Helcy Store: Winning Consumers’ Hearts the Natural Way

For high-school laboratory pals Akbar Ahya Putra and Muhammad Ramadhana Miftakhuddin (also known as Dhana), a school reunion turned into an opportunity to create a successful business together. At the time, Dhana was already a digital entrepreneur and was selling health devices through his online shop, Helcy Store, on Lazada. When he heard that Putra and his business partner, Hafid Kesuma Wardhana, were creating chemical-free household products, he invited both of them to join his business.

Together, they developed a natural and safe disinfectant that was gentle on skin. This early product from Helcy Store was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic and received positive responses amid the surge in demand for disinfectants and was even recognized in the best seller category on Lazada Indonesia.

Seeing the success of their first product, the trio continued to develop household cleaning products and also expanded into the beauty and personal care category. In 2022, they created Tosca, a natural deodorant that skyrocketed Helcy Store’s popularity on Lazada. The product was initially created only for friends and family, but after receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback, Dhana, Putra and Hafid decided to market the deodorant on Helcy Store’s online storefront as well.

With shoppers in Indonesia being more conscious of the impact their purchasing decisions have on their health as well as on the environment, Helcy Store’s natural homemade deodorants have become a rapid-fire success. While the deodorant was originally targeted at young women, Dhana, Putra and Hafid noticed that female shoppers were also buying the product for their partners, and so they decided to expand the Tosca line to include deodorants for men as well.

Helcy Store has since partnered with a factory to increase its production capabilities for the Tosca line, which is now one of the top three personal care products on Lazada. Dhana, Putra and Hafid are also looking to set up their own factory in the near future to keep up with the growing demand for their products.

Sharing the Success

Since achieving success with Lazada, Putra, Hafid and Dhana have also become increasingly active in helping other entrepreneurs on their digitalization journeys.

The three of them have been developing a network of partnerships and guiding many sellers in various aspects of eCommerce, from launching an online store on Lazada to product curation, branding and even financial management. “We help other sellers in our network who need help in developing their businesses further, especially those who have not sold products online before,” said Dhana.

Dhana, Putra and Hafid have also been very vocal in encouraging sellers to join Lazada, which they say offers the best support and community for sellers. “Lazada offers a complete guide from A to Z as well as an explanation of the various features available on the platform, including the use of paid promotions or advertising,” said Dhana. “In addition, Lazada fosters a solid community through the Lazada Club, where fellow sellers can be involved in sharing knowledge and networking opportunities that can facilitate cross-selling initiatives between sellers,” he added.

Helcy Store’s success cannot be separated from the effective strategy of partnering with sellers in other micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Apart from operating their own online shop on Lazada, Dhana, Putra and Hafid have managed to scale their business regularly over the last three years by partnering with other business and cross-selling each other’s products in their respective stores.

According to Dhana, Putra and Hafid, a brand can attain more credibility when its products are marketed by many sellers, and the Lazada Club seller community provides them with many opportunities to connect with other local sellers so they can establish mutually beneficial partnerships.

The trio have currently established partnerships with more than 200 sellers throughout Indonesia. “We believe that success will be more meaningful if achieved together,” Putra said. “Through the partnership network that we built initially through the Lazada Club seller community, we support each other and grow together. This collaboration with MSMEs is a win-win solution for Helcy Store. We believe that if you want to go far, go together.”