Montblanc to add 5 stores nationwide this year

Nicolas Baretzki, the CEO, who recently launched the company’s new boutique in Chennai, while unveiling its Meisterstück Le Petit Prince Special Edition, tells us, “Montblanc was the first Maison to bring its products to India, close to 25 years ago, through a distributor. 

The popularity of the brand among its customers here has been a driver for the brand’s wide footprint nationally. Currently, we have 10 standalone boutiques in six cities, including two in Chennai. This is a point of differentiation for us, as opposed to many other luxury brands. We believe in the principle of proximity to customer – so we have a larger distribution network outside Mumbai and Delhi, in cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Pune.” 

Speaking about the brand’s expansion strategy in India’s burgeoning luxury segment, Baretzki says, “Currently, we hope to open five to six standalone stores in India every year. We are exploring Tier 2 markets as well like Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, and other cities where customers are slowly warming up to the brand’s offerings.”

“There is also the question of infrastructure, as to how wellequipped is a city to set up a luxury boutique, and there are concerns like do we take the mall route or the hotel model. The plan is to have a total of 25 boutiques in the Indian market and the next 3-4 boutiques are already in the pipeline.” 

He adds, “I often compare writing instruments with watches, as there is an element of prestige and historic value to them. When we look at our brand, we witness an encouraging demand for the collectors or limited-edition writing instruments from connoisseurs in India.” 

The company is also looking at bridging the analogue-digital divide through products such as the augmented paper, which is successful in India. It works just like a regular notebook except that one can transfer all the contents into the digital format with the click of a button. 

Montblanc, which also deals in leather goods, timepieces, watches, jewellery and other accessories and specialty gift items, is finding that leather is a growth segment too, in the Indian market.