Godrej Tyson Foods, the maker of Real Good Chicken (RGC), plans to add a new distribution channel by taking its branded chicken to butcher shops.
With its recently introduced lower prices (Rs 48 for 400 gm), the company claims there is demand from the butcher trade to stock RGC as it is proving to be cheaper than regular unbranded chicken.
Currently, a regular 1 kg chicken costs Rs 165, while the price for Godrej Real Good Chicken would work out to Rs 120 for a kg.
Arabind Das, Chief Operating Officer, Godrej Tyson, said, “There is demand from butcher shops who want to stock our chicken brand. We are putting up our chillers in almost 50 shops in Mumbai. Butchers find our chicken cheaper and hygienic. In the past week, we have got enquires from several butcher shops.”
The company is also imparting training to maintain hygiene standards across butcher outlets which would be stocking RGC.
Apart from the butcher outlets, the company is also making sure its distribution is adequate across big chains such as Big Bazaar at far flung suburbs.
“We would be stocking the mass priced RGC at places such as Big Bazaar in suburbs such as Dombivili and Virar, while there would be limited stocks available in places such as South Mumbai, where we have our own Nature’s Basket outlets. The purpose is to reach out to different SEC B and SEC C (social economic class) consumers, as this is our target audience for RGC,” said Das.
It would also be introducing more ‘affordable’ products to cater to the protein requirements of the SEC B and C consumers.
After Mumbai, the company would be rolling out the branded chicken in places such as Pune and Nashik and also looking at taking it to the southern markets such as Bangalore. “Cold chain is necessary for chilled chicken, and we have to base it near our factories,” added Das. Currently, RGC has factories in Taloja in Maharastra and Bangalore. The majority of RGC’s sales comes from the institutional segment (almost 50 per cent) while the balance is from the quick service restaurant and retail trade.
purvita@thehindu.co.in