With new store in upmarket area of Raipur, Babulal Jewellers reaches out to a younger and more affluent audience

The store has three levels- showcasing economical to luxury and bridal jewellery- each dedicated to different customer needs 

Babulal Jewellers launched its second large-format independent store in Civil Lines, Raipur, hosting a launch event from May 17 to 19. The brand now has two stores in Raipur, with a smaller one near Sarafa.

The event was conducted on a small-scale through focused invitations, follow-up calls by the team, some meet-ups with the directors and a social media engagement strategy that started over a month ago. “We wanted to get comfortable with the operations and sales as we grow into three floors from a single floor. Hence, we wanted to first sense the comfort amidst known clients before going out for advertising and promotions. It was a conscious call to have an understated launch targeted only at our existing consumer base of around 7,000 customers,” says Vikal Soni, owner, Babulal Jewellers.

The new Babulal Jewellers store, which is 5000+ sq ft, houses gold, diamonds, gemstones and polki jewellery, along with a separate section for silver jewellery under the label of ‘Arti Soni’, Vikal Soni’s wife who originates from the Kutch region, where her family specialises in handcrafted silver artefacts.

The store is divided into four levels. Level 1 is for lightweight and economical-priced gold jewellery. Level 2 is for bridal gold jewellery, polki and diamond jewellery. Level 3 is for silver jewellery and artefacts. “The architecture of the building stems from a blend of tradition and modernity to keep the faith of the loyal clientele associated with our brand from the past. The logo is an improvised version of a twin-sided B with dots. I am at the forefront of sales operations with my dedicated sales team, who have dressed up to match the brand’s look,” Soni says.

The brand wants to cater to the affluent and the younger set, which made it critical for them to move away from the cluttered market to a more hygienic and upmarket area. Civil Lines, Raj Bhavan road, was fit for this execution. “Our vision is to uphold the legacy of trust of Babulal that is built on the pillars of service in a manner that our past, present and future clientele continue to consider us for every jewellery need. We were able to buy a plot of land there and build our store and structure just as we wanted to. This new store will keep up with the values of Babulal as well as appeal to a larger audience who otherwise may not have walked into our store,” Soni states.

With an independent building in a luxurious setting including parking facilities, a positive ambience, a gold-rimmed elevator, a wood and glass winding staircase, polished window displays on every floor, soothing pastels and an inviting Arti Soni silver section launch, the retail experience for the Babulal Jewellers customer base will be much more enhanced compared to what it used to be, says Soni. 

Talking about the technological incorporation in their marketing and promotional strategies, Soni explains that tech is at play in many operations- from pricing, tagging, billing, feedback and settlements. “At Babulal Jewellers, we always have and will focus more on customer-centric activities and marketing for the future. The social media campaigns on our Instagram pages #babulaljeweller and #artisonijewellery had already started taking off for over a month. An awareness campaign has already been developed that will be executed soon to tap the right localities of Raipur City,” he says.

Babulal Soni started his jewellery enterprise in 1946 in a 200 sq ft store, which his son Kishor Kumar Soni took over and developed into an 800 sq ft outlet in Chhotapara, Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Today, Babulal Jewellers is an independent three-storey structure that stands tall at Civil Lines on Raj Bhavan road in Raipur, driven by the third-generation jeweller Vikal Soni and his wife Arti Soni.

Written by Bushra Satkhed

Retail Jeweller India Exclusive

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