Great business minds say that in every adversity there is an opportunity. No wonder, 35-year-old Pooja Kothari, business editor at a magazine, recognised an opportunity when her son Advitya was diagnosed with gluten (protein found in wheat) intolerance two years back. Endless rounds of hospitals and bonding over ?food allergies? and not food as most people do, Kothari realised how difficult it was to find the right food for people who are diabetic, calorie conscious or allergic to some kinds of food. And that?s how the idea of Foodbury started cooking.

Kothari started an online shop selling food products catering to special medical needs such as gluten free, products for diabetics, egg free, lactose free, nut free, soy-free and organic food for general wellness?the kind of food products your local kirana shop does not stock. So be it gluten-free pasta or biscuits or sugarless jam for diabetics, it?s all up there on the website and delivered at your doorstep. Assisting Kothari in operations of the website is her younger sister Aarti.

While it?s emotions that may have triggered the idea initially, Kothari insists that her website is niche, at least in the Indian context where there is only scanty information on food products of this kind, and makes good business sense. Even though it?s early days for Foodbury, which started by selling organic food hampers in October last year and witnessed encouraging sales during Diwali, calls are pouring in not only from Delhi, where the founders are based, but from faraway towns of Patna, Surat and Kerala too. And besides the interest among consumers to know about these special food products, the sales are also trickling in. ?The good thing is that most of our sales are repeat sales. We have regular customers who want their stock to be delivered every month or fortnight. Gluten-free is one of our fastest growing categories. An AIIMS study points out that one out of 96 people in north India is allergic to gluten. And we know north India?s staple diet is also wheat,? says Kothari. However, she refuses to put a number to her clients.

Customer engagement is the key in most businesses today, and Kothari knows that. So be it a Facebook page that lists all the information on various allergies and gives people a platform to discuss ?what they can?t eat? or tasting events that Foodbury organises, Kothari who quit journalism for her entrepreneurial venture, is going the whole hog. This portal is her bread and butter now, so she is being as cost-conscious as she can be, as margins are not very high. ?Our margins are in the range of 10-15%, just like any other FMCG player. Though we have cash-on delivery, we do not offer free delivery. With such thin margins I don?t know how other online players offer free shipping,? she quips. Kothari also insists that she swears by online retailer Zappos CEO Tony Hseih?s policy of keeping it lean and having as low a physical presence as one can to run an e-commerce website. So the team is lean at Foodbury with only a packaging team that is prominent.

What?s more on Foodbury?s platter? Well, in its infancy right now, the website only has netbanking and cash-on-delivery modes of payment, but soon it will have the credit card payment system in place too. ?Our customers are very happy with the online payment and not many have asked for an option of paying through a credit card,? she tells us. So that?s pretty much the demand side. But Kothari is upbeat about the supply side too. ?There are many small players out there who produce these special food products, but the customer might not be able to reach out to them or understand what they are selling. Foodbury is a platform for these small suppliers to reach out to people who are outside the ambit of regular food. We have started getting approached by food companies, which is a very heartening sign.? A happy meal in the offing!

How it works

* Customers who log in can choose products according to the diet, meal type or brand

* Items include wheat free, sugar free, egg free, lactose free, organic food, etc

* Once they have chosen the products they can place orders by paying online or choosing the cash-on-delivery option

* Home delivery is available across the country, but shipping/courier charges are extra

* Subscription offer is also available that helps consumers get discounts