 "Narendra Modi")
If all goes well, you could soon be walking into a brick-and-mortar "The NaMo Store" to buy things such as NaMo Tea, NaMo Balm and NaMo stationery, among others.
Run by a group of volunteers supporting Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, the so far online merchandise NaMo store is mulling whether to go offline, with brick-and-mortar NaMo Stores across states "if the BJP comes to power in the Centre". Modi is popularly known as NaMo.
It has already begun selling certain products offline, such as tea and balm. "We were getting immense response online and, hence, have begun exploring offline opportunities. In the 20 days since we went offline, we have already done sales worth Rs 25 lakh for tea and balm alone," said one of the volunteers in charge of offline sales, on condition of anonymity.
Also riding the Modi wave, in the past three months alone, the online merchandise The NaMo Store has seen sales worth a little over Rs 50 lakh. Apart from that, around Rs 25 lakh has come from offline sales of 250g NaMo Tea worth Rs 60 and 10g NaMo Balm worth Rs 24 each.
"We have already sold tea and balm in considerable quantities in Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, even as we look to expand in other states. If all goes well, in three or four months, we plan to open brick-and-mortar offline stores across the country if the BJP comes to power at the Centre," the volunteer added.
The online store has also expanded its product portfolio.
According to Manish Saini, one of the volunteer entrepreneurs behind it, the portal will continue to have products carrying both a utility and a social message surrounding Modi.
"We believe in the values and vision he is trying to bring in, such as the 'India First' attitude. We want these social messages to percolate into society through related products. For instance, we are working on products such as maybe an alarm that girls can carry for their safety. Similarly, we are developing products for old age people," Saini had earlier told Business Standard.
According to the portal, the company - Take India Beyond Merchandising Pvt Ltd - came with a group of young entrepreneurs seeing a dynamic brand, promising a unique, merchandising opportunity open to one and all, and possibly go on to become one of the greatest of success stories.
"Ever since the word NaMo first appeared in public consciousness, it caught on like wildfire, to become an entity in itself and a calling card for the largest democracy in the world. The fascinating journey, from being a village lad to a popular choice for the highest office of the nation, is a source of immense inspiration. Brand NaMo is about more than revenue generation - it is about being the turning point, rising above, altering mindset and above all, being the change," the portal further stated.
With an expanded product portfolio, The NaMo Store sells caps, T-shirts, USB drives, apparel and stationery online.
