Designer's CRM suite

Delhi-based design retail chain Ritu Kumar's is pulling up its socks in a bid to beat competition.

The company's latest mantra is to profile its customers, using computer software across its 16 nation-wide retail outlets. The software, called Saleslogix, a customer relation management (CRM) solution, has been developed by US-based Interact Commerce Corporation. Starting last month, it has been implemented across all the retail counters.

"It'll help us integrate our backroom with sales points," explains Amrish Kumar, director, Ritu Kumar's. He hopes that the new CRM suite will increase service contract penetration, higher customer satisfaction and minimise customer inconvenience.

"Over the years word of mouth publicity has pushed our sales," Kumar says. "What we want to achieve through the CRM package is enhance the shopping experience. After all, we are selling a lifestyle and the feel good factor is very important."

What Saleslogix does is to provide Ritu Kumar's with customer profiling, customer interaction history, calendar and activity scheduling, customer segmentation and mass mailing. Over the next few months, the company also hopes to use it to understand customer trends, run marketing campaigns and analyse customer data.

"We're trying to personalise our approach to customers and this will surely get a boost if we have a database of customer preferences and dislikes," says Kumar.

Last fiscal, Ritu Kumar's turnover was Rs 27 crore, though Kumar is unwilling to share profit figures. However, he adds that the company has been growing at a steady 8 to 10 per cent in the last few years.

To maintain this growth rate, the fashion house has also taken a few other steps. Besides customer profiling, it is adding younger customers to its base. Its first stand-alone Ritu Kumar Label (a brand targeted at the younger customer) store will open in Mumbai on Saturday.

Also on the cards is the opening of a fifth store "" its biggest at 3,500 sq ft "" in Mumbai. Expansion plans also include mass marketing both Ritu Kumar Label and the Ritu Kumar's pret line. Results should flow in within a year's time, hopes Kumar. Only time will tell if he cut his coat according to his cloth.