‘A POP DISPLAY MUST DELIVER CONSISTENTLY, LOOKING GOOD IS NOT ENOUGH'

Mumbai-based Brandmark Solutions, known for providing innovative POP and POS solutions to the retail industry through original ideas, inventive approach, and impeccable execution, recently won the ‘Innovative Display of Brand through POS/POP’ award for their innovative concept and design at the Media Expo Excellence Awards 2020. In a special chat with Point of Purchase, Nabeel Khan, Director, Brandmark Solutions Private Limited shares his thoughts on innovation in business, industry challenges and more.

‘WE BELIEVE IN CREATING A BRAND WAY OF LIFE'

Continuing on our theme of Responsible Retailing this month, we present the views of Deva Jyotula, Head Retail at Kalpataru Limited, who shares his insights on how the mall is being socially responsible.

The Striding Man rocks in stores!

Quorum, Mumbai based Retail Design agency, specializes in providing innovative solutions for experiential marketing by bringing together the brand style and designing skills.

‘INVEST MORE ON PROVIDING WINNING SOLUTIONS IN MARKET PLACE'

Brand Nestle needs no introduction. The FMCG major has some ubiquitous brands that often top the shopping basket in retail. In an interaction with Point of Purchase, Ravi Ramchandran, Director – Sales, Nestlé India, shares the brand’s approach to trade marketing, leveraging consumer data, shopper marketing and more. Read on…

NEW EV CHARGING HUBS IN TOWN GOOD OLD KIRANAS!

Bengaluru based EV Startup FAE Bikes launched Kirana Charzer, a low-cost, compact, zero-maintenance and IoT enabled charging station provided at a subsidized price of Rs 10,000. The smart EV charging station focused on enabling small shops and individuals to install their own charging stations and earn additional income. Sameer Ranjan Jaiswa, the founder of FAE Bikes, shares with Point Of Purchase the rationale behind this initiative and the plans ahead.

LITTLE CAESARS: ALL SET TO SERVE THE INDIAN MARKET

Detroit-headquartered pizza chain Little Caesars has entered India with two outlets in Ahmedabad. Paula Vissing, Senior Vice President, International, Little Caesars Pizza, shares his big plans for the Indian market.

INDIA @ EUROSHOP 2020: A SNAPSHOT

The World’s No.1 Retail Trade Fair, EuroShop 2020, which concluded on February 20, 2020, accentuated retailers’ invest in ‘emotionalisation’ and digitalization and emphasized the merger of online and offline shopping interfaces. A total of 2,300 exhibitors from 57 countries took part in the retail trade fair, in Düsseldorf, Germany. For Indian retail vendors and solution providers who participated as exhibitors in the show, it was a platform to showcase their capabilities, while observing some international retail trends.

ID FRESH CRACKS A TOUGH NUT: PLASTIC FREE PACKAGING

Last month we presented our first story in a series of stories on the concept of Responsible Retailing, with the focus primarily on sustainability and environmentally friendly initiatives by brands and retailers. This month we present a relevant case sutdy iD Fresh’s new sustainable packaging solution. The brand recently took a step towards reduction of plastic waste by introducing a sustainable packaging solution. It launched two new products iD Fresh Smart Sip Tender Coconut and iD Grated Coconut in a coconut, which comes in plastic-free packaging. The fresh grated coconut comes in its natural coconut shell, while the Smart Sip Tender Coconut has a unique plastic free packaging – the natural coconut shell, with the outer husk removed to reduce the product weight. And the packaging also includes a paper straw and plastic-free sticker to be peeled by the consumer before drinking. iD Fresh created the new packaging in collaboration with Bangalore-based Advertising Agency People Design & Communication. Pavan Kumar BVS, Chief Business Officer, iD Fresh Food, shares with Point Of Purchase the objective behind the plastic-free packaging and more about the initiatives in the form of a case study.

GRABBING A FINE SLICE IN MEAT RETAILING

Chennai based TenderCuts was founded in 2016 with a mission to provide fresh meat and seafood that is antibiotic and hormone free through direct partnerships with local farming and fishing communities. Today the company has attained leadership position, being Chennai’s largest and India’s first tech-driven omni-channel fresh meat and seafood Company. In just 3 years, the company has grown its employee strength to more than 300, with 18 stores across Chennai and Hyderabad (5 in Hyderabad and 13 in Chennai).

Mission 2020 : The Industry Outlook

2019 brought with it a slew of uncertainties with the year ending on a note of tentative hope and expectations. For the POP industry, the year unfolding before us could be a turning point, given the way the retail dynamics are shifting and given the rising needs for solutions that can help bridge the gaps in customer connect, experience, data analysis and back-end retail operations. Point of Purchase reached out to industry players to get their take on what they have in-store for 2020 and how they expect the year to pan out for them. Read on as they share their expectations and plans for 2020.

‘BIGGEST CULTURAL REVOLUTIONS IN RETAIL ARE BROUGHT ON BY TECHNOLOGY'

Arizona-based AIdriven supply chain management platform provider JDA Software, which provides end-toend solutions spanning supply chain and retail planning, execution, delivery and workforce management, has recently appointed Umesh Gaur as Managing Director of JDA Software’s Center of Excellence (CoE) in India. In his new role, Gaur will be responsible for providing leadership to the two CoEs in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, and continue to be instrumental in interacting with regional customers underlining the JDA value proposition from the sales cycle through to delivery and implementation. In an exclusive interview with Point Of Purchase, Umesh Gaur talks about how the company is solving some real-time problems for some of the biggest retailers around the globe.

‘MALLS CREATE INTANGIBLE EXPERIENCES & MEMORIES'

DLF Mall of India became the first mall in the world to be accredited with a “LEED Platinum” certification from United States Green Building Council (USGBC) under Existing Building Operation and Maintenance category (EBOM). The green certification is awarded to buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance. In an interview with Point of Purchase, Manish Mehrotra, VP and Centre Head, DLF Mall of India, shares his take on how malls can reinvent themselves and why they are here to stay despite the e-comm wave.

‘OMNICHANNEL WILL BE A MAJOR CUTTING EDGE FOR PRESTIGE'

TTK Prestige, India’s largest kitchen appliances brand, opened the doors of its first flagship store in Goregaon, Mumbai, with an investment of INR 2.5 crore. The new 2,700 sq ft Prestige Xclusive store, focuses on offering exclusive shopping experience allowing customers to touch and feel the products. With 700 products in 27 categories under one roof, the new store is said to be one of the largest in the country. In an exclusive interview with K.G George, Vice President Retail and Emerging Business, TTK Prestige, talks about the new store, its future plans and the challenges in the retail space. Read on.

WHY THIS PUNE QSR IS ON A ROLL…

Rolls Mania, the Pune-based quick service restaurant (QSR), has over 100 outlets across the country and caters to about 2.5 lakh orders every month. As of May 2019, the company sold about 13,000 rolls everyday – 70-80% of them home delivered. In a special interaction with Point of Purchase, Puneet Kansal, Founder at Rolls Mania, shares his thoughts on what makes Rolls Mania different from its peers and the challenges faced by the food industry.

‘NEIGHBOURHOOD STORES ARE CATCHING UP'

Even in a digital-enabled shopping environment, customers prefer purchasing a home appliance in their neighborhood store, for reasons like personal rapport and after-sale service, says S Subramanian, MD, Preethi Kitchen Appliances, in a chat with Point Of Purchase.

RETAIL TECH PICKS FROM 2019: A ROUND-UP

Technology is fast emerging to be the game changer in retail. While this has been increasingly becoming evident in the last few years, what is interesting is the variety of applications and usages of technology in retail with a whole eco-system of technology solution providers emerging, catering to a plethora of retail needs. We at Point Of Purchase have been consistently featuring many of these technology players this year, and in the process highlighting the opportunities and possibilities with technology to improve efficiency, shopper experience and brand presence in store. Here is a round-up of what we covered this year and in the process try to pick out some key trends.

EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE LUSH GREEN TEA COUNTRY

In the last few years, Sri Lanka has become synonymous with tourism, political peace finally lifting the veil off its scenic beauty. After many years of civil war and political strife, Sri Lanka is indeed emerging as an important tourist destination, with many global brands making their presence in the country. Here’s a look at the retail scenario in this beautiful island scenario and the opportunities it presents.

‘Delivery is the most emotional touch point for a buyer'

The retail eco system is fast giving way to newer profiles of stakeholders and offerings. While e-commerce has played a big part in this, equally significant is the whole segment that has been built around it with a new tribe of solution providers emerging to cater to the e-commerce requirements. ClickPost is an integrated logistics platform which provides cutting edge logistics intelligence solutions to help customers and ecommerce businesses. Naman Vijay, CEO & Co-Founder, ClickPost, shares his views on the changing retail logistics scenario driven by technology in India.

‘Omni-channel will enable retailers to rethink business strategy'

Pacific Group has recently launched its fourth mall at Dwarka, New Delhi. Abhishek Bansal, Executive Director, Pacific Group, shares with Point Of Purchase, his thoughts on winning over competition and the plans forward.

How technology is redefining shopper marketing

As brands across categories vie with one another to create deeper shopper recall and reinstate their positioning, technology seems to be the real game-changer. Here’s a look at the many ways in which technology is redefining shopper marketing. Don’t miss the case studies and interviews in the following pages that reiterate the role of technology in facilitating better connect with shoppers and enhancing their brand/in-store experience.

‘Survival of the fittest holds true even in retail'

Aaryahaan International brings state of the art technology and service to help retailers, mall operators and exhibitors grow their business and productivity and in the process give offline retailers a level playing field. Jagmohan Batra, Founder and CMD, Aaryahaan International, shares his views on the emerging technology solutions and what is driving the development of such solutions.

How AI & IoT elevated MG Motors' showroom experience

MG Motors recently announced the opening of its first Digital Studio in Bengaluru, a showroom with no car on display. The facility is aimed at offering a unique visually immersive experience. This is a classic example of how technology can make the users’ in-store experience completely seamless and interactive. MG Motors along with Digital Jalebi, a Bangalore based technology solutions company, which was the interaction design partner, and Eccentric Engine, a Mumbai based agency who did the conceptualisation, designed a completely digital showroom. Syed Fawaz Ahmed, Director, Digital Jalebi, shares the project details in the form of a case study.

‘Shopper marketing is about learning the shopper science'

Publicis Groupe’s experiential and brand activation agency Arc Worldwide has recently announced the launch of a new division – Arc WW Shopper Marketing & Retail Knowledge Centre. According to the company, this team will focus on in-depth shopper marketing and retail experience strategy. The division will be led by Khushbu Kaushal. With over 10 years of experience, Khushbu is known for building and growing some of the biggest global and Indian brands such as Coca-Cola, Mondelez, HUL, Tata, ITC and Diageo among others. Point-of-Purchase reached out to Vandana Verma, COO, Arc WorldWide and Khushbu Kaushal, VP, Arc WorldWide to know more about the new division, factors that can make shopper marketing succeed, role of technology in making it more relevant and much more. Read on…

Counting on a seamless connected experience

Biyani-led Future Group and Dole Packaged Foods Worldwide, a division of Dole International Holdings, and producers and marketers of fresh and packaged fruit-based products, recently entered into a distribution partnership to introduce and expand the Dole brand’s presence in India. In a chat with Point of Purchase, Pier Luigi Sigismondi, Global President for Dole Packaged Business, talks about the company’s tie-up, approach to leveraging technology and the outlook on retail challenges in the FMCG space. Presented below are excerpts from the interview :

A Tool For Smoother Retail Operations

Saturo Technologies Private Limited, established in the year 2014, is into wholesale trading and is a service provider in the area of billing software and web hosting services. Recently Saturo launched what it calls ‘the most Powerful Billmade POS for Oracle NetSuite’ for synchronized retail operations to make daily billing in the complex retail industry far easier than before. According to the company, this software will help streamline inventory data, seamless synchronization and logistics across locations. In a special chat with Point of Purchase, Deepak Singh, CEO, Saturo Technologies shares why Billmade POS is a necessary investment for retailers, how the software address requirements of retail subsegments and much more.

‘Success depends on how you position your POSM asset'

Amit Shah, Managing Director, Spectum Scan

‘Most shopper marketing agencies do not invest enough to study consumers'

Shopper Marketing as a concept has gone through its cycle of initial euphoria and post reality-check disappointment before finally plateauing into a phase of sober assessment and cautious exploration of new opportunities. This is possibly driven by new market dynamics, consumer behaviour changes and technology driven innovations. And while the definition and parameters continue to be a little fuzzy as far as shopper marketing is concerned, now is perhaps the best time to address the question of whether shopper marketing needs to be redefined. This becomes particularly relevant as brands across segments are getting closer to their customers than ever before, driven by data analytics, cutting edge technology tools and the changing retail eco system. Point of Purchase reached out to Lloyd Mathias, Business Leader/Brand Builder and Growth Driver across the Consumer, Telecom and Technology businesses, to get his views on where shopper marketing stands today, whether it needs to be redefined, the role of technology in making it more relevant, and more. Read on.

‘Be ready to adapt and change'

Shreesh Sharma, Founder & Director, GKW Retail Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Who's next to take over the reins of this business?

We all know that change is the only constant.

Leading the water purification game

Water purification product Kent RO has made a mark in the over Rs 3,500 crore industry. Dr. Mahesh Gupta, CMD - Kent RO, shares the company’s journey and the brand’s approach to retail for better visibility and reach.