Staff Reporter
TAKE a stroll down Main Street in Gibraltar and you’ll walk past no less than seven jewellery stores owned by the Essardas Group.
Come back in the summer and there’ll be eight.
This family-run firm is very much part of the fabric of the Rock and has been growing and prospering here since 1918 when, through the ties between Gibraltar and the Commonwealth, Indian businessman Essardas Budhrani arrived to set up shop.
Essardas had 11 children, and his large, hard-working family was able to keep the business going through two world wars and one border closure.
His three great-grandsons who currently drive the business forward are confident the business will still be expanding when it hits its 100th anniversary in two years’ time.
“We are a very, very strong family unit,” they say. “The key to our success is that we truly offer something for everyone, whether the budget is €30 or €30,000.”
The Essardas Group prides itself on being able to offer extensive collections of certified loose diamonds, which can be set for customers within two hours. They team of fully qualified gemologists will assist you every step of the way. It also sells a fine selection of gold, diamond and gemstone set jewellery, along with dozens of prestigious brands of watches which include Hublot, Chopard, Zenith, Ulysse Nardin and Gucci to name a few.
Another factor in the family’s success is its strong focus on customer service, using the simple motto ‘treat your customer the way you expect to be treated’.
And then there is the location: the lively, pedestrianised Main Street, the perfect spot.
“Main Street is a beautiful shopping destination,” agrees Vikram. “It is extremely safe, and has that charming high street atmosphere which has been lost in the UK, but is stronger than ever in Gibraltar.”
Of course, Gibraltar has the added benefit of being a tax-free jurisdiction – NO VAT, ‘meaning greater value offer here than across the border’.
• For more information visit www.essardasgroup.com
