Business
Johnson (India) expands its partnership With Nobilia from Germany
H&R Johnson is showcasing their commitment to the Maharashtra market, by launching their Nobilia kitchen store at Raghuvanshi Mills in Mumbai. This store is their third Nobilia Kitchens store in India after Pune & Chennai which were opened earlier. The company has plans to set-up more such stores in India during the coming fiscal. The partnership between the two companies allows H&R Johnson (India) a wider access to Nobilia’s entire range of German-made modular kitchens as well as global trends in the kitchen business. For Nobilia, the agreement with H&R Johnson (India) offers a larger access to the Indian market. H&R Johnson (India) runs its Indian modular kitchen business under Johnson Kitchens.
Commenting on the partnership with H&R Johnson (India), Mr. Matthias Keudel, Director Exports, Nobilia (Germany) said,“In partnership with H&R Johnson, Nobilia is delighted to open it’s first store in Mumbai which is one of the largest modular kitchen markets in India. We are confident that our partnership with H&R Johnson will give us an advantage of reaching out to business prospects in the local market in Western India”
Commenting on the launch of the store, Mr Vijay Aggarwal, Managing Director, Prism Cement Ltd said, “Johnson’s aim has always been to be a one stop lifestyle solutions provider. The Nobilia store launch in Mumbai showcases our commitment of synergising Nobilia’s World class technology & Johnson’s Legacy by providing world class products. H&R Johnson (India) has been progressively focusing on its modular kitchen business, an integral growth driver of its diversified emerging businesses. As a practice we believe in researching and identifying our consumer needs. Through learning’s from this practice we offer a complete gamut of pre-purchase to post purchase services for modular kitchens along with a team of designers/installers spread all over the country”.
Today’s consumers realise that kitchens are an integral part of their home. They give a lot of importance to the kitchen while designing their home. Embracing this opportunity, H&R Johnson (India) sees great potential for growth of modular kitchens in modern India, as consumers are not only looking for a practical solution but are giving equal importance to design and comfort. Consumer trends in India are showing an increasing shift towards truly modular kitchen being the emerging preferred choice over civil kitchens. This is primarily because modular kitchens offer greater flexibility and usage advantages over civil kitchens.
For Nobilia, the Indian tie-up with H&R Johnson (India) is part of its focus to drive its Export revenues. During the last calendar year 2014, Nobilia achieved total revenue of Euro 946.2 million. It achieved an export turnover of Euro 372.5 million, an export share of approximately 38% of total turnover. In addition to its manufacturing activities, Nobilia has been strongly establishing its retail presence over the last few years. The agreement with H&R Johnson (India) is in line with this retail focus. Currently, France, Belgium & Austria are key exports markets for Nobilia. However, it has been stepping up focus in emerging economies including China which today contributes 3% of its overall export sales. Some of the other emerging markets where Nobilia has stepped up focus include Far East and sales regions in Middle East. The Indian tie-up is considered as a long term measure to step up it’s presence in India.
About H & R Johnson (India): Established in 1958, H & R Johnson (India) is the pioneer of ceramic tiles in India. Over the past five decades, HRJ has added various product categories to offer complete solutions to its customers. Today, HRJ enjoys the reputation of being the only entity in India to offer end-to-end solutions of Tiles, Sanitaryware, Bath Fittings and Kitchens. Under its flagship brand, Johnson, HRJ offers glazed wall and floor tiles, bath products, kitchens, laminate / engineered wooden flooring, and engineered marble and quartz. Johnson’s Marbonite brand offers a complete range of vitrified tiles (polished and glazed), and Johnson’s Endura offers industrial tiles and tiles for special applications like bathrooms / high traffic areas / swimming pools etc. During the fiscal year-ended 31st March 2014, H&R Johnson’s gross revenue was Rs. 2031 crores. In ceramic/vitrified tiles, H&R Johnson along with its Joint Ventures and subsidiaries has a capacity of over 54 million m2 per annum spread across 9 manufacturing plants across the country, which is the largest in India. It has the largest pan-India distribution network of over 1,000 dealers, 10000 sub-dealers, 49 branches and 25 House of Johnson showrooms.