In an ambitious stride towards transforming the consumer tech landscape, SuperK, a supermarket chain rapidly expanding across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, has unveiled a series of groundbreaking initiatives aimed at enhancing customer experience and brand partnerships. Anil Thontepu, Co-Founder of SuperK, shared exciting developments and future plans in a recent interview.
“Recently, we released a consumer-facing app focusing on couponing, which allows us to offer personalized deals to our customers,” said Thontepu. “Typically, FMCG brands cannot run targeted offers without printing them on the packaging. They can’t control where in the value chain the benefits will be applied. In modern trade, they also lack the ability to target specific customers, which is only possible through Q-commerce and E-commerce.”
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SuperK’s new mobile application is changing the game. While the app requires customers to visit their stores to avail of discounts and deals, it enables brands to target specific customers effectively. Highlighting the app’s success, Thontepu mentioned their partnership with the Fortune brand in the oil segment. “Fortune had a 3% market share in our stores, and within three months, we increased their share to 53%.”
A Unique Shopping Experience
One of the standout features of SuperK stores is the self-service format, a novelty for many small-town shoppers. “In many places where we operate, we are the first time, a customer can walk in and buy products at a store. The existing retailers do not have self-service format stores in the most tier2 or 3 cities,” says Thontepu. This modern retail experience, combined with the convenience and warmth of a local kirana store, sets SuperK apart.
The digital billing system is another game-changer. “In a SuperK store, all the inventory is digitized, and every customer who walks in gets a printed bill. The pricing is very transparent,” Thontepu highlights. This transparency and efficiency enhance the shopping experience, making it more trustworthy and appealing to customers.
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Roadmap ahead
Looking ahead to the next six months, SuperK is focused on expanding its consumer-facing offerings. The chain recently launched a membership program, which has already seen fantastic traction. Thontepu explained, “We realized that our customers fall into two categories: full-basket customers and top-up customers. Full-basket customers seek value, while top-up customers seek convenience. Our goal is to drive more value for the full-basket customers and provide a decent assortment for the top-up customers.”
The supermarket chain’s ultimate goal is to significantly increase its membership base and store count. Thontepu shared their ambitious plans: “Our larger aspiration for the next few years is to expand throughout Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Currently, we have over 100 stores, and we believe the region has the potential for 2,000 stores. Our goal is to capture 1,000 of these stores in the next couple of years.”
With its tech-enabled franchise model and new membership program, SuperK is poised to create a significant impact on the retail landscape, benefiting both local entrepreneurs and customers. As Thontepu puts it, “For the customer, it’s definitely a better experience than the neighborhood kirana.”
