Raul Rai

@sanjana_a @srijan_mahajan So happy you notice this fragrance in store

nicobar is one of my favourite brands & on a recent last minute diwali shopping expedition, i saw the scale of what they’ve managed to achieve & dug in a little; - anita lal founded good earth in the 90’s, indias OG luxury design house with ornate, opulent designs - by 2015 it was running strong with over 10 flagship stores & a steady clientele of older, affluent consumers buying fine tableware, interiors, wedding gifts - simran, anita lal’s daughter who was also involved with good earth spots a gap with a younger india & millennials wanting modern, minimal lifestyle goods at more accessible price points - sees space for a calmer, lighter, more affordable brand that speaks to “modern India” in a different tone - risk launching separate brand that could compete with Good Earth but launch nicobar anyway in 2016 - where good earth was maximalist, ornate, expensive & wedding gift territory, nicobar became minimal, breezy, modern, everyday luxury - they actively counter positioned from good earth stood aesthetically but kept the craft ethos, sustainability, no-compromise quality - opened 3 stores by 2017 (delhi, bombay, bangalore) - crafted an amazing product & customer experience with distinct store designs (and a signature neroli scent which is amazing) - expanded deliberately: only 7 stores by 2018 & never franchised - early fans are exactly who they thought their ICP to be, young professionals + design conscious shoppers looking for gifts and design friendly basics - expand post COVID & get to ~20 stores by 2024 - 20% of online revenue is already international - becomes shorthand for india’s new aesthetic: minimal, design forward & rooted but not nostalgic

@Urmimala_A @srijan_mahajan We are lucky to have so many lovely people join our teams for this beautiful journey - and of course, we can exist only through the love of our guests.

@srijan_mahajan Having worked with them closely, I will definitely vouch for the same. They’re gifted visionaries and genuinely lovely people.

@anshulbhide @srijan_mahajan Love that. We want to make gifting easy and joyous!

@srijan_mahajan Fascinating! This is my go-to place for gifting.

@DivyaMangotra @srijan_mahajan Thank you ... it means a lot to be recognised for both design and quality while being rooted in India.

@srijan_mahajan I love Nicobar- it’s so underrated and has such beautiful designs + great quality.

@ShivangiS97 @srijan_mahajan The alphabet mug is one of my favourites and I believe one of the best personalised gifts at a great price! We love Indian scripts and calligraphy!

@srijan_mahajan Love Nicobar! They’ve somehow made themselves synonymous with _good taste._ I think they also started the alphabet mug trend and I see it everywhere now.

@srijanshetty @srijan_mahajan Correction! Sid Lal, Anita Lal's son runs Eicher Motors - which includes both the commercial vehicle joint venture with Volvo and Royal Enfield

@srijan_mahajan I was amazed because someone recently told me that family runs three amazing businesses: anita lal - good earth simran - nicobar the husband - eicher motors

@Keshav_Lohiaaa @srijan_mahajan @Keshav_Lohiaaa please do write to our care team and mention my name. We strive very hard to keep our quality high and if we slip, we try and learn and fix things.

@srijan_mahajan Unfortunately i have felt that nicobar’s quality is dropping and price is steadily increasing since last couple of years or so The perceived value is going down

@srijan_mahajan @srijan_mahajan Happy Diwali! What a lovely way to start the new year. Deeply appreciate all the research you have done to put out such kind words and love towards the family and the brands being built. These words build the energy in our teams to continually raise the bar.

@deepigoyal Love the idea and tonality of your comms - brilliant and makes me smile! Indigo Airline when it launched originally also had this lovely tongue in cheek comms

Coming soon.

@RishadPremji It’s why I now believe organisations should make decisions based on either instinct or data or customer stories - all equally valid as long as one is clear which of the three is driving their decision.

@RishadPremji That’s very kind of you @RishadPremji - this observation is based on working more recently in organisations with high numbers of women like Goodearth and Nicobar vs my previous experiences in male dominated organisations like Banking and Private Equity!

Chatting with a friend on the beach today @rrai07 and he shared something profound. When you ask a man to solve a problem the answer usually starts with ‘I think’. When you ask a woman to solve a problem it often starts with ‘I feel’. Worth reflecting on?

Lessons in the Alternate Reality We Are Experiencing – Connect & Contribute raulrai.wordpress.com/2020/04/27/les…

@SharmaShradha I love it! Just sent to my entire team! Articulates so simply and powerfully ... and company building is the art of simplifying the complex

Love UX thinking. Sounds so obvious when told that one asks how come I did not articulate that twitter.com/dunn/status/90…

Great podcast with @farnamstreet interviewing @naval twitter.com/naval/status/9…

Nicobar - a human centered digital brand that loves interacting with our guests in our shops / "islands" - cnbc.com/2017/08/03/ret…

The Art of War with Amazon businessoffashion.com/articles/opini… via @BoF

Building relationships without expectation qz.com/968424/first-r…

Fine line between gimmicky and consumer experience Enhancing.Can VR and 'Sexy-Time' Lighting Save Shopping? ozy.com/fast-forward/c… via @ozy

Bill Gates, Warren Buffett And Oprah All Use The 5-Hour Rule @michaeldsimmons inc.com/empact/bill-ga… via @Inc