Amazon – Offers 90 million products across 90 categories through 1,40,000 sellers. Flipkart – Offers 30 million products across 70 categories through 30,000 sellers. Qtrove – Offers 3000 products across 40 categories through 200 sellers.   If one would ask me, why am I highlighting the stark contrast in the numbers, this is how I justify it-Spending 1 hour to skim through 19,000 products under the “Beauty” category just to find a good lipstick or a lip gloss, at the best price possible, crawling across 3-4 e-commerce platforms makes shopping not enjoyable but a tedious job. Many-a- times, we end up spending our precious time & still do not complete the purchase for some reason; mostly hoping we may find a better shade, at a better price, elsewhere or shelve it for the seasonal/monthly discounts or a cashback which, at most times, expire because they are applicable for a limited period on certain product categories. While women love the “excitement of choice” & enjoy the presentiment of satisfaction of choosing from an array of products (especially when they get a good deal), it is awfully annoying & taxing to see 20 sellers selling the same product at different prices with different shipping charges.   Believing in the power of few, Qtrove, a clean, uncluttered, curated marketplace is the latest buzz in the town, as it has carefully handpicked, unique, natural & sustainable products designed & manufactured by small entrepreneurs around the country that are not easily available everywhere. Empowering these local artisans helps them look beyond the horizon & provides them a great platform to reach out to millions of people. I stumbled upon Qtrove when I saw 3 of my friends liking Qtrove on Facebook. When curiosity struck me, I decided to visit Qtrove. The genuine, “Made In India”, organic, natural products that are not commonly available swept me off my floor. These were some of the products I picked –   Rustic Art Conditioner For Hair Tell me which woman has never complained about her hairfall, dryness & damage. With harmful chemicals being dumped underground & the ever-increasing pollution, the quality of water & air keeps deteriorating by the day.  A normal hair wash may not retain the texture, lustre & moisture, thereby, making it frizzy & difficult to manage. Composed of Avocado Butter, Coconut Milk, Panthequat, Infused Green Tea, Extract Demineralized Water, Rustic Art offers ‘close to nature’ Herbal Hair Conditioner that nourishes your hair & prevents hairfall due to tangling & unshackling from the debilitating matrix of harmful chemicals is priced at Rs.370 for 100ml. If you have not yet joined the “Organic Bandwagon”, it’s time to jump now!   Matru Ayurvedic Ubtan For Kids As a mother of a toddler, I am particular about bathing my child with minimal usage of chemicals. I use soap only every alternate day. Since most soap/body wash brands use harmful chemicals, I strongly prefer using chemical-free soaps or –

• Dahi-Besan (Curd & Bengal Gram Flour with a pinch of turmeric)
• Oats (coarsely grounded), Milk & Honey
• A mix of Wheat Flour, Milk, Ghee, Honey & Haldi.

When I came across Matru Ubtan for Kids, it was a no-brainer to try it. Ubtan for adults is also a popular remedy that is used in North India to remove tan & improve complexion, used especially before wedding to get the ‘Glow’ for the D-Day. I remember attending my Gujju friend’s Mehendi & saw her use Ubtan 2 days before her wedding. This one is made safe for children between 2-12 years priced at Rs.350 for 90gm. It’s key ingredients are Almonds, Sandalwood, Turmeric, Lentils, Rose Petals, Vetiver, and Fullers Earth.   Rustic Art Organic Baby Oil When you Google the word “Rustic” it throws up several synonyms like “plain”, “simple”, “homely”, “unsophisticated” and similar related words. Far from the commercial products that use low – cost ingredients, Rustic Art Baby Oil is made of Olive Oil, Jojoba Oil, Sesame Oil, Coconut Oil, Coco Grass, IFRA certified Green Apple fragrance this Rustic Art Organic Baby Oil is 100% mineral free & has the perfect combination to retain the moisture, texture & glow in your little one’s body. ‘Natural’ & ‘Organic’ are two words that have been floating around in the childcare & food industry for a while now. With the benefits that one enjoys with chemical-free or toxin-free products, these organic products are gaining popularity like never before. Because what goes into your body reflects outside as well. If you have a passion towards using environment friendly, nature sensitive products, you can buy this product at Rs.350 for 100ml.   Shumee Eco-Friendly Wooden Toy Watch the video of Qtrove in action here This toy has the DNA to win every child’s heart & keep them engaged for atleast an hour – that’s a blessing with a hyper-active toddler who can’t just have both feet together. This colourful wooden toy is 5-sided toy that hones fine motor skills, hand-eye co-ordination, mental & recognition skills is priced at Rs.2050. All the toys are made of non-toxic water-based colours that are absolutely safe to use even without adult supervision. With most children plagued with the habit of putting all things in their mouth, it is essential that you do not use low-quality plastic or battery toys with sharp edges that are lethal if consumed.   If you are a passionate believer of buying products that appeal to your inner connoisseur, Qtrove has products that go back to our roots, looking for natural ingredients to make a difference in our lives. I was mighty impressed with how meticulous and well thought this concept was. We save a million bucks using low-cost chemicals-laced or chemicals-loaded products in everything that we wear, use or eat. And, we end up spending the same or more paying hefty bills when we are diagnosed with the ever-rising irreversible problems of infections & deadly diseases of cancer & organ dysfunction.