There was much excitement on Delhi’s posh MG Road—home to some of the biggest designer brands—this September, as a new store opened its doors to the city’s discerning but affluent shoppers. While such unveilings are usually marked by a launch party where the glitterati rub shoulders over cocktails and canapés amid much fanfare, guests at this event were literally on their toes, as everyone was afraid of being the proverbial bull in a china shop! The store in question: Spanish luxury porcelain brand Lladró’s glittering new outlet, replete with stunning sculptures priced between Rs 8,000 and Rs 2.47 crore. Now, that’s not something you would want to trip and fall over.
Opened to celebrate the brand’s 70th anniversary, it is Lladró’s eighth store in India and the second largest in the world. Spread over 475 sq. m, it is part of the brand’s expansion strategy in India and Asia. “India is a strategic market for us. It is third in terms of global sales; the first is Japan, followed by the US. Five years ago, India was 8 per cent of our global sales; today it is 11 per cent, so it’s a big jump. I mean, we’re seeing the Indian market growing so fast,” says Ana Rodriguez, CEO of Lladró. Lladró’s journey in India began in 2000, with its first outlet in a suburban mall in Mumbai. Now, it has stores in luxury shopping malls across India in New Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. “All these are managed by us as we believe that we have to invest directly in the country,” says Rodriguez, who has been the CEO of the Valencia, Spain-based firm since 2017.
Globally, the brand has 1,200 points of sale. The new boutique in Delhi is a massive five-storey building with three floors dedicated to direct sales, showcasing classic and con[1]temporary porcelain figurines, lighting collections, and more. The ground floor showcases contemporary creativity under the New Concept line, including pieces designed by international artists, while the second floor highlights the traditional legacy of heritage pieces, and the third floor exhibits masterpieces under the High Porcelain category, alongside a selection of New Classics. Rodriguez says that in the two decades that Lladró has been present in the country, the tastes of its customers have also evolved, and the new store reflects that. Globally, it generates 69 per cent of its business from heritage concepts like high porcelain, classic sculptures, and home; 21 per cent from new concepts like design sculptures, scent and jewellery; while 10 per cent comes from lighting. “The younger generation is really appreciating the modern collections, which are away from our classics such as European history/culture, or themes of mother and child. So may be in our minds, India is more conservative than it is,” she says.
However, it is the ‘Spirit of India’ collection—that includes a wide range of deities from the Hindu pantheon— that continues to be the most popular. Launched in the 2000s with limited edi[1]tions of Lord Ganesha, Lladró today offers everything from Goddess Durga, Lord Balaji and Lord Shrinathji sculptures to Radha-Krishna on a swing. The collection also includes the limited edition sculpture with only 299 pieces—of Krishna explain[1]ing dharma to Arjuna on the battlefield from the Mahabharata—called Gita Saar that took over three years to make, and is priced at Rs 38.32 lakh.
The pandemic made most people more religious. Consider this: a surge in demand for Indian deity sculptures contributed to 37 per cent of India’s business growth during the pandemic, with maximum demand coming for Lord Balaji—of which 299 units were launched in 2018. The price of the sculpture has increased by 38 per cent, from Rs 18.5 lakh to Rs 29.7 lakh since launch, with only five units remaining unsold in the world. In 2022, Lladró also launched a limited edition high-porcelain sculpture of Lord Srinathji—that received exceptional response from its Indian customers, retailing 54 units in just four months of the 299 units made. “The Spirit of India collection is popular not just in India but across the globe where there is a Hindu population. It is particularly popular in the US,” says Rodriguez. As part of Lladró’s strat[1]egy, whenever they enter a new market, they launch a collection specific to that market to connect with the local tastes and traditions. “It is in our DNA. A lot of our success has to do with the way customers emotionally connect with our pieces. Globally, our bestsellers are on themes like mother and child, maternity—universal feelings that anyone can identify with,” she says. These are the reasons Lladró sustained its busi[1]ness in India with a 1.5 per cent growth in India even in 2020, when the world had come to a standstill during the pandemic. It bounced back in 2021, with a 43 per cent jump in sales over the previous year. Between Jan[1]uary and August 2022, Lladró’s business in India grew by 47 per cent compared to the same period in 2021, marking it as the brand’s most successful period. The year 2022 also saw a large number of new customers, who contributed to 50 per cent of the total sales.
As India continues to be a key market for the brand, Rodriguez says it will open more mono-brand stores in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. “We have extensive expansion plans and we want the brand to be better known among the young people.” Rodriguez adds that online sales are also becoming important for the company. Globally, 15 per cent of its revenues currently come from online, and it plans to increase that to 25 per cent over the next 5-6 years. “Currently, our online presence in India is very limited, less than 5 per cent, but we are investing in it and expanding it starting next year.”
The general impression, Rodriguez says, is that porcelain is delicate and should not be bought online as there is fear of breakage. “Porcelain is not that fragile, and our packaging involves a lot of engineering to ensure that there is no breakage. During the pandemic, people started buying online, and once they realised that there is no breakage, the trend has continued. It’s extremely important for our growth, so we will strengthen it,” she explains. The opening of the New Delhi store is part of Lladró’s broader expansion strategy in India and Asia. Over the past two years, the brand has opened new stores in key markets, including China, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal and Thailand. This expansion is aligned with the company’s omni-channel strategy that focusses on strengthening both digital sales channels and physical points of sale. As more and more Indians become home buyers, Lladró hopes to corner a larger share of their home décor budget. Who knows, the next time you visit a house-warming party, you just might see a Spanish-made Ganesha smiling at you.
