Tata CLiQ Luxury is India’s premier luxury lifestyle platform. They are pioneering and changing the definition of luxury in India—one that reflects the flawless values of thoughtfulness, authenticity, timeliness, and quality.
“Since COVID, Tata CLiQ Luxury has witnessed high triple-digit growth. We’ve added several new brands, thus expanding our portfolio, and launched new categories too. We’ve also introduced new experiences such as the select programme and white glove delivery service, to enhance the online luxury shopping experience for customers,” said Gitanjali Saxena, Business Head – Global Luxury, Tata CLiQ Luxury.
In a conversation with Medianews4u, Saxena further spoke about the brand’s performance during the festive season, marketing initiatives, purchasing trends, and more.
How do you assess the festive sales of Tata CLiQ Luxury? Is the sales growth back to the pre-pandemic level?
The pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital transactions across industries including luxury which encouraged luxury e-commerce growth in the country.
With the luxury of time, it has allowed the consumer to spend more time on the platform, browsing through several categories and brands before making the final purchase. In a short period, we’ve witnessed a 40 percent increase in the time spent on the website. Furthermore, the average consumer’s basket size has substantially increased, and it is no longer limited to a specific category or brand.
Festive sales, new year and Christmas sales have all been centred around the spirit of celebration, resulting in a new infusion of luxury consumption and gifting. Given how the pandemic encouraged online penetration in the luxury category, sales are now higher than what they were pre-pandemic.
We’re experiencing tremendous growth at Tata CLiQ luxury, which is being driven by both brands that have always been on the platform and done well, as well as new categories and luxury brands that are being introduced online for the first time.
How brand conscious are the consumers in non-metro cities? Where does your majority of sales come from Metros or Non-Metros?
We see 60% of our revenue coming from non-metro markets. Besides metros, some of our biggest markets are Chandigarh, Jaipur, Nagpur, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Surat, etc.
Given the reach and the credibility of the platform, it has enabled brand and quality-focused customers all over the country to have access to premium and luxury brands across categories.
Can you talk about the marketing and communication initiatives by Tata CLiQ Luxury to reach out to more consumers? Is there any difference in strategies depending on the metro and non-metro categories?
Through our various marketing and communication initiatives, the goal has been to position Tata CLiQ Luxury as a thought leader in the luxury e-commerce space and, in doing so, promote the brand philosophy of slow commerce and encourage consumers to embrace this.
By blending content and commerce through our numerous initiatives and events, we reach out to consumers across the country and provide a holistic experience. Our social media approach focuses on humanising the brand through creative storytelling, which helps to pique people’s interest in the brand and increase audience engagement, resulting in more customer acquisitions.
As a brand, we strive to make luxury more purposeful and our IPs, such as The Luxe Life, is one such platform through which we provide our consumers with a nuanced, elevated view of bringing purpose into luxury and provide an avenue for them to support it.
Our strategy focuses on targeting various passion groups, such as watch enthusiasts, sneakerheads, and evolved fashion customers, among others. The Watch Society, for example, is a phygital society that enables content, conversations, and commerce and is designed to offer a bespoke experience to watch enthusiasts.
We are continuously working towards crafting initiatives that will help us not only reach out to new consumers but also strengthen our relationship with existing ones.
Can you talk about the proportion of your sales from online and offline stores?
Tata CLiQ Luxury is currently focusing on online purchases because customers who use the platform seek the ease of online shopping and home delivery.
We have, however, introduced a “Speak to Us” feature for specific high-involvement categories or items, which is an expert-let service aimed at providing real-time guidance to customers looking to purchase high-end or unique items. This has worked well for us, and we’ve had numerous customers call to speak with one of our experts before proceeding with their purchase.
India is a very price-sensitive market. Are clients willing to explore more brands with higher pricing?
Customers today are still incredibly loyal to brands they love and have been following for a long time. “Logo love” is still a key purchase driver for new shoppers. Fashion and accessories continue to be the most popular categories for online luxury shopping in India.
The luxury aspirers segment is making purchases from brands in entry-level categories. Moreover, when it comes to luxury purchases by the youth, they are investing in sneakers, eyewear, and accessories. The growth is also coming from smaller towns and is not limited to metros like Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bengaluru.
The luxury kids’ and travel accessories/luggage categories are underpenetrated but seeing traction. In addition, Indian luxury brands are gaining adoption and credibility, thus having a loyal market.
There is definitely more exploration taking place in terms of high-end purchases in newer categories. People are also investing in their homes as well as personal care and wellness.
Apart from that, given the times, people are a lot more mindful of their purchases. There is an increased focus on buying sustainable brands, and customers today look forward to engaging with brands and platforms that provide curated options that mirror their personal value systems and are testaments to their evolving taste. We, as a company, encourage people to invest in products that they will love and that are timeless.
Can you throw some light on the purchasing trends of the Tata CLiQ Luxury consumers? Any specific category to be highlighted?
Launched in 2016, Tata CLiQ Luxury has witnessed immense growth since then. As the leader in the omnichannel luxury sector in India, we’ve enabled and encouraged the shift in buying luxury online. The platform currently has over 400+ premium and luxury brands across categories, all of which have been curated with a guarantee of authenticity and quality.
Handbags, apparel, footwear, and watches are the top-performing categories on the platform. Sneakers and athleisure categories are driving new customers to our platform. We are witnessing strong digital adoption for high-end watches, thus supporting the growth of this category. The platform’s growth categories are beauty, home, and jewellery.
Can you elaborate on the diversity and inclusion initiatives at Tata CLiQ Luxury?
Tata CLiQ Luxury has a culture that values diversity and different outlooks. As a company that strives to be at the vanguard of culture, commerce, and community, it is imperative that we stay ahead of the curve when it comes to ensuring that everyone feels like they have a seat at the table. This is a result of an organisational culture that has zero-tolerance for discrimination of any kind. The work-from-home policy, no-questions-asked leave, ongoing L&D programmes, and the Tata Culture of inclusion make this possible.
What is the legacy you want to leave behind as a woman leader?
I truly believe that there are different types of leaders and that women do not have to conform to a conventional leadership stereotype. The legacy I’d like to leave behind is the value of being authentic, focusing on strengths, encouraging and mentoring a team, and emphasising collective achievement above individual accomplishment.
