Finally I met Gihan.
He took me thru a part of their corporate presentation which focused on “Go-Getter”. My guess was absolutely right, not only were they doing something right; they had bigger plans for expansion. When he said “we are considering “Go- Getter” as a place and not a mere convenience store” I was intrigued to find out how a mini super market, with their limited space would adapt this concept from traditional super markets.
He explained the reasons for diversification; the group’s main businesses were all based on credit and it was important to get in to a business that would be cash driven. Clearly they would not put all their eggs in one basket. The group also had devised a strategy, leveraging their software automation skills in to “Go-Getter” which will offer more shopper benefits in future for example, they want to integrate IPVPN to ensure more effective stock keeping to avoid customer disappointments. Once the system is fully operational E-channeling, Courier pick ups, utility bill payments and a host of other value added services will be offered to the public.
What looked like a spin off of “Seven Eleven” had more to offer. The concept of a neighborhood mini mart had been greatly customized to local culture. “That’s why we started selling loose rice and other essential items” explained Gihan, “if you notice some people still have the habit of biting a few grains of rice before the purchase to assure quality” However he believes these old habits will fade with upgrading living standards, especially among the new generation of shoppers. They also plan to market precooked nutritious meals for singles and young couples who are juggling with multiple roles and have far less time for cooking. In fact this has been their thinking behind the Brand name positioning it to the next generation of shoppers who will patronize their mini mart in between their weekly visits to the super market.
I wished they had thought more about their naming strategy as the name could have been used more effectively to offer more value to all stakeholders concerned especially to shoppers.
Let me also shed some light on the super market business in Sri Lanka; Among 350 modern trade outlets approximately 230 fall under the category of super markets, lead by Cargills with 100+ outlets (including their version of mini marts) followed by Keells nearing 30 outlets. 60% of super market revenue comes from food related items and approximately 30% revenue from sale of fresh items. Non-food category is recording a growth of 20% year on year. Gender split is almost 50-50 which could be challenging for super markets as males and females have distinct shopping habits for example male shoppers give more prominence to availability of products intended to purchase, ease of parking and quick check out while more females tend to value the assistance of sales personnel. Sales associate’s knowledge on options in the store and ability to recommend products were more important for them where as for male shoppers it was directly linked to their interest in finding the product they want. ¾ of shoppers go well planned making a list of brands, products, quantities to purchase and approximately 45% tend to shop alone while the balance 55% with another family member.
Although there are many new developments in this category we are yet to witness innovative promotions and in store branding.
He took me thru a part of their corporate presentation which focused on “Go-Getter”. My guess was absolutely right, not only were they doing something right; they had bigger plans for expansion. When he said “we are considering “Go- Getter” as a place and not a mere convenience store” I was intrigued to find out how a mini super market, with their limited space would adapt this concept from traditional super markets.
He explained the reasons for diversification; the group’s main businesses were all based on credit and it was important to get in to a business that would be cash driven. Clearly they would not put all their eggs in one basket. The group also had devised a strategy, leveraging their software automation skills in to “Go-Getter” which will offer more shopper benefits in future for example, they want to integrate IPVPN to ensure more effective stock keeping to avoid customer disappointments. Once the system is fully operational E-channeling, Courier pick ups, utility bill payments and a host of other value added services will be offered to the public.
What looked like a spin off of “Seven Eleven” had more to offer. The concept of a neighborhood mini mart had been greatly customized to local culture. “That’s why we started selling loose rice and other essential items” explained Gihan, “if you notice some people still have the habit of biting a few grains of rice before the purchase to assure quality” However he believes these old habits will fade with upgrading living standards, especially among the new generation of shoppers. They also plan to market precooked nutritious meals for singles and young couples who are juggling with multiple roles and have far less time for cooking. In fact this has been their thinking behind the Brand name positioning it to the next generation of shoppers who will patronize their mini mart in between their weekly visits to the super market.I wished they had thought more about their naming strategy as the name could have been used more effectively to offer more value to all stakeholders concerned especially to shoppers.
Let me also shed some light on the super market business in Sri Lanka; Among 350 modern trade outlets approximately 230 fall under the category of super markets, lead by Cargills with 100+ outlets (including their version of mini marts) followed by Keells nearing 30 outlets. 60% of super market revenue comes from food related items and approximately 30% revenue from sale of fresh items. Non-food category is recording a growth of 20% year on year. Gender split is almost 50-50 which could be challenging for super markets as males and females have distinct shopping habits for example male shoppers give more prominence to availability of products intended to purchase, ease of parking and quick check out while more females tend to value the assistance of sales personnel. Sales associate’s knowledge on options in the store and ability to recommend products were more important for them where as for male shoppers it was directly linked to their interest in finding the product they want. ¾ of shoppers go well planned making a list of brands, products, quantities to purchase and approximately 45% tend to shop alone while the balance 55% with another family member.Although there are many new developments in this category we are yet to witness innovative promotions and in store branding.
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