The vision of Saraf Furniture is to inspire its communities by leveraging its three key values- Principal, Passion, and Perfection- and to promote new value for its core networks Industry, Partners, and Employees. Through these efforts, the brand hopes to contribute to a better world and a richer experience for all
New Delhi: The emergence of e-commerce streams highlighting a broad array of furniture purchasing options has also broadened the grasp of the Indian Furniture Market to a broader audience. This was the opportunity that pushed Raghunandan Saraf, CEO and founder, of Saraf Furniture to create a strong online presence for the brand from the time he took over the reins of his family business. Instead of simply expanding and managing the family furniture exports business, which served global markets such as Germany, England, and others, he noticed the precarious position in the Indian market and as a third-generation entrepreneur began proliferating and growing the brand with neg-age ideas and plans.
“We encountered some minor setbacks along the path to success in 2014. People were always skeptical of online advance payments, despite the fact that they have shifted forward into modernization and communal living. Furthermore, customers favoured customization of products and relied on reviews and professional opinions. To alleviate such concerns, we finally agreed to provide customers with the customization and professional advice over the phone, as well as an understandable opportunity to touch, feel, and see the product. In regard to financial complexities or online advances, we devised simple EMI and financing options,” Raghunandan mentions.
Innovation at the core
Saraf Furniture stands out from the crowd for a number of reasons: They make high-quality Sheesham wood furniture, they both manufacture and sell furniture (offline and online), the company provides free shipping throughout India and Customers can order customized furniture from them. They have multiple warehousing facilities throughout the territory to meet the logistics and distribution necessities, and they have partnered with Third-Party Logistics to ensure the efficient functioning of the biz.
Being customer ready
In terms of technology adaptation for better connectivity, we have implemented the right technology that allows our customers to virtually experience the store, furniture, and living spaces decorated with genuine quality solid Sheesham wood furniture using VR technology. “We believe that this will assist users in better understanding the furnishings and making the best decision for their home. With the most recent technological advancements, the post-purchase pattern would use a redressal system to provide assistance with a four-hour ETA,” Raghunandan comments.
The brand’s website includes back-end software designed specifically for customers. This software provides product updates and tracks each stage of production. The brand looks to extend their offline presence across the nation, by creating a significant presence in urban cities. Additionally, they are in the course of opening another factory that will expand their production capacity to 200%. With the operation of the new factory, they will be enabled to hire 500-1000 more of the workforce. Apart from these, they’ll further initiate expanding their existing product portfolio as well.
- In 2014, Saraf Furniture forayed into the online furniture space as insaraf.com to offer value-for-money furniture made of sheesham wood to Indian consumers. The manufacturer and online seller provide finished as well as customised products to buyers.
- Saraf Furniture has invested almost INR 1.20 cr towards technology and looks to tie in all the loose ends and add more value to the processes.
- Saraf Furniture is a bootstrapped entity and the company intends to continue this way with an eye on IPO 5 years down the line.
- Saraf Furniture has registered 30% to 40% revenue growth and 48% customer growth year-on-year.
