Future Group’s premium lifestyle and food superstore, Foodhall, has taken grocery shopping experience a notch higher by introducing its second outlet in Mumbai, which is spread across 25,000 sq. ft. It is designed to offer exclusive concepts and an unmatched experience, offering novelty items from across the globe through each of its four levels.
The new Foodhall superstore aims to be India’s answer to the likes of globally renowned stores in cities like London, Los Angeles and Dubai, with only one main aim – to make all its urban, well-travelled patrons romanticize the idea and ingredients of a dish than to just enjoy the final result.
Avni Biyani, Concept Head, Foodhall says, “It’s our privilege to live in a world obsessed with, and unified by, food. Establishing Foodhall in 2011 in Mumbai was our attempt at being part of the food dialogue that has become integral to contemporary culture. We were passionate about food and believed that everyone deserved access to good produce and quality ingredients. It was a simple premise that gave birth to Foodhall, but just as food has evolved from being a necessity to a global phenomenon, so has our commitment to food.”
“What started as a single, ingredients-driven store is now a store chain with branches in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. Foodhall@Linking Road is one of our most ambitious projects yet, a project that has been years in the making as it offers a shopping experience that customers have never seen before,” she adds.
Superstore with a Difference
The experience starts at the Lower Level that houses Café by Foodhall, the Cake Shop, the Meat Market, the World of Cheese, Antipasti & Oliveology, ARQA, World of Nuts, the Blue Ribbon Gift Shop and the Chocolate Library, the Cheese Cellar and the Wine Cellar.
The Ground Level delivers with The Bakery, the Juice Bar, the Farmer’s Market and The Fresh Garden.
Level One has The House of Tea Salon, The Pantry, Freezer, YOKU MOKU and the La Folie Lab, the Coffee Roastery and the Coffee Lab and Xocolatl 57 while the Second Level has Foodhall’s first restaurant ‘Sorrentina by Foodhall’ and the ‘Foodhall Cookery Studio’
According to Biyani, Foodhall has over 12,000 SKUs spread across various categories like FMCG, dairy, staples, F&B, fish and meat and general merchandise. “We also have a number of in-house concepts that we have developed over a period of time, which cater to the various needs of our customers.”
What’s Trending
Foodhall has been the first format in India to champion the availability of international products and the brand has noticed an exponential growth year-on-year. Over time, it has noticed that cuisine based products have been showing a rapid growth. This section not only targets our customer base that is well travelled but also customers that are willing to experiment with new flavours and cuisines.
“The growth in gourmet and international products are almost 30 percent and the percentage revenue contribution from gourmet and international products is around 60 percent,” she explains.
At present, the emerging categories for Foodhall are gluten-free, vegan, alternate dairy, ancient grains, speciality water, probiotic beverages, international cuisines and cheese to name a few.
“Today’s trend is all about health and Foodhall believes that this is not only here to stay but will also evolve in the coming years. Keeping this in mind Foodhall has created a ‘Better For You’ section where it carries various products that cater to this lifestyle including Ketogenic, Paleo, Gluten Free, Vegan foods etc. While Foodhall stocks these products, it also believes in helping customers ensure that these choices work for them while also helping beginners transition to this lifestyle effortlessly,” states Biyani.
“We try to engage the young generation by hosting masterclasses at our stores on various cuisines and dietary trends. These masterclasses are a big hit with the youth as they get a hands-on experience on different ingredients and the best way to use them in cuisines,” she adds.
Future Plans
The brand, which is eyeing Rs 250 crore revenue this fiscal, is introducing some new categories like pet food, health supplements, functional beverages and also extending the existing categories which are showing upward trends.
“The progress has been steady in matured categories and exponential in emerging ones,” asserts Biyani adding, “At present, 27 percent of the revenue comes from in-house brands.”
“After the successful launch of Foodhall@LinkingRoad, we are now excited to announce one more store in Mumbai City – Foodhall@Vama on Peddar Road. The store will be set to serve our customers within a month’s time,” she concludes.
