Sharann, the face and founder of Ekaani, comes from a business background. Equipped with a BFM degree from HR college and schooling from Greenlawns, he also cleared CPT. But he wanted to start something on his own and his passion for travel and home decor led to Ekaani. As a passionate traveller and lover of luxury brands, he wanted to create a luxurious space where he could have some high end international brands under one roof.
Covid19 has affected many industries, including the home decor & furniture industry. The decline in activity has been dragged on for eight months since the outbreak in March 2020. In October 2020, things started to pick up speed. Everybody wanted to decorate their home differently. In the past, the house was a place to relax and rest after a long day. With the growing role of homes as offices, meeting places and schools, the demand for furnishings is also increasing. The pandemic has brought people closer to their homes in the most prominent way, and now they value their homes more than ever. Homes are not just a space for them to rest and replenish but also to work, socialise and work out.
WFH period is also a terrific opportunity to spend time with family, so make an effort to have meals with them. Having a strong sense of community is critical for maintaining mental health during these trying times. With the COVID-19 pandemic’s ‘second wave’ hitting India, Indians are returning to their homes and prioritizing ‘stay-at-home’ and ‘work-from-home to be safe and avoid contracting the virus. Since the pandemic-induced lockdown was declared last year, and the concept of “remote working” became a part of our everyday life, demand for Work-From-Home (WFH) Furniture has risen.
Research backs up how decorating your home can improve mental health. So, in a way, decorating your home can be a distraction or even an outlet for the accumulated frustrations caused by months of being confined to your home – like adding a little colour to an otherwise boring locking routine. And the current trend is proof of that. In recent times, the industry has become increasingly interested in beautifying the home with an impressive range of decorative house items, including dinnerware. With people more inclined to stay at home, the significance of kitchens within homes has risen as well, recently there is a boost in people inviting friends, family and colleagues for lunch/dinners at home to avoid stepping out.
We heard a lot about the “new normal” once the pandemic hit and disrupted our lives, but those responses to the early issues we faced were probably more reactionary than representative of normal. When faced with adversity, people react, adapt, and overcome. The new normal, the true one, is still to come. The mixed work model, for example, reveals a basic tendency. People are the driving force behind businesses…and people have complicated lives. The work we do is important; it is a big part of who we are, but it isn’t everything.
Home decor brands hold unique inspiration from global trends and are successful in bringing affordability in style and lifestyle, making it easier for people to purchase all things good at one stop. The collection offers a wide spectrum of designs and patterns ranging from tradition to modernity.
Customers are also prepared to spend money on furnishings that are both comfortable and luxurious, it’s now a lifestyle choice. Home décor and furniture used to be a one-time purchase and a lifetime commitment. Customers are now willing to modify their furniture and replace it every five to six years, resulting in recurring customers and increased revenue. People don’t have the time to explore multiple markets for a variety of things. They want a variety of possibilities all in one place. As a result of working from home, consumers are gravitating toward the luxury comfort segment. Longer periods of time are spent on sofas, mattresses, and balconies.
We have noticed Decor brands launching lounges with a vision to serve luxury connoisseurs and to tap into the ever-rising demand for premium quality products in the country. The mission has been to revive the roots of luxury products by providing our prestigious clientele with a royale luxurious product experience. Moreover, these lounges aim at bringing many more international brands to India this makes it easy for clients to get all their product needs just at a click online while they sit home and are not allowed to travel in the pandemic situation.
People have also understood how critical it is to make the best use of available resources. They like high-quality items that will last a long time. They prefer to purchase long-lasting items over trendy items. They need upfront pricing transparency and after-sales services, as well as door-to-door delivery. As a result, now business models are allocating resources to incorporate expedited shipping, reduced physical interaction, digitalization of business operations, product longevity, product photography experimentation, and changing consumer needs.
The transformation of the digital space has completely reconfigured the buying and selling mechanism, online experiences are considered more rewarding than physical stores. There is a hike in purchases on websites regularly, in comparison to customer walk-ins. Consumer behaviour is key to the advancement of the retail industry, and COVID19 has ushered in incredible change for the retail industry. Technology has driven this change while also bringing a lot of advancements and improvements. The COVID19 pandemic has changed the industry by introducing unprecedented technology and is expected to guide consumers and retailers as they navigate the current crisis. Given the rapid pace of digital evolution, the industry could witness significant technology trends that will change the future of retail for years to come.
The home decor sector is undergoing significant changes as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The goal now is to improve the globe and their own backyard. Furthermore, online purchasing has improved customer convenience, and customers may now expect speedier delivery and lower rates. There is a significant investment in digital and automated solutions to stay up with these changes and react to the emerging needs of today’s hyper-connected consumer. The goal is to improve the brands market position by improving manufacturing processes so that we can provide innovative items faster without increasing prices or sacrificing quality.
Alot of people found themselves working from home for the first time in their careers when the pandemic shut down offices last year. It was new–and, like so much of 2020, perhaps a little frightening at first. It was evident right away that this wasn’t going to be a one-time fix. Productivity did not suffer. People were getting more done at home, if anything. They started designing their houses and making more comfortable yet professional spaces in their homes
But something unusual happened on the path to a full-fledged work-from-home transformation. People started taking up mental health and the importance of the work space decors more seriously. They started valuing the hybrid situation.