Kandarpa joins the company after a brief stint as COO at SAVOmart and succeeds Sachin Agarwal, who has moved on to pursue opportunities outside the group.

The appointment comes at a significant phase in Nature’s Basket’s evolution as the company sharpens its positioning in premium and experiential food retailing through its large-format “Artisan Pantry” concept stores and omnichannel gourmet ecosystem.

A Retail Operations Veteran

With more than three decades of experience spanning grocery, pharmacy, apparel and quick-service restaurant formats, Kandarpa brings extensive expertise in retail operations, supply-chain optimisation, store network expansion and P&L management.

Prior to SAVOmart, he served as Chief Retail Officer at MedPlus Health Services for over four years and earlier held the role of COO at More Retail between 2016 and 2020.

Kandarpa also spent nearly nine years at Aditya Birla Retail, where he rose through multiple operational leadership positions and received the Chairman’s Distinguished Achiever Award from Kumar Mangalam Birla in 2014. Earlier in his career, he was part of Future Group’s New Store Venture Team, playing a role in the rollout of Big Bazaar hypermarkets across South India.

He holds a PGDM from the Magnus School of Business and has completed the Strategic Retail Management Programme at the Indian School of Business (ISB).

Nature’s Basket’s Premium Food Retail Pivot

Kandarpa takes charge at a time when Nature’s Basket has been repositioning itself from a conventional gourmet supermarket into a luxury food and culinary experience platform. During outgoing COO Sachin Agarwal’s tenure, the company consolidated its focus on affluent metro markets while shifting toward higher-margin gourmet categories, imported foods and experiential retail formats.

The company stabilised its annual revenue run rate at around Rs 323 crore, while quarterly revenues remained steady at approximately Rs 68–69 crore. Operationally, Nature’s Basket also reported EBITDA positivity at Rs 0.8 crore against earlier quarterly losses of Rs 4.7 crore, while gross margins improved to 28.2%.

A major driver of this transformation has been the rollout of the “Artisan Pantry” format — a large-format experiential concept that combines gourmet retail with food discovery and in-store dining experiences.

Unlike conventional Nature’s Basket stores that average 2,000–2,500 sq. ft., the Artisan Pantry stores range between 7,000 sq. ft. and 12,500 sq. ft. and feature curated global food assortments, cheese rooms, wine cellars, chocolate stations, truffle counters and live food experiences.

The stores also integrate The Good Food Café and Chef’s Table concepts, designed to position the outlets as culinary destinations rather than standalone grocery stores. Nature’s Basket launched its first Artisan Pantry flagship at Phoenix Palladium in Mumbai in November 2023, followed by additional flagship stores in Mumbai’s Santacruz, Alipore in Kolkata and Kensington Road in Bengaluru.

Omnichannel & Quick Commerce Focus

Alongside physical retail transformation, Nature’s Basket has also strengthened its omnichannel and premium quick-commerce play through Jidy, its dedicated gourmet grocery delivery platform focused on faster fulfilment for urban consumers.

The company’s transformation strategy has received multiple Golden Spoon Awards for business transformation, seamless retail and customer experience and  also “Food Retailer of the Year” at the India Food Forum.

Kandarpa with his long operational experience across modern trade, supermarket scaling and supply-chain efficiencies is expected to support Nature’s Basket’s next phase of profitable growth in India’s premium food retail market.

As urban consumers increasingly seek curated global assortments, experiential shopping and premium convenience, Nature’s Basket appears to be positioning itself at the intersection of gourmet retail, foodservice and luxury consumption.

The post Lakshman Kandarpa Moves from SAVOmart to Nature’s Basket as COO appeared first on Business of Food.

This new artisan pantry aims to cater to a customer segment located slightly away from the city, thereby serving as a convenient shopping destination for the suburb’s population. It offers a diverse range of high-quality products, spanning from fresh produce to exotic ingredients sourced from various corners of the globe.

The store’s interior design has a modern and inviting ambiance, featuring spacious aisles and an extensive array of products displayed to enhance the overall shopping experience.

Strategically positioned in a suburb renowned for its thriving residential communities, the store is well-placed to address the diverse needs of urban dwellers, local residents, working professionals, and families alike.

ABOUT THE BRAND

Nature’s Basket which was earlier a part of Godrej Group was acquired by RP Sanjiv Goenka Group’s retail flagship, Spencer’s Retail in May 2019. The homegrown brand is present in the retail sector through physical retail stores, its online portal and a mobile application. With a diverse product portfolio ranging from fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and meat, artisanal breads, FMCG and staples, it currently operates through 35+ stores in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Delhi with a a total trading area of 1.03 lacs square feet as on June 30, 2023.

The brand has private labels including Healthy Alternatives, L’Exclusif and Nature’s.

Their annual turnover was Rs 67 crore and gross margin of 26.6% for the quarter ended June 30, 2023.

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