Can you share with us your journey so far since you started and became a well recognized retail chain brand in the country?

'Linc' as a brand from the very beginning carved out a space in the minds of the masses for any educational stationery items -- be it pens, pencils, geometry boxes, erasers, sharpener and such. It was in 2004 that we saw globalisation having its effect on the retail industry in India, and for'Linc' we thought of creating a premium platform in the stationery retail category under the banner name'Office Linc' which has now become a one-stop hub for all such requirements.  Our first store got unveiled in City Centre Mall, Salt Lake Kolkata, and the response till date is ever encouraging.  

How would you define your USP and value additions?

'Office Linc' is like a mall in itself where people may buy every stationery product all under one roof. While describing our uniqueness, one needs to first understand the difference between the general trade and modern trade as the requirement and mind-set are the most significant determining factors for us.  For example, in general trade, a customer asks for a pen without mentioning any brand and the retailer gives it according to the money the customer wants to invest in. In comparison to this, at'Office Linc' one may get the complete shopping experience having the real touch and feel of all the products and also the premium range of Linc which starts from 5k and goes up to  65k. Also, we keep not only our own brands but also products of other brands because we are an MBO.

Who is your targeted shopper/consumer?

For'Office Linc', everyone who needs stationery items is a customer as it caters to all segments.

How much of your efforts towards capturing the consumers happen at the store? Could you tell us about some of your in-store initiative such as displays, promos etc. How do you think these influence the shoppers/consumers?

Organised retailing is also all about atmospheric selling, which depends on the visual merchandise a lot. It is done through creative banners, posters, stickers, standees and such. We have a specialised and trained team as well who guides the customers according to their needs. We also do a lot of promotional activity. For example this August-September season we are doing a campaign called'Uniball kharido iphone jeeto'. All the customers who buy a Uniball get a coupon and then through a lucky draw we will announce the winner. This is driving our sales in a way and the different promotional activities help in retaining the customers. In'Office Linc' we always focus on customer delight because it is a shopping experience and not only about buying stationeries.  

Any new trend that you are seeing in terms of consumer behaviour/buying pattern? What does this mean to you as a retailer?

The customers are becoming more planned these days in terms of buying anything. We have customers who come and complete the stationery buying requirements for his house or office at one go. The consumers have also become brand and quality conscious. We see this especially among school students who are very particular about the brand names. This is a very good indication for a retailer as we are getting informed buyers.

Going further what are your plans in terms of expansion across India? What has been your turnover in the last FY?

At present we have 12 exclusive Office Linc outlets in various prominent malls and busy commercial locations of Kolkata, apart from one in Durgapur and two stores in Mumbai. Further we are planning to expand our retail chain through franchise model in various metros as well as in Tier I and Tier II cities of India. The annual turnover of Office Linc has been rs 7.78 crores in the last FY.

How encouraging is the market growth in terms of product like yours in India? What is your take on the recent FDI Policy in terms of more International brands coming in? What do you think will be the impact of it on the Indian market and retailers?

Organised retail stationery segment is still a very virgin market in India. Though the concept of planned buying of such materials has reached students and professionals in urban areas, in the semi-urban and rural markets, this move from a traditional channel of buying to a structured category will take time to grow.  Thus this retail stationery segment will evolve more in the coming years.  In the stationery retail segment we do not see any such brand coming in, though the market has got potential. For the retailers in India, the right mix of retailing strategy and technology is needed for sustenance.