BIGGUYS, a homegrown chicken QSR chain, has secured a significant investment of $2 million (over INR 16.62 crore).
This funding is a mix of equity and other instruments that comes entirely from a group of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).
The increasing NRI investment underscores the growing allure of India’s QSR sector among investors in search of high-growth prospects within the country.
“We’re delighted by the immense interest shown by NRIs looking to invest in Indian homegrown QSRs. Their trust in our vision and dedication to the Indian market is highly affirming. This investment will play a pivotal role in driving our ambitious expansion goals and cementing our position as a frontrunner in the Indian QSR landscape,” remarked Sunil, CEO of BIGGUYS.
Since its establishment, the brand has undergone explosive growth, boasting a remarkable achievement of 120 stores within just one year of its launch. This swift expansion is driven by its dedication to innovative, high-quality chicken offerings and a deep understanding of the Indian palate.
This investment will enable BIGGUYS to expedite its expansion plans throughout South India, focusing on major cities such as Bangalore, Chennai, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.
The brand’s objective is to appeal to Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities with innovative strategies, aiming to establish BIGGUYS as a household name throughout the region.
BIGGUYs, conceived by Biraja Rout, the founder of Biggies Burger, is swiftly growing with a clear aim to emerge as the “KFC of India.” Their strategy involves a strong focus on high-quality sourcing, presenting unique flavor choices, and establishing collaborations for an extensive rollout of 120 stores nationwide.
Situated within Banjara Hills’ GVK One Mall, this newly opened outlet marks Jaypore’s third establishment in Hyderabad.
“We are thrilled to unveil our 26th store, now open at GVK One Mall in Hyderabad,” shared Jayesh Nair, regional business manager at ABFRL, in a LinkedIn update. Nair highlighted the company’s dedication to enhancing customer experiences through this expansion.
The store provides handcrafted attire for both men and women, in addition to a selection of home decor, jewellery, and textiles inspired by craft traditions from across India.
Founded in 2012 by Puneet Chawla and Shilpa Sharma, Jaypore initially operated as an online platform. In 2018, the company ventured into offline retailing by inaugurating its debut store in New Delhi. The subsequent year, it became a part of the Aditya Birla Group through acquisition.
ABFRL recently collaborated with Ingenuity, a commerce solution provider, to introduce Jaypore to the US market. Ingenuity will provide technological and marketing support, facilitating the company’s expansion of its direct-to-consumer (D2C) presence worldwide.
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. (ABFRL), the retail division of the Aditya Birla Group, manages a portfolio of international fashion and lifestyle brands, including Ralph Lauren, Hackett London, Simon Carter, Ted Baker, Fred Perry, Forever 21, American Eagle, and Galeries Lafayette.
As of March 2023, the company boasts a network of more than 3,977 stores spanning approximately 33,535 multi-brand outlets, along with 6,723 points of sale within department stores throughout India.
Homestrap, an Indore-based direct-to-consumer (D2C) homeware brand, has entered the physical retail space by launching its first kiosk, as announced by a company official on social media.
The new kiosk is located at Phoenix Citadel Mall in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. This mall also features several other home accessory brands, including Daiso, Home Centre, Home360, Pure Home & Living, and Latt Liv.
“We are thrilled to announce that Homestrap has just opened its very first kiosk at Phoenix Citadel Mall in Indore,” stated Akash Mehta, co-founder of HomeStrap Fabric Furnishing Pvt. Ltd., in a LinkedIn post.
“This smaller format is an experimental step for us, enabling us to bring our innovative home storage and organization solutions even closer to you. This new kiosk is another milestone for Homestrap as we continue to expand and explore new ways to better serve our customers,” Mehta added.
Product Range at the Kiosk
The kiosk features a wide range of organizing products tailored for various purposes, including cupboard storage, kitchen organization, bathroom storage, laundry solutions, and travel accessories.
Digital-first brand Homestrap was founded in 2013 by husband-and-wife duo Priyanka and Mehta.
Nike, a renowned US-based athleisure brand, has opened a new store at Pacific Mall in Delhi, as revealed by a social media post from a mall executive.
The latest outlet is situated within Pacific Mall’s Tagore Garden premises and will feature a wide range of products including athleisure, running gear, training essentials, lifestyle items, and Jordan merchandise, as well as Nike sports bras, tights, and performance essentials.
Ashish Gupta, Vice President of Business Development at Pacific Development Corporation Ltd., shared on his LinkedIn profile, “Exciting news! The Nike experience store is now open at Pacific Mall, Tagore Garden, offering a wide range of athleisure and Jordan products.”
Established in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports by Bill Bowerman and his former student Phil Knight, Nike inaugurated its initial retail store in 1966. The company ventured into its own shoe brand in 1972, subsequently rebranding to Nike, Inc. in 1978. Catering to men, women, and children, Nike provides an extensive range of products including footwear, apparel, accessories, and equipment. Its sub-brands encompass Nike Sportswear, NikeLab, Nike By You, Jordan, ACG NBA, and Nike SB.
In 1995, Nike commenced its operations in India through a licensing agreement with Sierra Industrial Enterprises, based in Delhi. Subsequently, in 2004, Nike India, a subsidiary of Nike, Inc., was established.
Star Bazaar, the hypermarket chain under Tata Trent, has unveiled a new store in Hyderabad, Telangana, as announced in a recent social media post by a top company executive.
The store is situated above Trent’s Zudio store and is located in Hyderabad’s Saroornagar at Vijay Nagar Colony, Bhagya Nagar.
“Greetings Hyderabad! Star is delighted to invite you to our new store at Karmanghat. Come visit us for all your grocery shopping requirements,” shared Suma Sriharsha, Operations Director at Trent Hypermarket Pvt. Ltd. – Star Bazaar, on her LinkedIn profile.
Earlier, Snackfax reported Trent Ltd.’s launch of Star Bazaar along with Zudio and Westside in Hyderabad.
Star Bazaar, a collaboration between Tata Trent and Tesco, presents a diverse range of over 30,000 products, encompassing fresh food, groceries, apparel, general merchandise, and consumer durables. Its footprint extends across Mumbai, Pune, Kolhapur, Aurangabad, and Bengaluru.
Founded in 1998, Tata Trent serves as the retail division of the Tata Group. It oversees several apparel brands, including Zudio, Westside, Utsa, Samoh, and Misbu. Additionally, the company has formed two joint ventures with Spain’s Inditex SA to manage the Zara and Massimo Dutti labels within India.
Snitch, a Bengaluru-based D2C brand, operating approximately eight stores across cities like Bengaluru, Surat, and Vadodara, has partnered with Relove, a platform for sustainable fashion. This collaboration offers customers the opportunity to purchase Snitch products at significant discounts.
Siddharth Dungarwal, the founder and CEO of Snitch, said, “The integration of Relove underscores our unwavering commitment to sustainable fashion. We’re dedicated to offering our customers both stylish, high-quality clothing and the opportunity to make eco-conscious choices. Through this partnership, we empower our customers to contribute to a more sustainable future. This initiative allows them to indulge in their favorite Snitch styles while actively supporting environmental conservation.”
Through this collaboration, customers will now have the opportunity to acquire authenticated preloved Snitch items at substantial discounts. Additionally, they will also have the avenue to sell their own preloved Snitch products, offering a seamless exchange within the Snitch community.
Customers can effortlessly navigate the Snitch website to browse, sell, and purchase preloved items, all with the confidence that each piece has undergone thorough quality verification.
With a vigilant focus on sustainable practices, Snitch has saved 3 million liters of water over the past two years and actively maintains its products in circulation, preventing them from ending up in landfills. Through the resale of each garment, Snitch contributes to saving six times its weight in CO2, marking a significant reduction in the fashion industry’s environmental footprint.
Established in 2020 as a direct-to-consumer brand, Snitch recently secured INR 110 crore in its Series A funding round. Additionally, the company has outlined plans to inaugurate approximately 20-30 offline stores by the end of this fiscal year.
British sandwich and coffee chain Pret A Manger has decided not to proceed with its intention to establish outlets in Israel.
The decision is said to result from travel limitations imposed on UK personnel due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas in Palestine.
In December 2022, Pret A Manger finalized a deal with two Israeli firms, Fox Group and Yarzin Sella Group, to introduce the Pret brand to Israel.
Even with the agreement in place, there haven’t been any Pret shops established in the country so far.
Pret A Manger’s strategy, announced in 2021, aimed to double its business size within five years, including expansion into Israel.
With joint ownership by investment firm JAB and founder Sinclair Beecham, Pret A Manger currently runs 650 shops in 18 global markets.
Challenges Faced in Establishing Pret in Israel
A spokesperson from Pret A Manger said, “The extent of the progress regarding the store opening plans remains unclear at this time. We have made the challenging choice to terminate our existing agreement with Fox Group and Yarzin Sella Group.”
“Our teams have been unable to carry out the essential training and checks needed to establish Pret in a new market because of the significant and ongoing travel restrictions.” Our colleagues who go to Israel are not covered by our travel insurance policy.
According to a report in The Times of Israel, the coffee chain had plans to open a minimum of 40 cafes in the country by the year 2033.
In a saturated market, where countless brands offer health and personal care products, a Nagpur-based startup, Daivik Moringa stands out with its unique approach to wellness. Founded by Devika Bajaj, this brand has rapidly gained recognition for its high-quality, farm-to-table Moringa-based products, setting a new standard in the industry.
Anticipating a 2X growth this year, the brand is all set to leverage cutting-edge AI technology and a commitment to quality to distinguish itself from countless other brands. “We’re introducing a new AI-based feature on our website in the coming months. This feature will scan the visitor’s face to analyze skin issues like open pores, pigmentation, or acne-prone skin, and then recommend products from our range accordingly. This innovative approach will set our e-commerce website apart from others,” Devika informs us.
After realizing that customers, prefer to buy directly from website for various reasons, primarily authenticity, Devika’s brand has turned to AI to enhance consumer experience. Besides that, the moringa brand has also adopted performance marketing to increase its new customer base.
“We have been a completely organic brand, avoiding sponsored marketing. However, last year, with a 45% customer retention rate and growing confidence in our products’ impact, we ventured into performance marketing. The results have been outstanding, with a significant increase in new customer acquisition,” she says.
Daivik Moringa’s Diverse Product Range
Daivik Moringa’s product range is extensive and thoughtfully curated to meet diverse health and personal care needs. From Moringa powder and capsules to herbal teas, skincare oils, and sulfate-free shampoos, each product is designed to harness the full nutritional and medicinal potential of the Moringa tree. Having said that, one of the significant challenges Daivik Moringa faces is market competition, especially from brands offering similar products at lower prices.
Despite a higher price point, Daivik Moringa’s products are in high demand due to their superior quality. The brand owns its farms, ensuring complete control over the cultivation and processing of Moringa. This meticulous approach results in products with higher nutritional content compared to competitors.
“We don’t purchase Moringa from third parties. The quality of our Moringa depends on several factors like soil nutrients and climatic conditions. We’ve done lab comparisons and found our Moringa to be nutritionally superior,” Devika emphasizes.
Devika also talked about her entrepreneurial journey, which was anything but planned. Before getting into business, she was managing the international sales and marketing division of her family business. Her transition into the wellness industry was entirely serendipitous, driven by her own health challenges.
“In 2018, after my second child, I faced severe nutritional deficiencies, including D3, B12, and calcium, coupled with excessive hair fall and significant weight gain,” she shares. This personal health crisis led her to discover Moringa, a nutrient-rich superfood known for its numerous health benefits.
Expansion Plans:
Looking ahead, Daivik Moringa is poised for significant growth. The brand plans to expand its offline presence through collaborations with health experts and organic stores, and it recently launched in Relay International and domestic stores in Bangalore.
“The next year looks promising,” Devika affirms. “With the pandemic prompting a greater emphasis on health and fitness, the wellness industry is flourishing. We’re seeing a huge surge in new customer acquisition and are confident about the impact our products are making in the market.”
Arby’s, a US-based fast-food sandwich chain, has announced the launch of two new burgers for the summer of 2024 (June through August) and a branded golf club in the lead-up to Father’s Day on June 16th.
The Deluxe Burger and the Big Cheesy Bacon Burger will be offered for a limited time at select participating Arby’s locations.
Delectable Details: Ingredients and Pricing
With a price tag of $6.99, the Deluxe Burger features a succulent patty topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and burger sauce, all nestled within a toasted brioche bun.
Priced from $7.99, the Big Cheesy Bacon Burger boasts six strips of bacon, Swiss cheese, along with American cheese and additional toppings, served on a brioche bun.
Arby’s has unveiled the Arby’s Burger Driver, a custom-branded golf club, emphasizing the fusion of dad’s favorite pastime and food—golf and burgers—as a tribute to Father’s Day.
The exclusive clubs will be accessible to a chosen group of customers through participation in an online contest, running from June 3rd to June 9th.
Ellen Rose, Arby’s chief marketing officer, expressed, “The Arby’s Burger Driver was crafted with our fans in mind, catering to those who have a passion for both golf and savoring a delicious burger.”
“We’re sure our burgers can beat the opposition and add some spice to our fans’ round of golf. We’re excited to see how the Burger Driver changes the fairway’s flavour profile.”
In February 2024, Arby’s reintroduced its Brown Sugar Bacon sandwich for a limited duration.
Kerry, a global frontrunner in offering sustainable nutrition solutions to the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical sectors, introduces a groundbreaking alternative to cocoa. This solution aims to address the rising cocoa prices and supply challenges. Forecasts indicate an 11% deficit in cocoa supply for 2024, contributing to a remarkable 300% surge in prices over the previous year.
The cocoa production crisis, unprecedented in its scale, has been chiefly fueled by factors like the swollen shoot virus and soil degradation, profoundly impacting pivotal cocoa-producing nations. Countries such as Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, responsible for approximately 54% of the world’s cocoa supply, are witnessing substantial drops in their stock reserves.
Responding to the demand, Kerry has engineered a variety of Cocoa Taste solutions, offering an authentic cocoa experience that doesn’t rely solely on conventional cocoa bean derivatives. Their cocoa solution not only maintains the beloved indulgence of cocoa taste for consumers but also assists manufacturers in navigating the unpredictable cocoa market by reducing their dependency on cocoa mass.
Advantages of Kerry’s Cocoa Alternative Solution:
Delivering Authentic Cocoa Taste
Kerry’s proficiency in cocoa extraction and flavor crafting guarantees that our Cocoa Taste solutions provide the sumptuous, indulgent cocoa experience consumers anticipate. Our lineup of solutions facilitates up to a 35% decrease in cocoa powder usage in formulations, assisting in the reduction of cocoa powder in baked goods, dairy beverages, and confectionery, all while preserving and enriching cocoa nuances and sensory delight.
Cost Reduction and Supply Stability
Through the incorporation of Kerry’s Cocoa Taste Solutions into their products, manufacturers can notably mitigate their vulnerability to the unpredictable cocoa commodity market. This leads to significant cost reductions and a steadier supply chain, enabling businesses to sustain competitiveness in the face of external market pressures.
Expert Guidance and Support
Kerry offers access to a team of seasoned food scientists and flavor specialists who provide valuable insights and assistance, aiding manufacturers in fine-tuning their product formulations to preserve or even elevate sensory attributes. This ensures that the end product meets consumer expectations seamlessly, even amidst cocoa constraints.
“Our dedication to sustainability is at the core of our cocoa replacement solution. This crisis doesn’t just pose challenges; it represents a crucial juncture for innovation and transformation in cocoa sourcing strategies. Sustainability is paramount in exploring potential solutions; if effectively tackled, it can revolutionize the cocoa production landscape. This not only helps alleviate current supply hurdles, fostering long-term industry resilience and environmental well-being, but also nurtures ongoing product innovation for brands and manufacturers,” said Young Kim, Vice President of Taste at Kerry Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa.
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