Jalandhar locals pose a challenge to Reliance Fresh

Local farmers-turned-entrepreneurs in Jalandhar are giving Reliance Fresh a run for its money. Though Reliance Fresh opened its five stores in Jalandhar at one go, local entrepreneurs opened their stores earlier and are doing brisk business.

Manmohan Singh, one of the partners of Veggie Wonder, which was opened at Mahavir Marg, said the store has already established its clientele and customers found its vegetables more fresh than the Reliance's outlet.

"We got the idea to open such a store after a visit of England, where such stores are very popular. We opened our first store on experimental basis and now, after opening another in GTB Nagar, we plan to open four more in the city soon," Singh said.

On the difficulty to get customers after the entry of a multinational company with the same concept, Manmohan said after Reliance Fresh launched, his business had also picked up.

"When we opened, the idea of such a store was not very popular and people still preferred to go to the local vegetable market. But after the entry of Reliance Fresh, the trend of buying vegetables changed which benefited us also", he said.

"We have an edge over Reliance Fresh as far as purchase of vegetables is concerned, as we are originally farmers and know the quality of crop but in the case of Reliance, it is only employees who selected the vegetables and fruits," he said.

The Potato Growers' Association is also considering opening such stores in the city.

Jaswinder Singh Sangha, general Secretary of the association, said in the recent meeting of the association, which has more than 100 members, ground work for opening such stories has already been completed.

"Since we have our own infrastructure in the area including state-of-the art cold storages and even own shops in the market, it will be more viable for us to open our own stores in the city," he said, adding that even the farmers of the association have been asked to cultivate a specific crop to generate maximum profit.

"At least 55 farmers of the association have already registered themselves for certification of their crop according to European standard and that is why, quality of the produce will be of the international standard and no other store can match the same", he claimed.

Another farmer, Kulwant Singh Sandhu also opened his store of organic vegetables in a posh locality of the city. Sandhu now plans to open more outlets in and around the district and since he is cultivating the organic vegetables himself, he earns the maximum profit of his sale.