This 20-year Old Watch Brand Thinks No Platform Helps Sells Watches Better than Google The company's second-generation entrepreneur Hamza Patel spoke to Entrepreneur India about the changing ecosystem, how the group is evolving and why the company is ahead of its peers
By Aashika Jain
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Glamour is no more restricted to clothing. History has seen expensive watches being loved and revered by all. The shift in new-age consumption is now only of cost, glamour still exists.
One such old player that is realigning its style suited to the new-age is the AP Group. The company is dedicated to the distribution and retail of international luxury products in India. Its journey in the retail business began two decades ago and currently boasts of having the retail strength of over 20 premium outlets in India.
The company's second-generation entrepreneur Hamza Patel spoke to Entrepreneur India about the changing ecosystem, how the group is evolving and why the company is ahead of its peers.
While speaking to Entrepreneur India on the signature style of entrepreneurs today, Patel the Managing Director of the AP Group said that, "With watches what is happening people more than the product they are attracted towards the brand, which is more niche, brand with a very unique DNA like Daniel Wellington which was founded in 2011, the Swedish Watch Company has distinctive networks in power 25 countries, they come with a very simple white dial, it is doing extremely well it's taken all over the world, they are promoting themselves through social media and integrating various bloggers with the brand so brands like this which set aside with unique USP."
He said when it comes to watches people are more inclined towards the brand they want to associate themselves with the best watches available in the market also the importance of the social media which really helps the brand to promote themselves among the consumers, about the AP Group, it is dedicated to the distribution and retail of International Luxury products in India commenced its journey eighteen years ago and currently boasts of having the retail strength of over twenty premium outlets in the country like Guess, GC, Fancy Fluff, Slazenger, Swarovski.
Digital Vs Mechanical
Patel thinks digital watches are denting a market share for mechanical watches. Swiss Industry has witnessed two years of recurring decline due to the introduction of digital watches at the end of the day whether its mechanical watch or the digital watches, the property that we own is the wrist, digital watches market is not extremely sustainable that is my hope a lot of renowned brands are catching up with the smart watches space like fossil and guess."
Social Media Mavericks
Brands are today embracing the social media revolution like never before.
"I think with any industry be it watches, mobiles, apparels social media is very important, its actually become a hygiene now, so now you would have a department of logistic, finance or operations and marketing and social media is actually a part of hygiene you have to do it to move forward if you don't have social media you have one leg missing," Patel said.
He believes social media is very important, every company is utilizing the benefit of the social media because if it is not being smartly used the companies will not be able to position themselves in the market.
His pick is Instagram as the most effective in terms of selling the product.
"For aspirational products, Instagram is effective but for need-oriented ones, Google takes the throne."
