Botany’s favourite Indian one-stop-shop, Saluja’s Food and Spices completes three years this week. “It has been hugely exciting,” says Maneesh Saluja, who runs the popular store with wife Aprajita. “In the past three years, we’ve learned so much about products, customer preferences and the so many aspects of the retail business – but what’s most satisfying is that we have made so many friends.”
Maneesh has had a successful business career back in Ludhiana, India, where he helped run several departments of the family’s garment manufacturing, distribution and exports industry. “I spent 15 years in that business, which has more than 100 employees and is still run by my father,” Maneesh says. “Working on and managing so many aspects of the business helped me greatly in honing my commercial skills.”
Maneesh was responsible for starting the export division and that took him to several countries around the world. “That’s when I began considering the idea of living and developing a business in a different country. One thing led to another and soon we found ourselves here in New Zealand.”
Maneesh and Aprajita spent the first couple of years keenly studying different commercial aspects of doing business in a country like New Zealand that is so different in so many ways from India. “We looked around quite a bit and began thinking differently. We worked around the realities here and after careful consideration, decided on getting into the retail business,” says Maneesh.
Having decided on getting into retail, the couple began scouting for the right place. “It was no easy decision,” says Maneesh. After months of studying Auckland’s demographics and statistics, the Salujas zeroed in on Botany. “This was not a place too many people recommended. Also, it is quite expensive here. But we saw the potential. There were a fair number of Indians and people of Indian origin from different countries and there was also a sophisticated western segment of population that is interested in trying out new things, so we decided on this place.”
Saluja’s Food and Spices is conveniently located at Bishop Dunn Place just off Te Irirangi Drive in what is now one of Botany’s busiest shopping hubs. “We got this store up and running in mid-August 2006,” says Aprajita. Being new in FMCG industry it was a tough challenge for the couple. The biggest challenge in those early days was to get customers through the door, say both Maneesh and Aprajita. “But we took things coolly and did our planning systematically,” says Maneesh.
As well as the nitty-gritties of ordering merchandise and managing inventory and displaying stocks, they paid careful attention to customer service. “I kept notes of customer preferences and suggestions that we followed up quite meticulously,” says Aprajita. ?By and by, the footfalls began to increase and soon enough, they began to develop familiarity with repeat customers. “Actually, we have enjoyed our customers’ support from the word go,” says Aprajita. “I must say we received encouragement from them in the early days.”
“We did some media advertising. But what really got us going was word of mouth publicity – which indeed is priceless,” says Maneesh. ?Backed with the strong overseas experience in Business we have been maintaining and increasing our product range with the growing consumer demand.
Maneesh and Aprajita acknowledge the contribution of son Atharv and daughter Arshia in the running of the store. “They have been our biggest support from the day one, they have been equally dedicated to the store as us,” says Maneesh.
So what brought the Salujas so much customer goodwill?
“Top quality product, fair pricing and personalised customer service are something to which we have always paid careful attention to and constantly improved upon,” says Maneesh.
Saluja’s Food and Spices is a modern retail outlet: well appointed, well lit and squeaky clean with soft traditional Indian music filling the air. The couple’s friendly manner is apparent as they greet every customer walking through the door and hold conversation with most of them.
Asked the reasons for the relatively quick success of their store and what makes it tick, the couple suggests we’d rather ask their customers for opinions. “We’d rather not say this ourselves, please feel free to talk with our customers,” says Aprajita.
“We’ve been shopping here ever since Saluja’s began,” says Pramila Sareen. “The very first impression was great: the customer service has always been good and has got friendlier all the time. They offer so many conveniences. We can pre-order on phone, they are well organised unlike other shops which are cluttered. Many of our friends shop there and everyone has a good experience.”
“They’re a happy bunch of people and are very helpful,” says Prakash Grover. “We enjoy going there, they are always courteous. Once my wife was feeling a bit unwell while shopping. They helped her with the groceries all the way to the car. That was really good of them.”
Maneesh and Aprajita is certainly a happy couple as they look back on their three years of running the store. But they don’t intend resting on their laurels. “We’ve got plans ahead,” says Maneesh, but will not say what they are. “But in the meantime we’ll concentrate in making the shopping experience at Saluja’s better all the time. On the occasion of our third anniversary, we’d like to express our thanks for our growing, loyal customer family.” -- Anniversary specials: 10% off on Rice. Indian Atta on Special. Namkeen 3 for $ 4.99 Maggi 4pack 2 for $4.99 Gopala yogurt 2 for $2.99 Shaan Masale 3 for $ 4.99 And Heaps of instore specials
Saluja's Food & Spices Shop 13/2 Bishop Dunn Place Botany. Ph- 0064 9 2651502 Mob - 0064 21027 5622149
