HYDERABAD: Philanthropist Sudha Reddy had recently posted a story on her Instagram handle where she was seen shopping for some precious Tiffany jewels from the comfort of her home. Called personal shopping, this service is offered by luxury brands to select customers. We speak to some of these brands, personal shoppers, and influencers in the city to find out if this can be the next big consumer trend.
Personal shopping has always been a rich tradition in India, with shopkeepers bringing their stock to the homes of their loyal customers. While this practice has come down for a decade, it’s back but with a twist — brands bring their products to the homes of select customers. Personal shopping is picking up in the city and there are different kinds to this shopping trend.
Toranj Mehta, director of marketing at De Beers (Forevermark) India, explains their policy of personal shopping. “We always had the option of personal shopping since we started out 11 years ago. We tie up with a few jewellers who take their products to the homes of certain customers. Now, on our own, we do not visit our customers’ homes. But we do invite a select few for a special preview."
"This allows them to place/book their orders before the collection is out for the others. This happens especially when we collaborate with clients like Sabyasachi Mukherjee or Bibhu Mohapatra. The customers to whom we offer personal shopping are important clients who shop frequently and have a keen eye for what is unique, different, and new in the market.”
Model and influencer Rukhsar Haidry is a huge fan of personal shopping and shares why she prefers this mode. “Having grown up across the country, especially in places like Kashmir and Rajasthan, we always had local people visit us personally and by now, the whole house has become a diverse museum of artifacts and clothes which went on to become a lifestyle ever since. Thanks to Covid, we were deprived of this experience, however, I would prefer personal shopping any day because of its convenience."
"You wouldn’t always find outfits that are true to your size online. Here, you get personalised fits and designs which are far more satisfactory. While the designers and sellers know their niche customers and their choices, personal shoppers find it rather convenient and time-saving, especially in urban cities and for working women and men alike. And in long term, you build trust and bargaining and discounts are just factors that follow,” she laughs.
According to Madulika Jhawar, a virtual business sales executive and a personal shopper herself, explain the process of personal shopping: “I handle luxury and premier bands and when it comes to personal shopping, we get in touch with clients via WhatsApp or through events and then there are a few homegrown brands that collaborate for a database of luxury shoppers. What I do is share catalogs and on request of the customer, we take the product to their home on a private appointment basis.”
She adds that personal shopping will always remain a niche. “There is a very small number of people that prefers this mode of shopping because of their busy schedules and not wanting to go to malls anymore due to Covid. It is also more convenient because one can try something before they buy - digital shopping doesn’t allow them to do so."
"This trend, in the years to come, will always remain niche because it is only for a certain clientele that can afford this service. Doing it for mass products doesn’t make sense, it has to be for luxury and super-premium brands. There the price points are different and India or even Hyderabad is very sensitive to pricing, so it will always be for a certain market and audience,” she tells CE.