How Saundh Targets to Become a Global Luxury Lifestyle Brand by 2030

With a deep involvement in fabric manufacturing, Sarabjeet Saluja identified a market gap—access to luxury products at an affordable price. Recognizing this opportunity, he founded Saundh to address the accessibility challenges in the industry. Since its inception, the brand has been committed to crafting luxury, high-quality products that tell the unique story of India on a global scale.

“In terms of business growth, we've made significant strides in our offline presence. From opening over 10 stores in our first 2 years to an additional 17 in the last year, our expansion is a testament to market acceptance. We have also expanded in our verticals by launching Menswear, which has picked up from its start,” said Sarabjeet Saluja.

Strategic Expansion

The brand currently has 33 operational stores across India. It is present across 19 cities, including all major metro cities. Saundh intends to be at 50 stores by the end of next fiscal year, including creating at least 3 experiential flagship stores in major metros.

“The plan is to penetrate deeper into selected Tier II cities that support our e-commerce customer database as well. We want to expand more into the Northeast and West in India, along with exploring opportunities to increase our global footprint,” he asserted.

E-commerce Growth

Apart from its D2C website, the brand is available across luxury marketplaces online and offline, including Aza, Ogaan, and Nykaa, amongst others. As of now, e-commerce revenue contributes 7-8 percent of the overall business. “We expect it to start contributing at up to 15-18 percent of the business,” stated Saluja.

“Consumer-facing strategies over the years have become unpredictable and lenient. Customers are jumping trends and platforms and now can consume content much faster. For us, the key has been to stay true to what we are. We do maintain a basic hygiene check of having our basic platforms activated, like the e-commerce website, social media platforms, CRM channels, etc. Also finding our own niche set of influencers and user-generated content has helped in recent times to have quicker validation,” he further added.

Diversifying Luxury

Saundh presently offers both womenswear and ethnic menswear. For women, the categories range across kurta sets, lehengas, tunics, dresses, tops, and accessories. For the men’s launch, it has offerings in kurtas and bandis (waistcoats).

“In the near future, the expansion plan is to step into western wear for men, along with launching footwear, kids, home, and fragrance. We aim to be the one-stop shop for all things luxury,” highlighted Saluja.

Social Elevation

In today's interconnected landscape, establishing a strong social presence is a pivotal channel for narrative expression. In a world where community engagement is paramount, authentic communication becomes a decisive factor in decision-making. Leveraging platforms such as Instagram and LinkedIn, which are central to its social strategy, the brand strategically conveys its brand values, narrative, and positioning to cultivate a distinctive Saundh experience.

Furthermore, it places considerable value on User Generated Content (UGC) as it serves as a social validation tool, reinforcing the brand identity. Saundh’s approach to social commerce goes beyond transactional engagement; it involves articulating its values and style sensibilities.

“Collaborating with influencers has proven to be a strategic avenue not only for building popularity but also for generating revenue, aligning with our overall business objectives,” he explained.

AI Integration

Saundh has embraced the integration of AI to elevate both visual and copy content, leveraging its capabilities to enhance the overall quality of its messaging. The brand’s substantial investments extend beyond content, encompassing advanced SAAS systems, omnichannel inventory management, and cutting-edge logistics partnerships. These strategic initiatives are designed to not only enrich the customer experience but also optimize operational efficiency for everyone associated with the brand.

Non-Metro Embrace

Almost 50 percent of brand stores are in Tier II. Though the highest contributors are metro cities, it has observed a significant revenue share of 30 percent and above from the non-metros.

“We are focusing our digital ad strategy to penetrate deeper into the non-metro market, along with doing pop-ups and exhibitions to first understand what product line is working the most. And eventually opening our doors with an exclusive store in the city we feel confident about,” Saluja noted.

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Global Aspirations, Steady Growth

Saundh aims to be a global luxury lifestyle brand by 2030. Last year, the brand touched total revenue of Rs 50 crore from all its points of sales, and it is expected to have a consistent 50 percent growth from last year.

It is a new-age global brand, and hence the brand is lean with adapting new methods of marketing. “We do our conventional ATL activities in 2-tiers, but to be more cost-effective, digital outreach, increasing the influencer community, and investing in our real customers, our TRIBE, have been our main focus areas. For the coming fiscal quarters, we want to focus greatly on customer retention activities via native CRM strategies infused with new-age tech,” he concluded.