"A huge percentage of my customer base is repeat, with their second generation also coming in now."
Charu Shoes started in 1993. Raman Chanana's father, L K Chanana, had spent years working as a bank employee, and had always wanted to run his own business. His mother, Raj Chanana, helped establish the store and grow it through those early years. By the time Raman joined in 2004, after completing his MBA, the business already had more than a decade of standing in the community. He was not starting from zero. He was inheriting something real.
The two stores are in different cities, by design. Madhu Vihar in East Delhi and Indirapuram Habitat Centre in Ghaziabad. Between them they cover families and working professionals across a wide geography. The range at both stores spans branded footwear, Velvet, comfort, office wear, daily wear, wedding footwear, and kids footwear. The same customer can change city and still walk into a store they know.
The detail Raman mentions most is this: the customers who first came in are now bringing their own children. Not because of advertising. Because being here since 1993, and being consistent, earned that. The shop is second-generation. So, now, is a significant part of the customer base. That particular mirror took a long time to show up. It is still showing up.