This edition’s on the growth playbook of a dominant startup in BPC!

Launched in 2019, this startup focuses on bringing beauty secrets from around the world to Indian consumers. And doing so, it achieved some incredible milestones:

🔷 5 Mn+ Consumers

🔷 INR 2000 Cr Valuation

Of course, we’re talking about Pilgrim!

An online-first company, Pilgrim achieves 90% of its revenue from online channels – 65% from marketplaces and 25% from its D2C website

Cracking Marketplaces: The Primary Growth Lever Of Pilgrim

CEO & Co-Founder, Anurag Kedia, said in an interview, “Money isn’t the only way to grow on marketplaces. There are so many subtle things you can do. You just need to know what and when.”

Jeff Bezos’ Flywheel Model For Winning Over Amazon 💡

When Jeff first shared this iconic model in 2000, it was simply a concept sketched on a napkin. Fast forward to Pilgrim’s success, this model is their north star.

“The FlyWheel model helped us do the right things on Amazon,” says Anurag. His team made small but significant tweaks—optimising product images to instantly connect with consumers, focusing on user-generated content (UGC), and stacking up genuine reviews.

Beauty is all about trust, and Pilgrim has nailed it! With 4.5+ star ratings across most of their products on Amazon, Pilgrim builds credibility where it matters most—directly with consumers. 🚀

Cracking Amazon meant they could crack all marketplaces!

Data-Driven Marketplace Strategy 💡

It wasn’t just the FlyWheel model that propelled Pilgrim to success; their data-backed decision-making played a crucial role too. The brand leveraged powerful tools like Brand Analytics, Amazon Pi, and Helium to make smarter marketplace moves.

🔷 Optimising Product Listings: Every product listing across Amazon, Nykaa, or Flipkart is tweaked for maximum impact. From high-conversion product images to laser-sharp product descriptions, everything is designed to grab attention and narrate a story.

According to a JungleScout report, 70% of Amazon shoppers don’t venture beyond the first page of search results. Thanks to its mastery of keyword optimisation, Pilgrim’s products consistently rank high for popular searches like “Niacinamide Serum” or “Sunscreen SPF 50.”

🔷 Dynamic Pricing & Discounts: Pilgrim’s pricing strategies are tailored for the deal-hunting Indian consumer. They frequently offer limited-time discounts, lightning deals, and bundles—a tactic that keeps customers coming back.

Redseer Consulting found that 40% of Indian e-commerce shoppers make purchases primarily based on discounts, and Pilgrim’s dynamic pricing taps into this behaviour brilliantly.

This blend of smart data tools and a consumer-first pricing approach is what keeps Pilgrim top-of-mind for BPC buyers across the country!

Supporting Growth Levers: Pillars Behind The Success Of Pilgrim 🏗️

Pilgrim has fortified their brand using several smart growth levers that complement their primary marketplace strategy. Let’s break down these supporting pillars:

Optimising The Website For Conversions 🖥️

While 65% of sales may come from marketplaces, Pilgrim’s D2C website is a vital growth lever. The website is optimised for conversions, offering exclusive deals, early access to launches, and user-friendly catalogues.

Finding products is easy, and their well-curated gift hampers (in various price ranges) entice direct sales. This customer-first approach boosts engagement and brand loyalty.

Offline Push: Strategic, Not Frenzied 🛍️

They’ve cautiously expanded into offline retail. Their approach has been very strategic:

✔️ Focused Store Presence: Pilgrim has partnered with select retail chains and beauty stores in Tier 1 cities to cater to consumers who prefer a physical shopping experience.

✔️ Limited SKUs in Stores: Their best-sellers are in offline stores, preserving exclusivity while ensuring high sell-through rates. This approach has paid off—15% of offline buyers later shift to online purchases after trying the products.

Product Innovation 🧴

Customers are spoilt for choice, especially in the beauty industry. Pilgrim keeps them hooked through relentless product innovation.

K-Beauty and Global Trends: Pilgrim taps into the growing demand for K-Beauty by introducing innovative products like the Pilgrim 2% Hyaluronic Acid Serum and the Secrets of Jeju Island range, which have become best-sellers.

Mint reports the K-beauty market in India grew by 20% in FY23, making Pilgrim’s innovation perfectly aligned with current consumer demands.

Pilgrim’s success story shows how blending marketplace mastery, a powerful D2C website, strategic offline moves, and cutting-edge product innovation can drive sustained growth.

Final Thoughts

From mastering the marketplace game to refining D2C and offline strategies, Pilgrim has shown that success comes from a multi-pronged approach.

Their marketplace-first model may be their biggest growth lever, but it’s the supporting pillars—product innovation, smart marketing, and strategic offline expansion have helped Pilgrim grow 4X in sales in FY23 as compared to FY22.

One thing’s for sure: Pilgrim is a brand to watch in India’s booming D2C space.

Until the next one!