NOT SET IN STONE

Keeping pace with the changing times has been key for retail heavyweight Landmark Group even as it continues to expand, reveals its CEO and chairwoman Renuka Jagtiani

- Aarti Nagraj

When Landmark Group launched in the GCC in 1973, the retail landscape was wholly different – not just in the region, but also globally. Shopping meant brick-and-mortar, with e-commerce still a futuristic concept as the internet was non-existent. In fact, 1973 was also the year that Federal Express (now FedEx) was created, paving the way for the logistics supply chain that now forms an integral part of the online shopping experience.

Hence the fact that Landmark is still here today – and has not just survived but also thrived to become one of the largest retail organisations in the Middle East and India, has meant the group has had to constantly reinvent itself and its offerings. “We started with a single store in 1973 in Bahrain and now have over 2,200 outlets across the region with a strong online offering across all our brands,” explains Renuka Jagtiani, CEO and chairwoman of Landmark Group.

“My husband Micky Jagtiani started Landmark Group with a belief that listening to our customers across the region and constantly adapting to answer their needs would always keep our brands relevant. We stay true to his vision by focusing on bringing value to customers and reinventing our offering with the times – by scaling up our technology, logistics and digital initiatives and ensuring better customer experience in-store and online,” she says.

The company’s brands include the likes of Centrepoint, Babyshop, Splash, Shoemart, Lifestyle, Max, Home Centre, Home Box, Emax and discount outlet Viva. The group has also diversified into the leisure, food and hospitality segments with Citymax Hotels, Fitness First and restaurant division Foodmark.