Episode Transcript
Transcripts are displayed as originally observed. Some content, including advertisements may have changed.
Use Ctrl + F to search
0:00
Hello and welcome to Finch Shorts Daily. In
0:02
today's episode, we explain how Dmart has tweaked
0:04
its strategy over the past year and he
0:06
makes a suggestion of her own. Dmart's
0:11
business model is like America's Costco's.
0:14
That's what Ram Dio Agarwal, the
0:16
chairman of financial services firm Motilal
0:18
Oswal, said a few months ago.
0:21
For the uninitiated, Costco is an
0:23
American supermarket chain that sells all
0:25
kinds of products. Groceries, food, apparel
0:27
at really low prices to its
0:29
members. And that's exactly what Dmart
0:31
does in India too. For context,
0:33
because it sells at low prices,
0:36
it has a relatively low gross
0:38
profit as a percentage of sales
0:40
too. And as per a
0:42
report by CLSA, Dmart converts only 14.5%
0:46
of its sales into gross profits.
0:48
Because Costco has a similar strategy,
0:50
it's even lower at 10.5%.
0:53
For context, Walmart is much higher at 23.5%. But
0:55
we've got a suggestion to make
0:59
Dmart even more like Costco. Dmart
1:02
should sell gold. We
1:04
know it sounds crazy but hear us out. See,
1:07
Dmart shares have been in a bit of
1:09
a funk of late. And by off late,
1:11
we mean since 1st Jan 2022. For
1:14
two years, the stock went nowhere. Costco
1:16
was in a similar boat too. But
1:18
about six months ago, the fortunes began
1:20
to turn. Costco's shares started
1:22
to zoom upward. It happened just
1:24
when Costco began to sell gold.
1:28
Now we know that correlation is
1:30
not causation but analysts are pretty upbeat
1:32
about Costco's new business venture. So
1:35
maybe it's something Dmart should consider too,
1:37
right? Not sure? Okay,
1:39
let's give you some context about
1:41
Dmart's business and recent struggles first.
1:43
Maybe that will change your mind. Dmart's
1:45
low price strategy begins with real estate
1:48
ownership. It snaps up land in areas
1:50
where it's cheaper or when prices fall
1:52
due to a bad economy. Like what
1:55
happened during COVID? Sure, it's an upfront
1:57
cost that dilutes near-term profitability, An
2:00
equity your auto he dropped some great
2:02
i present to seventy percent when you
2:04
include the land costs were it gives
2:06
the much freedom from negotiating rains and
2:08
flexibility with expansion. Against not all
2:11
for the smaller stores and then
2:13
expanded by adding more floors once
2:15
it's use demand. Anyway, Ones
2:17
it does this the next waters sourcing
2:20
inventor yet a lower price and be
2:22
owes. Think about it. This we deem
2:24
on doesn't stock as many different products
2:26
as out the supermarkets. It knows exactly
2:29
what it once and orders those limited
2:31
items in bulk. That itself gives its
2:33
and negotiating body. Then it
2:35
starts to sell groceries and daily
2:37
use items like soaps to consumers.
2:39
It bargain prices because it is
2:41
one thing that all Indians love.
2:43
It's a discount to the Mit.
2:46
And that gets people to flock a
2:48
The Mod for the a grocery. Six
2:50
Higher footfall in stores translates into higher
2:52
sales. It has grown the top line
2:54
by know when nine percent annually over
2:56
the past decade, and that in turn
2:58
has the company to turn over the
3:01
inventory quickly and even pay the suppliers.
3:03
Fausto. Suppliers. A Happy they
3:05
will be incentivized to sell products are
3:07
de Montfort even better prices and d
3:09
but then passes on the discount. A
3:11
costume was a deliver on his promise
3:13
of everyday low prices This month d
3:15
might benefit from a what he was
3:17
so they could It would law cause
3:19
diving low prices Diving sales of Velocity
3:22
leading to blame pirate. Driving.
3:24
Costs down Photo. Investors.
3:26
Love the stock. It zooms six hundred percent
3:28
within six years of. It's a pure heaven.
3:30
Forbid couldn't stop it. But. Then to
3:32
and twenty two rolled around and things
3:35
to could don't I listed pointing out
3:37
that quick com was. Players such as
3:39
Blink, Get Swigging Stomach and Zip Do
3:41
it. Offering products at almost the same
3:43
price as a D might even demise
3:45
the law. Price up added business began
3:47
to see more competition from explores of
3:49
Expansion by.as Zodiacal. So. Divide had
3:52
to do something. and as
3:54
policy it as a d mine has been
3:56
expanding it's private label good slowly and steadily
3:58
over the past year think of this as
4:01
DMart getting in touch with a random manufacturer
4:03
asking them to make a detergent powder and
4:05
then slapping its own label across it. It's
4:07
a DMart product. It's not a
4:10
route that DMart has opted for in the past
4:12
because it didn't want to rub any of the
4:14
big brands the wrong way but that's history now.
4:17
DMart products are being displayed prominently
4:19
in its stores as well as
4:21
website and since DMart brands are
4:23
being offered at an even greater
4:25
discount than big names it could
4:27
hammer home its value tag and
4:29
draw more customers and DMart
4:31
doesn't really advertise its brands. It picks
4:33
up only low-cost ads at train stations,
4:35
bus stops or regional papers. That means
4:38
it has to rely on word of
4:40
mouth. So how can it create a viral
4:42
environment that will draw even more eyeballs to
4:44
stores? Well maybe it could take
4:46
a leaf out of Costco's book and start selling
4:48
gold. Apparently Costco has seen
4:51
tremendous success selling gold bars. It's raking
4:53
in nearly 100 to 200 million dollars
4:55
a month these days and as per
4:57
Wealth Far Go, the addition
5:00
of gold or silver is a smart
5:02
move for Costco as it only reinforces
5:04
its value proposition. People
5:07
are worried about inflation and are flocking to
5:09
gold and by offering gold at little
5:11
to no markup Costco is giving them exactly
5:13
what they want. The bars are selling out
5:16
within hours and jewelry has now become a
5:18
top-performing category for Costco. See, the current sales
5:20
figures are just a drop in the Costco
5:23
revenue bucket but as analysts point out it's
5:25
still a new source of revenue that didn't
5:27
exist before. Something is better than nothing. Also
5:30
think of the free publicity for Costco.
5:32
Every media house in America is talking
5:34
about it and that alone might be
5:36
enough to sell more memberships and get
5:38
more people to walk into their stores.
5:40
The higher football could translate into higher
5:42
sales in other categories too. Now
5:44
imagine DMart starts selling gold and silver coins
5:46
too. Indians already have a pawn shop for
5:49
these metals. They buy it as an investment
5:51
and for all sorts of festivals and with
5:53
a trust and brand name that DMart has
5:55
built, they won't need to be convinced of
5:58
the quality of metal either. people
6:00
might fluke to buy the bars and
6:02
coins and maybe Dmart will see its
6:04
private brands get more eyeballs too. Maybe
6:06
its fortunes will change. Possible?
6:09
What do you think? Let us know by writing
6:11
to us at the ratefinshaws.
Podchaser is the ultimate destination for podcast data, search, and discovery. Learn More