An Indian D2C store launch checklist: from first product to first order

1. Establish the business foundations

Choose a store name customers can recognise, record the legal business name and verify the address used on business documents. Display customer-support details that someone actually monitors. A stylish contact page cannot compensate for an unanswered support channel.

In LeBrands.Store, business-document review and publication approval are separate from designing the storefront or choosing a subscription. Selecting a plan does not approve the business. Complete the applicable registration evidence and review the store's publication requirements rather than treating a saved draft as a live shop.

• Verify the business country and required registration evidence.
• Check the support email and telephone number.
• Review business-document status and publication readiness.

2. Prepare a catalogue that matches what you can ship

Start with a manageable collection rather than an incomplete large catalogue. Each product should have a descriptive title, useful photographs, a truthful description, a selling price and the correct options. Distinguish a product's descriptive attributes from the variants that create sellable SKUs.

Review SKU-level availability before launch. An attractive product that cannot be ordered in the selected size creates avoidable frustration. Check the published version, not only the editor: draft changes and public catalogue data have different responsibilities.

3. Review policies and checkout as one experience

Replace generic promises with the business's actual shipping, cancellation, return and support terms. Policy drafts need merchant review. Do not publish an unconfirmed delivery timeframe, a refund promise the team cannot honour or a statement that removes statutory consumer rights.

Walk through the checkout on a phone. Check the order summary, taxes, shipping, any offer savings, required email verification and the available payment method. Confirm that an invalid offer code explains how to recover without making the bag disappear.

4. Rehearse the first order and its follow-through

Use an authorised test process before accepting real customer orders. Check the final amount, stock deduction, order number, receipt and relevant emails. Distinguish sandbox payment evidence from a live captured payment; neither an opened payment window nor a browser success message alone proves money was received.

Assign responsibility for reviewing new orders, confirming COD shipments, packing and customer support. After launch, review failures and customer questions before adding more catalogue complexity. A clear operational routine is more useful than a launch-day traffic spike that the team cannot fulfil.