// STARTUP COMPARISON
Kichink vs Thomas Cook
Kichink failed in 2018 due to Competition. Thomas Cook failed in 2019 due to Competition. Both failed for the same reason — Competition.
| METRIC | 🔥 Kichink | 🔥 Thomas Cook |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Ecommerce | Ecommerce |
| Country | Mexico | UK |
| Founded | 2012 | 1841 |
| Died | 2018 | 2019 |
| Raised | $10M | Public company |
| Peak | $10M raised | £1.6B revenue · 19M customers |
| Primary Cause | Competition | Competition |
// WHY EACH FAILED
🔥 Kichink
Competition
Kichink was a Mexican e-commerce platform for SMEs, providing tools to create online stores. After raising $10M and building a 30,000-merchant base, Shopify launched aggressive expansion in Mexico with Spanish-language support, competitive pricing, and a global app ecosystem. Kichink could not compete on platform breadth or pricing and closed in 2018.
// LESSON
Building a local version of a US platform works until the US platform localizes. The window is real but finite. Raise and achieve defensibility — deep local integrations, regulatory expertise, community — before the original arrives.
Building a local version of a US platform works until the US platform localizes. The window is real but finite. Raise and achieve defensibility — deep local integrations, regulatory expertise, community — before the original arrives.
🔥 Thomas Cook
Competition
Thomas Cook, founded in 1841, failed to adapt its package holiday model to online distribution. Booking.com, Airbnb, and direct airline booking eroded margins for a decade. The company carried £1.7B in debt. A £200M rescue package fell through in September 2019. It ceased operations leaving 600,000 customers stranded abroad — the UK's largest peacetime repatriation.
// LESSON
Longevity is not a moat. 178 years of brand equity does not survive a decade of ignoring digital distribution. The internet does not make exceptions for heritage brands.
Longevity is not a moat. 178 years of brand equity does not survive a decade of ignoring digital distribution. The internet does not make exceptions for heritage brands.
// EXPLORE FURTHER