Ferns N Petals: Transforming an Unorganized Business into an Organized One

The economic reforms in India have not only changed consumption patterns but also the mindsets of people. This changing economic and social landscape has unleashed a plethora of opportunities and brought into existence companies in various sectors which were unheard of earlier. This case is about Ferns N Petals (FNP), which has emerged as the largest floral retail chain in India. When Vikas, founder of Ferns N Petals landed in Delhi in 1994 with US$110 (INRs 5,000) in his pocket, no one would have imagined that he would go on to establish the country's only branded floral retail chain. Whenever Vikas traveled to Delhi to meet his sweetheart Meeta, he found that the capital had no good florist. For someone who came from a family that dealt in flowers, this was the turning point which led to the launch of Ferns N Petal. The case moves on to discuss in detail the challenges faced by Vikas in setting up a nationwide floral retail chain and how he maximized the opportunity by adding new segments related to flowers and the move to get into the online flower selling mode when the internet was making inroads in India. The case winds up by highlighting his decision to enter into the food segment which is fraught with risks.The FNP case has been developed to highlight the existence of many entrepreneurial opportunities emerging in the changing socio-economic scenario in India. This case clearly illustrates that many unorganized sectors offer scope for professionalization and how an entrepreneur can tap these opportunities. FNP is a good example of how these opportunities can be tapped, thanks to the ambition, courage and risk-taking capabilities of Vikas Gutgutia. The case traces the journey of a start-up and the difficulties it faced at various stages and how these challenges are remarkably similar in any start-up. It highlights the need for modifying the existing business models and developing new ones to tap the emerging opportunities in an unorganized sector. The case goes on to highlight how the success of one venture many times can result in the belief that one can transform every opportunity in the unorganized sector which may lead to overstretching oneself.