Spencer's Retail goes on-ground to attract footfalls

Spencer's Retail, the multiformat retail chain owned by the RPG Group, has turned to below-the-line activities to increase footfalls in its stores. The company has identified two consumer segments that are key to influencing the family – women and children.

With a particular focus on children, Spencer's initiated the Good to Grow programme, which conducts theme based activities in schools every month. The programme has reached about 80,000 children in 150 schools across six cities. Recently, Spencer's concluded the month long second phase of the programme on Children's Day on November 14.

Speaking to afaqs!, Giri Manish, head, alliances and activation, Spencer's Retail, says, “As a retailer, we are a national brand, but we have to service customers locally, according to their requirements. Therefore, an above-the-line campaign works only to an extent and below-the-line initiatives serve our purpose better.”

The Good to Grow programme is targeted at children under the age of 10 years, who attend primary school. “A school gives us density under one roof to reach a large number of children,” explains Manish. Since the activity is carried out over a couple of days, this creates brand identification in the parents' minds as well, he adds.

“Spencer's wanted to give back to society through this programme, through the children,” says Atul Nath, managing director of Candid Marketing, the agency which executed the activity.

The Children's Day programme consisted of an activity in which children were asked to draw their favourite toy. The best pictures were awarded gifts such as discount vouchers at Spencer's.

For this activity, the company also tied up with an NGO, Mobile Creches, which helps the children of daily labourers. The schoolchildren were made aware of the needs of underprivileged children and asked to donate a toy to them or an unused sketch book.

In the first phase of the programme in September, Spencer's conducted an activity around Teacher's Day, in which children were asked to draw their favourite teacher. The most popular teachers received gift vouchers from Spencer's and its partners.

Around 36,000 submissions were collected from children as a result of these activities.

Other sponsors and partners were also involved in the programme. These included Max New York Life, which conducted a lead-generation activity. Spencer's also had trading partners such as ITC, Cargill Foods and Bush Foods.

At an event in Kolkata, where actor Aparna Sen was also present (Sen has been associated with Mobile Creches), Spencer’s presented the toys to the NGO and Bush Foods made a monetary donation.

The Good to Grow programme will conduct another activity in January 2009, says Manish, but doesn't disclose any further details.


For women, Spencer's has a programme called At Home with Spencer's. As part of this, the company organises regular workshops on subjects such as health, cooking and interior décor in residential apartments. Experts share their views at these workshops and the women are encouraged to share theirs.

Spencer's Retail has 400 stores across 66 cities in India and claims to receive around 4.5 million customers a month.

visit: http://www.afaqs.com/perl/news/index.html?sid=22979

Spencer's launches international apparel brand Beverley Hills Polo Club

Mr. Sanjiv Goenka, Vice Chairman of the Rs. 13500 crore RPG Enterprises, announced on Friday (14th November) that it’s retailing arm, Spencer’s Retail Limited, has signed an exclusive tie-up with BHPC International LLC, which owns the world-renowned apparel brand Beverly Hills Polo Club also known as BHPC. The announcement was made during a press conference held at The Grand, New Delhi. The conference was followed by a fashion show wherein popular models like Joey Mathews, Poonam Nath, Amanpreet Wahi, Aanchal Oberoi and Gunita walked the ramp showcasing the range of the global apparel brand. Also present at the launch event was BHPC International LLC’s Founder and Managing Director, Eli Haddad.

Giving an outline of the potent fashion industry in India, Mr. Sanjiv Goenka said “BHPC covers a wide range of lifestyle clothing for men and women. Fashion has been a significant segment in the evolution of Indian retail industry, not due to its size but the way it has influenced lifestyle. It was apparel that led multi-national brands to explore and invest in the Indian market, which set the ball rolling towards organized retailing. And now with the Indian consumer’s "LOOK GOOD - FEEL GOOD" attitude, fashion offers huge potential for deeper penetration into the Indian markets.”

Beverly Hills Polo Club® evokes casual, relaxed yet affluent and elegant Southern Californian lifestyle. It presents product categories in-tune with its image viz, T-Shirts, polo’s, sweat shirt & sweat pants, causal shirt & trousers, denims, winterwear, eyewear and watches for men and women. Formal shirts & trousers are an added category in the menswear segment. BHPC is very strategically developed by Spencer’s for the Indian market with fine product attributes that makes fashion, affordable.

Referring to the growing importance of fashion in Spencer’s retail business, Mr. Goenka said that the tie-up with BHPC LLC is the culmination of a world-wide search to secure for the Indian youth, a fashion brand that complement their lifestyle. “Beverly Hills brand epitomizes a refined comfort and stylish elegance for today’s successful and confident Indian youth”. Fashion currently contributes 10 % to the company’s revenue which is expected to increase to 25 – 30% in the years to follow.

The retail chain boasts of an extensive fashion section which has other internationally acclaimed brands for men, women and children. This range covers formal wear, casual wear, evening wear and active / sports wear. Spencer’s also has an extensive private label program in fashion which include established names like Mark Nicolas, Island Monks, Asankhya, etc. (please see below for the entire list) . The fashion strategy is to address need gaps in the fashion business in the Indian market, as well as create niches with specialized merchandise relevant to the target segment.

Mr. Sanjiv Goenka confirmed that the BHPC range will be available in a large number of Spencer’s stores which are currently located in 66 Indian cities.

“We are very happy with our association with the BHPC brand. BHPC is globally acclaimed as an aspirational lifestyle brand which commensurate with our new brand proposition – Taste the World – which embodies the best that the world has to offer to our consumers. This is yet another initiative by Spencer’s to differentiate itself by bringing new and exciting products and experiences to the evolving Indian consumers.”

Mr. Goenka added.

The first BHPC store at Spencer’s, Gurgaon, MGF Megacity Mall follows the Exclusive Branded outlet concept over an area of 1000sq.ft, with merchandize ranging from Rs.399/- to Rs.1499/-. Over the next three months, Spencer’s will dedicate about 12000 sq.ft space to the brand and target a turnover of Rs.1 crore, a month. It also plans to set up three standalone stores of an average 1500 sq.ft over the same period. The first standalone store is likely to come up in New Delhi by early next year.

List of Spencer’s private label brands in fashion:

Brand

Description

Island Monks

Men and women casual wear

Mark Nicolas

Men and women formal wear

Scorez

Men and women sportswear

Detailz

Men and women basic

Asankhya

Men and women ethic and fusion wear

Puddles

Infant ( 0 - 2 years)

Little Devils

Kids ( 2 - 14 years)

U n I

fashion Accessories - bags, junk jewellery, leather items, belts etc

Mark Nicolas

Men formal footwear

La Bonita

Women fashion footwear

- End -

About Spencer’s Retail Limited

Spencer’s Retail Limited, part of the Rs 13,500 crores RPG Enterprises, is a multi-format food-first retailer providing the widest range and assortment of products to its key consumer segment of female, SEC A in the age group of 25 – 34. The organization runs 400 stores, including about 32 large format stores across 66 cities in India, focusing on verticals like food and grocery, fruit and vegetables, electrical and electronics, home and office essentials, garments and fashion accessories, toys, food and personal care, music, books and mobility solutions, the later three forming part of specialty retail division.

Spencers is one of the earliest entrants into the retail space and literally introduced the Indian consumer to the concept of organized retailing. In fact, the first ever hyper store in India was launched by Spencers at Hyderabad in the year 2000. The journey onwards has been one of the most aggressive of all the retail players in India. In the last financial year, Spencers increased their stores from 150 to 400 with a target of expanding by 300 more this year. It employs over 12000 professionals who are specially trained to live up to the consumer needs and the business objectives of the organization. Spencers is on a high growth path with a target of Rs. 1500 crores sales turnover by the end of the current financial year.

Spencer’s was awarded the Turnaround Retailer of the year 2006 at the India Retailers Forum, 2007 in Mumbai And the “Most Evolved Retailer of the year 2007 at the same forum this year.

Media Contact:

Shakuntala Sarkar,

Manager, Corporate Communications

Email: s_sarkar@spencersretail.com

Mob: + 91 97487 73132

visit: http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/retail/2008111815587.htm