Swaminathan Balasubramanian
Mattress leader Kurl-on is all set to enhance their market share in India. The company is focusing on metros, state capitals, and towns with a population of over 5 lacs. The company currently manufactures sofa in Bengaluru, with a capacity of 2500 sofas per shift – Plans to open 2 more factories once the demand picks up, in Gujarat And Assam or Bhubaneshwar.
Ashustosh Vaidya, CMO Kurl-on in a chat with Tvnews4U on the expansion plans, campaigns, budget allocation and more.
Edited excerpts:
What is the number of retail touch points you touch base?
The company currently has more than 10 Thousand dealers through 72 branches and stock points and 9 strategically located manufacturing facilities across Karnataka, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Uttaranchal, and Gujarat. With state-of-the-art technology, Kurlon endeavors to improve standards in the Indian mattress and furniture industry besides being in tune with the changing needs of the Indian consumer.
You have launched ‘Sleep Station-Mattress in a Box’ and ‘STR8’ models. Can you please explain the product and what are the campaigns you have in mind for promoting the same?
About the product
STR8 Technology’- a first of its kind innovation that provides the right balance of firmness and softness in mattresses enabling appropriate muscle relaxation and growth, much needed for the vast majority of people today, leading hectic lifestyles with very less exercise. Additionally, it makes the mattress 20-40% lighter, making it easy to use and maintain. The new technology to be introduced in Kurl-on’s coir mattresses at first, before it is gradually extended to the foam and spring mattresses as well will be a key differentiator for Kurl-on’s mattresses besides reiterating the brand’s synonymous association with quality when it comes to mattresses.
‘Mattress in a box’-the product comes in high-density pure foam, high GSM ultra lush tapestry with washable and hygienic zipper. ‘Mattress in a box’ introduces to the domestic market a globally successful product, that enables the young, digital-savvy consumer shop for mattresses as easily and quickly as he/she does for any of their other home furnishings. The mattress comes packed in an easy to carry box which can either be purchased by customers online from the comfort of their homes or easily carried back home, from any of the Kurl-on brand outlets. Imagine applications like flood relief, disaster management of natural calamities, wherein delivery to the last point is an issue. Kurl-on for the first time launched this innovative product which can be shipped quickly. It reduces the transportation cost as well.
Campaigns ahead:
In India, STR8 Without Weight or Sag Proof Mattress will be our mainline campaign during the festival season, where we would be using traditional media such as Print, Radio, TV with an equal emphasis on social media as well.
Is mattress is still happening as an impulse purchase? Also, what are the ways you practice to convince a customer to buy your product?
Our research shows that a mattress is a planned buy. You buy a mattress when you move to a new house or during marriages or when you need replacement of the old mattress. As a brand, we have grown with our customer to provide more and better quality of products, driven completely by consumer adoption and behavior insights. We continue with the same approach to bring out futuristic products with modern technology, designed for the new age consumer, who seeks better comfort and is willing to invest in the same.
If I can ask you what is the percentage of spend you have for digital, traditional and other media?
We spend about 75% on ATL + BTL and over 25% on the Social media.
In India, unorganized mattress estimates to close to 70%. What are the key challenges you face in building a brand and creating awareness on an organized industry?
Organised players offer an opportunity for the industry. Challenge is to make sure that we reach our target customers by offering them the right product at the right price. We also constantly educate the customer, so that customers affinity towards branded mattress increases. Kurlon being the largest and oldest player in the industry. For us, a word of mouth and the satisfied customer always remains our best advertising medium.
What are the markets you are dominant and what are the markets you are planning to focus on?
We manufacture the largest variety of mattresses. Kurlon being a brand synonymous with mattresses, we have the capability to understand and customise mattress as per the choice of a customer which puts us apart from any other players in the market. With our retail expansion plans as part of the brand’s broader growth strategy in the last few years to emerge from being India’s largest mattress brand to a holistic home furniture and furnishings brand, with the category seeing a significant 25% growth in sales in the last year.
Please explain us more on Kurlon planning to invest Rs 200 cr in the expansion
We have a strong R& D Center and about 5-6% spend goes in R&R. We are setting up our second factory in Bhubaneshwar spread over 12 acres of land. Our 3rd Factory in East and 12th in India is coming up in Guwahati. Both these factories will generate over Thousand direct employment and indirect employment to over 3 Thousand people.
