Meet Toinali Chophi, who is the founder of one of India's leading Korean skincare brands, Beauty Barn. Here's all you need to know about her journey from being a teacher to a successful entrepreneur.
The Korean wave has taken over the world, and India is among the top countries that have witnessed it for some time now. From the fashion industry to the music and skincare industry, the Korean wave is showing no signs of slowing down. Although it's hard to pinpoint whether Korean dramas started it all in India or all the credit goes to the famous boy band BTS for introducing Indian youngsters to Korean culture.
Korean music and cinema have been dominating the headlines in India for some time now, and Korean skincare is also catching up in winning hearts nationwide. K-beauty is booming not just in India but in so many other countries because of the flawless skin and ageless charm of Koreans. In recent years, Korean skincare has become the second largest cosmetics exporter in the world after France.
Recommended Read: Vandana Luthra's Journey To Make VLCC Worth Rs. 2,225 Crores And Having Rs. 1,300 Crores Net Worth
The primary reasons behind the magnificent rise in the demand for Korean skincare and beauty products are the fact that they're good value for money, made of natural substances, cater to inclusive beauty, and have cute and aesthetic packaging. So many Korean skincare brands have managed to make a place for themselves in the Indian market.
Some of the famous K-beauty brands are Innisfree, The Face Shop, Etude House, Tony Moly, Laneige, SNP, Dear Klairs, Cosrx, Elizavecca, Heimish, and Missha. Among all these renowned Korean beauty and skincare brands, one name that continues to make a lot of positive noise is Beauty Barn. In recent years, Beauty Barn's sales have skyrocketed, and it is now considered one of India's most trusted K-beauty brands.
Nagaland-based entrepreneur, Toinali Chophi is the founder of one of India's leading Korean skincare brands, Beauty Barn. The Korean beauty brand offers a wide range of skincare products, which are made with the mission to cater to the needs of its customers.
According to The Print, Toinali started her K-beauty brand back in 2016 and back in that time, Beauty Barn was one of the first Korean skincare brands in India, who were making COSRX snail mucin, Klairs freshly juiced vitamin drop, and Holika Holika ceramide cream.
Toinali Chophi started her brand, Beauty Barn, with just 30 people, and at the beginning, they had just 500 orders. However, in the coming years, the numbers skyrocketed, courtesy of the quality of her products. As of now, Beauty Barn caters to 5,000 to 10,000 orders and continues to rise at an impressive speed.
While Toinali has more than 45K followers on her official Instagram handles, her brand, Beauty Barn's page has a massive fanbase of 126K. Courtesy of the exponential growth in Beauty Barn's online presence, the brand is grabbing attention with its first physical store in Dimapur, Nagaland.
Don't Miss: Meghana Narayan: Swimming Champion Built Rs. 100 Crore Brand, Slurrp Farm Backed By Anushka Sharma
In an interview with The Print, Jacinta Lawlawmpii, who has been following Beauty Barn since the beginning, talked about the dominance of Nykaa and Amazon in the Indian beauty and cosmetic industry. Sharing her thoughts on Beauty Barn's survival in the skincare industry amidst so much competition, Jacinta shared her take on why Beauty Barn has a slight edge in the market over Nykaa and Amazon. She said:
"There is a huge score of offline sellers because the mainstream brands don't have many products on their apps. Also, local people prefer buying from local stores. The company (Beauty Barn) has definitely made a mark in the rest of India. Since they had the contacts and funds, they made it accessible for people after getting famous in the Northeast."
Toinali Chophi also talked about the future of her company, Beauty Barn in the coming years. Sharing how she always aimed to make her brand a household name across India, Toinali revealed that she has a lot of things in the pipeline. She said:
"So far, we have not gone out to connect with customers outside of the Northeast. We plan to have loads of activities around that. From the start, my focus was never [limited to] the Northeast. It has always been pan-India."
You May Like This: Zonu Reddy, Who Bought 'Sex And The City' Fame, Magnolia Bakery To India To Rival Against Ambani
In an interview with YourStory, Toinali Chophi revealed the reason behind starting her Korean skincare brand, Beauty Barn. The Nagaland-based entrepreneur revealed that when she turned 13, her skin started breaking, and despite trying a lot of things, she finally decided to use Korean skincare after one of her friends introduced it to her in 2015. After researching about K-Beauty, Toinali left her job as a teacher and started her own skincare brand, Beauty Barn, in 2016. She said:
"When I turned 13, my skin started breaking out, and the acne was severe and all over my face. It was very embarrassing as a teenager, and I used to cover my face with a scarf. At one point, the breakout was so bad that I couldn't even touch my face. I had almost every skin concern. I became my own guinea pig. I would try it on my skin, and depending on how it worked, I would suggest to others."
Apart from being a successful entrepreneur, Toinali Chophi is happily married to Inoto Kinimi, and the couple has three kids, two sons and one daughter. The doting mother often shares pictures and adorable videos with her kids on her Instagram handle, giving the customers of her brand, Beauty Barn, an insight into her life. We hope Toinali continues to grow as an entrepreneur, as, according to a Mordor Intelligence report, the K-beauty market in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.4% from 2021 to 2026.
What are your thoughts on Beauty Barn's Korean skincare products? Do you think Toinali Chophi's brand can outrun other big players in the Indian market? Let us know.
Also Read: Chinu Kala's Life: Left Home At 15, Class 10 Dropout, Earned Rs 20 Per Day, Built A Rs 100 Cr Brand