Much before shopping mall culture was introduced in Guwahati, the one big name that was an integral part of every big shopping spree was Sohum Shoppee. The brand's first store in Fancy Bazaar was the go-to place for designer attires and decorative shoppers from Guwahati and beyond.

Business Northeast interacts with the CEO of this loved multi-brand outlet, Siddharth Jalan.

Q. Since the inception of Sohum Shoppee in 2000, how has been the journey in the retail market?

When we started in 2000, there was no awareness of brands in Northeast India. The first challenge was to introduce NER to the concept of brands. People here were not even familiar with the concept of malls, let alone a multi-brand outlet. It was difficult for us to approach the brands to convince them to let us sell their clothes in Assam. But we did not lose hope and we managed to get them all.

But now things have changed. Assam and NER are now doing good and people are more aware of this part of the country. From then to now, it has been a real roller coaster ride.

Q. What has been the effect of the Pandemic on Sohum?

The pandemic was quite tough for us, like everybody in the market of course. Our sales had dropped by 45 per cent. We also had to shut two of our stores, as all our stores are on a rental basis and we didn’t get any waiver from our respective landlords. But, we survived, and we have bounced back now. We also didn’t lay off anybody. For this, I remain thankful to our loyal customer base who has shown trust in Sohum from the beginning and has remained loyal to us. However, the pandemic taught us a new approach to business. Earlier we used to stock more than required just before occasions like Bihu and Puja. During the pandemic, we had to cut our stock by 40 percent proved helpful in that now we do not have any leftover items which have to be sent back to the seller/brand for fresh stock. It is better to get sold out rather than have a huge stock left behind.

Q. How has the changing scenario, with multiple big malls coming up in Guwahati, Assam, affected Sohum?

In the retail market, change is the only constant, which is why we have to keep updating ourselves all the time and adapt to the changing environment. Earlier we started with brands like Levis and now we have a big brand Hugo Boss also joining us, which we plan to launch in Sohum Emporia by this Puja. We have had brands like Forever New and Swarovski in our showrooms since 2011, when such brands were nowhere in the entire Northeast, including the east of Bengal. We have reached a place where in the retail segment, people are aware of our name Sohum. People outside, even internationally, associate with Northeast through our brand.

Q. What is your take on the big retail markets like Reliance taking over the long run brands like Big Bazar and the rest of the market space in Assam?

What differentiates them and us, is the service. We know our customers. We not only understand the roots, but we also belong to the roots. Thus, we cater to our customers as a localite, which gives us an added advantage. And we take immense pride in being local, as we know the system here, we know the culture and most importantly, we know what our customers want/need. One here will not just find branded fancy clothes here, but we also sell mekhela chadors and pator sarees. We cater to all groups of people. Most importantly, since we have survived here for so long, we know the taste of our customers and which is why we never let the brands send us a random stock of their items. We rather hand pick the items, based on previous preferences by our customers. We make sure, that if someone comes back to us, they not only get a fresh new collection every time but also get to go back to their comfort zone as well.

Moreover, Sohum is a space, which sells the best of everything – clothes, furniture, decor, shoes, makeup, sunglasses and even cutlery and food items, which is a rare combination for many stores here. We might not be able to give big discounts like some of the new coming brands in the city, but we do keep affordable items, which are unique and would not be found in a wholesale sale.

Most importantly, we believe that, when you are focussed on your job, then success will happen. Thus, when we have the correct kind of items in our store, be it clothes or decor, people will come back to us for more.

Q. What can the people of Northeast expect from Sohum shortly?

Sohum Emporia, on the GS Road in Guwahati, is on the verge of a re-launch. In about 6 months, people will see a new face of Sohum Emporia, with new brands coming in. We will go phase by phase and in the first phase, we plan to open the kid's section on one of the floors, before the Puja, where we will introduce brands like Kids Mango, Kids Nautica to name a few, along with Kids Adidas, Kids Levis, which will be the first time in the entire Northeast. For adults, it will take a little while longer, but we are in the process of getting all these brands and a few more for adults too. We are looking forward to that.
As for the Northeast, apart from the 6 stores, we have across the region, 5 in Assam and 1 in Arunachal Pradesh, we are also on the verge of opening three new stores in Manipur, Dimapur and Silchar.

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