JNA Awards 2020 - Jewellery Industry Best Practices

JNA AWARDS • 2020 65 the customer in the whole design process to ensure they procure what they want, not what we want to sell,” he explains. Customer-first strategy Recognising that strengthening brand loyalty is imperative to its success, Kashi launched a variety of programmes to help it build longer-lasting connections with its target audience. For one, it provides value-added services, such as allowing clients to conduct free gold testing on the spot using World Gold Council- certified machines, access the store’s private lab where they may consult gemmologists and examine diamonds using GIA microscopes, and watch the jewellery repair process at the company’s live repair room. Kashi also provides a 100-percent money-back guarantee on hallmarked gold jewellery at current market rates and a three-year guarantee on diamond jewellery. It also introduced the Kashi Customer Loyalty Card Programme in 2018 to reward frequent buyers and established a 24/7 hotline to attend to clients’ queries. Cultivating adaptability Like many businesses, Kashi also faced an uphill battle when a 72-day lockdown was imposed in India as part of the government’s COVID-19 response. But instead of getting side- tracked, the company took it as an opportunity to innovate. Top management immediately connected with stakeholders through Zoom webinars, which helped in setting guidelines for its operations in the midst of the pandemic. “With the guidance of doctors and one of the top hospitals in the city, we were able to implement clear measures to keep our staff and customers in our retail establishments, and local community safe,” shares Kapoor. It also intensified the use of virtual reality applications for its fittings, an initiative it has started as early as two years back, and online live-sketching as added measures for minimising physical interaction. The staff likewise ensured that products were fully hygienic prior to delivery. The company even acquired an adjacent building to create a state-of-the-art jewellery retail space that is better suited for the new normal. These initiatives netted positive returns and feedback for Kashi. A video it released about its safety protocols went viral in recent months, gaining more than 140,000 views across various online platforms. The company also achieved 80 percent of its sales on “open days” compared with pre-COVID-19 sales turnover despite limited operations, and registered an overall growth of about 25 percent in the last three years. “There is opportunity in adversity. You just need to find it and flip the situation to your advantage,” concludes Kapoor. 1. Kashi’s Bridal Polki Collection 2. Kashi’s showroom 3. Shreyansh Kapoor, Vice President of Kashi Jewellers 4. Happy customers at Kashi Jewellers’ boutique in Uttar Pradesh 2 3 4