“Our Focus is to be an Omnichannel Retailer,” says Shashwat Goenka

SPENCER’S, INDIA’S FIRST HYPERMARKET, AIMS TO TRANSFORM INTO AN OMNICHANNEL RETAILER WHICH CAN CATER TO EVOLVING CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS AND ALSO BE INNOVATIVE AND AGILE ENOUGH TO RESPOND TO CUSTOMERS IN A TIMELY FASHION...

- Charu Lamba

Spencer’s, the oldest modern retail brand in India, is the pioneer in hypermarkets in India, having introduced the first one in 2001. The brand, which owes its success to its customer-centric approach, has not failed shoppers even during the pandemic. Amidst a global health crisis, Spencer’s worked towards initiating innovative, out-of-store efforts to ensure customer safety and convenience.

Going forward, the brand aims to transform into an omnichannel retailer which can cater to evolving customer requirements and also be innovative and agile enough to respond to customers in a timely fashion.

In an interaction with Progressive Grocer, Shashwat Goenka, Sector Head (FMCG & Retail) at RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, talks about the journey of his brand and how it has won over customers in times wrought with fear of contagion.

Excerpts from the Interview:

The first ever hypermarket in India was launched by Spencer’s. It is a pioneer in its own way. What are the other milestones that the brand has achieved?

In 1980, Spencer’s launched the first supermarket in India. In 2001 the first hypermarket was opened and after that it has always been an ongoing legacy for us. For example, in 2007, we launched the first hypermarket in Durgapur, Lucknow and Vijaywada.

We also pioneered app-based grocery ordering in the year 2015, becoming India’s first omnichannel retailer in the true sense.