UrbanClap: India’s Largest Home Service Provider

Nancy Jyani and Harbhajan Bansal

Asian Journal of Management Cases, 2023, vol. 20, issue 2, 94-105

Abstract: Along with time and cost, convenience is a pertinent factor that influences consumers to purchase services. Many business models evolved in emerging markets are providing on-demand services such as taxis and online food delivery. Since most of them provide services in a particular region, they are commonly known as ‘hyperlocal service provider’. UrbanClap was also based on such a model and worked as an aggregator. It pooled together local service providers such as plumbers, electricians and beauty experts, and then offered at-home services through its mobile application and website. Few of the challenges faced by UrbanClap were operational expansion across India, the satisfaction of its service providers and customers, and filling up the profit–revenue gap. Therefore, despite huge acceptance and revenue growing fourfold in 2018 compared to 2017, the company was falling short of profits. The case highlights the problems inherent to hyperlocal and aggregator models such as satisfaction of service providers and customers at the same time; and competition with individual service providers without disturbing the local culture prevailing in the service industry. The case also emphasizes how technology can predict home services by matching customers with the right sellers according to their customized needs.

Keywords: Services; hyperlocal service provider; aggregator; home services; on-demand services (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:anjomc:v:20:y:2023:i:2:p:94-105

DOI: 10.1177/09728201211018978

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