The Raymond showroom at Poddar Court; model Sanjukta in the Be: section. Pictures by Pradip Sanyal and Rashbehari Das

Located in the heart of the city, the Raymond showroom at 18, Rabindra Sarani is flanked by mini Chinatown on one side and Burrabazar on the other. Lots of shanties and an old grocery market are its neighbours. But if you thought it would attract more flies than footfalls, think again, long and hard.

This central Calcutta outlet has been rated the best Raymond franchisee, among 350 throughout the country.

“The Raymond outlet at Poddar Court has been awarded the best outlet because it has generated maximum revenue amongst all our franchisees. We give this award once every three years,” Aniruddha Deshmukh, president, retail, Raymond, told Goodlife from Mumbai.

The award was handed over to Nandu Pansari, proprietor of the address at a ceremony in Kuala Lampur on July 20.

But this is not the first time that the outlet has won this accolade. In fact, this marks a hat-trick.

So what’s the secret of this Raymond’s success? “The personal touch,” says the man behind the showroom.

It is the same personal touch that has helped him grow this showroom from 2,000 sq ft in 1987 to 12,000 sq ft in 2004.

What was once an ordinary suit-length shop now stands tall as a swanky structure spread over the ground and first floors.

“We treat our customers as gods, and interact with them in such a way that they feel a part of this shop,” says Nandu Pansari.

That explains the association of some customers with the shop that dates back to its inception.

“We even have customers who come from Nepal, Bangladesh and other parts of India,” reveals Pansari.

The other factor responsible for the success is the variety of the merchandise available at this one-stop shop.

From the affordable Parx to the high-end Manzoni, from the elegant Colour Plus to the trendy Be:, everything is available under one roof in a chaotic pocket of Calcutta.