Mokokchung’s Comfort Collections, owned and operated by Asu Aier of Sungratsü village, is located on AM Road in Mokokchung town, opposite Chuchuyimpang taxi pickup location.
Asu began her career with Kingfisher Airlines at the age of 19. She worked for the company for two years before joining Indigo Airlines, where she worked as a cabin crew member in charge for nine years.
However, Asu asserted that she returned home for personal reasons and took over the store “Comfort Collections” in Mokokchung in the month of July 2022.
In response to the viability of a store in Mokokchung, Asu noted that, despite the ease of doing business online today, she still holds the opinion that this area is best suited for a physical retailer offering high-quality products and services in a wide range of collections. She added that the majority of the Comfort Collections’ women’s and men’s collections are from Guangzhou, China, and Tamil Nadu, India, respectively.
Comfort Collections was established in 2006 and was owned solely by her parents. She explained that the only brands carried in the store were Bata and Relaxo.
However, she mentioned that after taking over the business, she decided to keep providing a variety of options, including some imported shoes. She stated that the store, in general, provides a wide range of collections, from those that are “very affordable to those that fall into the mid-price range.” Although Comfort Collections offers Cash On Delivery (COD) exclusively for Mokokchung, it does ship Pan India.
Speaking on the introduction of online business c_collections_mkg on Instagram, Asu stated, “Since online business is taking over the global market and it’s the easiest way to advertise and sell products, we decided to start an Instagram page to reach out to customers so they can view and check all products from the comfort of their home.”
Moreover, she stated that since offline shopping is more conventional, there is less pressure. However, from a seller’s perspective, she said, online shopping is competitive and tough because it requires deciding what new and different products should be displayed every day.
She asserted that “entrepreneurship fosters economic growth,” while maintaining that they “frequently develop new ideas and take risks in the pursuit of profit, employment, and—most importantly—social change and a better standard of living.”
She also stated that they are still looking into expanding their online presence. She did, however, acknowledge that she does receive positive feedback from online customers, particularly the local ones.
“Most of our local customers look at the products online before coming to the store,” Asu discussed. She, on the other hand, remarked that she has a lot of collections of slippers, school shoes, and other necessities that she doesn’t display online, so her offline business is thriving, especially during the seasons, she added.
Meanwhile, Asu mentioned that she has her family’s help and support to run the store. She added that she is assisted in the store by one salesgirl. She said that although they have a steady clientele, the season affects their sales.
During a subsequent discussion about business enhancements based on customer preferences, she said that they value their clients and that satisfying their needs is their top priority. She continued by saying that they would update their business in accordance with customers’ preferences.