HERALD: How is business since the launch Feb 2015?
ANIL PEREIRA: Since the launch we have learned a lot. The graph has been moving consistently upwards. We never had a fresh line ie meats which kept us on our toes. We could not misfire on this and Goans want freshness in their food produce. This is very important in fish where I started off with losses. When we started I would buy fish worth Rs 5000 and now it has gone up to Rs 80,000 in two years. We are customer centric and their satisfaction comes first. We have clients from Miramar, Donna Paula, Calangute, airport side, Arpora, Mapusa you get everything in this one store, in fact we even sell cooked food. Now we are 20 per cent up month-on-month even without liquor which was 14 percent of our sales.
HERALD: How has the ban on sale of liquor affected your bottom line?
AP: It has taken a toll, it used to contribute 14 percent of my basket value initially. If we can sell it again it will make the store look complete.
HERALD: We have the GST regime now, what are your initial thoughts?
AP: GST is one of the best reforms to have been undertaken. It should have been done 5 to 10 years ago. The slabs though are a bit confusing. All over the world there is just one rate but over here we have a five star rate and a rate for the general public so to speak. Why do we want to tax people who can pay more. It is an injustice. With regards to smooth implementation for the moment no one has filed the returns. We are prepared. For example in our sports business, our transactions are inter-state. Earlier there was no tax but now it is 12% for some categories and 28% for fitness. Cycles have gone up from zero to 12 per cent. There should be a nodal agency for queries. Right now there are just forums. Teething problems will last a couple of months but it will work out. The India market has opened up and now movement of goods will be open. Price parity has come and it is the survival of the fittest.
HERALD: Has it affected sales?
AP: We purchased more stock in anticipation of glitches in the software. People are buying and no one is disappointed.
HERALD: What are the trends emerging in the retail space in the State?
AP: The online market is big and we want to join it. The sports business is booming in the online space. With regards Delfinos we take orders on the phone but you have to come and pick it up. It is packed and ready for you. We cannot deliver it to your residence. At present we are not interested in looking at a venture capitalist to expand our business. We will not buy people out. We will stick to our format. The return on investment will not support. Over here people have parking. Smaller formats don’t make sense it just doesn’t support. Businesses like this have to be micro managed. You have to be hands on when it comes to inventory. If you don’t have control then you are living in a fool’s paradise. Analysis is important. I have to know the yield section wise.
HERALD: Where do you see Delfino’s in five years?
AP: We are looking at south Goa very seriously. We have not ventured out of Goa, perhaps the next generation will. We are into hotels, restaurants, sports, fitness and we are looking at all kinds of new businesses. In the next 3 or 4 years we will be in the south. All our properties are owned and we want to consolidate.
HERALD: Where do you see the retail business in 5 yrs?
AP: Sourcing is the key and we have to provide something unique. The online business will boom in the next 5 years. It will grow because it is all about convenience and it compliments offline. We have a pretty large team to manage our sports online presence which is growing rapidly. We have sports gear and fashionable sports ie team t-shirts that is very popular.
