Doing things differently can help your brand's success

When it comes to the competition in Dubai's gold scene, Anil Dhanak, managing director of Kanz Jewels, knows where he stands. While many of the well known gold and jewellery brands have upwards of a 100 outlets across the UAE, Kanz has a total of nine stores in Dubai. Despite this, the brand has carved a name for itself in the business, along with a reputation to match. The stores are a popular setting for many Bollywood films, and have often been heavily featured in many promotional tourism videos.
The secret to the brand's success is due to Dhanak's decision to cater to a very niche segment, a vision to do things differently, and an emphasis on customer experience. "If you want to leave a mark, one should not follow," says Dhanak.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times, he highlighted how his 37 years in the business had taught him a few things, from when he first started as a salesman in his uncle's gold shop. "What I realised was that there was a vacuum when it came to a certain segment in the market. You have maybe two per cent of the population in this country that does not care about any promotions or deals. When they enter a shop, it is with the decision to spend, and so it would be a disrespect to offer them a promotion. These are customers that don't want to be part of the crowd; they want to own unique pieces that sets them apart and speaks volumes about themselves."
Dhanak revealed that Kanz was able to distinguish itself early on by offering a selection that wasn't available anywhere else. "We buy from small workshops and factories and then make a change to the designs to stay exclusive in the market."
In addition, the brand prides itself on introducing many new ideas in the market. Dhanak explains that even early on in his career, when he was working in his uncle's gold shop in Dubai, he had kept his eyes and ears open on ways to distinguish himself from his competition.
"I started off by doing everything by myself in that store. I was the only one who had their store open on a Friday in the Dubai Gold Souq back in the day. I was also the first one to start the straight working shift in 1995 because I had read an article about it. Kanz was also the first gold store to have female staff and a doorman to welcome customers. Today, many other brands have followed in our footsteps." Another area where there is no room for compromise involves his employees. Dhanak firmly believes that if a manager takes care of his employees, then they will take care of his clients. He introduced many ways in which his employees can give their very best at the job, including finding them accommodations close to their work stations.
Lastly, he believes that it is the little things that go a long way towards making the customer experience memorable. "We spend a lot on our store interiors and ambiance. We offer our guests masala chai, and we have pop up mirrors at every station so customers can look at themselves wearing the jewellery before making their purchase."
Speaking on his plans for the future, he revealed that Kanz will be re-launching their very first store at the heart of the Dubai Gold Souq. The brand is aiming to open the store before Diwali. Dhanak also revealed that the brand won't be focusing on any more store openings for a while after that. - rohma@khaleejtimes.com