Nilibar online-business achieves international success

Nilibar, a 53-year-old store catering to ladies garments, has taken a lead over others in the business by taking customer orders from people living overseas through e-mails.

On average, their international business through e-mails is Rs 3-4 lakh every month while that of Non Resident Indians (NRIs) who visit his shop is far more than that.

Last year alone, Nilibar had international sales of a little over Rs 1 crore through credit cards as compared to 33 lakh domestic sales through Credit Card. This year, from April till date, they have already crossed Rs 40 lakh of sales from NRIs and Rs 13 lakh from domestic sales.

Speaking to Business Standard, Uttam Singh, owner of Nilibar, said this whole process of international sales started in the year 1997-98 when we first launched our website.

"That time, we used to get atleast 30 mails from NRIs every week but it was difficult for us to determine which one of them is a serious customer. So after few months, we stopped bothering about it," he said.

"It was in the year 2001 when one of our customers from USA, who works in Cisco, came and complained that she e-mailed us a few times regarding some lehnga designs but didn't get any response from us. Then we realised that NRIs are really interested in buying garments from us. So we revived our e-mail addresses once again. She also suggested that we should buy a digital camera to send designs through Internet quickly,'' he informed.

Sonu Nilibar, son of Uttam Singh and co-owner of Nilibar, said three years ago they started their sales with a few thousands in the international sector and had never imagined that it would grow so much. "Majority of the work is done online and many of our customers have never seen us while they make purchases worth lakh from their homes in the US, the UK, Canada and other countries.

Even some of them come at weekend from the UK to shop and go back by Sunday evening," he added.

He said: "A separate team had been deputed for clicking the pictures of our latest designs and creations, which are sent through Internet to the clients. Of the designs sent, people choose a few and tell them their budget and thus accordingly the piece based on measurements is prepared and sent by courier. Same price as what we charge in our Ludhiana store is charged from them and the courier charges is added. Our customers send money through the wire transfer system."

Sonu said, last year, he had sent one bridal lehnga which Rani Mukherjee wore in her wedding scene in film 'Hum Tum' to an Indian girl based in Hong Kong while this year he received an order for a dress worn by Aishwarya Rai during the music video launch of 'Umrao Jaan.'

Sonu said though the international sales were worth Rs 40 lakh this year, they had also exported articles to three boutiques in the US (New York), Canada (Vancouver) and the UK (London) worth Rs 22 lakh.