// STARTUP COMPARISON
Coolwinks vs Thomas Cook
Coolwinks failed in 2020 due to Competition. Thomas Cook failed in 2019 due to Competition. Both failed for the same reason — Competition.
| METRIC | 🔥 Coolwinks | 🔥 Thomas Cook |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Ecommerce | Ecommerce |
| Country | India | UK |
| Founded | 2016 | 1841 |
| Died | 2020 | 2019 |
| Raised | $15M | Public company |
| Peak | $15M raised | £1.6B revenue · 19M customers |
| Primary Cause | Competition | Competition |
// WHY EACH FAILED
🔥 Coolwinks
Competition
Coolwinks built an online eyewear retail platform in India competing with Lenskart. Despite raising $15M and growing to 500,000 customers, Lenskart's aggressive offline expansion (physical stores), higher marketing spend, and superior supply chain made the category winner-take-most. Coolwinks could not match Lenskart's omnichannel reach or its home-trial program. The company shut down in 2020.
// LESSON
In high-trust purchase categories (eyewear, healthcare, home furnishings), pure-play online models lose to omnichannel when the offline player has comparable digital capabilities. Physical presence builds trust that digital cannot replicate for considered purchases.
In high-trust purchase categories (eyewear, healthcare, home furnishings), pure-play online models lose to omnichannel when the offline player has comparable digital capabilities. Physical presence builds trust that digital cannot replicate for considered purchases.
🔥 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