Proprietor of Japfu Store Kethovi Kulnu. (Morung Photo)
‘I never sell old stocks in discounts because what would I gain by earning few bucks, rather I give them to orphanages, relief camps and old age people’: Proprietor of Japfü Store Kethovi Kulnu
Yupangnenla Longkumer
Morung Express Feature
Kohima | October 8
On the busy streets of Kohima town stands Japfü Store - a 26-year-old garment shop, which is the first shop in Kohima to sell formal wears. 62-year-old Kethovi Kulnu opened the shop in 1986 with just Rs 9000 in his pocket! Till today, people choose his store to purchase their favorite shirts, pullovers, shawls etc. He gets his goods from Ludhiana, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bangalore, Haryana and Kolkata.
Charity is charity, business is business
Kulnu’s mantra of business is quite different from other entrepreneurs. He hangs a board in his shop that says, “Fixed Price”, which he follows it religiously. He also said he never sells his goods on discounted rates. “I don’t believe in discount or reduction sale.”
However, he is no Ebenezer Scrooge but has his own way of serving the society. When asked what he does to the out fashion garments or old stocks, he calmly replied: “I never sell old stocks in discounts because what would I gain by earning few bucks, rather I give them to orphanages, relief camps and old age people. It is my little way of serving the society.”
Also, he humbly said: “By the grace of God I have never experience big hurdles in these 26 years of running this shop. There was not a single day or a month or a year that I had incurred losses.”
Kulnu’s ethics
Concerning one’s loyalty to customers, Kulnu is honest and loyal to his customers. He makes sure they are satisfied with the goods he sells them. “...if they are not happy with the goods, I always make sure that they bring it back to me so that I can convey to the suppliers about the customers’ grievances.”
He also said people advise him to advertise his shop in the local dailies but his reply to them was: “Advertisement or no advertisement, it all depends on what goods you sell. If the goods are good people will come back.”
Quality matters
Kulnu is very strict about quality rather than the name of the brand. He said earlier people cared about quality but now it is a different story altogether - Naga consumers are so conscious about brands. He added that the advertisements in the television, magazines are directing people what to wear and what not to. “…it is not always about branded stuff but about quality.”
Of which he said in the past only the rich or wealthy were able to buy a decent shirt or a pair of pants but now it is has changed – almost everyone can afford anything.
Tip for all
Kulnu said when one is running a garment shop; he or she should be well informed about fashion, colour choice and most important of all to learn from customers, stating that it is not a one man show but collective effort.
“…it is a 50 -50 deal.” He also said whole sellers will say anything to sell their entire stock but one has to choose wisely according to one’s judgment.
He further went on saying that in any kind of business one should work whole heartedly and not give charge to a second person to look after the business. “Head to tail you have to be involved, if you want to be successful. You have to be ready to make sacrifices because there is no easy earning in business world.”
Also, in business that deals in garments, one has to vigilantly know the waves how market works because it is not like running a hardware shop. “In a hardware shop even if the goods are not sold the owner never run on loses. However, a garment shop has to walk side-by-side with the latest trends.”
