amount an individual spends in the store = Rs.1000
• Total income earned in a day (80*Rs.1000) = Rs.80,000

Total income earned in a month (Rs.80,000*30) = Rs.24,00,000

Gross profit for the month

Gross profit for the month (50% of Rs.24,00,000) = Rs.12,00,000

Total profit for the month

Total profit earned in a month (Rs.12,00,000 – Rs.7,50,000) = Rs.4,50,000

You can get back your entire investment based on the profitability example within 4 to 5 years.

Conclusion

Supam Maheshwari, CEO and Founder of FirstCry started the company in 2010 with one vision which was to provide a wide range of products for babies, kids and expecting mothers at affordable prices. In these 9 years, FirstCry has emerged as a leader in its market by creating a niche segment and becoming Asia’s leading and largest online portal for kids and baby products.

This company has proven itself to be one of the best in terms of owning a franchise outlet due to its tremendous scope of growth in the sector. With constant innovative strategies, FirstCry has provided all its franchisees with great benefits and a chance to create a name for themselves in the market along with a steady flow of income every year.

The company’s main focus has always been on providing easy access for high-quality baby and kids products to cities which do not have access to premium brands. With FirstCry, the company has provided its customers with access to world-class brands at their fingertips. When it comes to the quality of the products, FirstCry is the one-stop multi-brand store that can fill the gap by supplying high-quality products by following the demand of the customers.

So if you are looking to invest your money in this particular sector, you must have the right plan, belief, courage and patience to see it through. The company will provide you with all the required assistance and guidance in all aspects of the business along with providing training to run the outlet in a smooth and organised way.