Devendra Chawla

Modern retail has changed the way consumers shop for groceries. The challenge for food marketers is to harness the changes to grow.One important change is occassion-based shopping. It requires knowing the right context in which people shop for products. Occasions are the context of consumption that rise out of our needs, culture and habits. They give marketers the ability to be truly relevant to consumers. The contexts make consumers choose different categories and brands.Let us look at the various occasions in a consumer's life where she interacts with a plethora of brands - the moment she reaches out for her toothbrush and paste or the morning cup of tea accompanied by biscuits, the jam that's spread on the bread, and the list goes on.Every usage occasion is an interplay of multiple product categories. A modern retailer understands the nuances of cross-category consumption because it brings all brands together. There is real opportunity to help the shopper by providing solutions for

Time for a retail thali

Business Standard

Brands have pulled out all the stops to woo the housewife. The winner will be the one that makes her feel in control

Battle for kitchen dominance

For consumer businesses, an economic slowdown often brings with it the prospect of down-trading by their audiences. Be it in FMCG, durables, automobiles or even food and beverage services, we hear of discretionary items being struck off the shopping list. But, is it really true that consumers have been down-trading to save?Over the last decade, our growing economy has created more discerning consumers, such as the consumers of modern trade. As a result, brands entered premium categories - in an effort to stay relevant.When the slowdown struck, and in the wake of its aftershocks, the consumers sought out relevance in those very brands in which they had put their trust over the last 10 years. Those which are no more relevant to the consumer's frame of things have been relegated to the lower shelves.But does that mean the relevant brands and extensions today reflect the much-discussed down-trading of the last three-four years? Far from it.Down-trading has been defined as 'reducing the num

Down-trading? Brands should win in trade-offs

With the world turning flatter every day, clear distinction among product categories are fading. Usages and user interfaces are constantly getting redefined, re-aligned and re-discovered. The rapid bundling of services on various mobile telephony platforms &ndash; voice, chat, mail, music, media, internet, banking &amp; finance, &ndash; today&rsquo;s phone is a do-all-in-one gadget, an epitome of convergence.

The per capita myopia

With women stepping out of the household a lot more, brands that help them outsource kitchen chores will emerge winners.

Matching steps with the hausfrau

Today consumers have unlimited choices; brands can make the most of it by understanding the changing needs of the consumers and offering a wider range.

It's my life...

In a world where snap judgements by consumers can make or break a brand, packaging form and aesthetics have a crucial role in deciding if the product will make it to the shopper&rsquo;s trolley.

Devendra Chawla

Devendra Chawla

Devendra Chawla

Time for a retail thali

Battle for kitchen dominance

Down-trading? Brands should win in trade-offs

The per capita myopia

Matching steps with the hausfrau

It's my life...

Winning at the place of purchase