Freshpik: Reliance Retail's Experiential Gourmet Food Superstore

Freshpik: Reliance Retail's Experiential Gourmet Food Superstore

With the launch of Freshpik, Reliance Retail forayed into the ultra-premium grocery segment in India.

By Charu Lamba, Deputy Editor

Mar 23, 2022 / 7 MIN READ

Freshpik, a first-of-its-kind experiential gourmet food superstore from Reliance Retail, launched its maiden store at Jio World Drive in Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai in 2021. With the launch of Freshpik, Reliance Retail forayed into the ultra-premium grocery segment in India. Designed keeping in mind the refined tastes and delicate aesthetic sensibilities of food connoisseurs and well-traveled gourmands, the Freshpik store offers a melange of the finest food products and beverages sourced from select local and international destinations, presented through a bevy of immersive shopping concepts that make shopping fun, satisfying and pleasurable.
 
Explaining the idea behind introducing the store, Avinash Tripathi, Vice President, Concept Head - Premium Grocery at Reliance Retail said, “There are two segments in the market as of now – mass and gourmet. We wanted to create a model which is approachable for all the customers and it should cater to all the needs of the consumers. We did not want it to look like any other grocery store and we also wanted to create an experience in every area. There is a segment for each and every member of the family at the Freshpik store.”
 
Choices Galore
 
The range of food items offered at Freshpik include staples; freshly picked fruits and vegetables – with specially curated exotic and organic varieties and live microgreens; essential ingredients for international cuisines such as Italian, Thai, Japanese, Korean; a rich selection of finest bread, artisanal cheese, ice creams, frozen desserts and chocolates from local and international producers; and handcrafted delicacies including muffins, cakes, cookies and pastries with keto-friendly, gluten, vegan, high-protein options. The ‘Good for You’ range of premium and healthy food products caters to the diverse dietary preferences of health-conscious customers.
 
Apart from this, customers can also choose from exotic varieties of tea and coffee; a wide range of personal care products, including premium Ayurvedic and natural products; a host of kitchen accessories like cooking ware, serve ware, and bespoke and ready-to-pick gifting options. “If good food is your thing, Freshpik is a paradise. It's a playground to delight all our senses, touch, see, smell, hear, taste, enjoy. Come with your own wish list of food. I promise the discoveries will surprise you. Freshpik is a food experience, not just a store,” said Damodar Mall, CEO Grocery Retail, Reliance Retail.
 
The gourmet superstore is currently offering 8,000-9,000 SKUs.
 
Elevating Shopping Experience
 
A distinctive aspect of Freshpik is its immersive shopping concepts – created by integrating digital and physical themes – that elevate the experience of shopping to a whole new plane. Many of these concepts are being implemented for the first time in India.
 
For instance, the wine store has a stocking of globally renowned wines, and also an inbuilt tasting room where customers can try wines and beers of their choice, and even engage in appreciation and education sessions. The young ones can get a customized 3D printing done on chocolates at the Cadbury Purple Room, or indulge themselves at the cheese sauce counter or the live salad and sandwiches counter. The chocoholics can savor the finest and best of chocolates from Godiva, Smoor, Cadbury, and a host of finest farm-to-bar chocolate brands.
 
The Candy Paradise is a treat for kids with M&M and 4700BC popcorn.  They can also enjoy a serving of fresh milkshake and waffles at Epigamia’s Yogurt Bar or live popcorn and cotton candy pop-ups at 4700BC popcorn. At the staples counter, they can watch nut butter or nut milk being freshly prepared. The modern customer’s perception of good food is evolving every day. And so is their benchmark for product quality, trust and shopping experience. 
Food shopping has moved from being a monotonous, dreary, and transactional process to one that is full of fun, exploration, learning, and discovery. It has become a process where one bond with food, feels it with all the five senses – and the heart, and then takes a conscious buying decision. “60 percent of the store is dedicated to shopping and the rest 40 percent is kept for the experience zone,” asserts Damodar..
 
Omnichannel Retail
 
Freshpik offers 'Omnichannel' service complemented with a digitally enriched in-store experience that features a 'Personal Shopper' where customers can do a quick self check-out and enjoy a smooth and hassle-free shopping trip. The Freshpik app will be available soon too.  
 
“We will be going Omnichannel by March as it is the only way going forward as you cannot become the offline or online-only brand and both the channel should be integrated in such a way that they should talk to each other,” states Tripathi.
 
Future Plans
 
Reliance was never into gourmet space and it is testing the model, to find how profitable and scalable it is. The store in Jio World Drive spans across 10,000 sq.ft. and going ahead, the brand is looking at expanding the space by 20 percent more.
 
“We are planning to open 14-15 stores across India. Currently, we are looking to open new stores in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Delhi. Malls are the right place as it is a destination store and it cannot go in everywhere,” concludes Tripathi.
 

Freshpik, a first-of-its-kind experiential gourmet food superstore from Reliance Retail, launched its maiden store at Jio World Drive in Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai in 2021. With the launch of Freshpik, Reliance Retail forayed into the ultra-premium grocery segment in India. Designed keeping in mind the refined tastes and delicate aesthetic sensibilities of food connoisseurs and well-traveled gourmands, the Freshpik store offers a melange of the finest food products and beverages sourced from select local and international destinations, presented through a bevy of immersive shopping concepts that make shopping fun, satisfying and pleasurable. Explaining the idea behind introducing the store, Avinash Tripathi, Vice President, Concept Head - Premium Grocery at Reliance Retail said, “There are two segments in the market as of now – mass and gourmet. We wanted to create a model which is approachable for all the customers and it should cater to all the needs of the consumers. We did not want it to look like any other grocery store and we also wanted to create an experience in every area. There is a segment for each and every member of the family at the Freshpik store.” Choices Galore The range of food items offered at Freshpik include staples; freshly picked fruits and vegetables – with specially curated exotic and organic varieties and live microgreens; essential ingredients for international cuisines such as Italian, Thai, Japanese, Korean; a rich selection of finest bread, artisanal cheese, ice creams, frozen desserts and chocolates from local and international producers; and handcrafted delicacies including muffins, cakes, cookies and pastries with keto-friendly, gluten, vegan, high-protein options. The ‘Good for You’ range of premium and healthy food products caters to the diverse dietary preferences of health-conscious customers. Apart from this, customers can also choose from exotic varieties of tea and coffee; a wide range of personal care products, including premium Ayurvedic and natural products; a host of kitchen accessories like cooking ware, serve ware, and bespoke and ready-to-pick gifting options. “If good food is your thing, Freshpik is a paradise. It's a playground to delight all our senses, touch, see, smell, hear, taste, enjoy. Come with your own wish list of food. I promise the discoveries will surprise you. Freshpik is a food experience, not just a store,” said Damodar Mall, CEO Grocery Retail, Reliance Retail. The gourmet superstore is currently offering 8,000-9,000 SKUs. Elevating Shopping Experience A distinctive aspect of Freshpik is its immersive shopping concepts – created by integrating digital and physical themes – that elevate the experience of shopping to a whole new plane. Many of these concepts are being implemented for the first time in India. For instance, the wine store has a stocking of globally renowned wines, and also an inbuilt tasting room where customers can try wines and beers of their choice, and even engage in appreciation and education sessions. The young ones can get a customized 3D printing done on chocolates at the Cadbury Purple Room, or indulge themselves at the cheese sauce counter or the live salad and sandwiches counter. The chocoholics can savor the finest and best of chocolates from Godiva, Smoor, Cadbury, and a host of finest farm-to-bar chocolate brands. The Candy Paradise is a treat for kids with M&M and 4700BC popcorn.  They can also enjoy a serving of fresh milkshake and waffles at Epigamia’s Yogurt Bar or live popcorn and cotton candy pop-ups at 4700BC popcorn. At the staples counter, they can watch nut butter or nut milk being freshly prepared. The modern customer’s perception of good food is evolving every day. And so is their benchmark for product quality, trust and shopping experience. Food shopping has moved from being a monotonous, dreary, and transactional process to one that is full of fun, exploration, learning, and discovery. It has become a process where one bond with food, feels it with all the five senses – and the heart, and then takes a conscious buying decision. “60 percent of the store is dedicated to shopping and the rest 40 percent is kept for the experience zone,” asserts Damodar.. Omnichannel Retail Freshpik offers 'Omnichannel' service complemented with a digitally enriched in-store experience that features a 'Personal Shopper' where customers can do a quick self check-out and enjoy a smooth and hassle-free shopping trip. The Freshpik app will be available soon too.   “We will be going Omnichannel by March as it is the only way going forward as you cannot become the offline or online-only brand and both the channel should be integrated in such a way that they should talk to each other,” states Tripathi. Future Plans Reliance was never into gourmet space and it is testing the model, to find how profitable and scalable it is. The store in Jio World Drive spans across 10,000 sq.ft. and going ahead, the brand is looking at expanding the space by 20 percent more. “We are planning to open 14-15 stores across India. Currently, we are looking to open new stores in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Delhi. Malls are the right place as it is a destination store and it cannot go in everywhere,” concludes Tripathi. 

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