ITC Ltd. accelerates efforts to make kirana stores ready for ‘next generation retail’

In line with ITC Ltd.’s credo of ‘Nation First: Sab Saath Badhein’, the company right at the onset of the pandemic had spearheaded efforts to ensure safety of thousands of neighbourhood kirana and general store retailers, who ensured last-mile availability of essential products to consumers. As an initial step to further strengthen the local ecosystem of neighbourhood grocers, ITC Ltd. organised a virtual summit on ‘Digital Enablement for Kirana Outlets’to educate and upskill retailers on best practices in retail management, usage of digital ecosystem while also providing them digital solutions developed/ curated specially by the company to aid their growth and sustain their businesses in the coming years.

ITC Ltd. has already developed digital tools like Virtual DS, Unnati App and Store Locator to support its retailers. The Virtual DS is aimed at reducing losses of incumbent orders due to salesman absenteeism. Unnati App is a specially developed state-of-the-art retailer application that enables the kirana store operator to directly place online orders with ITC Ltd. Likewise, the Store Locator is a WhatsApp chatbot, bringing the Kirana store and consumer together, aiding the kirana store in building its consumer base and bringing convenience to the consumer. Furthermore, ITC Ltd. plans to develop more enhanced digital tools to accelerate digital transformation.

Commenting on the initiative, Hemant Malik, Divisional Chief Executive, Foods, ITC Ltd. said, “In the initial months of Covid-19 pandemic, local kirana stores became the lifeline for consumers by maintaining a near-steady supply of daily items and essential commodities.  We felt it would be befitting to acknowledge the tireless efforts of retailers and thank their families, who played a significant role in helping them serve the country by standing by them all through this period. While the pandemic reinforced the strength of the retailer community, it also made us realise the importance and need of enhancing digitization across the sector. We look forward to further innovating and introducing digital tools, educate the retailers on its applications and executions and extend unwavering support to build a sustainable and growth-led business environment for the retailers of our country.” 

Sandeep Sule, Divisional Chief Executive, Trade Marketing and Distribution,  ITC Ltd. said, “India has a vibrant, diverse and a highly competitive retail ecosystem, and a sizeable chunk consists of smaller retailers across the country. However, the evolution of digital landscape within the retail environment needs to gain momentum, when it comes to smaller retail stores. Identifying the need-based gaps, we look forward to developing and introduce digital tools to help them grow and sustain business in this fast evolving world.  The digital summit - Digital Enablement for Kirana Outlets, was a great starting point and we were overwhelmed by the tremendous response that we received for the same. It also reflects the industry’s willingness to adopt newer ways of doing business and we are happy to play the role of a catalyst in the journey of digitization for the retailers of our country.”