Sahara Q-Shop – Completely Adulteration Free 100%, Really?

Sahara Q-Shop, a great start with a big chase for 800 shops. Launched on Independence Day – the August 15^th, 2012. I wonder, were they trying to give the Q-Shop an image of - ‘Swadeshi’ (Domestic) Brand.

The Subroto Roy group has come up with a distinguished ‘Positioning Strategy’. There promise it to get rid of Adulteration. The message which is going to hit everyone – though they say they target the two tier cities, I am sure the TVC has created a buzz in everyone’s mind.Watch here

Who won’t be shocked to see Sachin Tendulkar – taking rounds of a dining table and depicting a funeral scene, M.S.Dhoni with an RIP placard, the advertisement is intriguing and the message very strong. Everybody in this country is tired of and wants to fight adulteration. Who would not fear of drinking the glass of milk after reading in the morning newspaper about samples of Urea in your brand of milk packet? This is disastrous and Sahara ‘Q’ shop is offering a promise. The TVC stands different but the message it leaves on our minds – is negative almost everyone gets horrified of what we eat or drink. I wish it had a hopeful message too but it leaves us with an introduction to a hopeful retail brand – the Q shop.

With the inflation going up every day, the retail sector is experiencing a slowdown. The big retail players are finding ways to restructure and fight back. The middle class who were fond of Big Bazaars have started going back to nearby Kirana shops as the fuel expenses have gone up. Like these, the challenges have grown and now enter the Q shops.

When I saw the advertisements – I readily wanted to explore about it. It is a feast to watch the Indian Cricket stars – all in one go and then you see Sahara and the quest is kind of sorted but the message they are conveying – stays!  Though I am yet to visit a Sahara Q shop and experience the experience they offer but as far as the communication is concerned – we all remember the advertisement. Don’t we?

The advertisement is a simple, to the point message reaching straight to the end consumer with a promise of delivery.

Coming to the business intentions – Sahara Group claims to have set a Quality Revolution with a state of art laboratory process, where the merchandise in Sahara Q-shops will go through Quality Checks and Quality Assurance. Proper care is said to be taken in the Packaging Measures as well.

Check out the Unbeatable Advantages offered at Sahara ‘Q Shops’ (as mentioned on their official website)

• 100% commitment to quality
• Most competitive price
• Doorstep delivery of products under strict supervision
• Right weight/quantity
• 100% disclosure policy across all products
• Convenience of phone shopping
• State-of-the-art Quality Control labs in New Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Patna
• Pan-India quality team of 800 people, comprising Scientist Associates, Senior Quality Controllers, Quality Assurance Managers and Quality Assurance Executives
• 305 warehouses in 285 cities

So we can say that the consumers are going to have another Swadeshi (Domestic) brand with a mission of quality and purity. The offerings are multiple from staples to personal care, from lifestyle products to natural water, they almost have it all.

Sahara Group certainly is on a mission and it is a real challenge to fight adulteration. I hope the consumers find a pure brand in Sahara Q shops as the challenge is getting bigger with the influx of foreign retail giants in Indian Retail scene. But there is another challenge- How many of us are willing to adopt a domestic brand with the so many pleasing foreign brands on the retail shelf?

Recession Hit Big Bazaar

Oh! This one really surprised me. Big Groups being hit by the recession is not a new story but this hard...Well! I had no idea about...!! The Big players are working more on the cost cutting these days then any other things. Budget cuts are normal in the corporate scenario but I never thought that this would mean compromising in the Brand Image. Yes, Big Bazaar is better known as 'Organised Chaos' but that doesn't mean that people will tend to forget that it still is a part of Pantaloon retail.

During a recent store launch, the management played with the budgets and they played so badly that they weren't even able to rectify it. Starting from the standees which weren't able to stand the winds to the banners which were flowing with the wind, not static enough to let the visitor read whats there on the banner. Not only was this enough, even the press meet looked more of a formality, within the store a set-up with 20 chairs and a backdrop with a projector screen, which eventually wasn't required or may be used. I wonder but someone told me that none of the most poplular newspapers catering to the target segment of Big Bazaar were invited.

The BTL campaign also seemed to be suffering from mis-management & ill-execution. That looked as the worst thing, someone could do to the brand. Yes, Big Bazaar claims to be the organised chaos but that doesnt mean it could be compared with a Grocery store! Actually not.

I never thought that Brand owners will be told to cut the costs to that an extent. Nevermind though, the brand keeps the promises. Happy Shopping!!