Incepted in 2006 by Pushpita Gaur, the collection of Murcia handbags and accessories has been conceptualised and created by designers from NIFT, Delhi. Over the span of the last three years, the company has opened 27 counters in various retail formats in 25 cities all across the country and has marked its presence across key fashion and lifestyle e-commerce portals like Myntra.com, Flipkart.com, Snapdeal.com, Limeroad.com, Homeshop18.com, eBay.com, Jabong.com, Rediff.com, Brandmile.com, Fashionandyou.com, Esty.com and many more.
Tell us about the inception of Murcia?
Matchbox Accessories is a manufacturing company for leather goods and accessories along with leatherette, silk, and cotton goods. The company was set up with an objective to provide a style statement with the perfect blend of the traditional handcraft with the modern-day techniques to create pieces that are not only pleasing to the eye but also easy on the pocket.
Under the brand name Murcia, our miscellaneous products are available pan India through all leading retailers including Central and Reliance Footprint. Over a span of three years, Murcia has opened 27 counters in various retail formats in 25 cities all across the country. The company had the foresight that online retail would be the next big thing. In fact, Murcia was the first mover from the accessory space to go online with Myntra.com when Myntra was still selling customised T-shirts. Today, Murcia is promoted through online portals all across the country.
What are the highlights of your e-commerce strategy? How important is e- commerce?
The key highlight of Murcia’s e-commerce strategy would be the first movers’ advantage that we benefitted from. Since then, Murcia’s plans have been very bullish on the online space. With a strong manufacturing base, Murcia is poised to make its mark on all the major online portals. Murcia’s social media strategy also plays an important role in the brand’s growth. Its Facebook page has a fan base of more than 7,000 people and counting.
What is the profit ratio? How is this figure going to change in future?
The current profit ratio is 20–30 percent. We are hoping to witness an upswing in the number in the next one year.
How is the overall performance of the brand and are you satisfied with it?
From select retailers to e-commerce, Murcia has come a long way in a short time. The brand has been making major inroads in the e-commerce space at a growing velocity. Murcia is already available on Myntra, Flipkart, Amazon, Homeshop18 and Limeroad, and it will soon be launched on other portals like Snapdeal, Fabfurnish, Styletag, etc.
What are the main trends that you have witnessed in terms of online behaviour and e-commerce on your website?
The customer base for online shopping is fast moving from just mobiles and books. Consumers today are buying a range of lifestyle products online. The primary reason is the convenience and a wide array of options and deals to choose from. Sometimes they get a better deal on purchases made online than offline.
What are the main challenges that you face in running e-commerce operations successfully?
The two main challenges are logistics and returns. The returns could be for various reasons, but they are an additional cost to us.
According to you, what is the future of Indian e-commerce business? How does Murcia plan to evolve in it?
The e-commerce phenomena is only going to continue booming and with it, Murcia too plans on becoming a part of the global village. Tapping into the international markets through the Internet is a major part of our eventual plan.
Tell us about your future plans?
Tapping into the international markets while simultaneously making our presence felt in Tier-II and III cities will be our principal focus once we have established ourselves on all major e-commerce websites. Our products, with a distinct Spanish influence, are already selling internationally through eBay and we are also in the process of tying up with other international websites and buyers. Apart from this, Murcia aims at extending its reach via the franchise channel in order to enter Tier-II and -III cities. With a presence already existing through Reliance Footprint stores, the brand is now poised to enter more retail formats.
