A Study of Hippo Stores Marketing Strategy.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement of the

INTERNSHIP PROJECT

Under the guidance of Submitted Submitted By

Dr. Rajeev Johari Alik Ghosh

Industry Mentor-
Sakshi Grover
(Asst Store Manager)
Hippo Stores

ITS School of Management

(2021-2023)
Industry Certificate
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Alik Ghosh student of PGDM 2021-23 Batch, Section – A has
successfully completed the project report on “A study of hippo stores marketing
strategy”. The assignment report independent work carried out by the candidate.

Signature of faculty mentor

 CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the project on, “A study of hippo stores marketing strategy”.
submitted by me is original work completed under the guidance of Dr. Rajeev Johari
This assignment project has been submitted in part or full for award of Post Graduate
Diploma in Management.

Signature of the Candidate

Alik Ghosh.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to the following revered persons,
without whose immense support, completion of this project would not have been possible.

I sincerely grateful to Internal Faculty Guide Dr. Rajeev Johari of the Department Of
Management, ITS, Ghaziabad for his constant support, significant insights and for generating
in us a profound interest for this subject that kept us motivated during the entire duration of
this project.

I would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Timira Shukla (Director
Management, ITS), other faculties of Institute of Technology & Science, for their assistance
and encouragement. I am also grateful to Sakshi Grover (Asst Manager,Hippo Stores) and
Sneha Bansal(HR) for their constant support for our Summer Internship Projects.
Last but not the least, I would like to extend our warm regards to our families and peers who
have kept supporting us and always had faith in our work.

Name of the Student -Alik Ghosh

Roll.No:2021010
Dept. of Management
Institute of Technology and Science, Ghaziabad
 PREFACE:

This Project Report has been created as an outcome of the Summer Internship Program
(SIP) that I did at Hippo stores pvt ltd . The SIP was intended to provide me with an ex-
posure to the real industry and provide me with an opportunity to work as an employee in
the organiza- tion. Eventually. I had a operation trainee profile and got the opportunity to
explore and learn about the market and also the store operation.

My Project was titled as “A study of Hippo stores marketing strategy”. The project also
demanded to spot potential business opportunities for Hippo stores with its competitors in
the retail businees.

The project has helped me understand the market,various marketing strategy,selling, and a
brief insight about the organization’s culture.
 TABLE OF CONTENT:

S. No. Particulars

1. Executive Summary

2. Chapter-1: Introduction

3. Chaptwer-2: Objectives of the Study

4. Chapter-3: Research Methodology

5. Chapter-4: Findings, Conclusion &

Recommendations
6. References
 Executive Summary
The 2-months Summer Internship Program at ITS School Of Management for Higher
Education is a vital part of the 2-year PGDM Course. Since majority of the students come
without any prior work experience, the Summer Internship adds worth to their CVs by giving
each student immense learning. At ITS, a student can bag an internship through various
means since the institute gives us ample opportunities to interact with industry experts. I got
my internship through a Campus visit by Hippo stores pvt ltd. Our interaction with
Operations manager the current trends of the Building materials within one roof just like any
other FMCG Goods industry and how the increase in demand for building materials market
is an opportunity for Hippo stores in the coming times. Further to our discussion, we got
know that hippo is the first company who offers all kind of building material under one roof
this company is under Dalmia Bharat Group.
 INTRODUCTION

Hippo Stores is on a mission to change how construction happens in India. India’s first
Omni-channel Construction solution offering the largest and widest range of building
construction materials under one platform. Vision is to be part of every home being
constructed or renovated; building lasting relationships with our customers by being a
reliable, competitive and convenient source of all building products and services. Hippo
stores is a Digital First, born in the cloud company, focusing on using technology to
rapidly build and optimize value in the entire building material value chain .

Vision

Be Be part of every home being constructed or renovated .

Our Mission

Build lasting relationships with customers by being a reliable, competitive and easy

source of relevant products and services.

Values

Integrity
Wisdom is knowing which is the right path. Integrity is taking that right path. Integrity is the quality
of being honest and having strong moral values. It is our aptitude for doing what’s right and not
what’s easy. We believe it is an opportunity to come out of our comfort zone and create a bridge of
faith with those around us. We nurture a habitat where success is measured by conduct and individuals
never stray from their line of duty.
Humility
Humility is the concern of what is right and not who is right. Perfection is impossible without
humility. Humility is our ultimate strength. It is our willingness to follow, as much as our capacity to
lead. It discovers the true measure of our own self and transforms us into being open towards learning
and growing. Humility is the bliss of an equilibrium that lets us scale to the next level of greatness that
is captured in a single word and summed up in one philosophy.

Trust & Respect

Trust takes years to build, seconds to break and forever to repair. Respect is earned, trust is
gained. The two together remind us of our unique worth, multiply our combined strength and
the miracles that each of us are capable of.

Commitment
Motivation gets you started Commitment is what keeps you going. We believe commitment is power
which transforms a promise into reality. It is the bond that glues us with our goals and helps us realise
that success is never attained by accident. It makes us believe that where there’s a will, there’s always
a way.
 SWOT ANALYSIS OF Hippo Stores

STRENGTHS:

o NEW PRODUCTS
o BUSINESS GROWTH
o EMERGING SECTOR
o GOOD INVESTMENT
o BRAND ACCUISITION

WEAKNESSES:

o DOMINANCE OF UNORGANISED SECTOR.

o LIMITED RETAIL SPACE.

OPPORTUNITIES:

o CREATION OF STRONGER DEMAND.

o STRONG FUTURE GROWTH.

THREATS:

o THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO

CONSTRUCTIVE CHANGE.
o NEW ENTRANTS.
 AREA OF OPERATION:

Delhi Store – Mayapuri Operational, 50,000 Square feet.

Noida Store – Gardena Galleria Mall – Operational.
Warehouse – 2 Lakh Square feet operational.
4 More Stores in North India and 1 in Bangalore in Coming Year. 25 Stores in 3-5 Years Time Pan India.
Category Expertise in Wood, Bathroom Solutions Tiles and Flooring, Electrical and allied items, Paints
and Coatings, Hardware and Kitchens, Structural material.

Transparent pricing and deep Category Expertise with Options available in every Category.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

▪ CEO
▪ CMO
▪ CHANNEL HEAD
▪ REGIONAL HEAD
▪ STORE MANAGER
▪ SALES MANAGER

VARIOUS POLICIES IN THE COMPANY:

1. CSR Policy.
2. Sexual Harassment policy.
3. Stewardship code and Voting policy.
4. Policy on Related Party Transactions.
5. Whistle Blower policy.

PRODUCT LINE:

• BUILDING MATERIALS.
• DESIGING SOLUTIONS.
• MULTI BRANDED PRODUCT.
 Observations

During my summer internship program i observed various marketing strategy was

implimented by Hippo stores like they used B2b, digital, print media marketing and also they
have field marketing executive who analyse the potential area and generate valubale leads
for the company.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

• To know about the various marketing strategy adapt by organiztion.

• To study the marketing strategy.
• To identify the potential strategy for marketing.

Hippo Stores
There is a multitude of hassles involved in the construction business. The
primary one is finding the right products as per your needs because on an
average, customers have to visit 70-80 stores throughout the construction, face
delays in projects, face issues related to duplicate and fake products, have
limited knowledge, and deal with the opaque pricing system where they don’t
know if what they paid is right. There are very few players in the market solving
these pain points and Hippos Stores is one such brand.

Hippo Stores’ omnichannel strategy enables customers with convenience given

the multiple formats, physical stores, and digital platforms. The physical store
acts as an experience center, giving the customers the ability to physically
choose what they want as well as interact in person with product experts to seek
advice.

Munir Suri, Senior Vice President, Hippo Stores said, “A multi -channel or
omnichannel approach is best to service today’s customer for whom convenience
is as important as savings and benefits. Hippo Stores aims at increasing the in-
store footfall as well as getting more traffic online which may convert into sales.”
On the other hand, the online presence through the website and app provides
easy access to do subsequent research, price benchmarking, and comparison
and purchasing. The website is even more beneficial to the brand for its B2B
customers, who place frequent orders, and already know what products they
want to order.

In terms of sales, the brand has serviced more than 10,000 customers already
with its single-store presence in Mayapuri. It is growing at a rapid pace and just
in the 3 months between December 2021 and March 2022, doubled its sales. The
brand has opened its second outlet in Noida.

Pain-points In Construction Sector

As stated, the home construction and renovation involve a multitude of hassles

and so the brand should have faced an equal number if not more of pain points
to build its business.

“This market is highly unorganized and adding on to it is the lack of price

transparency in building products. Therefore, we offer clear and transparent
pricing and specifications for each product. To save time and make the process
convenient, we let our customers make their own decisions by comparing and
choosing products and pricing across all categories,” said Suri. The brand is said
to provide all the building materials at wholesale pricing.

The second challenge is that of the supply chain. Even though the backbone of
the Indian retail sector is a strong supply chain, the complexity of the supply
chain is one of the highest in the construction industry. And the lack of visibility
in the supply chain results in higher risk.

“The supply chain for various construction and building materials is fragmented
and unorganized in this sector. This entire process from creating an innovative
technology-driven retailing, to the online process of construction material
procurement was challenging, taking into account the existing complexity of the
supply chain,” Suri said highlighting the struggles.
Need For Educating Consumers

Given the apparent complexity, there is very little education and awareness
among the consumers about how to go about the construction work. Keeping this
in mind, Hippo Stores has decided to educate the customers with knowledge and
information about the products.

“We make product comparisons easy for our customers. Through our digital
platform, customers can compare and choose from more than 30,000 building
products across 160 brands. All the building products available online and at our
physical store are available at wholesale prices,” Suri further added.

And on the marketing front, Suri shared: "Our e-commerce website reaches out
to a larger audience to help them have a seamless experience just like it is in the
store. Through our social media marketing, we aim at reaching every customer
and offering them an experience that stays with them forever. Whether they plan
to get a new house constructed or get a modular kitchen installed, they can
reach out to us through multiple platforms for easy solutions."

Future Plans

Given the construction industry has a lot of challenges to solve, there is a lot of
scope going forward for the brand (and for other entrants in the industry).

"Over the next 5+ years, we aim to be in 27 cities and plan significant investment
of over 100s of Crores into building technology, procuring material, maintaining
inventory, and creating physical store presence. Ultimately, our vision is to be
part of every home being constructed or renovated.
Dalmia Bharat Parivar yet again made waves recently with its maiden retail venture, Hippo
Stores. India’s first one-stop-shop for building products @ wholesale rate, Hippo Stores, is an
intelligent aggregation of building products brands through a chain of megastores. Starting with
its first megastore at Mayapuri, New Delhi, Hippo Stores has already disrupted the unorganized
market of Building and Construction material, which is set to record a CAGR of 15% to
reach INR 29,782.2 billion by 2024. With the launch of its first 360 degrees integrated
marketing campaign, the brand has already made its mark. While the growth in online traffic is
eye-popping 6157%, the inbound calls to their call centre have grown by 1178%. This is just the
beginning; their digital film campaign comprising of 11 films is recording an average CVTR of
45%, compared to the average CVTR of 15% – 20% that is considered very high and super
successful. These remarkable numbers have reflected well in the growth of revenue which, when
compared with that of June, has seen a leap frog jump of 277% in September.
This dream start for Hippo Stores is a result of months of preparation and work that went in the
shaping of the brand, its personality and perception, brand promises, and consumer take
home. Ranjan Das, MD of their Marketing and Creative Agency, “Hippo Stores has been one
of most exciting opportunities as well as a challenge as a marketer. The toughest part was
simplifying the brands proposition and messaging while making it appealing for its three inter
conflicting target audiences, i.e. the Re-seller (B2B), the Contractor (B2B) and the Independent
Home Maker (B2C). All of them traditionally transact with each other and are customers or
suppliers to one another, and have conflicting interests. Our marketing campaign needed to
attract both B2B and B2C customers under one roof, making them believe in the brand and
unlock the various benefits they could draw from this new disruption, Hippo Stores. All 11 of
our Digital films have done the magic. Even though each of them is almost 1 min long, the
highest CVTR is as high as 60%, meaning, way more than half of the viewers who came across
our digital films, instead of skipping it, like most of us do, watched it till the end. This is
unprecedented. The storytelling is very engaging. We used humor at its subtle best,
communicating every USP through a unique slice of life stories between husband and wife for
B2C and a father and son duo for B2B films. Rashi Das, Business Director, Apppl Combine
adds, while jingles during peak hours through all popular FM stations is working as a constant
reminder and base, the print campaign is an intelligent extension of Digital Films. Telling the
brand story in parts, every weekend, through full-page newspaper ads, we started by claiming
our pole position of being India’s First One-Stop-Shop of Building Products Wholesale,
followed by ads giving customers an indirect tour of the store. We used different store images in
the background of the B2C characters, giving the TG a glimpse into the 50000 sqft store retail
store with 160+ brands, 250+ categories and over 12000 products on their retail display. Moving
the weekend storytelling through full-page ads to more compelling and pocketable USPs like
wholesale price, product comparison, product experts, our strategy is to strengthen the tangible
bond with our customer base through measurable benefits. Ranjan Das adds that retail space
design and Retail Branding by Apppl Combine is experiential and engaging, connecting equally
well with B2B and B2C customers sets when they visit the store after engaging with our digital
films, radio jingles or print ads.

While Amit Garg, CEO Hippo Stores, is excited with the result of the marketing
campaign, Munir Suri, Head Demand Generation, Hippo Stores, elaborates, ‘Ensuring a direct
and un-layered brand communication was imperative as our TG was so varied. Apppl Combine,
our marketing agency, has done a brilliant job of strategizing with our team and giving word,
voice, visuals and films to our launch and continuation marketing campaign.
Prior to the brand launch, agency also worked on various story-telling visuals to capture the
audience’s attention and bring them closer to the brand increasing their affinity towards Hippo
Stores. These included simple, impactful yet comprehensive & focused content development in
English as well as Hindi to cater to both sides of the literacy spectrum amongst the target
audience. the brand’s target audience into 3 segments- Resellers, Contractors and Individual Home
Buyer and addressed their pain points separately, placing Hippo Stores as the go-to solution provider for
all.
 Curb Appeal
The first step in creating a retail marketing strategy is to look at the outside of your store
and objectively consider the message you’re sending. Storefronts are easily neglected as
business owners are often rushing inside to get to work.

However, for your potential customers and passersby, the storefront is their first
impression of your business. Therefore, the outside should be—at minimum—tidy,
appealing, and freshly painted with polished windows and a clean sidewalk.

In addition to relentless cleanliness, retailers should also consider the strategies they’re
using to lure customers inside. A high-quality and well-designed storefront tells
customers you have quality, interesting products here. If you have an outdated or dirty
storefront, customers are going to pass by.

You don’t need to go all-out. You can work on small, inexpensive updates like a new
coat of paint or power washing your exterior bricks and sidewalk. Replace dated exterior
light fixtures, swap out your store hours sign for a modern door decal, and add some
planter boxes that can be filled with seasonal plants.

Design Window Displays

Window displays are one of the most important parts of retail strategy, especially for
businesses on a heavily trafficked road. When creating a window display, choose a
theme that resonates with buyers such as a holiday or seasonal theme. Choose
complementary colors and arrange your display with a variety of heights and depths
to make it visually interesting.
 Install Storefront Signage
Another important element of your retail marketing strategy is the outdoor signage. If you
can, install a storefront sign with your name that can be easily read by cars and
pedestrians across the street. Have smaller signage by your front door and on your
windows for people walking by your store that may be too close to see your larger
overhead sign.

One report found that 80% of customers would shop at a new store with an inviting
exterior vs one without. Making your store’s exterior more attractive with storefront
signage can make the difference between a pedestrian and a paying customer.

• Showcase new and seasonal products at the entrance: Entice customers with seasonal
or holiday displays and trending products; keeping the front of your store fresh also gives
regular shoppers something new to browse.
• Place traffic-driving products toward the back: Place your bestselling items or sales
racks at the back of the store so customers need to walk past and see all of your other
merchandise.
• Highlight impulse buys at checkout: Stock small, low-cost items like candy, toys,
makeup, or electronic accessories by the checkout counter so customers pick them up
while waiting to check out.