The engines that fuel sales

Retailers are citing several growth drivers that give an impetus to sales, ranging from improving systems and procedures within the company, to better social media management, and promotion and communication, says Suneeta Kaul

- Suneeta Kaul

Jewellery is mostly a seasonal product - business soars in certain seasons, and then there is a lull for some J time. The wedding season, and festivals such as Akshaya Tritiya, Dhan Teras, Diwali, Navratras, and so forth, ring in the good times. In a category where business is so cyclical, retailers have to come up with innovative methods to keep the cash registers ringing during the rest of the year.

Accordingly, jewellers have identified several growth drivers that give an impetus to sales. These range from improving systems and procedures within the company, to better social media management, and promotion and communication. Talking about what works for him, Pradeep Kothari, Karan Kothari Jewellers, Nagpur, says, "We have been system-oriented, and have focused on improving our software. Besides, hallmarking becoming mandatory has also had a very positive impact on our business. Other factors that have been our growth drivers include our emphasis on design. We opted for smaller, but trendier, pieces, and that proved to be a good decision. Our major conversions have been in the Rs 50,000 bracket."

Understanding the nature of the business and keeping up with the changing trends are cited as major sales boosters by jewellers. Says Pankaj Seth, Durga Das Seth Jewellers, Amritsar, "In this business, you need to make the customer feel like a king or a queen. Understanding the requirements of customers is of paramount importance. When a bride-to-be enters our store, she is, probably, shopping for jewellery for the first time.