Fourth generation retailer Dheeraj Khathuria of Bombay Novelty Stores (Estd 1954) has done his MBA in luxury marketing at ISC, Paris.
Fourth generation retailer Dheeraj Khathuria of Bombay Novelty Stores (Estd 1954) has done his MBA in luxury marketing at ISC, Paris.
His great-grandfather Parasram belonged to Sindh, which became part of Pakistan in the year 1947. Young Dheeraj is really enthusiastic while talking about his elders:
"My great-grandfather used to live in Dadar and did business on a commission basis in Mumbai. He used to regularly visit Coimbatore and book orders for rubber chappals on behalf of the manufacturers. Coimbatore attracted him so much that he settled down in the city nearly 70 years ago. The family lived in a small 2 room house in the vicinity of Diwan Bahadur road in R.S.Puram for some time and his 4 children were brought up in the city.
He began by selling hosiery material and handkerchiefs on a commission basis and came up with the idea of opening the kind of a store which did not exist until then in the successful textile center."
The hard-working Parasram founded the "Bombay Novelty Stores "in the year 1954. The store sold a number of novelty items which included imported handkerchiefs, nail cutters and general goods which were otherwise not available.
Most of the Lever products were available in this innovative store. The four sons of Parasram - Kishanlal, Nandlal, Arjunlal, and Jayram were part of the whole scheme of things in those days. Parasram used to spend a lot of time in the store and he was there until the very last moment of his life.
The first son Kishanlal was an enterprising entrepreneur and he used to travel abroad for business purchases at a time when shopkeepers were just content selling goods offered by wholesalers and manufacturers at their doorstep.
"My grandfather Kishanlal used to travel to countries like Thailand and purchase goods for the shop. Embroidered patches which were attached to dresses, handkerchiefs, toiletries, handbags for ladies etc., were bought from the East and sold in our shop".
"He was quite innovative. Those were the times of shortage and the clients used to wait in big cars even before the shop was ready for the day. The concept called maximum retail price was absent then. Our customers used to purchase Vicco Turmeric, Colgate and imported goods in our store" said Dheeraj Khathuria
"If someone had to tonsure the hair of his kid at his Kuladevata temple, he or she used to get the tonsuring kit from us. My father Manoharlal Kathuria used to tell me that my grandfather used to open by 10 AM but people used to wait from 9:45 AM itself. There used to be a queue to shop and the people who purchased for Rs.200 or more had the goods dropped off in the car. Grandfather used to be prim and proper with his payments and used to adhere to the terms and conditions at all times. He used to neatly assemble all the currency notes and then place them in bundles as per the denomination", stated the purposeful Dheeraj who has lost his father recently.
Bombay Novelty Stores was once famous for beauty parlor products and equipment. The parlor basins, chairs, curlers, dryers, and cosmetics were mostly sold by them. Buttons, laces and related items along with party gift items were available there.
Also, Satin and velvet products could only be sourced from them. Newborn baby kits and cradles were their forte for years. Imported Johnson’s products were special in the Bombay Novelty Stores. Fancy lamps, Rangoli stencils were favorites at one time. Kishandas was known to have an intricate knowledge of each and every product sold in the shop. His travels had helped him to accumulate knowledge on a number of items. He understood pricing and trends quite well. The undivided family used to meet up on Sundays and everyone used to shop for provisions, eat and relax together. This had helped them to bond well as a family.
Kaushi Kishanlal, the spouse of Kishanlal had been a marvelous cook and the family had really liked her work for it had helped them stay connected.
Young Dheeraj shared some interesting nuggets, "I got a job in Hermes, but the Paris attacks disturbed me and therefore I decided to come back in order to expand the family business. The sound of police sirens, ambulances, and the commotion disturbed my tranquility while I was staying as a paying guest with a French family. My brother Prashanth.M.Kathuria is my guide in business and his inputs help me to move ahead. A lot of changes have been made in the recent past for it is important to keep in touch with times and I am happy that India is changing for the good now. We are grateful that we have stayed successfully as unique shopkeepers for over 60 years in Coimbatore - the Rome of Kongunad in Western Tamilnadu."