D2C founders put SKU margins, inventory ageing and retention at the centre of profitable scaling

At an Inc42 and PhonePe Payment Gateway roundtable, Indian D2C leaders highlighted SKU-level profitability, tighter inventory planning, channel economics and lifecycle-led retention as controls needed to scale across marketplaces, quick commerce and offline retail.

— Source publishedTue, 8 Sept, 2026, 12:06 IST·First seen Tue, 8 Sept, 2026, 12:33 IST·Source Inc42 · Buzz

What happened

Indian D2C brands · Inc42 and PhonePe Payment Gateway hosted a D2C summit roundtable on scaling profitably. Indian consumer-brand leaders discussed SKU-level

Key facts

  • More than 3,500 SKUs
  • Stock ageing beyond 90 days
  • 17-20 days of finished-goods inventory
  • 15-day forecast horizon
  • 30-day customer lifecycle checkpoint
  • 90-day customer lifecycle checkpoint

Why this matters

Strategic partners and acquirers should prioritize D2C targets with proven retention engines, tight inventory ageing controls and repeatable profitability across marketplaces, quick commerce and offline channels.

What to watch

  • More D2C funding rounds tied to EBITDA, repeat rates, inventory turns or contribution margin rather than GMV.
  • Rising marketplace and quick-commerce commissions, ad costs, return rates or mandatory promotional participation.
  • Evidence of SKU-count reductions, lower discount intensity and higher hero-SKU revenue concentration among scaled brands.
  • Expansion of inventory-financing products priced against real-time sales, ageing and sell-through data.
  • Quick-commerce platforms demanding exclusive pack sizes, lower prices or deeper fill-rate commitments.
  • Build SKU-by-channel contribution-margin dashboards including trade spend, returns, payment costs, shipping and working-capital carrying cost.
  • Adopt demand sensing and replenishment cadences that flag inventory projected to cross 60-, 90- and 120-day ageing thresholds.
  • Use controlled liquidation, bundles and retention-led offers to clear ageing stock before margin-destructive marketplace discounting becomes necessary.
  • Prioritise lifecycle CRM, subscriptions, replenishment reminders and loyalty mechanics for categories with repeat purchase potential.
  • Create channel-specific assortment and pack architecture, especially for quick-commerce baskets versus marketplace discovery and offline shelves.