'Good Local Knowledge, Efficient Inventory Handling And An Excellent Product Mix Are The Forte Of The Rajmandir Brand'

Rajmandir Super Market, which operates 10 stores in Delhi spanning 50,000 sq. ft., has been continuously expanding its presence with the objective of building a network of neighborhood stores that can redefine the grocery retail space in Delhi-NCR by offering the freshest and finest food experience to the consumers.

Suresh Mittal, Owner of Rajmandir Super Market store chain, who has a handson experience of more than 29 years in the grocery retail sector, shared his retail journey over the years and his plans for the future with Aliya Jamal of Progressive Grocer.

Tell us about the inception of Rajmandir Super Market – the initial days, the challenges, the interesting and turning points in the business.

We have been in the grocery business since 1990 and delivering grocery products to customers under one roof. As a Delhi-based grocery retail brand, we have had our fair share of ups and downs in business over the years. But by staying focused and committed to the business and our customers, we have eventually managed to establish a firm foothold in the retail sector.

Talking of our formative years, we opened our first Modern Trade retail branch in Dwarka in 1996 when the region started attracting development and industry and human capital. In the initial years, we faced many challenges in managing the store. And despite making all attempts to weather the vagaries of business, our efforts went futile and we had to shut down the store eventually. But this adversity did not deter us to abandon our dream of making it big in the grocery business even though it entailed taking risks.

I am a firm believer in the adage that says: Failure is simply an opportunity to begin again but more intelligently this time around. And so, we opened a new retail store in Dwarka again with a bigger space. But we were doubly wary of the risks involved in the business and focused obsessively on the areas where we had been found lacking earlier. It was also a critical turning point for us in the retail business and we gave all that we could to ensure that it did not fail.