 "Food services provider Compass India looks to tap into travel retail")
The Indian arm of the Compass group, UK-based food services provider, is planning to venture into travel retail, while keeping its focus on global capability centres (GCC), a top company official told Business Standard. \\
“It is a developing area with massive growth as infrastructure grows. It is a story that will develop over time, and it is an area we are looking to experiment with and are sizing the opportunity presented by road travel,” said Vikas Chawla, managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO), Compass group India.
However, the company will continue to focus on opportunities presented by GCCs to drive growth, as it serves over 120 clients spanning over 200 cafes within the segment.
“India is a big market for GCCs and we believe a lot of large GCCs will come into the country. It is a natural opportunity for us and we have a right to win in that market. It is a space we want to double down on,” he added.
India currently has around 800 GCCs, with the number expected to double in the next five years, he pointed out.
“Everyone who comes in will look for global standards, food safety, and draw people into the office — an area where we help as cafes transform into social hubs,” Chawla added.
Compass India serves nearly 1.2 million meals a day through 900 cafeterias, operating across around 45 cities.
“This is a vibrant industry and we are the fastest-growing country for the group globally,” he said, adding that India is among the top three markets for the group.
The firm is also going beyond merely serving meals in cafes to being more present in the office spaces, through small outlets, or micro-markets, selling packaged products. It has created 15 such micro-markets at the moment with the most presence in Bengaluru and Hyderabad.