Tell us something about yourself as the promoter of Azira Jewels.
I am Pooja Parikh and Azira is my brainchild. I belong to a family which has been in the diamond industry business for more than four decades and jewellery business for more than a decade. Born and raised in Mumbai and armed with an economics major from the Mumbai University, I can feel the pulse of the city and I am always in the know of what is up and coming. I am a young professional with a diverse experience of working with infrastructure, technology and lifestyle brands. I have spearheaded the expansion of the established business of diamond jewellery by going online, bridging the gap in luxury & price and thereby making fine jewellery closer to the working woman.
How did you start a business in the jewellery segment?
Being part of a business family, I was determined to branch out of the established business of diamond trading and jewellery manufacturing and carve a niche for myself in the industry. I have an entrepreneurial spirit and was keen to make my mark. I had a vision to offer jewellery for the modern woman of today and my vision lent me the strength to venture further in the business.
How did you think about opening an online store for your business?
In order to increase the reach of our products and adhere to the tastes of a larger audience, we decided to go online with precious jewellery. My aim was to offer jewellery in three varieties of diamond qualities and gold purity, depending upon the budget of the consumer.
What challenge/s did you face while starting an online business in jewellery?
The biggest challenge was the lack of the touch and feel factor with taking precious jewelry online added to the ‘trust’ factor. Opening an online store for selling precious jewellery is a risk since traditionally the ‘touch and feel’ factor is considered essential for fine jewellery. But I firmly believe in the mantra- “Take risks: If you win, you will be happy. If you lose, you will be wise.”
How did you overcome your challenge/s?
This was possible by building a community online and earning the trust of the customers in order to break the barriers of lack of trust.
What is your unique selling point?
Azira’s main strength lies in our in-house manufacturing facility; we are not just re-sellers like most traditional and online businesses. Dealing with low overheads enables us to bring luxury jewellery at the most competitive prices. The business model adopted by Azira Jewels helps customers to save up to 45% over retail prices, bringing jewellery of unparalleled international standards at an affordable cost by eliminating brokers, middlemen, agents and wholesalers. Azira Jewels is for the woman of essence, defined by its ability to produce beautiful jewellery at affordable prices and its steadfast transparency and fair dealing.
Do you feel that there is a rising demand of marketplaces which sell specialized products online?
Yes, instead of going to giant marketplaces, today the customer prefers to have certain level of personalization when it comes to precious jewellery.
How was your experience with StoreHippo?
The team at StoreHippo - from the management, technical support to the client servicing executives- has been extremely helpful during each step of creating my online store. They answered all my questions and solved multiple issues irrespective of the day or hour. I would strongly recommend StoreHippo to all those entrepreneurs’ who wish to go online. I would further add that the team was receptive and always handled all my urgent requirements with a calm mind. After all, “Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom.”
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