BoConcept has seen 25 percent growth annually in India: Navin Khanna

Navin Khanna, Director, BoConcept Image: Courtesy BoConcept

BoConcept, the Danish makers of elegant, high-end furniture, was established in 1952. Combining traditional techniques with modern technologies, and with numerous options in woods, fabrics and leather, the brand is known for craftsmanship that is both beautiful and functional. In India for the past seven years, it has a presence in eight cities and plans to expand to more. Navin Khanna, director of BoConcept, India, talks about what has helped a minimalist European furniture brand find a footing in the country. Edited excerpts:

Q. What are the design principles behind BoConcept’s aesthetics? How have these evolved since the company was founded in 1952?
BoConcept offers two distinctive styles: Scandinavian and Metropolitan. Scandinavian styling is inspired by the company’s origin in Denmark, and Metropolitan from the brand’s global presence depicting city life, which is perfect for the well-heeled urbanist.

Over the years, BoConcept has expanded into the world’s most-global furniture retailer, with a presence in more than 65 countries. With expansion in different cities, it has adapted to the new school of thought, which is Metropolitan living. Thus, we specialise in high-quality furniture designs for urban-minded consumers, creating outstanding modern living spaces.

Q. How suited are BoConcept’s Danish designs to India’s design sensibilities?’
These days, design preferences have become individualistic, especially with consumers travelling across the globe. There is a void in the interior space sector for high-quality finished products designed by world-class designers, and an urge to adapt to more modern and contemporary homes. BoConcept has successfully filled that void in the market.

Here, we combine heritage craftsmanship with international outreach to create designs with clean lines, organic-defined curves and chic expressions, which have progressively made its space in Indian homes. Moreover, we also offer interior design services, where all our design consultants delve into the customer’s specific needs and lifestyles. The designers then take measurements and develop detailed plans, either in-store or in the customer’s home. We also offer customisation options for our upholstery collection, with over 14 price points ranging from fabrics to leather, and our delivery timeline is up to 14 to 16 weeks. To make the process even smoother, we create 3D layout renders with our furniture selections free of charge and all our products come with a five-year warranty.

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Q. How has the company’s growth been globally, and in India, in the recent past? Which are its biggest markets, and largest-selling products?
BoConcept has close to 350 stores around the world. In its seventh year of operations in India, it has eight flagship stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Pune. Since 2017, we have seen a growth of 25 percent annually in India.

Our largest-selling product is furniture, wherein we offer customisation as well. We believe that designs should never come at a cost of a customers’ individuality or lifestyle, thus 80 to 90 percent of our furniture products can be adapted in different sizes, colours or materials. The minimum price for a piece of furniture, such as a three-seater sofa or bed starts, from Rs1.5 lakh and can go up to Rs10 lakh and above.

Q. What are BoConcept’s India plans? What is the country’s position as a market?
Following the eight flagship stores that we currently have under the exclusive franchisee of Zoe Concepts Pvt Ltd in India, we plan to expand and target cities like Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Ludhiana, Surat and others in the coming years as we have seen a huge demand for our products in these cities. India has been an important market for BoConcept, and we have seen a significant contribution to global sales which is increasing year-on-year.