With an established reputation for supplying hardwood dining furniture and chairs, West Midlands-based supplier Shankar is taking a new approach to business this year, reveals the company's Melanie Main …
Shankar can rarely be accused of standing still. Constantly on the search for new ideas and designs, the Wolverhampton designer, importer and distributor is well aware of the importance of bringing customers a steady stream of fresh products, and the result is a carefully-curated selection that reflects the latest design, fabric, colour and texture trends.
This year will be no different, asserts Shankar business partner Melanie, as the rapidly-growing company drives home a higher value proposition that is already resonating with stockists.
“Our products have changed,” explains Melanie. “They’re now much more upmarket, with a higher price point, so you have to work less to achieve higher sales, rather than selling more to achieve the same.”
Indeed, Shankar’s January Furniture Show 2018 offer was visibly different to previous years, in which dining chairs dominated its stand. There’s now a clear divide in the supplier’s portfolio – between the simple, affordable Espresso Living items, and the more luxurious designer living products that make up Shankar’s Grande Designs collection.
“We had a fantastic show,” says Melanie. “Running a modern company can be tough, but we’ve listened to our customers, and given them what they’ve asked for – and the response to our new seating and bed models shows that we’re definitely expanding into an area of demand.”
Despite this change of tack, Shankar retains its well-established strengths.Formed a number of years ago by members of the Main family, the company retains its personal touch, and takes care to ensure its personnel and customer service match the quality of its products.
“We are always using lots of savvy techniques to drive Shankar forward,” says Melanie, “not least of which in our work to improve the brand’s visibility and expand into territories.” Shankar was recognised for its work in this respect when it won last year’s BCABA Network (Black Country Asian Business Association) Business Award for Best International Trade.
