How Lotus Electronics is Pioneering Hyper-Local Electronics Retail in Central India

Ambrus Jewels by Arpit Goyal, inspired by a rich heritage and the beauty of rich culture, make the jewellery pieces a matter of high-end and luxe experience.

The company unveiled its first flagship store at Defence Colony in South Delhi on 31st October 2018. Comprising of an exquisite range of rings, earrings, necklaces, and pendants the exclusive collection is a beautiful melange of enigmatic designs and inspired by the poetry of beauty.

Acknowledging the family's support and patience the brand will ensure a seamless process that will leave behind a long lasting impression and a strong legacy. 

The enchanting appeal of this collection not only adds radiance to your face but reflects the inner artistic sense of the creator. Enhancing the diva in you the jewellery pieces will surely enhance your style quotient. 

Commenting on the launch, Arpit Goyal, Founder says, "I have always emphasised on giving importance to Indian culture and heritage as reflected in the jewellery pieces. An eye for art, I appreciate the Indian history in architecture with the use of colours.  I believe in appreciating the Indian craftsmanship and promoting the fine jewellery craftsman."

We are ready to present the perfect amalgamation of tradition and trend for modish and fashionable women. We have jewelleries for every event either big or small, and of different designs from Bridal Heavy Diamond Jewellery to Cocktail Diamond Jewellery to Gold Jewellery to Corporate, Contemporary and Everyday wear. So, we are all set with our new offerings and collections.

Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri Limited is India’s renowned and trusted jewellery retailer with a legacy of more than 150 years. The company has foryed North India by opening its first store in Noida. The first store in Noida is also the 38^th TBZ-The Original store across 27 cities in India.

 The Noida store of TBZ-The Original offers a wide array of innovative and attractive jewellery designs with an added attraction of custom-made products. The showroom showcases a vast range of contemporary and modern jewellery collection and a mix of gold, diamond and jadau jewellery for discerning customers. Customers are given personalized attention and services. They can also consult the TBZ team including the senior personnel in Mumbai for their specific requirements. 

 Speaking at the launch Raashi Zaveri, Director, Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri Ltd., said, “Launching TBZ-The Original store in Noida marks a special double celebration for us as the launch coincides with our 154 glorious years of trust, tradition and timeless award-winning design and craftsmanship in jewellery. TBZ- The Original is known for being the preferred choice of jewellery for Indian brides and is the perfect fit for Noida, which is known for its lavish weddings. Customers will have the same shopping experience and access to exquisite handcrafted jewellery that is available at all TBZ-The Original stores across the country.”

TBZ-The Original’s Bridal Collection flatters every bride since it has been lovingly strung together with opulent Indian heritage and contemporary craftsmanship inspired by the needs of today’s brides. The exquisite gold and diamond wedding jewellery collection comprises of a thoughtfully curated assortment starting with mesmerizing engagement rings, beautiful bangles and Kangans, attention-grabbing necklaces with intricate work; amongst others product categories. All our products are TBZ – The Original certified and carry the BIS Hallmark

Reliance Jewels has announced the launch of its extravagant store in Varanasi. The store features exclusive collection of traditional and contemporary gold, silver, diamond and solitaire jewellery, catering to the brand’s patrons, in and around Varanasi. So far, Reliance Jewels has 78 showrooms across 47 cities and is expanding exponentially.

After an overwhelming response from their patronage in the city, Reliance Jewels is extending its gratitude to all for their love with the launch of its second showroom in Varanasi, which is one of the oldest andmost luminous cities in India. A combination of archaeology, mythology, art and history makes it the cultural capital of the country and its people areknownfor their unique and pureartistry in fine silk, silver and gold.

Speaking on the launch of the new store, Sunil Nayak, CEO, Reliance Jewels said, “We are grateful to the city of Varanasi for all the love, and therefore, it is only appropriate to have launched our 2^nd showroom in the cultural capital of India. We would like to thank our patrons in this city for all their love and support, and are glad to present our second outlet to provide a grand shopping experience to them. We are all set to floor them by show casingwide range of designs and aim to offer, contemporary as well as traditional pieces along with an assurance of quality and purity to our patrons, there by enhancing their jewellery experience, all under one roof

A report published in the year 2016 by Boston Consulting Group in collaboration with the Retailers Association of India depicted a whopping fact that the contemporary Indian retail industry evaluated to $600 Billion. The same figure will be doubled to more than $1 Trillion by the end of 2020. The steady growth of the e-commerce platforms in this market will not hamper sales of the brick and mortar stores. The big retail magnates will stronghold the market with their innovations and inclusions of remarkable visual merchandising strategies.

The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the Indian retail industry clearly depicts an overwhelming growth of 10% every year. If every piece falls in the right place then India will surpass the capabilities of China by the end of 2025. The e-commerce market will take a huge leap to grow and touch the $70 Billion mark within 5 years. Taking this figure as a threat, the brick and mortar brands will have to change their merchandising strategies likewise to dominate the game. Here is the list of 5 best retail visual merchandising strategies adopted by the big players to keep the customers coming in the store.

1. Empowering customers

The best way to make sure that a customer will visit your shop repeatedly is to involve him or her in the process as much as possible. The engagement and inspiration availed to the shoppers will surely impact the buying decisions positively.

Omar Pallante, Chief Executive Officer, Arte Vetrina Project, said, “Visual merchandising has assumed a more strategic role, not only linked to an attractive way of distributing the product but also to the selling logic. The sales monitoring in relation to the distribution of the product, let you define the consumers’ behavior, giving out important information about the product and its presentation into the store.”

This is where the experiential store comes into the picture. The ideal way to cut through a tough competition and making your own mark is via an experiential strategy engaging the customers.

Eric Feigenbaum, President, Embrace Design, depicted “When designing a store, we’re not merely designing a selling center, but rather an experience. Great visual merchandising will tell stories while transporting viewers to new places, new times, and new states of mind. Additionally, great visual merchandising will create moments, landmarks, and points of view.”

2. Presenting your product

The word ‘visual merchandising’ means you will have to engage the vision of the customers. Nearly 83% of the brain thoughts are processed using visual data. Tracy Flynn Downing, Ace Designs, suggested “It’s all about creating something visually stimulating to take the consumer from standing in your store to having an emotional connection with who they are, who they want to be, how they want to feel. Something as simple as rolling the cuff of a shirt can change your perspective and really help you visualize that this isn't a shirt on a bust form, this is the shirt I am going to buy, roll up the sleeves and go for a breezy stroll on the beach."

Anything appealing in a unique way will surely intrigue the thought process of the buyer.

3. Technological applications

The customers like to take charge of the shopping experience by choosing their preferred channels and using their favorite devices. The use of technology towards informing, educating and engaging the customers can be a good step towards future.

Eric Feigenbaum said, “The store is a tool of communication, and it’s the successful retailer who will strategically curate the deployment of technology into the store to expand the dialogue with the targeted customer. It’s the visionary retailers and visual merchandisers who are nimble and forward thinking who will succeed.”

4. Window of opportunity

The windows for display are the key to attract the footfall towards your store. You will have a few seconds to create an impression as the majority of the population is possessed by smartphones. The shop windows are the first sales pitch for the onlookers. A proper makeover is mandatory that perfectly displays the products and messages you want to cater.

5. New merchandise

Everyone loves a surprise. In this case, a customer, especially a repeat customer always expects something new in the store. Designing and merchandising are necessary to stay ahead of the curve. Innovate your products, prepare new designs, and find the contemporary needs via analyzing the pain points of the customers to innovate your shop.

Nykaa, India’s largest multi-brand e-commerce beauty platform opened first of its kind  brick & mortar Nykaa store at VR Mall, Whitefield, Bangalore. This follows in-line with the e-commerce players omni-channel approach to beauty retail. The Nykaa Luxe store is positioned on the ground floor of the mall and features brands like Estée Lauder, Clinique, L’Occitane, Ciaté, L.A. Girl along with Nykaa Beauty, the in-house range of cosmetics, offering the discerning beauty shopper a premium luxury experience and a bouquet of brands and categories to choose from.

‘With our omni-channel strategy we will be available at every touch point for our customers. We want to give them to ease to shop a product at their convenience and comfort, whether through online or while visiting a store. The success of our ecommerce store has given us a keen understanding of our customers, who trust our choice and offer’, says FalguniNayar, founder & CEO, Nykaa.com. Also present for the afternoon was  Adwaita Nayar, Head of Offline Retail Strategy.

Nayar visited VR Mall, Bangalore to announce the Nykaa Luxe store launch and  host The Nykaa Beauty Bar - a beauty animation with masterclasses and expert makeovers, to allow customers a one-on-one interaction with leading brands and products. Setup alongside the Nykaa Luxe store in VR Mall, this edition of the event will have nail enamel brand O.P.I, haircare brand Wella and Nykaa Beauty. This will be the fifth edition of The Nykaa Beauty Bar having already visited Chandigargh, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Ahmedabad. 

Spread over 650 sq feet, the Nykaa Luxe store is sure to add a unique element to the offering at VR Mall as it brings a rare combination of beauty solutions under one roof. Trained beauty experts will be present at the store to offer recommendations and solutions to shoppers.Nykaa opened its first brick & mortar store at T3 Terminal, New Delhi in 2015 and its second store at the domestic Arrivals terminal of the T2 Terminal at Mumbai Airport. The opening of this Nykaa Luxe stores is in line with the aim to open 30 offline stores across India by 2020. The stores will also showcase the popular Nykaa Cosmetics products with lipsticks, nail enamels, face compacts, kajals and eyeliners.

Currently there are 5 Nykaa Luxe stores across the country including Infinity Mall – Mumbai, VR Bengaluru and the recently opened store at Khan Market – New Delhi.Since its launch in 2012, Nykaa has seen a strong growth in the beauty vertical with a current run rate of 600 crores offering over 700 brands and 80,000 products. With a path to profitability by 2017, Nykaa closed its last round of funding to raise 104.3 crores in December 2016.

In its efforts to continually reinvent the shopping experience for its consumers, Bata India has added a new concept store at Ambience mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. This store adopts a unified communication style for the brand via creation of highlight areas and focal points enabling a seamless customer journey, reinforcing brand authenticity through the ‘Bata History Wall’ and offering engagement at well-placed interactive zones.

Unveiling of this store was graced by Thomas G Bata himself. This store is unique not only with its clutter free aesthetics, but also through its visual impact as it is an all-white European inspired décor, with minimalistic furniture philosophy to deliver a premium ambience.

This Flagship store houses the latest premium collections from Bata - The Men’s European Collection & Women’s Festive Collection in addition to latest range of Boots for Women under the Naturalizer brand.

Bata European Collection is a range of hand-crafted leather Shoes for men. Designed in Italy by designer Juan Pablo Malaver and made in India, these handcrafted leather shoes are elegant and impressive. The European collection offers the best of urban style and classic comfort.

Naturalizer is a range of winter boots and work wear for women. It’s boot season and Bata’s latest collection boasts of versatile and chic looks for any forecast. Celebrate style and discover winter’s must-haves. With rich leathers, soft suede’s and unique details, this winter footwear captures the essence of modern femininity.

Thomas G. Bata said, “We have grown leaps and bounds from the time I used to travel to India with my father with suitcases full of shoes to introduce through our vast retail network, to now when we design in real-time at our ‘Design Centre’ which has also been set up in India. We are very excited at some of the new projects that the India Design Centre has piloted and which we aim to now take to other Bata countries. Worth mentioning is the Men’s European Collection which has infused style in our otherwise comfortable range and is getting very good traction from consumers.”

Speaking on the occasion of the store launch,  Rajeev Gopalakrishnan, President, South Asia, Bata Emerging markets, said: “With our new destination stores we have started delivering a richer international experience across multiple cities. I am pleased that these new initiatives have got a good response. As we consolidate our style relationships with today’s discerning consumers we will continue on our path of launching premium footwear for women, men and kids.”

Online shopping boom has reduced the number of consumers visiting actual stores to make purchases. To compete, brick-and-mortar retail establishments are increasingly offering fun, unique experiences to encourage brand loyalty and in-person repeat visits. Using LEDs for store lighting has become one of the most effective ways of influencing the buyer’s overall impression and purchasing decisions.

LEDs, with their long life, lower energy requirements, ease of adjustment from cooler to warmer white light, dimming and control capabilities, and a wide range of sizes and configurations, have a tremendous advantage over traditional lights. But beyond that, through the integration of communications technologies, LEDs can permit real-time interaction with shoppers through a smart device. The technology can provide information about sales, the location of departments, and items on display.

Inviting experience

Let’s begin at the store’s windows and entrance, where the decision to stop in or move on is often made. The ability to adjust from warmer to cooler shades of white referred to as color tuning—along with precise light distribution—allows the retailer to create an inviting space that appeals to the shopper’s sense of comfort, safety, and familiarity. Once inside, LEDs’ plethora of physical configurations, including recessed lighting, track lighting, and wall lighting, allow the presentation of a variety of inviting environments in different parts of the store. By illuminating the merchandise, accent lighting—combined with lower levels of surrounding light—can encourage shoppers to linger at certain shelves and racks. The positioning of lights above the aisle ends helps drive customers through the store and discourages bottlenecks.

Whether it’s a red tomato, a bright blue sweater, or a sparkling piece of jewelry, LEDs’ color-tuning capability provides retailers with flexibility in optimizing the appearance of their offerings. A cooler white light approximating daylight could enhance the sparkle factor of cut gemstones, for example, while a warmer white light could make the reds, oranges, and yellows of a floral display really pop. For food in particular, LEDs can help increase shelf life and enhance appearance. Exposure to ultraviolet and infrared radiation can result in degradation of food’s appearance and nutritional value; LEDs used for general illumination contain no ultraviolet or infrared in their output.

Well-lit dressing rooms
An important part of shopping for clothes is the dressing room, where many apparel-buying decisions are made. How well the room is lit can impact how the clothing looks. Because of LEDs’ real-time color tuning and dimming capabilities, they are improving the experience of trying on clothes.

Philips currently offers LED products that allow buyers to evaluate their garment selection according to the season or occasion. By altering the LEDs through a control panel in the fitting room, the consumer can get an idea of how a dress would look on a sunny day and in a dimly lit restaurant.

New way to communicate
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, LEDs may be a key element in the way stores communicate with their visitors. Because LEDs are electronic, it’s easy to incorporate not only lighting controls but also communication capabilities using light as the medium. With such a “Li-Fi” setup, data would be transmitted to enabled receivers, like smartphones, using visible light pulsed at high frequencies that are undetectable to the human eye at much faster transfer rates than traditional Wi-Fi. In the retail environment, a Li-Fi system would be able to push to shoppers’ phones information about sales, coupons, the store’s layout, and other items of interest based on the person’s location in the store as detected via GPS or store cameras.

Author: Yoelit H. Hiebert, Senior Member, IEEE

Danish luxury furniture maker BoConcept has forayed into Indian market by opening its first store in at MG Road in Delhi.

Targeting the upper middle class with its range of modern design products, BoConcept store is an experience centre rather than a mere outlet. The brand that stands for creating one’s own living concept, has roped in the same feel in its store, wherein the interior compliments the brand USP that is more than great designs, but a concept.

The outlet is and ultimate amalgamation of modern and contemporary looks fused together. The outlet boasts of 14 in-house studios. Spread across 4500 sq. ft., the store offers a wide range of furniture.

Commenting on the demands of store, Navin Khanna, Director at BoConcept said, “The requirement of the BoConcept's store was to maximise the space, introduce and showcase most of the designs we offer. The first idea while setting up the store was that it should be well spaced out so that each studio in the store is well defined.”

Brought to life with a cost of around 3.5 lakh euros, the store finds its USP in the fact that it is a well spread out same level store allowing efficient exhibition of all 14 studios.

BoConcept offers a wide variety of home furniture and accessories ranging from small accessories to complete furniture solution for the entire home. BoConcept, which started its journey in 1952, operates over 300 stores in 60 countries.

Located at ‘The Promenade’ at Remount Road in Kolkata, the 3,000 sq ft retail destination of Address Home symbolises a new style of interiors where the vintage meets the contemporary. Built in one of the many dome like warehouses, the store boasts of rusted-metal exteriors in an antique dockyard of the British era.

In a bid to recreated retail through restoration, the store combines modern industrial chic with old world charm. The interiors of this heritage structure have an industrial backdrop seamlessly juxtaposed with futuristic trendy designs

Defining about the idea behind store design, Rajat Singhi, Founder and Creative Director, Address Home said, “When we decided to open a store in Kolkata, we were looking for something out of the ordinary. The search ended at Remount Road, where a line of vintage dome-like structure caught our fancy. We were able to conjure up an image of a store where the Industrial vintage met the contemporary.”

“We kept the industrial look of the warehouse pretty much untouched. With its rusted-metal exteriors, in an antique dockyard the store combines modern Industrial chic with old world charm,” added Singhi

Inspired by the latest colors and design trends across the globe, Address Home offers Linen collections that are an artistic highlight of its exclusive offering.

The bleak Industrial look of the warehouse became a great environment for Address Home’s globally designed interior products and provided a hint of much needed Drama. The rusted vintage exterior of the domes is complimented with a raw industrial look to create a stark contrast with the premium luxury product line in high gloss and metallic finishes.

LED spot lights accentuate the products on shelves while track lights have been deployed for ceiling. Further, to shift focus on the products, the shelves have been done with beading detail in white duco finish.

Adding a bit of ‘Eureka’, curved corrugated iron sheets painted in grey have been used as walls.

The striking décor of the new store helps to bring out the designs and the vibrant colors of the collections on display, prominently, adds Singhi while narrating how this off-beat store design has benefitted the brand.

The vision to marry the two paradox styles of interior where industrial vintage meets the contemporary has resulted in a great theatrical visual treat, making the store an absolutely unique design destination. The common element that runs through all the collections is innovative design combined with impeccable quality.