This is the 20^th store of the brand, a co-founder of which is a member of a well-known industrialist family of the region

It started its journey in 2016 from Mumbai, weathered the pandemic storm, and yet continues to win hearts with its commitment to a planet-friendly, mindful and guilt-free way of doing business, as it quickly spreads across the country, leaving a lasting footprint.

A complete lifestyle chain of stores, named after our own virgin islands NICOBAR*, with modern collections of an entire range of women’s wear, men’s wear, jewellery, homeware and limitless options in gifting solutions for all purposes and occasions, has opened its 20^th store at a prime location in Chandigarh.

*CAUTION: The brand name has been written in bold capital letters, lest the Punjabi- speaking leg-and-peg loving men get too excited about a new bar opening in town run by a female ‘Nikko-(da)-Bar’.

Having been exposed to the buzz around the brand, in which a member of a well-known industrialist family of the region is a co-founder, we went to check out the look and feel of the newly opened store at the first opportunity, curious to know what makes the brand stand out.

So, on an invitation, the first thing we noticed on arrival was how conveniently the large format store (2300 sq ft) was located. The No. 1 showroom in Sector 7 Madhya Marg with adequate parking on its one flank, and all the well-known names like Nik Baker’s, Naturals ice cream, Virgin Courtyard in its immediate vicinity.

That, we came to know later, while in conversation with the co-founder couple Simran Lal and Raul Rai, is a deliberate and considered strategy of the brand, to open in a city only when a great location of choice becomes available.

First store opened in Mumbai

The couple, based out of NCR Delhi, opened their first store in Mumbai, not by choice, but compulsion (there’s an interesting story behind it, which we will reveal later in the write-up). It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the ‘Maximum City’ took to the brand like fish to water, falling heads over heels for Nicobar’s overall mindfulness of its business philosophy, and commitment to promoting the modern global Indian aesthetic.

Coming back to the store, as you enter, the expansive area gives a simple, yet classy and stylish look. Everything looks spick and span, with the displays laid out in well-defined sections. As in all modern stores, this one is also very roomy with adequate space being maintained for shoppers to comfortably navigate between displays.

The store overall ditto reflects Nicobar’s avowed design philosophy, which is to create a brand that embodies “simplicity and versatility” and champions “easy and effortless style”.

About the products, we’ll let the pictures (carried in the article) do the talking. For more, Nicobar has a slick and easy-to-navigate website (to browse, click on https://www.nicobar.com/).

Expressing his joy over the initial response to the store, which opened to shoppers on August 11, Raul said the opening 20-days sales target they had fixed for the store was achieved in two days flat. That’s how excited the people of Chandigarh tricity, who have previously been exposed to our brand, are about the store coming to town.

Brand philosophy

Elaborating on the uniqueness of their brand philosophy, Simran, who concentrates on the product and design aspect of the business, said “our clothing and jewellery can be worn for years, and our homeware remains with you for life.” For her, “Fabrics matter, as do fit and form. Whether in clothing or homeware: simplicity, versatility, and the ability to layer (and no big logos!) are the cornerstones of our collection.”

Explaining the mindfulness of the business, Simran added “We really do care a damn about our impact on the environment, which is why over the years our material library is much inspired by nature. We’ve introduced fabrics like certified 100% organic cotton, recycled polyester, TENCEL, modal, cupro, biodegradable Bemberg, and bamboo fabric to our collections.”

Nicobar’s woollies are claimed to in recycled wool, and the denim made using minimal water and energy (the brand calls it ‘green denim’). Similarly, their responsibly-made home products include wooden serveware made of discarded teak tree roots, banana fibre table runners, bamboo baskets, and recycled glass.

“Little Nico, the kidswear line, is made entirely from leftover fabric – the small bits that remain after a collection’s been produced – that is then cut, dyed, detailed and sewn with just as much love as our other stuff,” Simran informed.

Inspiration for collections

About inspiration for their various collections, Simran had this to say: “We are rooted in India, and yet inspired by journeys across the Indian Ocean. Every season, we set sail on a voyage to create a modern design stamp for India. Our design teams take a journey of inspiration across the Indian Ocean and the ancient trading routes, moving from coast to coast, season after season. We’ve taken design journeys to Sri Lanka, Japan, Bali, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Bali, Zanzibar, Madagascar and along our own coastal routes… because at the heart of Nicobar’s design story is a sense of wanderlust.”

Pricing: A value proposition

Talking about the pricing of Nicobar products, Raul said “It’s a value proposition, which comes with a heartfelt commitment to quality and style, work ethic and the mindful nature of the business, which involves costs.

“Making these sorts of decisions, both as a consumer and as a retailer can mean sacrifice. For consumers, it might mean that the products you choose are slightly more expensive than others who choose not to tick these boxes. For us, for retailers and brands that choose better fabrics or to pay their staff fair wages, it might mean that margins aren’t as big or that we’re releasing products less frequently than other brands,” he further said.

Last year did Rs 150 core business

Sharing revenue figures, Raul said last year the brand achieved a turnover of Rs 150 crore. It’s targeting a healthy two-digit growth in the coming years with 10-20 more stores planned to be opened.

He revealed that half the brand’s revenue was coming from women’s clothing, 15% from men’s clothing, 35% from homeware and gifting and 5% from jewellery and accessories.

Apart from physical stores, Nicobar has a very strong presence in the online space, and according to Raul 35-40% of their total sales were happening in this space.

The Why-Mumbai-First story

Relating the interesting story behind this, Raul said it was natural that since they had a base in the national capital, they would like to open in Delhi first. They were lucky too to get a prime location there, but the unlucky part was that despite sealing a deal, the consultant subsequently attempted to wriggle out of the contract, citing an irrefusable demand for this particular property and multiple other locations from another client. He offered them to match the new demand, which they were in no position to do.

As compensation for the cancelled deal, the consultant offered them a prime location in Mumbai, which they readily accepted. It was within the Kala Ghoda art district, in a colonial era building on Ropewalk Lane (this was in 2016), and till day Nicobar’s this first remains their flagship store.

Later they opened a store in Delhi as well finding a lucrative location in the luxury hub of Meher Chand Market, adjacent to the most expensive retail space in Delhi, the Khan Market.

Hat’s off to the brand’s planet-friendly mindfulness!