The at-home beauty services sector in India is witnessing a surge as startups like Snabbit and NoBroker enter the market, challenging established players such as Urban Company and Yes Madam. This growth is fueled by fresh investments targeting the instant beauty segment, which focuses on convenience and speedy service delivery to a large consumer base, according to inc42.com.
These startups aim to position themselves between the unorganised, affordable salons and premium brand chains like Lakmé Salon and Jawed Habib. They attract both consumers seeking quick beauty services and the 7–8 million unorganised beauty service providers by offering incentives and higher pay. The sector's expansion is part of a broader trend within instant home services, although profitability remains a challenge.
The at-home beauty market is significant but primarily driven by unorganised salons competing with branded chains. Startups in this space rely heavily on convenience and speed to differentiate themselves. Despite the growing demand and investments, the question of sustainable profitability persists, as seen in related instant home service sectors like househelp, where even established players have yet to turn profitable.
Urban Company, a key player in the sector, took over 11 years to approach profitability in instant home services. The current wave of investments in at-home beauty startups indicates confidence in the market's potential, but the path to profitability for these newer entrants remains to be demonstrated, inc42.com reports.