Nemichand Bamalwa & Sons (J) adds to retail experience with perfume brand, jewellery spa at store

Vishal Bamalwa and Rahul Bamalwa, the dynamic third-generation partners behind the brand, are proving that true mastery lies in experimentation and the ability to transcend industry boundaries

Kolkata: In an increasingly saturated market, experimentation has helped Vishal Bamalwa and Rahul Bamalwa, the dynamic third-generation partners of Nemichand Bamalwa and Sons (J), to expand the scope of luxury jewellery retail – be it in adding product verticals or pepping up the in-store experience – at the brand’s iconic jewellery outlet at Park Street, Kolkata.

In 2017, Vishal Bamalwa, Partner, Nemichand Bamalwa & Sons (J), made a departure from jewellery retail to unveil his own perfume brand, Santieb’s. While studying for an MBA in Luxury Retail Management at the International University of Monaco, he found inspiration in the opulent surroundings of the city-state. “Monaco, being the luxury capital of the world, inspired me to understand luxury in unprecedented ways. The know-how and practical experiences surrounding source production shifted my perspective towards creating and manufacturing any luxury product – and I took the opportunity to develop perfumes,” he explains.

Santieb’s perfume atelier is a small, yet captivating experience zone and showcases a range of eight 100ml and five 50ml fragrances. Vishal says that Santieb’s plans to offer five additional distinct wax-based, smokeless room fresheners known as the “wax fondue” by early next year.

At the brand’s Park Street store, an exclusive experience zone allows customers to interact with and explore Santieb’s fragrances, leading to sales and an enhanced retail experience for the brand’s multigenerational patrons. Past collaborations include creating unique customized products for esteemed entities such as the Automobile Club of Monaco, Twiga Monte Carlo and Billionaire Mansion Dubai.

The brand has also spotlighted the area for jewellery repairs and cleansing and polishing of ornaments as a ‘jewellery spa’ inside the store, in contrast to it being a typical back-office operation. Rahul Bamalwa, Partner, Nemichand Bamalwa & Sons (J) introduced this concept to build customers’ trust. While they wait for their jewellery to be repaired and polished, customers can also spend time browsing collections in the adjacent ‘Boutique Bridal Room.’ Interestingly, a glass partition separates the workstation and the boutique for customers to supervise their jewellery being cared for in real time.

Accentuating the brand’s emphasis on immersive retail, the boutique also houses an impressive collection of books on jewellery and coloured gemstones. This is an attempt to keep customers abreast of Indian and global aesthetics and fashion trends. “These books merge our brand’s objective of providing a historical and retail vantage point to our clients,” Rahul Bamalwa says.

Written by Harshita Kale

Retail Jeweller India Exclusive