Radiowalla widens its offering & steps into in-store fragrance

With its established audio and video content solutions, Radiowalla Network is now venturing into in-store fragrance to help brands engage customers through every sense in the store.

Radiowalla Network, a prominent B2B media solutions company, set out in 2010 to become a trusted partner in in-store radio. Over the past decade and a half, that mandate has expanded well beyond audio as the company now offers smart solutions for retail businesses spanning in-store radio and advertising, digital screen content management, and digital media. Its client roster today includes more than 700 brands, among them Reliance Industries, KFC, Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover, across over 33,000 locations.

As Radiowalla moves toward becoming a holistic partner for multisensorial retail experiences, the company is now venturing into a new territory: in-store fragrance. Alongside its established audio and video content solutions, this marks the next step in its ambition to help brands engage customers through every sense in the store.

From Audio to a Full Sensory Suite

According to Harpreet Singh, Deputy CEO & COO at Radiowalla Network Limited, the expansion into new categories has largely been client-led. “Over the years, clients know we deliver on our commitments, so they're happy to give us additional services. That's how we entered digital signage, where we service and manage the content. That trust has also opened adjacent opportunities such as grocery chains where consumer brands want to advertise through audio,” he shares.

Fragrance is the latest addition to this portfolio, and it fits a broader philosophy the company has been building toward. “When you think of a customer's journey in a store, we need to capture them sensorially - sight, sound and smell," Harpreet explains. "For retailers, we become one source to outsource these areas of the in-store experience. One entity catering to all these senses."

The fragrance rollout is currently being piloted across a handful of stores, with wider deployment expected within the next month or two. For brands operating multi-store chains, consistency is the priority. “Our strength lies in ensuring the right music, video content and fragrance are implemented in the store. Ensuring the last-mile delivery is our strength,” Harpreet says.

Wherever There's a Captive Audience

Radiowalla's definition of "in-store" has grown broader over time. In-store radio, Harpreet notes, now applies to any space with a captive audience, including an office lobby, an airport lounge or a hospital waiting area where people spend a meaningful amount of time and need the right music playing in the background.

Each environment, however, calls for its own approach. "Every place's requirement is unique. The characteristic vibe of an automobile showroom is entirely different from that of a jewellery store," Harpreet says.

Technology plays a growing role in tailoring that experience. Radiowalla has built smart amplifiers that auto-control volume based on footfall and has deployed AI for its work processes, music creation and curation, as well as for processing voiceovers and generating regional-language voiceovers at scale.

Growth Beyond the Metros

Radiowalla currently services over 50% of the market, according to Harpreet, even as other operators compete in the space. A notable shift, however, is coming from individual and regional players. A growing number of regional brands and retailers are upgrading their in-store experience and subscribing to these services, where many of them are fast-growing chains with just 5 to 10 stores today, but have ambitions to scale much further.

This is where Radiowalla sees some of its strongest headroom for growth: Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, home to a new generation of ambitious regional retail brands. "As brands grow and become aspirational, they want to adopt best practices in terms of store experience for customers, so the potential is great going ahead," Harpreet says.

Alongside this domestic push, the company plans to continue expanding its footprint across the Middle East and African markets.

Despite the growth, Harpreet points to persistent challenges facing the industry. Pricing remains a hurdle, with clients often benchmarking against smaller agencies that operate at lower cost points. Another major issue is upkeep and poor maintenance of audio-visual hardware that can undermine even the most thoughtfully curated content, diminishing its intended impact on the customer experience.