India-based digital platform Qalara made its first appearance at an Australian trade fair this month, showcasing its artisan made brands at the Sydney Gift Fair at Olympic Park.
The company works with a very wide range of materials for home décor, home textiles and kitchen and dining, explains founder Aditi Pany.
“For example, our ceramic stoneware range is made from seven different clays and baked on a very high temperature, so it is very strong and much more durable than regular ceramic,” she says of one of the collections on display at the Qalara stand.
“We have a very nice range of textiles that we do with various different patterns, linens and different kinds of weaves. Most of the textiles are made in the southern part of India.
“Our eco-friendly range of toys features some Australian animals like the koala and kangaroo, and are made from recycled wool, recycled polyester and recycled PET bottles.”
While Pany admits she wishes there was a bit more foot traffic coming through, feedback to the products has been very positive.
“We have two kinds of buyers we service with two different kinds of models. We have ready-to-ship products which come with an opening order of $250. That’s mainly targeted at the smaller boutique owners, smaller brands, interior designers and stylists.
“We do a lot of made-to-order for importers, slightly bigger retailers or even the larger retailers who could be looking at 1,000 to 45,000 pieces. We will make the products and ship it to them.
“So where possible we do low minimums, made to order and white labels where the business can put their own brand on it.”
After North America, UK and Europe, Qalara has seen good responses from Australia to its digital platform, so it was a good time to travel down under and test the waters.
“We thought, let’s go out there, be there in person and let customers touch, feel and see our products. Australia is very promising, especially after India and Australia signed a Free Trade Agreement last December. It’s a good time to build on that relationship,” Pany adds.
