JOHN S TAMANG’s Post

Divergent approaches to Organised Retail by 3 leading Business Houses Organised Retail is a "relatively new" in India having made its presence largely around late 1990s and growing rapidly in the first decade of 21st century. Today, there are several segments of Indian Businesses which have a presence of Organised Retail. At the same time, there are different Business houses with presence in different segments. It has grown so much that today Organised Retail is considered a sector in itself. Many Large Business houses like Tata, Aditya Birla and Reliance all of whom who were well known for B2B across sectors, entered Organised Retail in segments, scale and varying degrees of success over the past 20 odd years. The key common goal by all 3 has been to significantly increase the share of Consumer facing businesses from low single digits to high 20s. The 3 Business houses with the common goal have been establishing presence in Organised Retail with quite divergent approaches. Read about the same in our latest weekly post (50th post) of The Chai and Charts Chronicles. If you do not receive it in your email inbox, you can read it through the link shared. https://lnkd.in/d56XeBeb I would like to take an additional minute of yours to acknowledge this fledgling journey of The Chai and Charts Chronicles which today is 50 posts young. I look forward to your feedback to continue this journey of writing every week. This weekly post was started in December 2023, thanks to the initiative of Swasti Salecha an Ex student of Institute of Management, Nirma University. https://lnkd.in/dz7z5rdi. It was her idea which she nudged me to start with lots of handholding by her. But for her suggestion, nudge, push, this milestone of 50th post would not have been possible. Thank you Swasti.

Reliance Retail Repositions Centro Stores, Prioritizing In-House Brands to Strengthen Market Position Reliance Retail has temporarily closed its Centro outlets across India to reformat the chain, emphasizing its own brands, such as AZORTE and yousta, while potentially phasing out some of the 450 other local and global brands. Originally launched from Future Group’s former Central stores in 2022, Centro competes with major department stores like Lifestyle International Pvt Ltd and Shoppers Stop, providing consumers a range of fashion and lifestyle products. Reliance’s decision follows a reported 3.5% decline in revenue for the quarter ending September—the first dip outside of #pandemicrestrictions. The revenue decline is attributed to lower demand in fashion and a deliberate strategy to prioritize margin improvements in its wholesale and #apparelsegments. #RelianceRetail, operating over 18,900 stores across multiple sectors, has slowed its overall expansion, with store closures outpacing new openings. In the first half of this fiscal year, net store additions reached just 110 compared to 610 in the same period last year, reflecting a sharpened focus on operational efficiency. The rebranding strategy at Centro aligns with Reliance’s efforts to increase its presence in India’s growing #lifestylemarket. Tapping into technology to optimize design-to-shelf cycles and enhancing design capabilities are part of Reliance’s plan to sustain market leadership. As #Centroreopens, it may adopt a “shop-in-shop” model focused on in-house brands and select exclusive international partnerships, reinforcing Reliance’s commitment to building a distinct and profitable #retailecosystem in India. #Retail and #ecommerce are integral parts of Technopak Advisors' consulting business. #retailbusiness #ecommercegrowth #ecommercetrends #retailtrends #retailbusinessideas #businessconsulting #businessmanagement #businessgrowth

Retail Listed entities of Bharat/India.....in a nutshell....!! Ten/10 of the most prominent and talked about listed Retailers of Bharat/India......collectively are valued at less than 50% of DMart - Avenue Supermarts Ltd A Single store of DMart - Avenue Supermarts Ltd is valued at Rs 953 crores (keeping their market cap of Rs 3.48 lac crores for 365 stores) Some of the numbers are STUNNING TO SAY THE LEAST...! 1. Spencer's Retail's market cap is equivalent to just 1 store's market cap of Dmart. 2. Six/6 of the retailer's market cap is less than 10 stores equivalent of Dmart. What can these listed entities learn DMart - Avenue Supermarts Ltd and why the investors are loving them so much : 1. Promoters need to instil confidence. Promoters credibility and their approach to business is the key. 2. Kind of management. Does the management instil confidence with the retail investors that these companies are truly well managed. Most of the listed entities are still Family run shows...! 3. The overall growth opportunity and ability to deliver profitable growth for a long period. 4. Key differentiators in terms of talent, culture, positioning, brand, customer stickiness, pricing, omni-channel competence, sustainability, effect of any economic downturn etc. 5. Listed entities need to learn to get an honest and timely outside-in perspective of their businesses, their management team/style, processes n systems and customer insights. 6. Tata Trent (Retail) is not listed in the 10 listed entities and again it shows that the investor confidence is very high on companies where the management is strong which can deliver the future growth opportunity to the retail investor. 7. Reliance Retail is clearly the largest operator in-terms of stores and revenues, but it still needs to do a lot to be able to build the kind of confidence DMart - Avenue Supermarts Ltd and Tata Trent (Retail) inspire amongst retail investors. Spencer's Retail NykaaFashion Shoppers Stop V-Mart Retail Ltd. V2 Retail Ltd Baazar Style Retail Ltd. Kewal Kiran Clothing Limited (KKCL) Arvind Fashions Limited Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. Vedant Fashions Limited - Manyavar-Mohey Tata Trent (Retail) Reliance Retail Zomato India Swiggy

DISCOVER THE MAGIC OF #SIMPLICITY "BE SIMPLE, MY FRIEND." Embrace the power of simplicity in your #life & your #retailbusiness Today, identify just one area where complexity has crept into your LIFE- in your #BUSINESS Is it your daily schedule or perhaps your product offerings? Choose one thing to simplify. It could be streamlining your #COMMUNICATIONS OR REDUCING your #inventory to the essentials Watch as simplicity brings #CLARITY, #EFFICIENCY & A NEWFOUND #EASE to your #OPERATIONS. EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC—BECAUSE SIMPLE REALLY IS MIRACULOUS What will you simplify today? Share your choice & inspire others with the MAGIC OF SIMPLICITY John S Tamang Retail Operations & Process Excellence Expert & Mentor #IndianRetail #RetailIndia #MakeInIndia #IndianEcommerce #RetailTechnology #DigitalIndia #StartupIndia #IndianEntrepreneurs #RetailInnovation #IndianBusiness #indianbusinesswoman #retail #retailers #retailindustry #retailoperations #jewelry #jewellery #jewelryretail #furnitureretail #furnitureindustry #pharma #pharmacy #pharmacists #jewelryindustry #consumerdurables #consumerelectronics #fashionretail Retailers Association of India (RAI) Reliance Retail Retail SalesRetail Fest Retail Prophet Retail Technology Show Retail Innovation Conference & Expo Retail Operations Croma Croma-Pharma Shoppers Stop Shoppers Drug Mart AD Shopping DMart - Avenue Supermarts Ltd Landmark Group Reliance Digital Retail Ltd. Retailers Association of India (RAI) TRRAIN (TRUST FOR RETAILERS & RETAIL ASSOCIATES OF INDIA)

Mumbai witnessed an enlightening workshop on ‘The Art and Science to Create a Profitable Store’. Over 35+ participants present there, were absorbing valuable insights and strategies from our esteemed speakers to elevate their businesses. Digvijay Singh Shoppers Stop Shradha Kurup Raymond Limited Aditya Kothari Lifestyle International Pvt Ltd RAIforIndianRetail #RetailMatters #Retailer #Brand #OnlineShopping #OnlineRetail #RetailStores #RetailShop #RetailMarketing #RAI #RetailAssociationofIndia #Learning #Insights

Expanding Horizons: Cantabil Retail India's Q1 Success Story 🚀 Cantabil Retail India has just unveiled our impressive Q1 results, and we're thrilled to announce that we're stepping into a new phase of growth and expansion! Covered by Retail4Growth, our strategy is clear—accelerate our reach, enhance customer experiences, and bring our fashion-forward collections to more locations across India. With strong momentum and a commitment to excellence, we’re poised to redefine retail and make quality fashion accessible to even more customers. Exciting developments are on the horizon as we expand our footprint, one store at a time! Read more:- https://lnkd.in/gNdJcbtg #CantabilRetail #Q1Results #ExpansionJourney #RetailGrowth

Revitalizing a Retail Brand: Based on A True Success Story A true story, an experience of our founder who has an acute retail sense, involves a brand named X (we can't disclose the brand name due to rights issues). This brand was operating around 100 branded stores across India, but all these stores were running at a loss. Despite this, the company was generating a revenue of 10,000 crores per year and overall was profitable through their channel sales division, selling to local retailers. Therefore, they did not pay much attention to the failing stores. One fine day, when the director or chairman of the company grew fed up with the losses through their brand outlets, they started contemplating shutting down all the stores. After a few days, they met our founder along with three other retail experts and asked them why their stores were failing. We explained that although the product was good and well-received in the market, which is reflected in the sales of over 10,000 crores, the brand outlet strategy was flawed. The location choices were poor, and the mindset of the franchise partners (FOFO stores) was not ideal since most of them were distributors of the brand. Additionally, visual merchandising was lacking, and the store design, look, and feel were not appealing, leading to a poor customer experience. The company owner asked us to join the company and help turn things around. We started with our first flagship COCO (Company Owned, Company Operated) store. After seeing the first store, the company owner was impressed and appreciated our efforts. People began to recognize our work, and subsequently, we opened 200 stores for the company, including several flagship COCO and FOFO stores, setting an example of progress in retail. Our strategies worked effectively. The overall message is that retail holds huge opportunities, but the right direction is always needed to succeed. #RetailSuccess #RetailStrategy #BrandTurnaround #RetailTransformation #RetailExpansion #CustomerExperience #VisualMerchandising #RetailDesign #FranchiseDevelopment #COCO #FOFO #RetailOpportunities #BusinessGrowth #RetailInnovation #RegazoTechnology

Reliance Retail's Centro: Lessons from a Failed Expansion Recently, Reliance Retail's fashion and lifestyle format, Centro, shut down 80 stores within 2 years of launch. What went wrong? Key Facts & Figures: - Launch: 2021 - Initial investment: ₹6,000 crores (approx. $750M USD) - Store count: 80 (now closed) - Employee impact: 1,500-2,000 job losses (estimated) - Sales target: ₹10,000 crores (approx. $1.25B USD) by 2025 (unmet) Key Takeaways: - Overexpansion without assessing market demand - Poor location selection - Ineffective marketing - Underestimating competition Reliance Retail's Next Steps: - Focus on profitable locations - Revise marketing approach - Enhance customer experience - Diversify offerings - Partnerships and collaborations - Omnichannel presence - Data-driven decision-making Opportunities Ahead: - Growing middle class: 600M+ Indians by 2025 - E-commerce growth: 30% YoY growth rate - Fashion market potential: ₹7.6 lakh crores (approx. $95B USD) by 2025 Challenges to Overcome: - Competition from established players (e.g., Zara, H&M) - Changing consumer behavior: Shift to online shopping, sustainability concerns - Economic uncertainty: Global slowdown impact on Indian retail What do you think Reliance Retail can do differently to succeed in the Indian retail market? Share your insights! #RelianceRetail #Centro #Retail #Fashion #BusinessStrategy #Expansion #LessonsLearned #IndianRetail #RetailIndustry

Reflections on "SERVE - Business from the Heart - The Shoppers Stop Way" Yesterday, I received my copy of "SERVE" by Nagesh B S. It took me back to the pioneering days at Shoppers Stop, especially during the British Festival. This festival was more than importing British fashion; it was about recreating the British shopping experience in India, adjusting everything to fit our market—reshaping sizes, fits, and styles for local tastes amid high import duties. Transitioning from #Raymond Group to the dynamic environment of Shoppers Stop opened my eyes to new possibilities in retail. Those long weeks at a Delhi export house, transforming delicate fabrics into exquisite garments, were about crafting experiences, not just clothes. This book is a blend of personal stories from colleagues and myself with Nagesh’s visionary leadership. We didn't just sell products; we celebrated them. I remember working alongside brilliant minds like Ajoy Krishnamurti Jaydeep Shetty, Bela Gupta, Aparnaa Raje Anand Jadhav , Sangeeta, Priyadarshini Rao Ameesha Prabhu, Rajiv Nair and my team Dhimant Bakshi and Alok Dharadhar, Aditya and many more who have all shaped the retail landscape in profound ways. "SERVE" is more than business stories; it's a testament to the impact of creating memories and delivering experiences. This book is valuable for those curious about the essence of innovation in retail or anyone who’s faced and overcome challenges in the business of fashion. It captures the spirit of retail evolution and is a nostalgic journey through the milestones that defined our approach at Shoppers Stop. #RetailInnovation #Leadership #ShoppersStop #FashionRetail

Derailing of #RelianceIndustries #Retailing From #RelianceFresh to #Trendz to #RelianceDigital all are facing stiff competition from other local and all #India 🇮🇳 #brands With fast changing #consumer #behaviour it needs a very efficient and effective system of #demand to #delivery 🚚 with #lean #supplychain #system Reliance is not used to #Agility. A bitter truth And #competitiveadvantage in retailing comes from agility and faster turnaround with leanest #inventory Without justifying #footfalls the giant reliance malls are money-guzzlers It is #monolithic and slow. It has inherent #wastefulness in its system of #forecasting, #trendcapturing, #ordering, #distribution, #inventorymanagement and #pointofsale It has to be in line with ever changing consumer behavior with #digitaltwin of #physical #processes at all points of #transactions for better #governance and management #Costcutting and #ValueAdding has to be focused with laser sharp intensity This is not where typical Reliance #Strategy of “Industry Barrier High Capex Investment with Predatory Pricing” approach can work Even #Walmart with all its financial might has failed in India 🇮🇳 One needs to know India 🇮🇳 and handle its inherent issues It needs smart #innovation in process; backed by #smart #digitisation for enablement; from #data to #insights to #idea to #delivery; all working in tandem and in super agile way #AI can help provided data is clean and pure Hope #IshaAmbani, along with her father #MukeshAmbani creates her #midastouch; Or else #Croma to #Trent; many are out there to edge Reliance to perennial low #margins and low #growth #jenamusings