Begin typing your search...

Delivering a range of premium art crafts, office supplies, unique gifts

Mango - a paradigm concept-driven art and lifestyle store plans to advance into a franchising model and grow with more partners over next three years

Sitanshu Chheda, Executive Director, Mango
X

Sitanshu Chheda, Executive Director, Mango

Mango is a paradigm concept-driven art and lifestyle store. It delivers premium art crafts and office supplies across various institutions and also sells via e-commerce. They have recently launched a subscription box filled with lifestyle goodies and have a range of other exciting products and curated boxes on their site. In an exclusive interview with Bizz Buzz, Sitanshu Chheda, Executive Director of Mango, describes the rationale behind Mango and the scope for the company


What led to the creation of Mango?

Mango started as a fashion project 16 years back in 2004 by my father Pravin Chheda. He had visited a Japanese stationery brand called Loft and got very inspired by the kind of stationery stores they had across the World, especially in India it was very traditional and overlooked industry as usually considered. He had already explored retailing business but now being inspired, he wanted Indian customers to experience a retail stationery shopping and thus Mango was created.

What is the rationale behind the product?

The products we have in Mango are varied, from multiple brands and retail companies. We sell products from a variety of brands; they are all mostly handpicked from across the world and also sourced from India. The idea is to provide consumers with products which have high utility and also in a semi premium range. We do not sell cheap products. Our USP is to sell vast variety of quirky and unique stationery products like material, craft supplies, office supplies and a lot of gifting options as well. Also, we focus more on artsy products as design of a product is a key element. We ensure for the consumers great product design, agility and functionality.

How has the company evolved?

We initially started as a purely stationery brand and over the years we have evolved into a lifestyle- stationery company. The corebase is stationery, but the definition of stationery has evolved through so many years and we managed quite well to keep up with the trends. When we begin our journey, we had only one outlet at Thane and now we are set at four branches – Thane, Navi Mumbai and we are expanding online as well.

What is the pricing strategy for the product?

Pricing of all the products is MRP based so there isn't any strategy. We do not put discounts or offers but we like to reward our loyal consumers with a few loyalty programs which includes many benefits.

What is the distribution pattern for the product?

Distribution is a vast concept which we are not comfortable sharing due to company policies. But we are available on e-commerce for our consumers to reach out to us anytime.

What is the game plan for the next three years?

Over the next three years, we plan to advance into a franchising model where we want to grow more partners in different parts of the country. We would be beginning with Maharashtra and Gujarat. Moving further, North of India would be our preference and then towards South

Do you have any diversification plans?

For diversification, we have already planned a private label, it would be called Bangkok Business. We will start with different paper, paper stationery products and then branch out for lifestyle, again basis of these products will be qualitative, more focus on designs.

Do you have any plans to go international?

Currently, we are planning to expand our business in the country, no plans yet for international expansion. But surely in coming years we would be looking forward to international markets to distribute our products across the world through our visibility.

How big is the market for your kind of product?

Honestly, I have not measured how vast the market is, but I do know that the stationery market in India is growing big time and I really look forward to it merging into fashion, apparels but there have been many issues. But I still believe that stationery is going to be a large industry in coming years and would be one of the biggest industries to rule the market as well.


Is this a revolutionary concept or is there existing competition?

I would not say it is a revolutionary concept, there are many stationery stores and companies already existing, being comparative to us. But we do try to differentiate by providing nice instore shopping experience with a wide range of products which are not easily available anywhere else. We have a subscription service unlike any other brand which is a Yellow box – This box consists of a beautifully curated range of products. Every month, our genuine customers get a Yellow Box delivered at their doorstep. For collectors, empires, offices, The Yellow Box has turned out to be a cherry on the cake for their stationery.

Can you mention some of your popular gifts?

Our offline and online store, both are stuffed with all the exclusive yet pocket-friendly gifts one can always rely on and gift them to your co-workers and friends and family! One can find all the products related to art and craft, till schools and office stationery. Back to your office where you are probably sitting on your chair, searching for a gift idea for your co-worker, here are the perfect pocket-friendly gifts you can give to your co-workers: 2021 mini calendar: This eye-pleasing desk calendar is the perfect gift with its mini and fancy size. It's more of a decor item than a calendar. Photo frames will be a common sighting, as we all know, during gift unwrapping sessions. But this wooden photo frame will surely stand out among others. A planner is damn important in today's professional as well as personal life. It adds the required dimension for your day-to-day purposes. If you are gifting a planner, you should couple it up with an eye-catching fountain pen. Its full metal design ensures longevity and its high-end tech designed quality gives the writer a unique writing experience.

Unlike a candle-based vaporizer, an electrical fragrance vaporizer lamp is unique in its own way as it warms the vaporizer electrically and sets a relaxing ambiance around the room. An elegant paperweight with multiple colour variants helps you to choose your favourite colour needs. Although the covid vaccine is launched, we still don't know when we all will be working from the office. And that's why an LED table lamp is best suited to work from home conditions. It's long-lasting plus rechargeable.

Vincent Fernandes
Next Story
Share it