Frido, the ergonomics specialist has opened its first experiential store at Hyderabad. The 500 sq ft store has come up at Lakeshore mall, Y Junction at Kukatpally in the city.
The journey of Frido is a compelling story of how a specialized mobility startup evolved into a mainstream consumer healthcare and lifestyle brand. It effectively moved from solving extreme physical challenges to addressing the everyday discomforts of modern life.
A Mechanical Engineer by qualification and a former employee of Bajaj Auto, the company was founded in 2015 by Ganesh Sonawane along with Arif Khan.
Their first major innovation was the Frido Go, the world’s first self-propelled shower and commode wheelchair that could be folded into a suitcase helping individuals with limited mobility maintain their dignity and independence.
In 2022, Frido became a consumer-facing brand shifting their focus to “mass-premium” ergonomic products, starting with insoles and orthopedic cushions.
From an Angel Round in 2016 of USD 100,000, Frido’s parent Arcatron Mobility had till date raised INR 200 Cr (USD 23 Mn) and counts Artha India Ventures, Venture Garage, OrbiMed, Family Offices of Chona and Taparia and a clutch of angel investors.
Editor’s Note
It has become common for digital first brands, which begin their journey as D2C to go offline eventually.
Be it Nykaa or Snitch, The Sleep Company to The Wooden Street, several hundred D2C brands have opened offline stores in prominent cities and at malls.
That offline retail remains the go-to place for consumers, irrespective of their digital shopping ways is an edifice that offline retail is here to stay.
As the saying goes, offline retail is not dead; Offline retail just got boring. And one who does it interestingly shall remain in the game.
Discover more from Retail Updates
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
