Dookan’s 2024 Year-End Recap & Exciting Plans for 2025!

Dear Dookan Family,

Season’s Greetings!

As the year comes to a close, we at Dookan want to thank you for being an integral part of our journey. Your trust, loyalty, and support have driven us to achieve remarkable milestones in 2024 and inspired us to set even bigger goals for 2025.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on the incredible year we’ve shared and look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead.

2024: A Year of Transformation and Milestones

  • Market Expansion: Through targeted marketing efforts, we have solidified Dookan’s position as the premier Indian grocery brand in Europe. Germany remains our largest and most promising market.
  • Franchise Momentum: We received 200+ franchise registrations, with a shortlist of 10+ high-potential locations and 2-3 potential franchise partners per location. We are poised to enter the German market in 2025, with our first franchise launch scheduled for Q1 2025.
  • Revenue Growth: We are on track to more than double last year’s revenue.
  • Private Label Growth: Expanded our Tirupati private label to over 100 SKUs, gaining immense popularity among our customer base.
  • Customer Trust: Raised a cumulative €1.1M+ through our Dookan Customer Investment Programs (DCIP and DCF), underscoring the trust and loyalty of our valued customers who are also investors in our journey.
  • Proven Omni-Channel Model: Our Prague omni-channel store continues to set the standard for seamless in-store shopping, online delivery, and click & collect services. This success serves as a blueprint for our future franchise stores.
  • Equity Investment: Despite a challenging funding environment, we are nearing the close of a €2.0M equity investment. This funding will be pivotal in driving our franchise expansion journey in 2025. If you'd like to participate, drop us a note at investments@dookan.com.

2025: A Year of Bold Growth Plans

  • Franchise Network Expansion: Beginning in Q1 2025, we plan to launch 10-12 franchise stores in 2025, targeting key cities including Brno, Dresden, Nuremberg, Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, and Bratislava. This expansion is central to our goal of scaling Dookan’s footprint across Europe.
  • Revenue Growth: We aim to triple our revenue by Q3 2025, driven by the successful launch and operations of our franchise network.
  • Future Equity Investment: With 2025 poised for recovery from the funding winter, we anticipate raising a significant €10M+ equity round, enabling us to scale to 50+ franchise stores in 2026.
  • New Customer Investment Programs: To support working capital requirements for our franchises, we will introduce new debt investment programs in late Q1 and early Q2 2025, continuing our tradition of empowering customers to invest in our growth.
  • Expanded Product Portfolio: We will further enhance our offerings by partnering with marquee brands and scaling the reach of Tirupati, with the ambitious goal of directly procuring 100% of our products to optimize margins and quality.
  • Technology-Driven Scaling: Upgrades to Dookan OS will focus on streamlining franchise operations, improving inventory management, and enhancing customer engagement, ensuring scalable and efficient growth.

Thank You for Being Our Pillar of Strength

Your loyalty and trust have been the driving force behind Dookan’s success. Together, we’ve built a strong foundation, and with your support, we’re ready to make 2025 another transformative year.

Unlike others in the market, Dookan has exercised caution and prudence in its growth strategy. While 2024 saw the closure of ethnic grocery companies like Get Grocery and Mixe.store, Dookan went from strength to strength. We chose to scale responsibly, navigating macroeconomic headwinds with care and focusing on solidifying our working capital requirements—thanks to the unwavering support of our customer investors. 

From all of us at Dookan, we wish you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year. Here’s to another year of building Dookan into Europe’s leading ethnic grocery provider!

Warm regards,
Sandeep Sharma
Founder & CEO, Dookan