Future Consumer signs partnership with MaxWholesale

Brings Future Group’s staples products to the neighbourhood stores

Future Consumer Limited, part of India’s largest consumer company and a subsidiary of Future Group, on Tuesday signed a partnership with MaxWholesale to bring its products to the neighbourhood grocery stores.

According to Future Consumer, the agreement will be applied to Delhi NCR to increase its offline footprint.

MaxWholesale is a new age distribution company, the fastest growing e-wholesale platform disrupting the segment by using the efficiencies of its proprietary digital platform.

As a part of the agreement, MaxWholesale will make its technology platform available to Future Consumer Limited and enable distribution of the staples assortment of Future Consumer’s products to the neighbourhood grocery stores.

The product assortment includes daily-use commodity items like pulses, spices, rice, beans and some of the Golden Harvest branded products among many others.

Commenting on the partnership, MaxWholesale Co-founder and CEO Samarth Agrawal said India has the largest network of neighbourhood 'kirana' stores in the world, capturing more than 98% of FMCG and staples sales in India.

"These small retail stores are like local curators knowing the requirements of their neighbourhood very well. However, they have multiple challenges in their business operations, reliably procuring good quality and value-for-money staples being one of the prominent ones," he said.

Agrawal pointed out that it is a proud moment in the company's journey as it enhances its product portfolio through a strategic partnership with one of the largest and the best staples companies of India and it enables MaxWholesale to enhance the offering to retailers and therefore the end consumers.

So far, Future Group staples and Golden Harvest products were available to consumers exclusively through multi-brand retail stores such as Big Bazaar. This partnership between MaxWholesale and Future Group will enable the availability of Future Group’s products to the consumers of Delhi at their nearest 'kirana' stores, thereby expanding the brand’s reach.

Commenting on the partnership, Future Consumer Limited Head of Commodities Anand Jaju said Future Group's vision is to provide premium quality of flour, pulses, dry fruits, cereal and spices to each and every household of India.

"True to this vision we want to make our products reach every Kirana store," he said.

The growth of its platform MaxWholesale has seen inbound interest from Mill owners as well. United Export Mills, the makers of Parakh Rice in India have also inked a partnership with MaxWholesale to provide quality rice to the retailers on the platform.

“I like this model because as a mill owner, for me it removes the unorganized middlemen and gives me direct reach to the retailers who are actually putting our product in the consumer’s hands.”, says Sudhanshu Narang, MD, Parakh Rice Mills.

Dominating India’s grocery retailing with an immense 98% share of the grocery retail business,'kirana' stores are a key piece in the entire retail value chain. Through its extensive network of retailers, MaxWholesale envisions to supply Future Group's products to each and every household of India.

Future Consumer is leading the way in India by developing a new retail experience for consumers and plans to launch 1,100 stores this year. The stores will be within close proximity of target consumers and feature a complete digital experience both in-store and through a virtual marketplace.

The new retail experience will add to Future Group’s existing footprint. Future Group is present in 26 of 31 Indian states with over 2,000 modern trade outlets and 5,000 public distribution outlets and a nationwide cold-chain and ambient distribution network.

The company recently announced a 50-50 joint venture with New Zealand’s Fonterra which will provide a range of consumer and food service dairy products.

In a recent decision, the company is also testing hyperlocal grocery delivery to take on the competition from Amazon and Flipkart.

Under the plan, the company is planning a door-step delivery model for consumers availing Future Group-owned convenience formats — Easyday, Nilgiris and Heritage. The company is testing it both online and offline.