Established in 1905, Nilgiris is one of the pioneers of organised retail in India and a heritage brand with a storied legacy of delivering quality customer service. Operating under the banner of Future Group, Nilgiris spawns 215 F&G outlets across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala with a total retail area spanning 4.45 lakh sq.ft. The supermarket chain is positioned as a neighborhood store that guarantees assortment, range and freshness. “Nilgiris operates on the foundation of personal connect that translates into quality service and continues to build on its product range in order to respond to its customer’s evolving needs,” says CEO Venkateshwar Kumar in a chat with Progressive Grocer during which he outlines his plans to propel future growth of Nilgiris by going for a more contemporary look, by building on its existing infrastructure and with the help of more updated technology.
Describe your personal journey as a retailer. How has it translated into the monumental success of Nilgiris’ retail operation?
I started my retail journey with the Future Group in 2005 and I operate on the group’s core belief that retail is our religion, stores are our temples and customers are no less than God. This philosophy has helped me spearhead Future Group’s operations in South India through an aggressive expansion initiative that encompasses all states and population strata in the southern region. While I was heading the large-format hypermarket Big Bazaar in the initial phase of my retail career, I have expanded into Future Group’s FBB (fashion format) and supermarket business through the Nilgiris brand over the past few years. While retail is my passion and has been a significant part of my career, I began my professional journey in FMCG after completing my MBA from T.A. Pai Management Institute (Manipal) in 1991. After a 12-year successful stint of working with various national and multinational FMCG and tele-com companies, I ventured into retail. As Head of the South Zone at Future Group, I am now overseeing 70 hypermarkets, 15 FBB stores and more than 200 Nilgiris supermarkets with over 5,000 employees, and am on a single-minded mission to delight millions of customers walking through the aisles of Future Group retail stores.
What are Niligiris’ marked differentiators that set it apart from other F&B retail players?
Denne historien er fra August 2018-utgaven av Progressive Grocer.
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Denne historien er fra August 2018-utgaven av Progressive Grocer.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Gurgaon's First and Most Successful Independent F&G Retailer
SINCE LAUNCHING ITS FIRST OUTLET IN THE YEAR 2000 IN DLF GURGAON AT A TIME WHEN MODERN TRADE FOOD AND GROCERY STORES WERE NOWHERE ON THE RETAIL HORIZONS OF THE MILLENNIUM CITY, NEEDS SUPERMARKET HAS GROWN TO ADD 26 LARGE, MEDIUM AND SMALL STORES TO ITS KITTY, CLOCKING AN ADMIRABLE RUN RATE ON VARIOUS PARAMETERS OF RETAILING EXCELLENCE ALONG THE WAY. PROGRESSIVE GROCER SPOKE TO NEEDS SUPERMARKET’S MD AJAY DHAR, AND CEO, ARUN KHATTAR, ABOUT HOW THE GROCERY CHAIN HAS BEEN ABLE TO HOLD ITS OWN AND CLOCK STEADY GROWTH IN A HYPER-COMPETITIVE MARKET DOTTED WITH BIG-BOX NATIONAL RETAILERS AND THE SECRET SAUCE BEHIND ITS SUCCESS RECIPE.
Paras Spices is innovating with unique products to meet new trends in the spices category
CATEGORY WATCH FOOD STAPLES
Brands and retailers collaborate to promote the growth of non-alcoholic beverages
SUPER-HERB INFUSED BEVERAGES THAT BRING THE POWER-PACKED GOODNESS OF SUPERFRUITS ARE TAKING THE MARKET BY STORM. THESE NONALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES CLAIM TO CONTAIN ZERO CALORIES, ZERO SUGAR, ZERO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS, AND ZERO PRESERVATIVES AND ARE DESIGNED FOR TODAY’S MILLENNIAL-GEN WHO ARE SEEKING A HEALTHY DRINK WITH A TASTY TWIST.
Just Outside the Box
THE HUMBLE PARKING LOT HAS BECOME A DIFFERENT KIND OF RETAIL DESTINATION AND HUB OF COMMERCE.
Increased Focus on Health, Wellness, and Immunity-boosting Products
SALES OF PACKAGED FOODS HAVE SURGED SINCE THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC, AS HOME-BOUND CONSUMERS STOCKPILE FAMILIAR PRODUCTS THAT WON’T GO STALE QUICKLY. BREAKFAST CEREALS, INSTANT NOODLES, RICE AND COOKING FATS ARE AMONG THE PRODUCTS THAT HAVE SEEN THE STRONGEST GROWTH IN RECENT MONTHS.
Consumer focus on hygiene & nutrition boosts packaged paneer sales
THE DEMAND FOR CATEGORIES SUCH AS CHEESE AND PANEER HAS WITNESSED AN ALL-TIME NEW HIGH DURING THIS PANDEMIC THANKS TO THE VERSATILE NATURE OF THESE PRODUCTS. NOT ONLY IS PANEER DELICIOUS TO TASTE BUT DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE LOCKDOWN, THE INTERNET WAS TRENDING WITH UNIQUE, FUN AND EASY-TO-MAKE PANEER RECIPES.
How Hormel Became a Snack Company
ACQUISITIONS, ADJACENCIES AND INNOVATION DEFINE THE GLOBAL BRANDED FOOD COMPANY’S GROWTH STRATEGY
The New Normal for Snacks
THE POST-PANDEMIC CONSUMER WILL DEMAND BETTER-FOR-YOU MEAL SOLUTIONS MORE THAN EVER BEFORE.
The rise of superfoods and ways to mainstream them on retail shelves
WHAT ARE SUPERFOODS AND THEIR BENEFITS AND WHY THESE PRODUCTS ARE WITNESSING A HUGE SURGE IN DEMAND? WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF INFUSING THESE SUPERFOODS INTO OUR TRADITIONAL FOOD PRODUCTS, AND HOW CAN THEIR VISIBILITY AND AWARENESS BE RAMPED UP IN ON-GROUND SHELVES OF SUPERMARKETS AND RETAIL COUNTERS?
What is driving consumers to become more conscious of what they eat?
WITH CONSUMERS BECOMING MORE HEALTH-CONSCIOUS, RETAILERS HAVE ALSO STARTED MAKING SHIFTS IN THEIR OWN MERCHANDISING AND MARKETING TO KEEP UP WITH THE TREND.
