Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), the largest packaged consumer goods company in India, is utilising its B2B app, Shikhar, to engage small store owners through personalised messaging and promotions amid heightened competition from online platforms. The app enables millions of shopkeepers to place direct orders from the company’s distributors 24/7. In FY23, around 1.2 million retail outlets leveraged the Shikhar app for ordering HUL’s extensive product range, including soaps, detergents, shampoos, ketchups, soups, and ice-creams, directly from the company.
The surge in online platforms’ prominence has revolutionised consumer and shopkeeper interactions. The rise of eB2B companies catering to small shopkeepers and quick commerce entities expeditiously delivering goods to consumers has redefined the market landscape. In response to these evolving dynamics, HUL, with its brands reaching nine out of ten Indian households, has commenced a reassessment of its distribution strategies.
The ‘Power to The Retailer’ campaign, recently launched on the Shikhar app, enables local retailers to craft customised, celebrity-endorsed advertisements to enhance store footfall and customer engagement. This feature, available to more than 1.3 million retailers, produces a bespoke advertisement every 20 seconds. Shopkeepers can create personalised celebrity-endorsed videos (featuring Arshad Warsi) in Hindi or English, adapted to their location. These videos can be effortlessly shared via WhatsApp and email. The primary goal of this initiative is to empower retailers to promote their products effectively and drive sales of HUL brands like Vim, Dove, Pears, and Surf Excel.
Kedar Lele, HUL’s Executive Director of Customer Development, emphasised, “As digital commerce platforms grow, shoppers are shifting to these platforms, and neighbourhood kiranas are concerned about decreasing shopper footfall and consequent sales loss. While many have adapted by launching their own home delivery services, offering discounts or credit, they often lack the necessary expertise to effectively promote these offerings. Additionally, the production of high-quality digital content often exceeds their resources. To address these issues, we have designed this campaign to democratise advertising by empowering neighbourhood kirana stores.”
HUL underscored the swift evolution of traditional sectors like fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) due to technological advancements, reshaping consumer expectations. The company’s goal is to meet these evolving demands by empowering retailers through Shikhar’s digital ecosystem. This aims to enable intelligent, data-driven purchasing choices, elevating competitiveness within the market.
