Shopping is like love at first sight: Entrepreneur Meghna Khanna

Entrepreneur Meghna Khanna says, what matters while shopping — is the difference.

It’s been 10 years since you started your store. What have you learnt in all this time?
When I started off Levitate, it was on a small and informal level and the last 10 years have been such a learning experience for me. I have been going from strength to strength and it’s only got better.

Currently, there’s a lot of competition. Is that unnerving?
I know there are a lot of stores in the city right now that cater to the quirky needs of a client and I do consider them as competition. But over the years, we have managed to maintain a niche clientele who have returned to the store. Not just that, they have also recommended the store to friends and word-of-mouth publicity has done us wonders.

The store houses some really quirky items. Was it a conscious deviation?
We have footwear, jewellery, bags, belts and a lot of kitschy home décor. An eye for style and detail is what one needs to have while shopping at Levitate. From the very beginning, people have been surprised with what they have found in our store and I want to keep up the element of surprise always.

Have you ever contemplated opening branches?
Apart from the store on 100 Feet Road located inside 100 Ft Boutique Restaurant, we retail out of Bangalore Central, Ambara and Mother Earth as well now. But the fact that we are located in a restaurant is of great help because of the footfall that the place already has. Moreover, buying from Levitate is not need-based but depends on the novelty of what one sees. I’d say it’s a lot like love at first sight — you pick up whatever suits your eyes.

How has the buying pattern changed over the years?
Quite a bit — in fact, it’s constantly been on an upscale. People are travelling more, they are very conscious of their needs and they want to make a mark in the way they are seen. All this explains why more and more Bangaloreans are ready to go that extra mile to look and feel kitschy.