Delivery Charge is a challenge for Online Sale of Agarbatti in Kolkata:Arnab Dutta
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when all business activities had come to a standstill and online marketing was the only option for buying and selling, Mr. Arnab Dutta started distribution work in 2021 through his firm, Sanvi Manufacturing and Trading Enterprises. In a special conversation with Sugandh India, he said that the online market for agarbatti is no longer growing much because delivery charges are very high. If a packet of agarbatti priced at ₹70 is ordered online, an additional delivery charge of ₹30–40 is applied. He said this is one of the main reasons why the online market is not growing rapidly. For customers, buying agarbatti from local shops is cheaper, as there are no extra charges involved.
Explaining the reason for entering the agarbatti trade, he told Sugandh India that when everything came to a halt during COVID, he started thinking about which business would always have steady demand. After much discussion, he and his wife concluded that even the poorest person lights at least two incense sticks a day. With this thought, they started distribution and began with brands such as Swara from Gujarat, Aradhyam Products (Mathura), and Delta Sambrani Cups. Even today, these three brands are performing very well in both North and South Kolkata. As his presence in the trade increased, business also expanded, and he subsequently took up distribution of Parimal Mandir, Padmini, Forest, Jesal Products, Sujatha sugandhalaya andMoksh as well. Speaking about the characteristics of the Kolkata market, Mr. Dutta said that he supplies not only to North and South Kolkata but also to North and South 24 Parganas. He explained that economy products sell more in North Kolkata, where customers also bargain with distributors. Major markets in North Kolkata include Shyambazar, Shovabazar–Bagmari, Kapurgachhi, Ultadanga, Maniktala, Lake Town, and Entally, where bargaining is common. On the other hand, in South Kolkata areas like Bhawanipur, Lake Market, and Gariahat Market, premium products sell more. Customers there usually do not bargain, and products are sold at MRP.
Mr. Dutta told Sugandh India that the agarbatti trade in Kolkata is very strong. If a product has good quality, it will definitely sell—whether it is an economy or premium product. From rickshaw pullers and street vendors to affluent consumers, everyone uses agarbatti. Today, there is a wide variety available in the agarbatti trade, including agarbatti, dhoop, cones, dry sticks, and cups, and all these segments are performing well. Replying to a question, he said that the top five brands in Kolkata include Balaji, Cycle, Karnataka Fragrance, Forest, and Utsav from Gujarat. In addition, ITC products necessarily sell well in FMCG stores. Zed Black also has a good market here and dominates the wet dhoop segment. Bharat Darshan, Parimal Mandir, Swara, Aradhyam, and Delta alsohave strong demand, followed by Shalimar and Shakuntala.
In response to another question from Sugandh India, he said that packs with MRP of ₹35 and economy packs priced at ₹45–50 sell the most. In North Kolkata, zipper packs are in very high demand, while in South Kolkata, box packs are more popular. Customers prefer fewer sticks but better fragrance. He added that in the premium segment, companies from Bengaluru still dominate. Although Gujarat is coming up as competition, Bengaluru still leads in the premium handmade agarbatti segment. He said that both economy and premium products have strong markets here. Over the past two years, demand for dhoop and dry sticks has increased. For religious reasons, people are preferring bambooless products, as burning bamboo is considered objectionable by some. In wet dhoop, brands like Manthan, Forest, Utsav, Alok, and Rocket are performing well. Replying to another question, Mr. Dutta said that sambrani cups also started gaining popularity two to three years ago, in which Cycle’s ‘Naivedya’ and Delta’s ‘Aradhana’ are performing very well. He said that the use of camphor has also increased. In the camphor segment, Mangalam and Auracam are popular branded products, apart from which local products are also sold. In sandal tilak, the Drolia brand is popular, and in havan material, most people prefer ‘Ahuti’.
Regarding brand loyalty, he said that most customers, after buying a product two or three times, start asking for new products, and they keep changing brands. He added that middle-income customers spend around ₹50 per month, while high-income group customers spend between ₹3,000 and ₹4,000. He said that Kolkata has a mixed population, with many offices, malls, corporate offices, spas, and wellness centers, which is why premium products also have strong demand. Many customers make bulk purchases of ₹2,000 to ₹4,000 at a time. During festivals like Diwali and New Year, people have also started gifting premium agarbatti. He added that people here prefer hard fragrances because of high humidity, and therefore, there is also higher demand for strong fragrances in perfumes.
