Retail veteran Damodar Mall has earned the moniker SupermarketWala for his hugely successful book with the same title as well as his contribution to shaping the course of modern grocery retail in India working closely with pillars of Indian retail like Radhakrishna Damani, Kishore Biyani and now Mukesh Ambani.
However, for Mall, who is now the Chief Executive Officer of the grocery business of Reliance Retail Ltd. (RRL), becoming a grocery retailer was never part of his career plan."Selling 'daal-chawal' as a chosen vocation for the educated son was not my parent's idea of smart choices," he wrote in a blog on Forbes.
Finding His Calling
It happened as a result of his visit to Sao Paulo, Brazil during his stint at Hindustan Unilever, which he joined after completing his postgraduate diploma in management from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore after a Bachelor of Technology degree from the coveted Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.
In Brazil, Mall saw successful modern retail in a developing market. Driven by the realisation that if it can happen in Brazil, it can happen in India, he returned with a project plan to start a modern supermarket in India. His project was for 'Annapurna Supermarkets' by HUL. When he did not get the required support from Unilever as it was not aligning with the FMCG behemoth's global business model, Mall decided to take the entrepreneurial plunge.
He found a backer in the legendary stock market investor Radhakrishna Damani, who shared his vision. Together, they roamed the streets studying the supermarkets of the time Apna Bazaar, Sahakari Bhandar and Raigad Bazaar-all run by cooperative societies.
Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av Images Retail.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av Images Retail.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Retail Sector Records Strongest Hi Leasing in 5 years: CBRE
Leasing in Bengaluru, Chennai, and Delhi-NCR accounted for 59% share during Jan-June 2024.
Lulu Mall Bengaluru Welcomes 5 New Brands
Lulu Mall, Bengaluru, operated by the multinational developer Lulu Group, has expanded its portfolio by welcoming five new retail brands, the company wrote on social media.
Gujarat gets its First IMAX at Palladium Ahmedabad
Mumbai-based PVR Cinemas opened a new theatre at Palladium Ahmedabad, a social media post by a company official.
Budget 2024-2025: What's in it for Retail?
An overview of all the retail ecosystem-related measures in the Budget 2024-2025 revealed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her 7th budget speech.
Identity As a Service (IDAAS) Simplified
An explainer on Identity and Access Management-As-A-Service (IDaaS) in the context of retail.
6 Ways in Which D2C Brands are Redefining Physical Stores
From quirky fixtures to restageable elements, D2C brands do it differently when they open brick-and-mortar stores
What Innovation Means for Different Leaders
A look at how representatives of different retail categories define innovation and how they approach and implement it in their businesses.
Elevating Experience Through Omnichannel Retail Strategies
Here's how retailers are blending online and offline to offer seamless and personalised customer experience.
How to Improve Customer Engagement with Generative AI
Ways in which retail businesses can embrace generative AI to create hyper-personalised, seamless conversations to secure a lasting competitive edge in the marketplace.
'Customers Do Not See Shoppers Stop.com as Just Another e-commerce Site'
Sreekanth Chetlur, Chief e-commerce Officer, Shoppers Stop speaks about the three-decadeold physical-first department store chain's e-commerce journey, goals and strategies
