Godrej & Boyce: Hi-tech furniture

Godrej Interio, Godrej & Boyce’s furniture brand, is weaving in technology in its products and sprucing up its stores to drive growth. In a largely (90 per cent) unorganised market, but which is steadily seeing the growth of branded furniture, Godrej Interio is aware of the need for a national player. “Branded home furniture is growing at 20 per cent but is only 10 per cent of the Rs 20,000-crore market. Yet it is growing faster than the overall furniture market (at 12 per cent). For increasingly mobile consumers of branded furniture, there will be concerns about after-sales service and adding different elements on a piecemeal basis,” says Godrej Interio COO Anil Mathur. Godrej Interio saw sales of Rs 350 crore in home furniture (overall it clocked Rs 1,100 crore in 2009-2010).

To make the most of its national presence, Godrej Interio is bringing in design themes in the products so that even if consumers buy furniture over time and across regions, their rooms won’t appear to be collages made of disparate pieces. However, the real differentiator could be the technological tweaks in furniture. “Our products will have to be more than just functional designs to stay ahead of the curve.” says Mathur.

One such product that has been launched is a bed with a remote control to lift the mattress for easy access to the storage below. Up next is a dining table which will let users safely warm their food on the table with the help of an induction hotplate. Chairs for the dining table can be turned into stools so that kids don’t feel regimented at meals. The home entertainment centre will have LEDs that can be tuned to give a different ambience according to the user’s mood. Curved sofas (to facilitate conversation) will have built-in speakers, Bluetooth connection and so on to go with the technology dotting living rooms these days. Chairs will soon have beepers to remind users to get up after every two-three hours for healthier lounging. The products would be priced between Rs 30,000 and Rs 1,00,000, with the dining table variants costing around Rs 45,000.

“The technology used is not expensive but will make a world of difference when integrated with furniture. It would also make people go for a brand they trust,” says Mathur. It, hence, calls for strong after-sale service. “After-sale service has been one of our fortes with every franchisee and dealer trained in the skill sets needed for the new range,” says Mathur. Godrej Interio is thrashing out an annual maintenance contract with its users in Mumbai, which will include cleaning and maintenance, before launching it pan-India. The promise of reliability would also be reinforced with ads in the new campaign that will highlight the five-year warranty that accompanies some of the products.

The company is also piloting (in Thane) U&Us which is a sub-brand that will encourage co-creation in an effort to make custom-made furniture. The consumer is mapped for his preferences (straight lines, curves) and then led to the design formats in the store. He can choose varnishes and so on to finish off the look. It would help carpenters to assemble the furniture in their workshops and get paid, preserving the ecosystem in furniture markets.

Supporting the various product innovations is the company’s retail revamp. It is converting all its stores from dealerships to franchises (in line with the 50 stores owned by it). With the company having more control over the stores (from inventory to a say in the decor), the user-experience will be more consistent at the stores, irrespective of which one a buyer visits. Mathur believes Interio’s supply chain will be its edge. It claims a 98 per cent on-time delivery record for modular furniture.