Dabur 'dares' its sales team for sharper focus

NEW DELHI: With organised retail growing at 25-30% and rural demand on the rise, Dabur India is rejigging its retail strategy. The FMCG company is working on a retail excellence programme to improve distribution efficiencies and better tap the different set of opportunities presented by modern trade and rural demand.

The programme, called DARE —Driving Achievement of Retail Excellence—includes reorganisation of the sales team for better channel alignment, special rural focus in six states and working on brand visibility and special consumer packs for organised retail.

The strategy is part of Dabur India’s Vision 2010, which was unveiled early this year, aiming at doubling its revenues and profits in the next four years through expansion, innovation and acquisition. With an investment of about Rs 20 crore, the first phase of the retail programme till December this year will cover over five lakh towns and rural markets across the country.

As part of Dare, the company has reorganised its sales team, assigning separate teams for organised retail, grocers and chemists. “The retail environment is changing.

While organised retail is growing at a scorching pace, grocers are upgrading themselves and chemists are stocking more and more personal care products,” says VS Sitaram, executive director-consumer care division, Dabur India.

To tap rural demand, the FMCG company has formed special rural sales teams for six identified states—Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The strategy for these markets is to improve distribution and innovate in terms of special consumer packs.

To improve brand visibility in different retail formats, the company has appointed retail solutions provider Ramms India to design displays and point-of-purchase communication for Dabur brands. A new trade marketing team has been roped in to gain shopper insights and for better leveraging Dabur’s brand power within the retail environment.

Innovation in terms of packaging is a priority area, Mr Sitaram said. The company will continue to launch consumer packs exclusively for modern trade like the recently-launched squeeze pack for Dabur Honey. “We are also looking at low unit packs in almost every category for rural markets, “ he added.