Retail pioneer Remesh bids farewell to Kuwait after 35 years

After an incredible journey of over 35 years in Kuwait’s retail industry, T.A. Remesh is preparing to take a well-deserved break from corporate life and enjoy an extended vacation in India. His highly successful career in retailing over the past three decades included transforming Gulfmart Supermarket into a destination of choice for shoppers in the country. Later, when Gulfmart was merged with Oncost, the leading family grocery and household supermarket in Kuwait, he served as the Chief Operating Officer of Oncost Group.

THE TIMES KUWAIT REPORT

With impressive experience and in-depth knowledge of the retail and wholesale industry in Kuwait, Remesh has been a dynamic figure in the country’s retail environment, as well as in Indian community events. In a recent wide-ranging interview with The Times Kuwait, Remesh spoke about all things retail, his experiences and perspectives as a retailer in Kuwait, and about his future plans in India.

“Kuwait has been more than just a place I lived and worked; it’s been a home that has shaped me into who I am today. I’m forever grateful for the experiences, connections, and lessons learned here,” said Remesh at the start of the interview.

Asked about some of the challenges he faced when starting out as a manager with Gulfmart​/Oncost brands, he replied, “When I started off as a concept manager at Gulfmart, the key challenges were establishing the Gulfmart brand as a household name in Kuwait, and overcoming stiff competition from long-established retail brands in the country.

Although our initial focus was on establishing the brand, and not on becoming a one-stop supermarket for expat communities in the country, eventually we ended up becoming just that, a supermarket of choice for discerning shoppers. This was largely because we provided products that customers had enjoyed back in their own countries, but which were not readily available anywhere else in Kuwait. This also helped entrench our brand as a trusted supplier of products wanted by various expat communities here.

“The other challenge we faced in the early days of Gulfmart was the stiff competition from larger and more well-established retail brands at that time. Although the competition from the big-name brands was strong, this only made our management and sales team more determined than ever to make Gulfmart a success story.

“In this regard, a unique advantage that Gulfmart had at that time was our ability to cultivate several exclusive supply channels for fresh produce and products from countries with a large expat population in Kuwait, such as with India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. This helped us broaden and deepen our brand value among our customer base.”

In response to what were his best experiences, and also what were the most difficult ones, while working as a retailer in Kuwait, Remesh replied, “The best experience would definitely be the exposure I received not just into the retail industry within Kuwait but also into the daily lives of our customers, their buying habits, and products that made them want to return for more shopping at our stores. As a manager, and throughout my career, I have always paid strong attention to every aspect of customer satisfaction, from the experience we provided them in-store, to the satisfaction customers enjoyed from using the products they purchased from us.

“I was constantly engaging and interacting with our customers, understanding their needs and wants, and working to make sure that their every shopping experience at Gulfmart was a memorable one. These customer interactions also enabled me to lead my team in the right direction, and provided me with a broader view of the infrastructural and management changes that were needed in the long run. Eventually, this personal rapport helped us create a large and loyal base of customers, who developed a certain level of comfort and ease in shopping at Gulfmart.

“The most challenging experience at Gulfmart that comes to my mind now was the need to close our main branch, which was also our first outlet, in Shuwaikh, at very short notice due to some issues with the landlord. The unexpected closure meant that we had to find a new venue, shift everything, and set up shop in the new place in a very short span of time, so as to ensure that our temporary closure did not inconvenience or disrupt the shopping routine of our customers.

“More importantly, we wanted to make sure that the huge trust that we had built with customers, and the sense of reliability that customers had come to associate with the Gulfmart brand, were not lost by the closure. Happily, through the concerted and diligent efforts of our amazing management team and staff, along with support from the owners, we were able to rapidly reestablish ourselves in a new, larger and more spacious venue in a very short time, with minimal disruption to the shopping needs of customers.”

Asked about how the retail landscape in Kuwait had changed over the past three decades, Remesh said, “Contrary to the view held by many people, I think the retail scenario in Kuwait has gradually evolved, rather than drastically changed, over the past 30 years. I would also like to add that this slow transformation is not limited to the retail industry, but is seen in other industries, as well as, in life in Kuwait over the years. Some of these developments were welcome advancements, while there were others that were not so desirable.

“The good thing about retail evolution in the Kuwait market is that there are many people, especially among the older generation that continue to value the in-store shopping experience. They visit their favorite retail stores with their families and weekly shopping lists, and consider the weekly shopping a pleasant outing with the family, and an opportunity to experience quality time together. It is this need of customers for a convenient and easily accessible offline store that provides them with their daily requirements that led us to open our latest brand, taiba market.”

“Taiba market has ambitious plans to roll out the brand’s outlets across all Kuwait governorates. Each store will be in a small format, with the purpose of making shopping convenient and easy for customers. Although by having small stores we may not have each and every product that shoppers need for their occasional needs, we assure customers that no matter what product they want, we will make sure that we get it for them. The brand also has a social commitment to promoting products that are organic and beneficial to the health of customers, and hence a focus on providing customers fresh and nutritional products that meet their daily nutritional needs and satisfy their desires.”

“Without doubt shopping preferences have changed over the years, in particular, with the increase in online shopping sites. Many people, especially among the younger crowd, now prefer the comfort and speed of ordering from their living room, and enjoy the convenience of having orders delivered right at their doorstep. Nevertheless, for many people the fundamental outlook on shopping continues to be an in-store buying experience. This is a social practice, which I personally hope does not completely fade with the current surge in ecommerce.

“However, as a business, we did not entirely ignore the idea of a certain portion of our target market wanting to shop online, especially once Gulfmart rebranded as oncost. We developed an easily accessible and intuitive web store and listed on various e-commerce marketplaces. Also, an online presence became essential in order not to lose customers to larger supermarket chains with a strong online presence and with branches all around Kuwait This prompted us to open several Gulfmart/Oncost mini stores at various locations across Kuwait, serving as friendly neighborhood stores that catered to the immediate needs of our customers.

“If I could point to something that has really changed in Kuwait’s retail industry, it would be that many retailers are now beginning to understand the benefits of establishing reliable, dedicated and exclusive supply chains to deliver their produce and products. They are also allocating significant marketing budgets, and engaging in sophisticated promotion drives, all of these are initiatives that Gulfmart and oncost have been practising for years. Finally, I think social media has significantly influenced the way shoppers buy products, and also changed the way that retailers communicate with their customers. I fondly remember the days when I used to be directly involved in the designing of flyers and brochures to market our products, and the massive response we received from a well-designed promotional flyer or brochure. However, now we rarely see any flyers left at our doorsteps, as all this promotion work has shifted online. But, I do need to admit that we too have embraced the digital promotion format, and recognize that there are many benefits to online promotions, including lower costs, and a wider, more targeted reach, compared to the more expensive and ‘hit-or-miss’ approach of distributing printed flyers and brochures.”

Asked whether the latest shopping trends had impacted sales at retailers like oncost, and what were the prospects for brick-store retailers in the years ahead, Remesh noted, “To simply state the obvious, online shopping has undoubtedly impacted in-store businesses, but largely in a positive way, with, of course, some unforeseen challenges. Let me give you a simple example, most customers shopping online know exactly what they want, they then add the item to their virtual cart and proceed to checkout, the entire process takes just a few minutes. So if you are looking for shopping speed and saving time, then online shopping is definitely beneficial.”

“On the other hand a customer who walks into a retail store is rarely going to come in, pick up a specific item, pay for it, and leave the shop. They invariably spend more time within the shop, they could pick up an additional item or two that were not on their shopping list, maybe because they saw it on our shelf, or because of an impressive in-store display, or a special price discount offered by the store, or for multiple other reasons. In short, they often buy more than what they would during online shopping.”

“I am a strong proponent of establishing a brand or business the old-school way through first setting up a brick-and-mortar store and then expanding online. I do believe that having a strong online retail presence and using digital tools is essential for retailers to expand their businesses and to succeed in today’s increasingly digital world. Online presence also enables the brand to reach a wider customer base and offer their products anywhere in the country through an efficient distribution network.”

“So, establishing a physical store the old school way and generating that initial traction and brand loyalty among customers is a must in my experience. The added benefit now is that with an online presence you can expand your reach without the costs of leasing expensive real estate space to open local outlets, or hiring additional employees. A strong online retail presence and an efficient distribution network can provide retailers with significant benefits, not least of which is reduced capex.”

Turning to the time he spent in Kuwait and how life has changed in the country over the past 30 years, Remesh said, “My story is very similar to that of millions of other expats who flew to the Middle-East hoping to make a better life for themselves and their families back home. In my case, I had an uncle in Kuwait, the late restaurateur, T.N. Surendra Nath, who invited me here. I was lucky in that when I first arrived, I already had family members in Kuwait, so my initial period in the country did not feel like living in a totally different world. But immediately after I moved here, the invasion happened, which put a lot of things in perspective for me, and that experience also really shaped my mindset towards life.”

“I started from very humble beginnings, worked at my uncle’s restaurant for almost two years, and then fortuitously I was offered a job by one of the regular customers at our restaurant. I took up this new job offer which provided me with my first exposure to the retail and wholesale environment. I worked my way up in the new place for the next eight to nine years, and then made my move to Gulfmart.”

“Another aspect of my life in Kuwait, that I feel extremely fortunate for, is the opportunity I had over the years to work with top quality management professionals. These retail stalwarts truly inspired me and led by example. I owe a lot of my growth and development to Arif Sheikh, Managing Director of BMA Group that owned Gulfmart, and to the CEO of Oncost, Saleh Al-Tunaib, both of whom encouraged and inspired me in my growth as a retailer.”

“Today, I look at Kuwait as the place that gave me everything I have, whether it is my professional achievements, my financial improvements, or the personal connections and strong friendships that I have developed over the years in this country. I will forever be indebted to everyone I met along my journey in Kuwait for providing the wonderful experiences that we shared. “

Asked about his thoughts as he prepares for a new phase in life, Remesh said, “I have been a non-resident Indian since my early 20’s. All my visits to India during these years have lasted only a maximum of 10 or 15 days at a stretch. While I had the privilege to travel quite often over the last 15 years, I did not have the luxury of spending extended periods in India . So, my initial plan is to simply go back to India and relax for a while, and, among others, enjoy the smaller things in life, join my wife on her temple expeditions, catch up with friends, do some general health and wellbeing treatments.”

“Adjusting to no longer following a 9 to 5 daily routine—in the retail industry it is more like an ‘all-day long, every-day of the week’ work schedule—is definitely going to take some time for me, as this work culture has become sort of ingrained in me. Also, enjoying an extended vacation, something I have not experienced for a very long time, will take time, as I have always been really passionate about my work, and did not consider it as a separate job, but rather as an extension of who I am as a person.”

“I currently do not have specific future plans, but would like to take things as they come and see what India has in store for me. I have informed all my friends and family in Kuwait that they will be seeing me here again, as I am maintaining my residence permit so as to provide me with flexibility to visit Kuwait if I need to come for any business reason, or just to visit my daughter who is living and working in Kuwait.”

“My immediate intention is to take a well-deserved break from the daily hustle and bustle of worklife and slowly transition to a wholesome relaxed life in India. My kids are grown up and are leading their own fulfilling lives, so my wife and I plan to focus on our health more consciously.

I also have certain passion projects that have been brewing within me that I would like to approach with a clearer unpressured frame of mind. Hopefully, I will be able to lend my retail expertise to upcoming businesses serving as a consultant and lending them support in their retail journey to the extent of my abilities.”

“In conclusion, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to each of you who have been part of my journey in Kuwait. Your support, collaboration, and friendship have made my career and my life in this country truly memorable,and an experience I will cherish all my life.”