Scents N Stories CEO: We Have 40+ OUTLETS Across PAKISTAN! | Saad Afridi | 474 | TBT

Описание: Find out more about Endeavor: https://pakistan.endeavor.org

In this episode of Thought Behind Things, we’re joined by Saad Afridi, the Founder & CEO of Scents N Stories, Pakistan’s leading fragrance brand with over 40 outlets, 300+ employees, and one of the top 5 players in the country’s perfume market.

From starting with men’s grooming products to building a nationwide perfume empire, Saad shares the story of how Scents N Stories grew from a small e-commerce experiment into Pakistan’s most recognizable fragrance brand.

We explore:
Moving from beard grooming to online perfume sales
Building 40+ outlets across Pakistan using e-commerce data
Why Pakistan’s perfume market is more advanced than Indonesia & Bangladesh
Local manufacturing vs import, and how they keep costs low
Why luxury perfumes cost 30x more than theirs
How they built brand trust without outside investors

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Special thanks to Kickstart for providing us with the studio space.
You can find out more about them at: https://kickstart.pk/

Listen on:
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3z1cE7F
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3cgIkf
Google Podcasts:    / @tbtgo  

Credits:
Executive Producer: Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi
Associate Producer: Saad Shehryar
Publisher: Talha Shaikh
Editor: Jawad Sajid

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
03:52 Early Life & Career
06:38 Choosing Business Over Job
10:31 Failed Businesses that Led to Scent and Stories
13:10 How Big is Scent and Stories Today
15:04 Franchise Model that Changed Everything
15:54 Impact of Economic Downturn
17:43 Why Local Manufacturing Beats Importing
26:11 How to Increase Profitability
30:47 Moving From Online to Retail
36:52 Building Logistics Network
38:23 Investment & Capital
41:32 New Customer Acquisition vs Repeat Customers
43:56 Sales in Karachi, Lahore & Islamabad vs Small Cities
46:01 Understanding Low-Tier Markets
50:38 Distribution & Manufacturing Locations
51:57 Packaging & Local Manufacturing
56:32 The Truth About Perfume Costs
1:06:28 Future Goals: Faith, Fragrance & Impact
1:09:13 Can Entrepreneurs Really Make a Difference?
1:14:52 The Author Side of Saad Afridi
1:17:02 Fraud Culture: Why Pakistani Entrepreneurs Struggle
1:23:29 Understanding Israel’s Growth Playbook
1:27:54 Why Religion Exists in the First Place
1:40:52 Why Islam Rejects “Get Rich Quick” Schemes
1:47:49 Value-Based Work Attracts the Right People
1:52:54 Book Release Plans & Muzamil’s Suggestion
1:54:17 Hard Truths Learned
2:03:19 Pakistan of 2050?
2:06:11 End Closing Note