Thomas Goode bets on India

Thomas Goode & Co, one of London’s oldest luxury retailers, has opened a mini-museum and boutique at The Oberoi, Mumbai—its first new outpost in its nearly-200-year history. Founded in 1827, the brand has operated out of the same Mayfair store in London since its inception, selling fine quality china, glassware and silverware.

In 2015, property investor and businessman Johnny Sandelson took over as the brand’s chairman, in a bid to ‘wake it up’. “It was there, but it seemed undusted, forgotten,” he says. “It was like an undiscovered jewel—everyone had heard of the name, and I wanted to make it contemporary, relevant, while keeping its historic legacy and quality intact.”

Mumbai is the first chapter of a global expansion strategy, he says. The brand has entered India in partnership with Malvika Poddar of luxury fashion boutique Carma.

“As a British businessman, whenever you ask where the most powerful emerging market is in the world, the answer is India,” he says. “Thomas Goode is about hospitality and gifting, and we’re particularly excited about the Indian wedding market. If Mumbai does well, we will look at Delhi and Hyderabad, and other parts of Asia and the Middle East. The question is, really, why didn’t we come here sooner?”

The Mumbai store will retail the brand’s own collections along with sets from pedigree labels, including Herend and Hermes. An ecommerce store is expected to launch at the end of the year to help service Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets. They offer heavy customisation and hand-painted designs, where you can order a bespoke single plate too.

The museum, also in The Oberoi, showcases Thomas Goode designs from across generations, tailored collections for Indian and British royalty, along with the stories behind them.