Spencers at Quest mall wore a cheery look in keeping with the season of celebrations when t2 dropped by on a December evening. While Dev’s presence upped the happy quotient further, the superstore’s revamped avatar with a variety of new inclusions and experiences made for a merry tour. Shashwat Goenka, chairman, Spencers Retail, told us this was the store’s first big renovation in the 10 years it has been there, which is as old as the luxury destination, Quest, a prominent landmark in Calcutta’s cityscape. We sat down for a chat with Dev and Shashwat on the reimagined space and what it meant for Calcutta.
Tell us what’s new at Spencers at Quest...
Shashwat: We have revamped the entire store. The idea was to upgrade how consumers shop for groceries. A large part of what you see in the store is inspired by what we’ve see when we travel... not just me, but also our team.
Quest has been one of our best-performing stores and some of our most loyal customers are from this store. So, we wanted to give them a new way to shop in the city. That’s the reason for the upgrade and the idea was we wanted to move beyond just grocery and add in a lot of sections and merge some level of experience with the shopping so that it increases discovery when the consumers are going through the store. That was the reason for the upgrade.
One of the things we have done is we have brought the international foods upfront. It’s the first thing you see when you enter the store, Bakery, followed by international food, like Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Italian, Mexican, and American, because that is what most of the consumers who come here would look for. We have sourced interesting ingredients as well beyond just the standard brands that you would have found otherwise. Now a lot of Indian brands are also doing a lot of gourmet products specific to cuisine.
On the right side, we have got the full apparel offerings for men, women and kids and we have launched a new infant section as well. It’s got everything you might need, like strollers, car seats, sterilisers and personal care items for babies.
We also have the full granary section which has over 40 different types of rice and dal. Then there is the full dry fruits and spices counter which has over 300 varieties of dry fruits and spices. We have unique things as well like the bhut jolokia chillies and arbol chillies from Mexico. Then we have a fresh juice counter. We also have a full organic range and a hydroponic range. We have also worked a lot on the fruit range. For the first time in Calcutta, we are selling a fruit called persimmon which is more mango with the texture of a jelly.
Then we have the full cheese counter with over 185 varieties, like truffle cheese, cumin cheese, flavoured Gouda to even fondue cheese, raclette cheese and cream which comes in can, so that it’s easy to use at home.
Spencers at Quest wears a new look with several new additions on the shelves and also experiences. The Bakery section has 20+ varieties of international breads and a range of whole-wheat breads
Being in Calcutta, fish and meat are core to our consumers. We have made a large section that looks state-of-the-art with top-level hygiene. Not only do we have rohu, katla and hilsa, but also fresh, imported salmon, turkey, and Kadaknath chicken which is very high in protein.
We have also worked on the beauty section, where beyond just keeping the traditional FMCG brands, we worked with all the start-up FMCG brands like Mamaearth and the like and got them to the store as well.
The home section is new to the Quest store. We had a small section and have expanded the whole thing now. Now we have the full bedding range as well as the electrical range that you might need in a house or a kitchen.
House of Candy is yet to open. They have done a small setup. It is a zone for kids. We have Olivia Creamery from Calcutta, which is my favourite ice cream brand. Craft Coffee is also a Calcutta brand. Makaibari will do a tea experience counter. The idea with this store was as much there is international, there is that much local as well. We have homegrown brands which are international in their quality and offerings... brands which have significantly worked on their range to become international and working with them to grow them as we grow.
The decor is fully new and we have done it in four phases and it’s taken us eight months. The market has changed completely and the store is reflecting all the changes. We have upgraded the whole checkout as well. It is much faster and we have also introduced self-checkouts and a whole range of Express Checkouts. Earlier we had two. Now we have seven or eight.
We launched The Gift Studio during Covid, an online venture. We have taken it offline now and we have opened our first experience store for The Gift Studio here. We have added Bose Krishnamachari and Manjunath Kamath too. We have pre-curated options and you can also pick and choose items from the store and we can put it together for you.
In the wine and liquor section, we have over 400-500 varieties and have a sommelier on the side who can help you pick.
Dev, what did you think of the new-look Spencers?
I love travelling and we normally see this kind of setup abroad. To see something like this happening in our city, where you get lots of options starting from local and national to international... I haven’t seen something like this in India. If you are tired, you can have a cup of coffee or grab some ice cream. I am happy that the man who is behind it all, I know him personally and their contribution to West Bengal is humongous. It gives me a lot of pride and happiness to see Shashwat making our city international. This is how we determine the growth of a city. I feel we are growing and that too at a fast pace.
My dad loves to cook and loves trying new things. If we have the variety, then for people like my dad, this is heaven. The best part is that it’s interactive. You can check the quality before buying.
Do you enjoy grocery shopping now?
Dev: The problem is I don’t understand much. I can’t differentiate between tw’o kinds of rice. I am not that picky too. I am not someone who will spend a lot of time on bajar. I’ll be done in half an hour... I shop very fast because I know what I want to buy.
What are you most likely to shop in this kind of a setup?
Dev: Cake, coffee, a bottle of water and a suitcase! I am a coffee person and normally, I travel with a couple of suitcases but when coming back, there will invariably be five of them! (Laughs)
Are you a shopaholic?
Dev: Very much! I buy anything and everything... I do feel guilty! (Laughs)
This store has been revamped after 10 years. Dev, what have been the new things in your life and career in the past decade?
Dev: Life has actually changed post-Covid. The thinking has changed. You know the value of life, money and every single day because it used to be so uncertain. People who had crores in the bank and could open hospitals did not get a bed in a hospital. Life is normal now, touchwood.
December feels special, right?
Dev: I love winters. I can wear two-three layers of clothes. There is usually a film of mine releasing and I am busy with the promotions. There are house parties and I have friends whose birthdays are also in December (Dev will turn a year younger on December 25).
Let’s wrap up with Pradhan, your Christmas release...
Dev: If people are expecting it’ll be another Tonic or Projapoti, I can tell you, it’s something different. I didn’t want to look too macho. I play an OC who comes to a new place...
And, your reel character and you share the same name — Deepak...
Dev: The character is very similar to me. It’s kind of a tribute. Ja ja katha I have said when I joined politics, it’s the same language. Somewhere I don’t have to act in this film... something is related to me, which is like what I am.