Content platform POPxo forays into offline retail

This comes at a time when content platforms are looking at different avenues of monetisation, with ecommerce being a major one.

“We use data and inputs from our most popular articles, videos and social memes to design products that millenials love," said Priyanka Gill, founder and chief executive of Luxeva Ltd, which runs POPxo. “These products are then sold online via content to our existing user base. Now they will be sold offline as well."

POPxo Shop sells lifestyle products such as bags, notebooks, laptop sleeves, among others. The firm also plans to add skin care and fashion offerings soon.

Offline has been an important aspect for e-commerce firms, especially in fashion and lifestyle. Online fashion marketplace Myntra has a few offline stores and had, in the past, spoken about aggressively expanding its offline presence.

Similarly, relatively smaller players such as Voonik, Limeroad and Saif Partners backed FabAlley also expanded their offline footprint over the last one year.

However, this is the first time that a content platform has forayed into offline retail. Other content platforms that also offer ‘content commerce’ include as Little Black Book and ScoopWhoop, but they do not have an offline presence yet.

The omnichannel play not only provides a seamless process of purchase and returns, but it also brings in more customers.

POPxo last raised around ₹37 crore in April 2018 in a round led by South Korean company Doosan Corporation’s investment arm, Neoplux, and Chinese mobile company Oppo. The round also saw participation from existing investors, including Japanese firm GREE Ventures, IDG Ventures India, Kalaari Capital and Summit Media.