CA Harshal Darodkar, Director of Darodkars Shree Meher Jewellers Private Limited, shares how his tech-savvy approach helped in building an in-house app and driving organic marketing. As the third generation of the Darodkar brand, he has successfully repositioned diamonds for middle-income and younger buyers.
Building Customer Loyalty Through In-House App
Post-pandemic, as e-payments became the new normal, we quickly brought the scheme online by introducing our own website-cum savings app, designed on the lines of a banking application to ensure ease of use. Our Nivesh Scheme, which starts with a minimum customer investment of Rs 1,000, was also largely cash-driven, with only a few contributions coming through cheques or card swipes. The app led to higher enrolments, driven by practical features such as a smart savings calculator, design catalogues, live gold rates, store locator, and customized customer notifications – a phenomenon new for a tier city. Within two years, we recorded a fivefold jump in customer enrolment and currently have over 5,000 customers, all of whom convert their savings into purchases. The secure application has helped us build and retain a loyal customer base, including customers who relocated from Nagpur—an engagement that was earlier difficult due to the limitations of offline payments.
Repositioning Diamonds For Middle-Income And Younger Buyers
I identified that middle-income consumers, especially in a tier city like Nagpur, and younger buyers have always desired to own diamond jewellery but were often held back by the high cost of precious stones. With gold prices also soaring, this goal began to feel increasingly out of reach. To address this gap, we consciously aimed to convert gold jewellery buyers to diamonds and introduced diamond jewellery in 9K. The objective was to offer sustainable, lightweight, and affordable diamond jewellery without compromising the brand’s reputation for phenomenal finishing. This initiative boosted our sales volume by 25–30 per cent within just two months of execution. While the ticket size remains lower, we are confident of improving it in the coming months. Interestingly, the 9K collection not only converted gold buyers to diamonds but also drew existing diamond customers towards innovative and newer designs. The 37.5 per cent purity proved effective, further driving diamond sales growth by 18–20 per cent.
Boosting Brand Visibility Online
Being tech-savvy, I strongly believe technology is a powerful tool for business growth. We have been focusing a lot on enhancing the brand’s online visibility. Since one year, we have been very active on Instagram, mindfully using the platform for keeping up with trends by using viral music, and leveraging other viral practices. Most of these reels feature our employees, not just founders or influencers, which has strengthened staff engagement and organic marketing.
As told to Suchita Sail
