New Delhi: Call it the power of mammoth consumer base or the pressure to survive in Indian market, the big food chains from US & Europe have decided to go desi for wooing more Indian customers.
The global food chains serving snacks & instant beverages have altered their menu as per Indian taste to lure more customers and have rolled out Indian-ised snacks.
The ‘Indianisation’ of menu also has a positive effect on the prices and thus makes it more affordable & reasonable.
Starbucks adds Masala Chai in menu
Starbucks, the popular beverages chain has decided to add regional favourites like ‘masala chai’ and ‘filter coffee’ in its menu.
And, this is not all. It also plans to offer street-style sandwiches, milkshakes and small beverage cups to entice more customers to the outlet. The company hopes to test the new strategy first at select stores in Bengaluru, Gurugram, Bhopal & other places and then will expand it across its stores in phased manner.
Starbucks also launched a new beverage product named ‘Picco’ which will cater to consumers with smaller portion and cheaper tag.
“The idea is to also learn, see the consumer acceptance across markets, see the nuances, check and adjust and then see where it goes,” Sushant Dash, CEO of Tata Starbucks told a leading daily.
Apart from Starbucks, other popular brands like Pizza Hut & McDonald’s have altered themselves to develop ‘strong connect’ with local consumer base.
Pizza Hut has added Paneer Pizza in its menu while McDonald’s new addition ‘McAloo Tikki Burger’ has become a hot selling item in the list.
‘Pret’ launch soon, in partnership with Reliance
Starbucks prepared similar strategy for augmenting the sale of its products and increasing its acceptability in local markets by localizing its menu. It underwent similar change in Saudi Arabia, Japan & China before.
Similarly, a British snack chain ‘Pret’ has inked an agreement with Reliance and is all set to bombard the Indian markets with its myriad products. It will launch its outlets & products in the country this year. Its partnership with Reliance will help ‘localize’ its flavor suitable to local taste. Pret’s entry into the beverage & snacks markets will give a direct competition to rivals like Costa Coffee & Starbucks also.
