NATIONAL 5 (Spotlight Weekly)]

Kathmandu Connection

The global sport goods firm becomes the latest big brand to open shop in the city

By AKSHAY SHARMA

"An evening walk through Durbar Marg, with its elegant shops, boutiques, food chains and etiquette customers, makes you feel like you are somewhere in the West," says Pradip Tamang. "Especially when the weather is clear, the place looks like a city in Switzerland."

Nike, the world-famous sports goods firm, is the latest big brand to blend into Durbar Marg. "Perhaps this is the first time in Nepal that a big brand like this has opened. However, the Nepal bandhs, the Black Friday at the royal palace and events after that haven’t given us the pick-up we want," says Rahul Dhanua who manages the outlet. "I don’t have to tell you about the market conditions these days. Because of this, we have not been able to calculate the number of visitors we’ve had."

Nike showroom : Just do it !

"A watch that costs Rs 20,790, a T-shirt that goes for Rs 490, a pair of sneakers costing Rs 6,790 and a bag carrying a price tag of Rs 12,790 — all this is bound to catch you in a spell," said a shopper.

When the French novelist Marcel Proust said the regularity of habit is generally in proportion to its absurdity, he probably did not have today’s rampant consumerism in mind. In today’s buyer’s market, however, literary admonitions do not seem to stand in the way of transactions.

Nevertheless, there are skeptical voices. "I visited the place and items were pretty expensive," says Amir Ratna Tuladhar of Ason, who has a shop at Kamlakshi. "The stuff that we sell is very cheap compared to the prices there. Nike products are made in countries with low labor costs but command brand loyalty. What I sell are also made in many of these same countries. As an informed consumer, therefore, I am forced to think, ‘Why should I buy goods that look exactly the same as the others but are so expensive?"

Big brands do not decide to enter new markets without doing their homework properly. "Nike produces so many products and many have their own websites on the Internet," says a market analyst.

Nike was regarded by the ancient Greeks to be the goddess of speed. The company specializes in sports-related products. "The brand name speaks for itself," explains the store’s Sudhir Serchan. "Our aim is to catch the eyes of local customers more than focusing on tourists."

Rahul says: "We offer quality and do not sell any duplicate products. People come here looking for originality. The reaction we have been getting now looks good. People say they find good stuff here." He adds: "We don’t offer discount and our focus is in giving the consumer what they want along with quality."

Asked whether he expected competitors to come in anytime soon, Rahul says: "We can’t make any firm predictions now, but we are anticipating a better market. The idea will probably pick up. Nike has big competitors like Addidas and Reebok."

If and when those competitors decide to enter the Nepalese market, Nike will probably find itself making adjustments to its operations. But for now, the shop is open from 10 am to 8 pm every day except Saturday, when it open from 12 pm to 8 pm.