Now showrooms are starting to become bigger and more practical after years of trials and experiences. Among the recent developments, there is a need for the retail counters to have a display format led by different factors, one could be, viz., Gallery, a Display Showroom and an Experience Center.
Indian market has evolved with the emergence of Decorative Panel Products especially when import of decorative range products started growing. Since the year 2010, Indian interior spaces are more demanding for decorative solutions and displays at counters have become a priority. It attributed to growth in laminate, veneer and decorative highlighter category. The rise of display stores and showroom practices shifted most of the sales from commodity-led to display-led stores. It is seen that around 30% of the total sales of decorative products are happening via display centres.
Now showrooms are starting to become bigger and more practical after years of trials and experiences. Among the recent developments, there is a need for the retail counters to have a display format led by different factors, one could be, viz., Gallery (if around 500 sqft), a Display Showroom (>500, <3000 sqft) and an Experience Center (usually led by a brand or a focused product basket specially experience-led high ticket products).
Commanding retail practices with the changing times is a tricky affair. Now with readymade furniture becoming more dominant in metros there is whole shift happening in retail sales of decorative materials. Maintaining good sales and earning good margin has become a very debatable subject after the growing role of furniture makers. After few months of brainstorming, we are seeing the growing role of turnkey interior contractors/ furniture makers/ designers, determining the choices of a customer.
And their preference is becoming more of pre-finished, ready-to-install solutions with frequent shift in design choices. In such a scenario, the apt coorelation and serving approach among brands, their display stores and interior solution provider is a huge churning affair in coming time and it can be seen as a challange at showrooms. Decoding this matrix is not easy though a few companies and brands from other sectors can be good role models. Ply Reporter will try to curate some case studies in the future.
Today there are a few metros where I feel there is a situation of saturation as neither the sales of retailers are growing, nor the companies, brands or of the wholesalers are registering much growth. Probably this is when companies like Fenesta, Hettich, Royale Touche, Godrej Interio, Ozone etc made some efforts and tried doing something more innovative and different. Indian market is evolving fast and in a unique way, our wood panel and decorative brands need to learn and unlearn.
I can see that galleries and showrooms will grow because Indian customers and influencers need them. Now it is upon the companies to decode strategies and ways. The next change is certainly evident in readymade furniture space and hence every stakeholder should keep an eye on this ready-to-grow segment. The Ply Reporter will continue to unlock important yet trickier subjects and to keep you all updated through our publication “Furniture Design & Technology (FDT).
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Pragat Dvivedi
Founder Editor