The Organic World, the largest non-franchisee, multi-brand organic store chain in South India, plans to expand its network with 10 new stores in Bengaluru and other southern States by the summer of 2022.

Positioned as a neighbourhood grocery store where people can complete their consumption basket whether it is fresh items like milk and dairy, bread and eggs, staples, personal care and home cleaning products, The Organic World stores stocks 2000 plus SKUs from brands including WellBe, Vanam, Wild Ideas, Native Circle, Aarshaveda, Farm Made, Herbal Strategi, Nutty Yogi, Praakritik and Born Good.

To expand reach

“We are looking to expand our reach in South India with the launch of 10 more stores by summer next year primarily in Bengaluru, where we already have 10 stores in key catchment areas including Indiranagar, Cunningham Road, HSR Layout, Sadashivnagar, Yelahanka, Malleswaram, JP Nagar, Bellandur. For a city like Bengaluru, we could have anywhere between 20-25 stores for our category. We are also exploring other South Indian markets such as Chennai, a natural choice because we are already servicing the Chennai market to some extent from our farms – Maple Tree Farms in Hosur. These 10 stores will be set up at an investment of ₹2,500– 3000 per sq ft,” said Gaurav Manchanda, founder and Managing Director, The Organic World. The 10 stores in Bengaluru are small to large format stores with the average store size at 1,500–1600 sq ft.

While 80 per cent of its fruits and vegetables are primarily local a smaller percentage is sourced from farmers from Udhagamandalam, Kodaikanal, Shimla and Nagpur. The company averages a basket value of ₹750-800 and its products are sold at a 15-25 per cent premium.

“What differentiates our products is that we are a far more responsible retailer for the conscious consumer. We focus on giving customers a ‘better choices’ range with a curated line up of healthier products whether it is organic, natural, pesticide-free or toxin-free. Our better choices list is also defined by 25 chemicals/ingredients that are not allowed on our shelves including sodium benzoate which is found in carbonated drinks, pickles, salad dressing, fruit juices and condiments; high fructose corn syrup found in soda, juice, candy, breakfast cereals and packaged snacks; artificial flavourings/colours found in most snacks and packaged foods; TBHQ found in biscuits, microwave popcorn, butter substitutes and chicken nuggets; Carrageenan found in cottage cheese, icecream and vegan dairy substitutes, and so on,” pointed out Manchanda.

Organic food market

The Indian organic food market reached a value of $815 million in 2020 as per market research firm IMARC, which expects the market to grow at a CAGR of 24 per cent from 2021 – 2026. The demand for organic food is driven by rising levels of health awareness in the country as consumers are paying attention to the nutrient content and quality of the food they eat. The pandemic has also resulted in increased consumer spend on health and wellness products.

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