KBSH leverages online space
KBSH leverages online space

 

From being a small cloth store to being a fashionable designer house today, Karol Bagh Saree House has come a long way into making its mark in fashion retail. Changing the image of the Indian attire for a good reason, Sanya Dhir, Brand Ambassador of KBSH talks about changes in the mindset of the Indian consumer and how the traditional Indian attire can be customised to suit all occasions. Sanya Dhir has worked for both Indian and International brands. In a candid interview, she shares her views on the Indian e-retail and also trends in consumerism.


Baibhab Das (BD): From Karol Bagh Saree House to KBSH, how has the journey been?

Sanya Dhir (SD): From a simple cloth store owned by my grandfather to being the brand it is today, it has been a roller coaster ride. The vision has always been to make KBSH into a global brand serving customers all over the world. In order to achieve this, organising business in the retail segment was very important. The Indian retail business is unorganised and lacks synchronisation. Our constant endeavour has been to make everything A-Z i.e. raw material to delivering finished products to our customers.

     

(BD): The brand has gone online. How do you see the e-retail arena?

(SD): The e-retail market is still slow in India. With respect to a high brand value product like a saree, customers are still not very open minded on online purchases. India is still an emerging market and it will take time for the Indian buyer to get accustomed to this mode of retail purchase just yet. Online retail is still nascent in India and is limited to products of fashion and FMCG.


(BD): How do you plan to leverage the platform? Any special services that you plan to bring in for the customers?

(SD): Leveraging the platform will require complete customisation of services. Newer products and discounts in accordance with customer’s needs have been introduced. A customer who orders a product from Malaysia will get a blouse free with the dress ordered. Similarly, a customer who orders a product from the United States will get a customised petticoat and blouse complimentary as the per dollar value of getting fabrics stitched in Western countries is pretty high. Various cities in India have various needs. Therefore, it is impossible to adopt a one size fits all model with respect to India. The main concentration is on the product that is made available to customers and awareness is the key.


(BD): What will be the target audience for the online segment?

(SD): The target audience is women aged 25-55 years in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Moreover, we also eye the international saree lovers. The online portal is made such that it can be accessed from the remotest parts of India. Our services exist in 100 countries across the world and there exist a huge gamut of products customised to different customer needs accordingly.


(BD): As Brand Director of KBSH, what is your strategy for promoting the brand for both online and offline stores?

(SD): Marketing strategy for promoting the brand is innovation and customer centric services. Our products are based on three Ds i.e. design heavy, drape heavy and dye heavy. Depending on the occasion and specific needs, a customer may choose her product. Detailed attention is paid to customer’s needs and we provide bespoke appointment services. Promotion is advertisement and PR Centric. There exists a Facebook Page and a YouTube Channel. In other words, it is our endeavour to make KBSH the Thomas Cook of Sarees.


(BD): How is working for international brands different from Indian brands? How is the Indian customer different from the Western customer?

(SD): Indian firms are by and large lack organisational planning and structuring. The Western firms have their merchandise, categorisation and hiring patterns very much in order. Right from the raw material processing till the finished product reaches the customer, everything is organised and planned. In terms of consumer, the Indians are by far much more demanding as compared to the Western counterpart.


(BD):Please share some figures with respect to revenues and e-retail gains in forthcoming times?

(SD):The online share of our revenue is 10 per cent while offline is roughly 8 per cent. The average price online is Rs 8,000. The average growth rate in comparison to last year is 26 per cent.  

 
Stay on top – Get the daily news from Indian Retailer in your inbox
Also Worth Reading