Plenty in store for customers

The residents of Rajajinagar welcomed a Total Supermarket on Friday afternoon in Golden Heights mall. The day marked the opening of yet another store for Jubilant Retails.

The last time the City saw a Total Superstore being inaugurated was in 2011, when the retail brand decided to nest in Mahadevapura. 

However, they did not fare too well at that point. Raman Mangalorkar, the CEO of Jubilant Retail, agrees that they weren’t doing too well and were in need of a revamp.

The company took two and a half years to rebuild itself and now they are back stronger than ever. Raman says they have restructured the business plan after looking at all their competitors in order to make it more profitable. 

The Rajajinagar store is just their sixth opening but they soon plan to have 20 to 25 superstores in the City. Raman says they are looking to set up a store in Bangalore North, maybe in Malleswaram, Hebbal or Sanjaynagar.

Dhananjay Chthathoor, the associate vice-president (marketing) at Jubilant Retail, said that they have changed a few things in the store to attract the customers. “Total is known for variety and value; we have over 48 kinds of rice and 20 kinds of oil.” 

He says that Bangalore is a modern city, full of immigrants who want authenticity and variety. “If someone says - ghar ki yaad aa gayi, we can accommodate them,” he says. There is a section called ‘Foods of India’ where one can find items like chikki from Lonavala, Chitale Bandu, Karachi Bakery products etc. 

They also cater to culinary experts who are on the look out for specific ingredients. “We have sambar powder that isn’t easily available anywhere else in the City but is available in bulk here,”says Dhananjay. 

The farmers are being benefited by this as well. “We buy all the fruits and vegetables from the local farmers directly, thereby eliminating the middleman,” claims Dhananjay.

They also have a fast food section that caters to people who don’t have time to cook. “You just need to stick these burgers in the microwave and they are done,” says Dhananjay.