Jacky’s Electronics, Group Managing Director, Dubai, UAE, Consumer Electronics, Multi Brand Retail
A synergy of personal charm and farsighted vision coupled with hard work and dedication exemplifies the persona of Jacky Panjabi.
His is the story of being different from the herd and choosing to bank on Dubai even when it was at the depths of its first recession.
Today Jacky’s is a household name in consumer electronics and Jacky Panjabi, the leader of an enterprise that spans continents.
His decision to form dedicated partnerships with key brands has paid off in the long run and has helped ‘Jacky’s’ emerge as trusted and popular company for consumer electronics.
Like all great success stories, Jacky Panjabi too has had his share of momentary decisions that helped shape his future.
Right from the chance stopover during a London to Hong Kong journey that gave him his first experience of Dubai and his plans to set up shop in the country when it was going through a recession, life has been a series of against-the-tide decisions that eventually proved to be right.
From humble beginnings as a mail order business to its current status as one of the leading international traders in electronics and general merchandise, Jacky’s Electronics has come a long way.
After establishing itself as a household name in consumer and entertainment electronics retailing, the Group has diversified into many other businesses including FMCG and even has its own Home Appliances brand ‘Venus’.
Jacky’s Gulf FZE is the re-export arm for the group and spearheads its growth into the Middle East, CIS and Africa. Jacky’s Logistics Worldwide LLC, set up in 2005, offers professional logistics support to the group’s in-house operations and serves third-party logistics requirements.
In 2013, the group spun-off its solution-based businesses into a new company called Jacky’s Business Solutions LLC, which specialises in the sale of visitor management solutions, banking solutions, large format digital printers, industrial digital presses and commercial 3D printers.
The exponential growth of Jacky’s Electronics is often compared to the growth of Dubai. But for Jacky Panjabi, it is the growth of a boy into a man. A boy who left his native place when he was all of 17 years of age and ventured into a foreign land in search of his destiny.
Moving Overseas
Jacky moved from New Delhi to Singapore to join his father’s business at the age of 17. Subsequently, he moved to Hong Kong in 1969 where he set up the first Jacky’s office in 1970 with his elder brother and group president, the late Ishwardas Panjabi. His tryst with the UAE began in February 1985 when he came to Dubai for the first time. “I was on my way from London to Hong Kong. As a businessman I sensed the opportunity that this country offered.
The first trip was basically an exploratory one made to check things out. Many more trips followed and finally with the blessings of my brother Ishwardas, we set up a mini office in Dubai in September 1985 in Al Nasr Square, which is still operational and we also opened our first showroom there,” reminiscences Jacky who shifted to Dubai in 1996 after his brother’s demise. The Group has established offices in Dubai, China, Singapore, Kenya, Tanzania , Pakistan and Uganda, completing 43 years of global operations recently.
Swimming Against the Tide
In 1985 when Jacky’s opened in the UAE, Dubai was in the midst of a recession. A lot of businesses were moving away and there was general apprehension that Jacky’s were entering the Dubai market at a wrong time.
But, the Panjabi’s had a gut feeling that Dubai was the future and stuck to their instincts. They established their first office and a store in Dubai to get their Middle East story started.
Dubai has a magic of its own, feels Jacky. The Emirate dreams big and makes it happen. One look at projects like The Palm, The Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Metro etc., which were just dreams ten years ago, has become reality today.
There is not a doubt that among the cities of the world, Dubai stands tall as one that offers promise and delivers.
Starting Small
Jacky’s were traditionally a mail order business through which they created a reputation for timely delivery and product quality. While they were quite established in Singapore and Hong Kong, they were looking for a foothold in Africa and the Middle East.
So from their Dubai office they initially addressed the mail order requirements of the Middle East and Africa, predominantly among the diplomatic community.
Their first Dubai office was in Al Nasr and they continued to run the mail order business till 1988. This also gave them the much needed market awareness of the Middle East and Africa leading to the opening up of an additional office in Africa before it set out on its global expansion spree.
Along the way the company moved from the mail-order business to the retail format and systematically opened outlets spanning across Sharjah, Ajman and Al Ain in the UAE.
Creating an Institution
Like the evolution of every great organisation, Jacky’s spared no effort in investing in the foundations for the creation of an institution. They addressed all aspects of large format retailing and focused on manpower training, IT systems, customer services, multi-mode marketing and store design.
The Group has a Quality Initiatives Management Review Board which regularly evaluates process measures and customer services reports across its companies. A dedicated Customer Service Supervisor takes charge of customer service executives responsible for receiving and immediately dealing with any complaints in all Jacky’s Electronics outlets in the UAE.
In July 2009, the Group received the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems Certification, and the ISO10002:2004 Certification for Customer Complaints System in July 2012.
It is also one of the first IT companies and electronic retailers in the UAE to achieve the ISO 10002:2004 certification and was awarded the certification purely due to the consistency of its procedures in handling and addressing customer complaints.
Making a Difference
In keeping with their traditional character of being different to make an impact, Jacky’s never shies away from addressing customer complaints in an honest and fair way. Customers have often been surprised to see the compliant desk admit to a fault in one of those rare instances where it is so.
Jacky feels that this helps solve the problem and customers also begin to get forthright on what the issue really was. Solutions happen faster and are more pleasant notes Jacky.
The group also uses social media extensively to understand customer requirements and address them faster. “We use it to talk to our customers about what they want and we have learnt that if we have made a mistake it is better to admit it and try to rectify it.
People really appreciate that and also the fact that you made an effort to listen to them. We also use mystery shoppers each month and through that we grade the stores to learn from mistakes and rectify them,” says Jacky. The results have been evident and Jacky’s have grown exponentially above the industry rates.
Awards & Accolades
- Super Brands
Awarded ‘Superbrands Status’ 8 times in a row by the UAE Superbrand Council since 2004. The only electronics company to be accorded this honour.
- May 2010
Awarded Super Retailer of the Year in the Reseller Middle East Awards.
- March 2011
Jacky’s Express received the ‘Best Electronics and Telephone Accessories Store’ award from Sharjah City Centre for the 3rd consecutive year since 2009.
- Best Electronics
and Telephone Accessories Store’ Award in 2011 and 2012 by Ajman City Centre.
- 2008, 2010, and 2012
Jacky’s Electronics Awarded the ‘Power Retailer of the Year Award’ by the Channel Middle East Awards.
- Best Specialist
Retailer’ award from the inaugural Reseller Hot 50 Awards in 2012 and 2013. the ‘Best Tech Retail Store’ award from Tbreak Awards in 2013 and 2014.
- 2008
Best Electronics and Entertainment Store’ award for Jacky’s Express at the Mall of the Emirates Retailers’ Annual General Meeting. Jacky’s Electronics received the ‘Best Electronics and Entertainment Store’ award from the Deira City Centre Annual Retailer General Meeting.
- 2007 and 2012
Recognised as the ‘Best Service Performance Outlet’ in the electronics category by the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme instituted by the Dubai Department of Economic Development, a member of the Dubai Quality Group.