Sohum Linen: The Hotel Linen Manufacturing Startup is looking to reinvent the way hotels buy their linens

New Delhi [India], December 1 (ANI/PNN): The revenue of the Hotel Industry in India is expected to reach USD 6.2 Billion in 2022, growing at an average rate of 13 per cent. The growth of Hotels in India is propelled by the increase in tourism. The continued "Incredible India" campaign launched by the Government of India has had a strong impact on tourist arrivals in India.

Indian Hotel Industry has evolved tremendously over the centuries. However, in terms of the guest experience in the hotel rooms, the department which comprises the majority share (53 per cent) of revenue for the hotels, Indian hotels still lacks behind many of the foreign countries. One of the reasons for this is the Hotel Linens market in India.

Hotel Linens have a huge impact on the guest experience and brand perception of a hotel. Despite the considerable growth in the Hotel Industry, the Hotel Linen market is still widely unorganised.

All of us remember the bedsheets and towels we used the last time we stayed at a hotel. It is an import aspect of a guest experience. However, it is most likely that the Hotel owner had a hard time sourcing it for his property. The hotel owners or managers don't find an easy go-to option for their demands. There are many middlemen between manufacturers and hotels, and each step adds up to a lot of cost and inefficiency.

This is where independent hotel owners with limited buying capacity have difficulty in finding reliable suppliers who can fulfil their demands at genuine pricing.

Sohum Linen was founded in 2020 by the second-generation members of the family to cater to the rising need for linens in the hospitality industry. Sohum Linen is looking to change the industry by offering a variety of hotel linen products at direct-to-consumer pricing. What started as a side business for the family, has now turned out to be, one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of hotel linens in India.

Perhaps the reason for the success was the inspiration and knowledge they got from their traditional family business which has been in the textile industry for the past three decades. Or, it could simply be about perseverance and their firm belief that they could fill the gap in the hotel linen industry. In reality, it was a range of factors that came together at the right time and made for a truly inspiring story of hospitality entrepreneurship.

So, how was the idea born? The young minds of the family had completed their graduation recently. With an interest in manufacturing and brand building, the founders were looking for opportunities to diversify their existing family business into new areas. They got the idea of starting Sohum Linen when one of their relatives, a hotel owner, mentioned to them about the problems he faced in procuring the linens for his hotels.

"Initially we thought that it is a relatively saturated market. However, the more hoteliers that we spoke to, the more confident we became about starting Sohum Linen"

The founders started examining the market. While conducting the research, they observed that 70 per cent of independent hotels were purchasing linens of a lower quality than what they should be sourcing for their category of hotel.

"The major reason for this is the lack of availability of quality products at reasonable pricing. Different categories of hotels and resorts have different quality needs for their linens. Local vendors tend to keep a minimal variety of products which leaves the hotel owners with very limited options to choose from"- adds the founder.

It is not a big issue for International Chain Hotels such as Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt who have large sourcing quantities because of central purchasing. However, independent hotels find it very difficult to source and maintain quality linens at their hotels, which is a key feature for a guest experience.

Thus, there was a clear institutional void. The budding entrepreneurs told themselves that they'd fill this gap by manufacturing hotel linen products and selling them to hotels across India at the best prices. "Our idea was to offer the hotels a variety of quality options and offer them prompt service. Hotels could also choose their best-fit products from our wide range of available options without worrying about the quantity or the pricing," the Founder adds.

But it has not been all easy for the company. Before the company was launched, it took them about a year to study and understand the market. Getting the processes right to manufacture the products at their target price was a big challenge for the founders. After a lot of persistence from the entrepreneurs, it took them eight months to get the processes, brand, and platform ready to reach out to their target audience. With a minimal budget and a team of 4 members, they shipped their first order in 2021.

Since then, they have supplied to over 1000+ Hotels and sold over one lakh plus units.

They have recently launched the B2C front of their website for people who want to purchase luxury linens for their home from them. They are also planning to aggressively venture into the export market and have already been in touch with several Hotels from the Middle East & Europe. The owners believe that with sheer dedication and hard work, they will soon be supplying their products to hotels across the globe.

Know more about Sohum Linen by clicking here: https://sohumlinen.com

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Source: Business