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Offline Stores Are Our Core Focus, Will Open 100 New Stores, Says UBON Co Founder Mandeep Arora

Abhishek Kumar Singh
Abhishek Kumar Singh Sep 06 2022 - 6 min read
Offline Stores Are Our Core Focus, Will Open 100 New Stores, Says UBON Co Founder Mandeep Arora
Journey of UBON Started in 1999, from a wholesale outlet in Lajpat Rai Market selling earphones for Walkmens, it graduated to the peripherals business in 2000.

From a very long time, electronic components were imported from countries like china but things are slowly changing now. A number of brands that make products in India are rising. One such brand is UBON. It is one of the brands that started their journey from very small point and now ruling not only over the market but heart of the customer. To know more about how the brands reached the place where it is right now and what is the plan next, we moved to Co-founder of UBON Mandeep Arora. Below are some of the questions and answers that we asked him.

Could you please give a brief introduction to how UBON started? What was the objective behind it?

UBON, today, is a leading brand in the consumer electronics category having a pan India presence with over 200 distributors in about 3000 cities. It connects over 1 million people with a very strong presence offline as well as online business platforms.

Journey of UBON Started in 1999, from a wholesale outlet in Lajpat Rai Market selling earphones for Walkmens, it graduated to the peripherals business in 2000. To expand and meet the consumers’ everyday growing demand for gadgets with new features, we had to switch over to rigorous R&D and come out with new products in 2009, inaugurated an exclusive showroom at Karol Bagh in 2011. Having seen a gap in the market, we ventured into our manufacturing unit for screen guards in 2012. From there having inspired, we never looked back and initiated setting up factories for power banks, data cables and chargers.

Where does the brand stand right now in terms of geographical presence and revenue?

In this fiscal year, apart from our digital focus, UBON has been on an aggressive store expansion spree. By the end of this fiscal, the company will have opened 100 new stores. A large number of these new launches will be in Tier 2-3 cities. We hit profitability last year, so now we are focusing on scaling up.

As we entered this financial year, our target for sales growth was 20 per cent given the pent-up demand for our products. Products like smart watches, power banks, Neckbands wireless speakers, Bluetooth devices etc. Also, after the pandemic, customers are going back to physical stores, and there is a preference to shop in modern retail formats and large stores

From crisp sound to noise cancellation, from 3.5 mm jack to truly wireless stereo, how do you see these changes in the music accessories industry and what can be the next?

Over the years, technology has played a vital role in the development of the consumer electronics industry in India. With the Internet of Things (IoT) and regular automation, the space between the tech-savvy generation and the audio industry is closing and audio technology is being transformed from wired headphones to wireless neckbands, from wired and heavy speakers to wireless and portable speakers, from analogue watches to digital watches, from normal table lamps to solar-powered table lamps, etc.

Considering the changing trend in the market with stiff competition, we at UBON are taking the utmost care.  Following the rigorous R & D findings, we are using the latest technology with the best materials to help our brand stand out amongst other brands available in the market.

What are some unique yet innovative things that UBON is doing to stand out from competitors? What are the upcoming launches and how are you planning to market them?

All of UBON’s products are mechanized and made from the most advanced technology with the best materials available in the market, making our products stand out among the rest. We have launched a solar charger speaker which can be charged with solar power. CL110 touch neckbands are some examples of our innovations. We introduce products that are powered by technology and automation such as wireless neckbands; wireless portable speakers; pen drives, trimmers, chargers, power banks, etc. Some interesting products are also in pipeline. Light-up headphones and neckbands, and wireless chargers, are some of the names.

The way GenZs (Generation Z) see this world is very much different from older generations. How are you planning to portray your products in from of them?

Gen Z is the trendsetters of this decade, and they are plugging in earphones and feeling cool about it. As you may know, wireless technology has been there for a while. However, it gained immense importance and popularity with the arrival of wireless earbuds in the market. Gen Z says that many jumped into the earbuds trend due to peer pressure. However, the trend has changed. Now, people want to relive their nostalgic days of clean and clear sound with wired earphones. So, we as a brand works on the quality of product sounds smart

Gen Z kids spend an average of four hours a day listening to audio with headphones. So, by keeping that in mind we work on our battery backup to give the customer the best of our products. UBON CL-110 neckband is one example of a product which fits their lifestyle. Its long battery backup and high-quality sound are what they want. Light-up headphones and a light-up neckband are soon going to be launched.

What are some of the key challenges faced by the industry?

Ans - Challenges which we faced are Procurement of raw material, product designing and quality control, skilled manpower, costing as compared to foreign / imported products and brand positioning among competitors.

Is there something else you would like to mention?

In order to remain competitive and stay ahead of the game, we need to partner with big and renowned e-commerce platforms in order to boost our digital and offline platforms. Additionally, in order to generate revenue and boost the company's presence and value, we must establish direct relationships with end consumers in order to gain a deeper understanding of consumer needs, maintain control over the brand experience, and enable a better understanding of how the products solve the problems faced by consumers.

How are you planning to expand your market occupancy both in terms of customer reach as well as service centres?

As we said earlier, we are focusing on tier 2 and tier 3 cities to expand our network. No matter how big a brand is, or how cool products we are serving in the market, client service plays a major role to build a brand’s image. Solving customer queries and ultimate customer satisfaction is all we aim for.

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