Godrej Nature’s game plan is to be around for a long time: Mohit Khattar

Godrej Nature’s Basket, a gourmet food store from the stable of diversified conglomerate Godrej Industries, started as a premium brand with a presence only in the major metros. However, in the last few months, the brand has also been catering to the growing demands of consumers in smaller towns and cities.

Mohit Khattar, Managing Director of Godrej Nature’s Basket, told BusinessLine that the decision to go online has been a very positive move and that the recent tie-ups with Amazon and Snapdeal have helped the brand reach consumers even in smaller towns.

The company, which runs large-format stores in metros, is expanding pan-India without investing in real-estate. Edited excerpts from the interview:

Has the switch from a brick-and-mortar store to being a multi-channel retailer impacted your brand and business?

It has impacted the brand very positively and made it more accessible for sure. At one level it has opened the brand to customers across over 19,000 pin codes and at another it has helped many more customers to appreciate what this brand brings to the table. This includes many who were not part of our traditional customer base. In a way, it opens up avenues for faster growth. The brand has become stronger, better understood and more vibrant.

What are NB’s sales looking like after the revamp of the website and tie-ups with ecommerce giants?

We don’t share our numbers and, moreover, the whole ecommerce shift is a very new phenomenon for us. It is too early to talk about revenue coming through this channel. But it is growing fast.

With several pure-play online players entering the grocery segment and also offering premium products, how do you plan to compete?

We operate in the premium segment where customers are perhaps not only more discerning but more demanding as well. We are not focused on the competition. Even in the offline space we have pretty much carved out a niche despite many other retailers being in the fray.

Our objective has always been to get our core proposition for the customer right and our operations well tuned to be able to service their requirements. That approach may be slower but it is a surer way of succeeding. Our game plan is to be around for a long time.

How do you ensure that products such as cold cuts, cheese and other perishable items are delivered fresh to consumers?

Given the importance of customers’ expectations on temperature-sensitive products, their online delivery as of now is restricted to cities where we have our own operations.

In these cities we have an efficient cold chain that ensures that products reach our stores and delivery locations in perfect condition and are maintained as such.

Even for the last mile, our delivery experts are adequately equipped to ensure product integrity.

What are your expansion plans in tier-II and tier-III cities?

As of now, those in tier-II and tier-III cities can buy some of our regular products and gifting assortment on Snapdeal and Amazon.

We are looking at enhancing this assortment in due course.

Will e-commerce impact food retailing in India?

We are still in an environment where the contribution of e-commerce to the overall food and grocery sector is miniscule. But consumer behaviour is changing at its fastest pace in the last two decades or so.

With more consumers being online and savvy, one can safely assume that the exponential growth in the e-com sector in the next few years will continue.

Brands that establish themselves will obviously reap a larger benefit.

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