Welhome

When, and if, a corporate office decides to give all its employees dustbins as gifts for Diwali, Welhome is the store they approach. Some parts of the following will shed light on how we deduced this.

Welhome, launched by Welspun Retail Ltd. in 2005 as Welspun Factory Outlet, experienced exceptional success as a discount store, because there was a more-or-less unmet demand for home products in India's domestic market. The makers quickly relaunched it as Welspun Home Mart, and when their pricing formats became more definitive, Welhome, as we know it, came into existence.

The name may have changed, but the store's philosophy remains the same: cater to the masses, especially the "budget conscious shopper". As opposed to the budget unconscious shopper.

They call their prices "realistic". Which is not a lie (especially during sale season), except for their collection of lamps at their City Center mall outlet. A bizarre mix of orange and white, they look positively ghastly. Why anyone would pay approximately Rs. 500 for something so ugly is a mystery worthy of Hercule Poirot. And their curtains are no prize, either, but coming back to the original point, they are very reasonably priced.

The range of products Welhome offers is extensive, and broadly falls under four categories: Bed, Bath, Furnishings and KDLA (Kitchen, Dining, Living and Accessories). Signs have been placed all around the spacious store to help you navigate, but you can also call on their alert sales staff to help you rummage through piles.

These include towels (Welspun Retail built their reputation on these), bathrobes, bath accessories (for kids too), shower curtains, bath mats, tissue boxes, soap dispensers and dishes, toothpaste holders, bedding, quilts, fillers, cutlery, plasticwares, kitchen gadgets (especially a whole range of products by Black & Decker), aprons, curtains, kitchen linen, mugs, candles, candle stands, photo frames, vases, soft toys, carpets, lamps, cushion covers, divan sets and, yes, dustbins, too. (On the other hand, don't "rummage" through the dustbins. That is not classy.)

The quality of Welhome's products, and their finish, is strictly okay. But it is better than what is on offer at Max, a store at the same mall that sells similar items.

The colors of Welhome's products (incidentally, Welhome prides itself on its innovative use of color) will not appeal to those who do not enjoy wearing sunglasses while looking around at their personal spaces.

The other thing that Welhome prides itself on is that it "designs specialized products for various seasons"; it is hence a big hit with corporates that give seasonal gifts to their employees. It is recommended that corporates avail themselves of Welhome's offer. But don't gift dustbins. That is not classy.