Seeing her children’s toys, clothes, and baby gear piling up unused, Swarna Daga Mimani, an engineer-turned-entrepreneur from Kolkata, created Second Hugs — a platform where parents across India can easily buy and sell pre-loved kids’ products, reducing waste and helping families save.
- Platform launched in September 2024 for pre-loved kids’ essentials
- Over 20,000 active users and one lakh monthly visitors
- Offers verified listings, doorstep pickup, and payment protection
What happened
Swarna Daga Mimani, a mother and entrepreneur from Kolkata with a background in engineering and business management, noticed how children’s products often became unused or discarded as kids outgrew them. Motivated to reduce waste and support families, she bootstrapped Second Hugs in September 2024, a digital platform where parents can buy and sell gently used baby and children’s items.
The platform includes everything from clothes and toys to cots and walkers, and even unopened gifts or duplicate items. It offers parental reassurance by screening seller photos and videos, securing payments, and providing refunds if items are damaged. Built with technology features like geolocation filters and transit insurance, Second Hugs also arranges convenient doorstep pickups.
Why it feels good
Second Hugs brings a practical solution to a common parenting challenge: the cycle of buying and discarding children’s essentials. By enabling these products to have a second life, the platform reduces household clutter, waste going to landfills, and the environmental impact linked to purchasing new goods. This circular approach resonates with parents seeking sustainability and smart spending.
Parents who sell on Second Hugs have found the process simple and rewarding, especially with features like doorstep pickup and prompt payments. Buyers appreciate the curated listings and recommendations based on preferences and location, which ease the search for quality pre-loved items. This collaborative economy strengthens community ties between parents.
What to enjoy or watch next
With over 15,000 to 20,000 active users and more than 100,000 monthly visitors to its website, Second Hugs is set for continued growth. An app is in development to make buying and selling even more accessible and user-friendly, potentially expanding its reach beyond Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities across India.
For parents and caregivers interested in sustainable family living, Second Hugs offers a rewarding new way to manage children’s essentials. Whether you want to declutter your home, save money, or make an environmentally conscious choice, the platform promises to make second-hand shopping safe, convenient, and satisfying.