StoreHippo is a pioneer in mobile commerce and the first SaaS ecommerce platform to adapt a headless web app architecture. It is designed to give brands a strong omnichannel presence, better user experience and higher sale conversions across digital touchpoints. StoreHippo’s highly flexible service-oriented architecture, powered by AI and automation, gives businesses the ability to implement diverse B2B, B2C and B2B2C business models in no time. To discuss more about the platform and the services it offers, Ramesh Kumar Raja talked to Rajiv Kumar Aggarwal, CEO and Co-founder, StoreHippo. Aggarwal is an industry veteran and highly skilled technologist with 20-plus years of strong experience in internet technologies and ecommerce. Excerpts:

The Covid-19 pandemic emerged as a blessing in disguise for the ecommerce sector. How do you look at it?

Ecommerce has already been on a growth trajectory. The adoption of ecommerce took a sudden leap with the pandemic and the safety measures in place. The pandemic made millions across the world realize how easy life could be with the right ecommerce set up in place. It also helped businesses survive the pandemic and gradually rebuild their business to grow to new markets with ecommerce. Covid-19 has definitely given a 5 year forward push to ecommerce and its adoption by customers as well as business owners.

Going digital or online is fast becoming a tool for entrepreneurs to sustain in this tough time. Do you buy this argument?

Going digital is the way out for businesses of all sizes, more so for entrepreneurs. Ecommerce not only opens up new markets for them but also makes it more cost effective.

What one should keep in mind while giving a digital makeover to his/her business?

While going digital, focus on giving the best shopping experience to your buyers. Also, go aggressive on mobile, as this is the channel which brings you the most conversions. Choose a mobile-ready solution for building your online store and apps and optimize your content, marketing and everything else around selling on mobile. Along with this go for personalization for better conversions.

What does StoreHippo exactly do in this regard? What are the services you offer and how many clients you have?

StoreHippo offers turnkey mobile-ready solutions for businesses of all sizes. We make the online journey of our clients smoother and faster by offering a one-stop solution to help them build an omnichannel presence for better conversions. StoreHippo also takes care of all the order management, payment, shipping and marketing requirements of its clients. StoreHippo has over 2,000 clients in 20+ countries.

How has been the response of your services so far?

We have received a very good response from our clients, especially enterprise businesses who did not imagine going D2C was so easy and without compromising their brand requirements. StoreHippo offers a completely flexible and customizable solution with a host of enterprise-grade features designed for advanced requirements of large businesses. This has made us a favourite of brands across the globe.

How mobile apps have transformed the online retail businesses in India?

Up to 70%-80% of online sales are coming through mobiles. Mobile apps have literally opened your shop in your clients’ smartphones. The way we are addicted to our mobiles, it is natural for customers to go binge shopping on mobile apps. With mobile apps, customers can be easily persuaded to buy more and can be targeted better with personalized offers. Apps have been a game-changer and if used strategically can be one of the best channels for marketing and sales.

What are the challenges one faces in driving digital transformation in retail? How to overcome them?

The first challenge is to find a comprehensive solution to take the business online. While there are many solutions available, not all are designed to adapt quickly to the market dynamics. Also, mobile-readiness is lacking in many popular platforms. Along with this shipping is a great pain point. Retailers need automated shipping solutions along with a comprehensive delivery boy management solution to make their deliveries streamlined. To overcome these challenges they should go for ecommerce solutions that are designed around m-commerce and offer inbuilt shipping solutions to make life easier.

Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things are said to be the next big thing that will impact the retail business. Is it so?

AI and IoT are going to bring remarkable changes in digital selling. The change has already started with predictive analysis and in-store buying experiences through VR systems. IoT is also helping improve customer shopping experiences and helping in better customer engagement and retention.

How has automation revamped the B2B and B2C business models?

Automation has made both B2B and B2C business models more streamlined, efficient, transparent and less prone to errors. This goes a long way in having better growth and cost savings.

What online retail trends we are going to see in the times to come?

Some of the trends that will dominate online retail would be an even greater shift towards mobile, better opportunities in local markets with hyperlocal ecommerce, faster deliveries would be a key in making customers loyal, omnichannel selling through multiple customer touchpoints will also be a trend that will gain momentum.