Priyagold rolls out retail outlets at railway stations

NEW DELHI: Surya Food & Agro, which owns 'Priyagold' brand of biscuits, has set up over 175 kiosks at railway stations and will roll out as many shops by February 2008, for which it has got permission from IRCTC. "Out of 350 kiosks for which we have received permission from IRCTC, more than 175 have been set up already," Surya Food & Agro Director Shekhar Agarwal said, adding the rest would be launched by February next year.

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp (IRCTC) allots stalls at railway platforms through tender stipulating that only products registered with it would be sold there. Surya Food is generating business of about Rs 40 lakh every month from these kiosks and expects it to increase to over Rs 1 crore after all the stalls are opened as revenue from its retail operations is expected to grow by 30 per cent.

At present, the company is selling biscuits, cakes, juices, packaged water and chocolate from the kiosks, which have been set up on franchise model in about 100 railway stations in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The outlets at railway stations are selling biscuits and juices of only Surya Food, while in other products they are keeping popular brands. "We have biscuits under Priyagold and juices and drinks under 'Freshgold', 'Treat' and 'Fizzy' brands which the stall at railway platforms will sell," Agarwal said.

Though the kiosks are currently selling popular brands of chocolates, they will stop selling them once the company launches its own chocolates, expectedly in November, he added.