Partner
Marwadi Stores
Marwadi Stores
A partner at Marwadi Store since 2008, Sanjaykumar Ramkumar Jaju had joined the family business back in 1992 as a store manager. Set up in 1939 and a long-standing retail landmark in Ahmedabad, Marwadi Stores is a fashion MBO offering a range of fashion textiles and ready-to-wear from numerous brands, including Raymond, J Hampstead, Siyaram’s, Graviera, Indian Rayon (Linen Club-Aditya Birla Group), Morarjee, Monte Carlo, Nostrum, Jockey, Nimantran, Ceremony, Ekraj and Shahenaai, among many others.
“We have always been involved in several key operational decisions by some of India’s leading textile giants, including Raymond, J. Hampstead, Siyarams’, Donear, etc. As a result we enjoy the status of being an authorised dealer of all these companies and have been able to achieve targets every year,” Jaju says.
In addition to retail sales, a significant component of Marwadi Store’s revenues come from institutional sales; the retailer is a preferred supplier of uniforms to the regional police force, several corporates, schools, as well as being a linen supplier to several hospitals and hotels in the region. The store is actively developing a range of private labels — named ‘Attire’, ‘Sovereign (Matty)’, ‘Singham Collection’ — for insitutional uniforms.
“Last year, we celebrated our 75th Anniversary and our tag line on the occasion was ‘Celebrate the Past, Imagine the Future’,” Jaju informs.
“I enjoy being in Retail because of the sense of satisfaction I feel upon seeing my customers happy with their purchases at our store,” he notes.
With so many changes happening in customer preferences in the modern age, which are the biggest challenges in retailing for him?
“Availability and retention of staff is a challenge for any retailer today, and so it is for us,” he answers
As a successful traditional retailer, Marwadi Store has witnessed many shifts in the marketplace. What does Jaju think is key to deriving success in retail?
“Well, to achieve full potential, Indian retailers must understand that the customer is King and must be served with great honour and pride. A one-line motto for retailers should be: Let the customer be satisfied to the extent that there remains no scope for external publicity; word-of-mouth publicity shall take care of everything,” he says.
