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ARCHIES KNOWN FOR Popularising greeting cards in the 90’s, Archies is now banking on quick commerce platforms such as Zepto, Swiggy’s Instamart, and Zomato’s Blinkit to drive a revival in sales. The pandemic had pushed the gifting retailer into losses. “It’s going to be a game changer for our brand. We are already available on Blinkit and expect to finalize talks with other quick commerce players by the fourth quarter,” Varun Moolchandani, executive director, Archies, said.
Archies began listing its products on Blinkit about two-three months ago and has so far seen strong sales on the platform, particularly for its paper products such as wrapping paper, gifting envelopes, bags, and greeting cards. “We have never seen this kind of sales numbers for our products,” he added.
With competition intensifying in the sector, quick commerce players are aggressively expanding their category offerings to attract more users. Legacy brands such as Archies are cashing in on this rivalry and getting their products closer and faster to customers.
Once famous for its Valentine’s Day greeting cards, Archies has been struggling for many years to attract the younger generation to its stores, who prefer social media posts and other digital alternatives. Moreover, the pandemic had worsened the company’s financials as lockdowns had forced it to shut stores, some even permanently.
Archies now runs about 300 physical stores across India, including company-owned ones and franchises. Prior to the pandemic, it had 450 retail stores. Between FY20 and FY22, the company had posted a total net loss of ₹12.2 crore, while the revenue had nearly halved during the period.
The company is also making investments to increase the number of retail stores and franchises. “Our major focus will be high street and north India for at least a year and a half. For both company-owned stores and franchises, our idea is to capture the tier 2 and 3 markets,” Moolchandani said. The company plans to add at least 25-30 physical stores a year and increase its partnerships with third-party brands, which sell their gifting category products through Archies. At present, personal care brands such as Mamaearth and mCaffeine sell their gift packs through Archies outlets and their website.
“We will not achieve the numbers which we had 15 years ago, but we will try to innovate to have new and unique greeting cards so that people are excited to see our products,” he added