New Delhi, Delhi, India:  One of the most crucial lifelines during India’s lockdown has been an uninterrupted supply of essential goods. The continuity of the retail sector, despite the pandemic, has further cemented its core business philosophy of keeping the consumer first. During the lockdown, kirana shops have been on the frontline, dramatically altering their day-to-day daily lives to serve millions of Indian households. In Delhi NCR, LOTS Wholesale has led the charge to fight Covid-19 through its various initiative, the most important being an intact supply chain that serves Kiranas, restaurants, and offices in the NCR.

The two-fold mantra of safety and stock availability, has helped LOTS meet the requirements of its members, including kiranas, restaurants, offices, ensuring an adequate supply of essentials. Initial announcement of lockdown had brought an overnight halt to truck movement. The company quickly identified the challenges and adopted the reverse supply chain model. The supply chain team of the firm has reached out to distributors and FMCG companies by sending trucks and procuring goods directly from manufacturing hubs. By undertaking this unique approach, the organisation has ensured that essentials and day to day items are always present at their kirana member’s store. 

LOTS Wholesale strength is derived from its three-pronged business model i.e. physical store, digital store and BDA App. At LOTS, members get a completely immersive O2O experience as the company has been serving its customer base through its e-commerce platform (lotswholesale.com) and Business Development App. Moreover, the online platform provides ease to the members and directly deliver to them at their doorstep. Offline to online has been a core part of the business strategy and the brand is witnessing a healthy number of orders coming through the digital store which complements their physical presence.

To maximise stock availability, the company has been able to project growing and changing consumer demand with the help of advanced data projections and through mapping consumption patterns. The company has been working closely with their suppliers to ensure adequate supplies of essentials for their members, especially Kiranas. Despite the current challenges, LOTS is dedicated to its last-mile outreach.