Why do some e-commerce businesses keep growing their sales but struggle to make money?

In Episode 24 of eCommerce, Clearly, Vedika Agrawal breaks down the profitability trap in e-commerce, starting with the striking FY26 financials of Snabbit, the instant house-help startup.

But context matters. Snabbit is a heavily venture-funded startup that has raised more than $112 million. Its first full year of operations involved significant investments in customer acquisition, service professionals, technology and expansion.

So, what can e-commerce founders learn from this?

In this episode, we explore why revenue growth alone doesn't tell you whether your business is financially healthy, how pricing and unit economics affect profitability, and what D2C founders and Amazon and Flipkart sellers can do to build more sustainable businesses.

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why growing revenue doesn't necessarily mean growing profit
• How to calculate and interpret contribution margins
• How product costs, shipping, marketplace fees, advertising and returns affect profitability
• Why copying competitor pricing can be dangerous
• How D2C brands can evaluate customer acquisition costs and repeat purchases
• How Amazon and Flipkart sellers can review profitability by SKU and channel
• How better operations, inventory planning and pricing can improve business economics
• Why founders should understand their unit economics before scaling

Whether you're launching your first product, running a D2C brand, selling on Amazon or Flipkart, or scaling an established e-commerce business, this episode will help you think beyond revenue and make more informed growth decisions.

ABOUT ECOMMERCE, CLEARLY

eCommerce, Clearly is a podcast by Vedika Agrawal covering Indian e-commerce, D2C brands, marketplaces, consumer behaviour, business economics, growth strategies and the decisions shaping the industry.

Explore EcomBeyondDropship: https://www.ecombeyonddropship.com/

SOURCES & FURTHER READING

1. Mint — Snabbit's expansion push comes at a cost as FY26 losses hit ₹168 crore
   https://www.livemint.com/companies/company-results/snabbits-expansion-fy26-losses-168-crore-home-helps-workers-professionals-11792155028989.html

2. Moneycontrol — Quick services startup Snabbit posts ₹168 crore loss on ₹12 crore revenue in FY26
   https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/startup/quick-services-startup-snabbit-posts-rs-168-crore-loss-on-rs-12-crore-revenue-in-fy26-14053843.html

3. Inc42 — Snabbit Spent ₹16 To Earn Every Rupee In Operating Revenue In FY26
   https://inc42.com/buzz/snabbit-spent-%E2%82%B916-to-earn-every-rupee-in-operating-revenue-in-fy26/

DISCLAIMER: This episode is for educational and informational purposes only. Business outcomes depend on individual circumstances, costs, pricing, competition, capital and execution. The examples discussed are illustrative and should not be treated as financial or accounting advice.

#Ecommerce #D2C #EcommerceProfitability #UnitEconomics #AmazonSeller #FlipkartSeller

What does the RBI have to do with your ecommerce business? And what does the GST Council have to do with your growth strategy?

More than you might think.

In this episode of eCommerce, Clearly, we step back from CAC, ROAS and conversion rates to look at the forces outside your business that can shape what happens inside it.

We break down the recent RBI repo rate hike, the latest GST reforms, and what they can mean for ecommerce sellers — from cost of capital and working capital to inventory, margins, consumer spending and expansion.

But this episode isn't really about the repo rate or GST.

It’s about understanding that your ecommerce business operates inside a much bigger economic system — and when that system changes, your strategy may need to change with it.

Because sometimes, the biggest decision affecting your ecommerce business is being made by someone who has never even heard of your brand.

RBI Repo Rate / October 2026 Monetary Policy:
RBI repo rate hike — October 2026

The RBI raised the repo rate by 25 bps to 5.50% and shifted its stance to calibrated tightening. Reuters

57th GST Council Meeting — October 2026:
GST Council Meeting — Economic Times live updates

The meeting focused on GST administration and compliance reforms, including simplified registration for small ecommerce sellers, faster refunds and other compliance changes, while GST rates remained unchanged. The Economic Times

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Nearly 80% of Indian home shoppers discover products through social media. But does that really mean social media is becoming the new storefront?

In this episode of eCommerce, Clearly, we dig deeper into what this shift actually means for ecommerce — and why the headline is only the starting point.

The discussion is inspired by an ET Retail report on Deloitte’s research into India’s home and household market, which found that nearly 80% of Indian home shoppers discover products through social media, while 60% use ecommerce apps even while shopping in physical stores to research products, compare prices and access offers.

We go beyond the numbers to explore how social media, creators, marketplaces, D2C websites, physical retail and AI are increasingly becoming different touchpoints in the same customer journey.

Why does discovery matter if the purchase happens somewhere else?
Is social media actually becoming a storefront — or is it becoming something more important: the place where purchase intent is created?
And what does this mean for ecommerce brands trying to understand where their customers actually come from?

The episode draws on insights from Deloitte’s “The Home Reset: How India is redefining the way homes are designed, upgraded and experienced” report, as covered by ET Retail, and looks at the broader implications for Indian ecommerce.

Because maybe the biggest change isn't that social media is becoming a storefront.

Maybe it's that the storefront itself is no longer one place.

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We are officially two weeks away from the 2026 festive sale season — and for ecommerce brands and sellers, the question is no longer just “Are you ready for Diwali?”

It’s “What role should every channel play in your festive ecommerce strategy?”

In this episode of eCommerce, Clearly, we break down how brands can approach the upcoming Diwali 2026 sales season across Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, quick-commerce platforms and their own D2C websites.

We discuss why marketplaces can be powerful customer acquisition channels during Diwali, how brands should think about inventory, pricing, product assortment and profitability across different platforms, and whether your D2C website should actually run the same Diwali sale as Amazon and Flipkart.

We also dive into the growing role of quick commerce during the festive season and why platforms such as Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart can require a very different strategy from traditional marketplaces.

One of the biggest questions we explore is:

Should D2C brands run their biggest sale at the same time as the major marketplace Diwali sales?

Our take: not necessarily.

Instead, brands can consider using Diwali and the major marketplace festive sales for acquisition and discovery, while giving their D2C channel its own strategic moments later in the year — such as a New Year sale, brand anniversary, birthday campaign, exclusive product launch or loyalty-focused campaign.

Because ecommerce today isn't simply about choosing between marketplaces and D2C.

It's about understanding what each channel is actually supposed to do.

In this episode, we cover:

• Diwali 2026 ecommerce strategy for sellers and D2C brands
• How to approach Amazon and Flipkart festive sales
• The role of Myntra and Nykaa during the festive season
• How quick commerce is changing festive shopping
• Marketplace vs D2C strategy during Diwali
• Whether brands should match marketplace discounts on their own websites
• Channel-specific pricing and contribution margins
• How to allocate inventory across ecommerce channels
• Choosing the right products for Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, quick commerce and D2C
• Customer acquisition vs customer retention
• Turning festive marketplace buyers into long-term customers
• Why brands should think beyond the Diwali sale
• Building a post-Diwali D2C strategy
• New Year, anniversary and D2C-exclusive sale opportunities
• How ecommerce brands can build a multi-channel strategy instead of running the same promotion everywhere

The festive season shouldn't just be about selling more during Diwali.

It should be about using every channel strategically to acquire customers, build relationships and create repeat purchases long after the festive sale ends.

🎙️ eCommerce, Clearly — Episode 20

Topics: Diwali 2026, ecommerce strategy, festive season sales, Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, quick commerce, Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, D2C, marketplace strategy, ecommerce marketing, customer acquisition, customer retention, festive ecommerce strategy India.

Over the last year, I’ve realised something about my own buying behaviour: I’ve slowly started choosing Indian D2C brands over brands I’ve used for years.

And I didn’t really plan for it to happen.

From switching from Dove to Be Nude, Oral-B to Perfora, and basic lip balms to Indie Wild, to discovering DailyObjects, Mokobara, Blablie Blue, Kica Active, Kawa, Terractive, Bodai and several other homegrown Indian brands, my “default” brands have quietly changed.

And it got me thinking: what does it actually mean when D2C brands move from being brands we discover on Instagram to brands we automatically choose?

In this episode of eCommerce, Clearly, I talk about:

• Why I’ve become more willing to experiment with Indian D2C brands
• How newer brands are replacing legacy and international brands in my own buying behaviour
• The journey from discovering a D2C brand to becoming a repeat customer
• How D2C brands have started influencing my family’s purchase decisions too
• Why Instagram and social media have completely changed brand discovery
• How Indian D2C brands are competing on product, branding, design, experience and community
• What this shift says about Make in India and the growth of India’s D2C ecosystem
• And why the biggest sign of D2C success might not be how many brands are launching—but how many are becoming our new defaults.

Because ultimately, the goal isn't:

“Please buy Indian.”

It’s:

“You have choices. And we’re one of the best ones.”

And maybe that’s when an Indian D2C brand has truly made it.

When you stop thinking of it as a “small Indian brand” and simply think:

“This is the brand I use.”

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If you’ve also switched from some of your old favourite brands to newer Indian D2C brands, I’d love to know what those switches have been.

Until then, keep observing.

And clearly, keep questioning your defaults.

#eCommerceClearly #IndianD2C #D2CBrands #IndianBrands #IndianStartups #MakeInIndia #D2CIndia #eCommerce #eCommerceIndia #ConsumerBehaviour #HomegrownBrands #IndianEntrepreneurs

There is a LOT happening in Indian ecommerce right now.

Quick commerce is moving beyond groceries. Festive shopping is changing. Beauty and personal care is becoming a $42 billion opportunity. Tier-II and Tier-III cities are driving a growing share of D2C demand. And a new Infisum report projects India's ecommerce market could grow from $125 billion in 2024 to $345 billion by 2030.

So in Episode 17 of eCommerce, Clearly, I’m taking a step back from individual headlines and connecting the dots across the Indian ecommerce ecosystem.

We look at:

• Why quick commerce could drive 45–50% of incremental e-retail growth through 2030
• How Rakhi shopping shows that quick commerce is expanding far beyond groceries
• What Independence Day ecommerce sales tell us about changing consumer demand
• Why marketplaces, D2C and quick commerce are increasingly competing for the same consumer
• India's $42 billion beauty and personal care market opportunity
• Why Tier-II and Tier-III India could be the next major growth engine for ecommerce and D2C brands
• Why launching a brand is becoming easier — but scaling one profitably is getting harder
• What the latest quick-commerce profitability numbers tell us about the industry's next phase
• Why RTO, COD and logistics could become increasingly important to ecommerce profitability
• And why the next phase of Indian ecommerce may be less about GMV and more about unit economics, retention and sustainable growth

The big question we're exploring is:

If India really does become a $345 billion ecommerce market by 2030, what will the winning ecommerce company of 2030 actually look like?

Is it a marketplace brand? A D2C brand? A quick-commerce-first brand? A creator-led brand?

Or something that doesn't fit neatly into any of those categories?

This episode is for ecommerce founders, D2C brands, marketplace sellers, quick-commerce operators, marketers, retailers, entrepreneurs and anyone interested in the future of ecommerce in India.

Sources Mentioned:

Business Standard / Infisum — India's ecommerce market to nearly triple to $345 billion by 2030
Read the Business Standard report

Fortune India — India's quick-commerce boom has now hit its profitability moment
Read the Fortune India article

ET Retail / Aditya Birla Capital — India's beauty & personal care market to $42 billion by FY31
Read the ET Retail article

BW Disrupt — India’s beauty & personal care market set for $42 billion scale-up by FY31
Read the BW Disrupt article

Unicommerce — Quick Commerce Festive Season Report 2026
Read the Unicommerce report

ClickPost — The 90-Day RTO Reduction Playbook
Read the ClickPost RTO playbook

eCommerce, Clearly is a podcast about ecommerce, D2C, marketplaces, quick commerce, consumer behaviour, digital retail and the trends shaping India's online commerce ecosystem.

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