Minawala, the luxury precious jewellery brand, plans to expand its presence with more stores in prime locations, while also strengthening their online presence. Retail4Growth speaks with Shehzad Zaveri, Creative Director at Minawala to learn more about the brand’s position in the increasingly competitive diamond jewellery market and how store design & VM adds to the brand’s experience.

Tell us about the brand’s journey towards retailing diamond jewellery.
I started with a small makeshift shop in 1982 and created my first collection-‘Flowers in Fire’ which was inspired by my thoughts at that time. After it captured the imagination of my clients, it helped me to create the exact jewel which they were looking for and that led to the opening of our first boutique in 1993 at Heera Panna in Mumbai. Today, Minawala is an internationally recognised and coveted diamond jewellery brand. Over these years; our intricate, exceptionally aesthetic designs have won the hearts of our clients. Presently, we have three stores, two in Mumbai and one in Bengaluru.

How do you plan on expanding your retail presence?
New retail stores in prime wealth centers are next on our list. We are also planning to strengthen our online presence.

For Minawala, how does store design &VM impact customer experience and sales?
The store exterior and interiors are planned and designed to go well with the brand image which is all about legacy. All our stores have the same interior look and feel to maintain brand identity across. The jewellery collections at each location differ and are planned according to the local taste/preference in that area. The VM is all about being simple and sophisticated, yet luxurious just like the brand offerings.

Future plans
We are known for our gemstone and diamond jewellery but soon we will offer more styles in platinum which will, of course remain true to our signature style and feature the finest quality of diamonds and coloured stones. We are also planning to actively pursue various international clients.