SEASON 2

Background

COVID-19 is the greatest challenge the world has faced in decades. It has transformed people’s
lives at unprecedented scale and impacted every industry in ways that weren’t foreseen by
anyone. But one thing that emerged as a clear need for everyone, is to adapt & innovate. The
need for innovation is now greater than ever, driven by new challenges that are more disruptive
than most we have ever faced.
For Hindustan Unilever Ltd., once the nation-wide lockdown was implemented, there was a
huge disruption in market due to the unavailability of salesmen, which could have resulted in
potential loss of sales. To address the challenge of market disruption through technology, HUL
leveraged its Shikhar app. Launched in 2018, the Shikhar app is an eB2B platform aimed at
digitisation of the general trade.

Leveraging Technology

Fulfilling the demand from stores and keeping the supply available for their consumers was of
the utmost importance. This was where the Shikhar app was a key driver in helping HUL connect
with the General Trade store in a no-touch, digital manner. This was ensured by:

• Onboarding and remote training over 2.5 lakh stores

• Enabling meaningful engagement with retailers via the ‘Suraksha store’ initiative that
educated them about adopting strict social distancing practices.
• Limiting the SKUs list to only top 30%
• Setting upper limit for maximum order quantity
• Preponing order slot due to lockdown
• Facilitating contactless payments, which provided the convenience and safety of
making UPI payments to distributors.
In addition to the above, the app turned out to be a great channel for digital marketing via in-
app banners and other marketing material. Push notifications, app personalisation, app
widgets, and carefully placed banners to target retailers and inform them about new offers and
launches were a few instrumental features that helped bring in a paradigm shift in adoption.
The Shikhar app has not only helped HUL build a competitive advantage but has also provided
retailers with convenience and ease of ordering.

Journey so far
During the last few months, the app’s adoption has increased by a staggering 173% with more
than 1.5 lakh orders being placed during the lockdown period. Overall, the sales have increased
over 3X in the last 9 months. Currently, Shikhar sales contribute to over 10% of the total sales
in transacting stores, and 2.7 lakh stores have been onboarded pan India. Even post the
lockdown, the Shikhar app continues to support HUL retailers as they embark upon a journey
of digital transformation.

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The Ask:

We need you – top thinkers from all over India – to become drivers on innovation in these
challenging times. HUL needs you to think tactically, but also have a future-fit vision.

Adoption strategy
What should be the strategic vision for Shikhar app? Considering the near future, how can
HUL increase and sustain adoption?
Fulfilment strategy
Delivery for direct orders might seem like a challenge for some distributors. Suggest a fulfilment
model to ensure overall customer satisfaction.
App feature
Suggest one feature you would want to add to the app to enhance the value to the end user?
Please note that your ideas should be a good balance of Technology & Strategy.

Evaluation Criteria:

Understanding the core challenge & comprehensiveness of approach 30%

Practicality of the solution 30%
Innovation through Technology 40%

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