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Tata Steel has always been the yardstick for innovation and revolutionary thought in the steel industry, creating value through new ideas in the market place. The implementation of novel ideas has also made the company one of the pioneers of steel marketing.
Tata Steel’s foray in the retail sector, which started way back in early 2000, has got a new momentum. Currently, Tata Steel has more than 7,000 steel retail outlets in the country selling Tata Tiscon and Tata Shaktee, the two main business-to-business brands.
Apart from this, there are another 22,000 retail counters selling downstream steel products such as Tata Agrico, Tata Pipes and Tata Bearings. Tata Steel is expanding with plans to increase this number, and offer more innovative services and solutions from its retail counters.
As the demand for steel increases in both the urban and rural markets, the industry is progressing towards a business-to-consumer model that runs adjacent to the traditional business-to-business model.
From the 7,000 steel retail outlets, Tata Steel has 1,590 exclusive branded showrooms which are further been graduated to unique Experience Zones. An Experience Zone would sell steel in a new way, allowing consumers to actually get a feel of the product and the basket of services available from the outlet. The Experience Zones would also provide expert advice and information related to the product.
Apart from this, the Platinum retail outlets of Tata Tiscon and Shaktee Sansar selling Tata Shaktee in semi-urban and rural markets are a unique way of segmenting dealers in the eco system.
Atrayee Sanyal, Chief of Marketing and Sales, Branded Products, Retail and Solutions, Tata Steel said, "Our aim is to set up stores that will not just sell steel products, but give a bouquet of services that make it a one-stop-shop for buying steel."
As recently as February 2014, Tata Steel introduced the Tata Tiscon Experience Zone. This has given an impetus to the process of transitioning steel to a service-oriented brand in itself.
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