Quality check

New Delhi, Feb. 27: Consumer durable makers are setting up specialised stores to lure the fat cats into buying their high-end premium products.

These stores are designed to sell premium products and singular products in a clutter-free environment. Largely meant to cater to a niche segment of buyers, the companies claim India is increasingly witnessing a surge in consumers who prefer to purchase high-end quality products.

Responding to this demand, Korean giant, LG Electronics India Limited, has come up with 'brand shoppe experience' across various cities in India.

The company has come up with a lifestyle shoppe ' which sells only premium products across all categories. There is also an X-Canvas store selling high-priced products on the entertainment side. These include big-screen plasma and projection TVs, LCDs, laptops and its exclusive PDP range.

In addition, LG has launched cyber shoppe and exclusive high-end air conditioner shoppe called Whisen.

The Korean company has recently introduced some top of the line products like TV Dios (a refrigerator with an inbuilt LCD TV) priced at Rs 2 lakh. Some of the other high-priced products include Art Cool (an ultra thin air-conditioner in the form of wall painting), which carries a price tag of Rs 65,000.

LG plans to sell such expensive products through these stores.

'In the next two to three months, we plan to come up with a total of 165 such stores across the country. The objective is to capture the requirement of consumers, give specialised attention and get into a mode of involved selling,' said Salil Kapoor, head of marketing at LG Electronics India.

LG officials say the objective of these stores is not just to attract the impulse buyer, but to also introduce an element of interactivity in the outlet while projecting the identities of LG products.

'The showrooms have been designed to allow customers to shop in comfort even during peak seasons such as festivals,' said Kapoor. In addition, there are several value-added services which enhance the overall pleasant and convenient shopping experience.

Rajeev Karwal, chief executive officer of Electrolux India, said, 'The specialised store is indeed a very good idea. As manufacturers, we will only encourage this trend. There is a need to expose the consumers to premium brands.'

At present, the company has about 15 'Electrolux homes' which sell only branded products across all segments. Karwal claims that the benefit of going to such shops is that it will have products which otherwise might not be available in small retail outlets.

Companies like Sony India, one of the largest global consumer brands, has also set up approximately 45 Sony World outlets which sell exclusive Sony products across all price bands.