15k Sellers,
₹50Cr GMV
CraftBazaar, a handmade goods marketplace, had 200 sellers and ₹2Cr GMV. We built a seller acquisition engine, optimized supply-demand matching, and scaled operations. Result: 15k sellers, ₹50Cr GMV in 12 months.
Sellers
k
GMV
₹Cr
Orders/Month
k
Retention
%
Chicken & Egg
Priya Desai, CraftBazaar founder, faced the classic marketplace problem: not enough sellers to attract buyers, not enough buyers to attract sellers. 200 sellers, ₹2Cr GMV, 60% churn. Growth stalled.
- Only 200 active sellers
- 60% seller churn rate
- Supply-demand mismatch
- Manual seller onboarding (5 days)
Flywheel
We automated seller onboarding (5 days → 2 hours), launched seller acquisition campaigns, built demand forecasting, optimized search/discovery, and created seller success programs. 15k sellers, ₹50Cr GMV, 78% retention.
- Automated seller onboarding
- Demand forecasting engine
- Seller success programs
What We Did
Seller Onboarding Automation
Built self-service onboarding: upload products, set prices, verify bank details—all in 2 hours (vs 5 days manual). Added video tutorials, live chat support. Onboarded 14,800 sellers in 12 months.
Tools: Custom portal, Stripe Connect, KYC automation
Seller Acquisition Campaigns
Ran targeted ads on Facebook/Instagram to artisans, craftspeople, home businesses. Created 'Sell Your Crafts Online' webinars. Partnered with 50 craft communities. Acquisition cost: ₹240/seller.
Tools: Meta Ads, Webinars, Community partnerships
Demand Forecasting Engine
Built ML model predicting demand by category, season, region. Showed sellers: 'Diwali decor demand up 340% next month—stock up!' Reduced stockouts by 68%, increased seller revenue by 45%.
Tools: Python, TensorFlow, Historical sales data
Search & Discovery Optimization
Implemented personalized search, category filters, trending products, similar items. Improved product discoverability by 280%. Conversion rate: 1.8% → 4.2%.
Tools: Algolia, Recommendation engine, A/B testing
Seller Success Programs
Created 'Top Seller' program: monthly workshops, exclusive features, marketing support. Built seller community (WhatsApp groups, monthly meetups). Retention: 40% → 78%.
Tools: WhatsApp Business, Monthly webinars, Exclusive perks
Marketing Automation
Automated seller marketing: 'Your product was viewed 340 times this week—run a 10% off promo?' Sent personalized tips based on performance. Seller engagement: +180%.
Tools: Email automation, SMS campaigns, In-app notifications
The Results
k
Active Sellers
From 200 in 12 months
₹Cr
GMV
From ₹2Cr (25x growth)
%
Seller Retention
From 40%
Key Achievements
- 15k active sellers (7,500% growth)
- ₹50Cr GMV (25x increase)
- 85k orders/month (from 3k)
- Seller retention: 40% → 78%
- Onboarding time: 5 days → 2 hours
- Raised ₹25Cr Series B funding
"We broke the chicken-and-egg problem. 15k sellers, ₹50Cr GMV, and we just raised our Series B. The flywheel is spinning."
Priya Desai
Founder, CraftBazaar