D'ART DELIVERED GLOBAL RETAIL IDENTITY FOR 'TOP BRASS' IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT

LUCKNOW, India -- The luxury statement has changed over the period. And that too with an intellect of experience – is a connection that is sought eternal. Plus, the perception influenced by brand narration is like a missing link for many. D'Art did the same – joining the dots by creating a perfect design story with Top Brass as the main protagonist and mascots as different characters that are filling up the gaps.

Mapping out consumer behavior in the Indian market, trends in relevance (with technologies), and classified touchpoints (in-store). D'Art arrived at 'Colonial Architecture' design root to provide a Global Premium Brand Experience yet keeping the ambiance (for the customer) intact.

Prateek (Sr. Design Manager, D'Art Design) added "The need to make it premium, we firmly stood on including the brand tone of blue with white and gold colors. It gave that premium touch to the whole concept. Plus, sequential planogramming of different sections in-store went from footwear, clothing to accessories."

For the first time, D'Art introduced Mascot-Assisted navigation in a retail design. Where, the Top Brass mascot is a 'Thinker', a 'Craftsman', and a 'Storyteller' at the same time. Plus, the personification of the craftsmen involved in the process of shoe-making, is seen tangled in different stages of the process through its gestures.

Saurabh (Ideator, D'Art Design) concluded his approach to the design as a right mix of minimalism, luxury yet aspirational, and over that – Premium. He added, "While working on Top Brass, we researched heavily on consumer perception and behavior. And that's on trends that act as a juggernaut for the buying behavior. Plus, people are lucrative on luxury – and that in form of minimalism. So, we amalgamated the premium feel that with luxury."

The Architect behind the project, Anshuraj (D'Art Design), made remarks on Top Brass design, "From the initial brief to the final design, I tried to create a balance between classical and premium perception. The indoor colonial architecture has classically shaped the high street panorama. The brass finish was necessary to align the design with brand ethos."

This showroom interior design is an assortment that possesses the capability to serve masses and classes at the same time. Thus, the mascot-driven craftsmen narrated mix stands out in various voids as an opportunity, voice, and pillar.

About D'Art Pvt Ltd.

D'Art Pvt Ltd (https://www.dartdesign.in) is a classic amalgamation of DESIGN and MANUFACTURING services, a complete "RETAIL DESIGN AGENCY" serving since 2014, expanding business both nationally and internationally, aims to deliver excellent design for client's growth and ensures timely execution with a dedicated team and resources believe that the root of our success goes hand in hand with client's success and satisfaction.

Gupshup Acquires AskSid, the Leading Conversational AI Platform for Ecommerce and Retail Companies

Acquisition strengthens Gupshup’s AI-powered conversational solutions for Ecommerce, Retail and Consumer Goods industries

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India & San Francisco, United States – Gupshup, a global leader in conversational engagement, announced today the acquisition of AskSid, a leading Conversational AI provider to top ecommerce and retail companies around the world. AskSid’s full-stack AI solution including the Retail AI brain, strengthens Gupshup’s customer experience (CX) offerings and will help make the entire shopping journey - across pre-purchase, purchase and post-purchase phases - fully conversational.

 
Headquartered in Bengaluru, AskSid is helping many global brands like AkzoNobel, Danone, Wolford, Akris and Himalaya Wellness deliver impactful shopping experiences to customers through AI-powered conversations, driving faster sales. The tech startup has operations in 25+ countries and supports over 100 languages. By automating 92% of support conversations with a self-service model, AskSid customers have reported an average 25% reduction in operational expenditure, while boosting order conversion rate by 30%.
 
“Conversational commerce is about to transform shopping, both online and offline. Gupshup is building the most comprehensive conversational commerce solution and AskSid’s deep-domain AI offering will help us bring even more advanced capabilities to ecommerce and retail businesses worldwide,” said Beerud Sheth, Co-founder and CEO, Gupshup. “We welcome the AskSid team onboard and look forward to collaborating with major brands across the world to enable next-gen shopping experiences.”
 
Per a recent report by McKinsey, ecommerce could grow up to 5x faster compared to pre-pandemic times. “This presents a huge opportunity for Retail and ecommerce brands - but only if they are able to provide expert guidance anytime, anywhere to their consumers, which is exactly what AskSid delivers,” said Sanjoy Roy, Co-founder and CEO, AskSid. “Together with Gupshup, we will help businesses drive richer conversational experiences.”
 
“We are very happy to join forces with Gupshup and look forward to helping more brands personalize their shopping experiences at scale,” said Dinesh Sharma, Co-founder and CTO, AskSid.
 
AskSid’s angel investors include well-known technology leaders Rajan Anandan (ex-Google), Krishnakumar Natarajan (ex-Mindtree), Parthasarathy NS (ex-Mindtree) and Radha R (ex-Microsoft and Mindtree). The AI startup is also backed by Techstars (first institutional investor in AskSid), a global seed accelerator that mentors some of the world’s most successful startups. 
 
"AskSid’s retail-specific models help global retail brands deliver impactful shopping experiences to their consumers. I am impressed with AskSid's powerful AI capabilities and their ability to acquire global brands so readily,” said Vijay Tirathrai, Managing Director at Techstars. “The merger with Gupshup is the next logical step and a great strategic fit as their deep vertical AI expertise in retail now gets augmented by Gupshup on a global scale in CPaaS and CX, delivering immense value to enterprise customers."

Shrenik Ghodawat conferred as the Food & Grocery Retail Icon of India 2022

KOLHAPUR, India -- Shrenik Ghodawat, MD - Star Localmart, the Retail arm of Sanjay Ghodawat Group (SGG), recently was conferred as the Food & Grocery Retail Icon of India at the Annual Golden Spoon Awards, organised by Images Group. He was honoured for being the driving force behind the inception of rural start-up Star Localmart - a locally sourced, locally processed, and locally sold grocery retail ecosystem.

Thanking the entire team of Images Group and Star Localmart, Shrenik said, "It is an absolute honour to be part of this illustrious list of stalwarts from the Retail sector. Our growth is a testament to the efforts and ingenuity of the entire Star Localmart family. I am proud and thrilled to witness such a response and acceptance by our customers. Throughout its growth, Star Localmart has remained true to its mission – to change and nurture the lives of consumers – one neighbourhood at a time. We hope to continue our commitment to elevating the retail experience for customers around the country. We plan to add 3000 stores by FY25 which will generate employment opportunities for over 25000 people."

With currently over 75 stores strategically placed across locations in Maharashtra and Karnataka, Star Localmart is living up to its novel idea of a 21st century retail franchise model by empowering local resources. The retail start-up aims to enhance the lives of consumers with great discounts, quality products, and excellent customer care that ensures an unparalleled experience. Its concept stands out since it generates local employment, space for local companies to exhibit their products and promoting local entrepreneurship.

Golden Spoon Award honours businesses for their outstanding achievements in business performance, marketing, retail growth, and innovation in Food & Grocery retail in India.

About Sanjay Ghodawat Group 

Sanjay Ghodawat Group (SGG) is a prominent Indian business conglomerate that has a presence in various high-value business verticals. Aviation, Consumer Products, Education, Energy, Mining, Realty, Retail, and Textiles are some of its key business domains. SGG was founded in 1993 and since then it has witnessed impressive growth under the splendid stewardship of its Founder and Chairman- Mr. Sanjay Ghodawat. It has a strong base of millions of customers globally, an employee strength of over 10,000, and a student base of over 16,000. SGG is moving ahead with great vigour and bringing significant changes in people's lives with its wide range of high-quality products and services.

For more information, please visit www.ghodawat.com

Sensormatic Solutions by Johnson Controls prioritizes responsible retail by continued focus and investment into sustainability practices

 

•  Johnson Controls brand Sensormatic Solutions releases new white paper detailing its multi-faceted approach to empower retailers, shoppers, and its own organization to reach sustainability goals

•  Sensormatic leverages big data and AI to optimize retailers' sustainability through a range of digitally enabled solutions and services

NEUHAUSEN, Switzerland -- Sensormatic Solutions, the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls, today released its 2021 Sustainability Story white paper, detailing its sustainability efforts. Sensormatic Solutions is built on innovation, and is dedicated toward sustainable products, solutions, and services. The company also extends its sustainability focus to include its people and processes.

"We are committed to developing innovations that positively impact sustainability outcomes for a brighter future in all aspects of our business, from our products, to our processes, to our people," said Bjoern Petersen, Global Managing Director and Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, Sensormatic Solutions. "As a leader in retail technology and part of Johnson Controls — a strong voice in sustainability policy around the world — we hold ourselves to high environmental and social standards while helping our suppliers, partners, and retail customers do the same. Responsible Retail is the north star for everything we do." 

For Retailers: Positioning Technology at the Core of Sustainability Initiatives

Sensormatic Solutions built its portfolio on a foundation of sustainability. The organization's focus on prioritizing responsible retail practices while leveraging innovative technology and meeting retailers' evolving needs is apparent in all facets of its business.

The following represent just a few examples of how Sensormatic Solutions leads the charge toward a more sustainable retail future through its solutions for inventory intelligence, shopper experience, loss prevention, and operational effectiveness:

•  Sensormatic Solutions' latest generation of Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) systems consume 50% less power than earlier models and feature a "power save" mode that can result in 30% less energy use per 12-hour store day.

•  Sensormatic Solutions Inventory Intelligence solution leverages radio frequency identification (RFID) to deliver accurate, real-time insights that can help reduce waste, carbon emissions, and energy use throughout the entire supply chain.

•  Shopper insights provide retailers with a comprehensive understanding of their shoppers' behaviors to help make smarter decisions about stores and properties, including when to adjust hours for maximum occupancy to save energy and water, as well as reduce CO2 from wasted trips to stores that are not properly staffed or where inventory is unavailable.

•  Over the past year, Sensormatic Solutions Visual Source Tags Recirculation (VSTR) initiative resulted in 1.5B tags recirculated, with 11.4 billion tags recirculated since the program's inception in 2010.

For Shoppers: Powering Sustainable, Seamless Shopping Experiences

Sensormatic Solutions understands the importance of sustainability and convenience for consumers —and Sensormatic IQ helps retailers leverage actionable insights to meet both demands. After all, the shopper experience hinges on perfectly timed moments of truth or 'precision retail' — engagement on the customer's terms, providing the right item at the right place at the right time. Moments between customers, stores, associates, and merchandise opportunities for retailers can positively impact the brand experience and execute seamless unified commerce, all with sustainability in mind. For example:

•  Item-level inventory ensures a shopper's trip is purposeful, knowing that their item will be in stock or ready for pick up, helping to avoid making wasted trips.

•  Data integration from shopper insights can help visualize both staff service level and shopper time dedicated to transactions, determining efficient shopper journeys, and reducing wasted trips to stores where staffing levels are not aligned to demand of services.

For Sensormatic: Committed to Sustainability from the Inside-Out

Sensormatic Solutions continuously reviews its own operations, facilities, and fleets to improve environmental performance and energy management by identifying and reducing every excess. Its facilities also prioritize reducing water and power consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste sent to landfills through a variety of initiatives.

Sensormatic Solutions leverages the capabilities of Johnson Controls OpenBlue technologies and innovations, which utilize data and AI to optimize sustainable buildings. Johnson Controls is making significant steps to improve its environmental impact and has committed to achieving net zero Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 2040 – ten years ahead of the goal set out in the United Nations Paris Climate Agreement. The company aims to cut its operational emissions by 55 percent and reduce customers' emissions by 16 percent before 2030. These ambitious 2030 emissions reduction targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. Johnson Controls also recently issued a Sustainability-Linked Bond to support its commitment to achieving ambitious absolute emission reductions by 2025.

To learn more about Sensormatic Solutions' innovative efforts to foster a more sustainable retail landscape, please visit our Sustainability page or download the "Our Retail Sustainability Story of Sensormatic Solutions by Johnson Controls" white paper. You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter, using #SensormaticSustainability. 

About Johnson Controls

At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As the global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet.

With a history of more than 135 years of innovation, Johnson Controls delivers the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through its comprehensive digital offering OpenBlue. With a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries, Johnson Controls offers the world's largest portfolio of building technology, software as well as service solutions with some of the most trusted names in the industry. For more information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow us @johnsoncontrols on Twitter.

About Sensormatic Solutions

Sensormatic Solutions is the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls powering operational excellence at scale and enabling smart and connected shopper engagement. Our intelligent digital operating platform – Sensormatic IQ – combines the full Sensormatic Solutions portfolio, including third-party data to deliver unmatched insights into shopper experience, inventory intelligence, loss prevention and operational effectiveness with advanced technologies, like AI and Machine Learning. This enables retailers to act on prescriptive and predictive data-driven outcomes to confidently move into the future. Please visit Sensormatic Solutions or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and our YouTube channel.

D'ART LAUNCHES WATERBASE'S GLOBAL RETAIL IDENTITY "SHRIMP WORLD" IN AMALAPURAM, ANDHRA PRADESH

VISAKHAPATNAM, India -- The allegorical narration of Waterbase went through the legacy they created in the shrimp industry, since 1987. From the rural areas to global horizons, 'Shrimp World' embossed a picture of the largest producer of shrimps (India) in an immersive experiential way. Retail prospects are bridged for the first time in the gaps and challenges of shrimp farming with this project. To upgrade the lack (of skills, education, tech, etc.), livelihood, and safety of aqua farmers. It features a connect with the tech in a reinforcing manner to scale the power of data science to map out the lurks and leaky buckets a brand faces on different fronts. D'Art Design roped in with a vibrant design embarking their journey from Sea-to-Pond. Moreover, D'Art Design diluted the pain points of better communication (brand and product), visibility, hospitality, etc. in-sync with pastoral and global contexts.

"We are looking for a platform where the farmers could come and experience our products, understand our products, and get educated. Amalapuram is one of the largest shrimp farming hubs in the country, and it's also the fastest-growing. We believe that this would be the right place to launch. I believe it would be a game-changer in the industry that the entire value chain of the industry can change for the better," added Mr. Kiran (Marketing Head, Waterbase Ltd.)

Ms. Arti, Marketing and Communications Head says, "The main agenda was to introduce something different in this particular category. I think it will help the market because nobody has ever seen something like this, and this particular theme as such by creating a lot of brand awareness. So exactly what we wanted to get is that the theme colors should work around the brand colors, and we want to see if we can add a little bit of layer to it."

To accomplish, D'Art based the whole design on different shades of water with the usage of different shades and tones of blue and green color. Design treatments cover product placement with complied color-coded packaging accompanied by real samples to boost show-n-tell, Experience Wall that acted by way of key graphic as a manual interface to impart knowledge on the usage of products at each stage of shrimp development, dedicated hospitality section (that makes up 25% of the design layout), digital intervention through technologies like Ultima AI and Heatmaps.

Mr. R Suresh Kumar, CFO added, "We wanted to set up a unique store that covers the entire thought process of what we have, and what we can bake a good experience for the customer. It's a kind of a showroom where I would say that the customer will feel delighted."

D'Art's Sr. Project Manager Mr. Jeanius (who was handling the whole execution part of this project) also commented, "It was an exciting endeavor to take on this project, even though it proved to be complex. The project was carried out in a remote village that posed unique challenges to consider. We needed to allocate resources to provide the desired quality and meet our goals, most importantly, we had uninformed farmers and a language barrier to address. So, we had to come to a solution keeping all that in mind and design in a way that translates their needs well, blends with their environment, and comes naturally to them. Despite the difficulties, the entire project was interesting for all of us. We hope that this design performs admirably, functions as planned, and proves to be a success."

D'Art's Sr. Brand Manager Mr. Zahir also added a few words on this commendable deliverance, "I feel this project was very challenging yet exciting because of the product line. It is very technical & complex. Plus, since the farmers are not well educated, the biggest challenge we faced was to arrive at the right mix of experiences. So, we tried to glue the challenges with this unique design analogy so that every visitant can understand it naturally. We hope this design delivers new footfall, higher conversions, and new heights. Also, we feel that through this project, we have shared our contribution to the Govt's Make in India concept and feel great about that."

About D'Art Pvt Ltd.

D'ART is a classic amalgamation of DESIGN and MANUFACTURING services, a complete "RETAIL DESIGN AGENCY" serving since 2014, expanding business both nationally and internationally, aims to deliver excellent design for our client's growth and ensures timely execution with our dedicated team and resources as we believe that the root of our success goes hand in hand with client's success and satisfaction.

Sonata Software Partners with Microsoft in its launch of 'Microsoft Cloud for Retail'

Further strengthens its offerings to the retail industry

BANGALORE, India - Sonata Software, a global IT Services and Technology Solutions Company, partners with Microsoft in its launch of 'Microsoft Cloud for Retail', further strengthening its offerings to the retail industry.

For over three decades, Sonata Software has been a partner with Microsoft, delivering high quality products and services based on Microsoft's offerings. The 'Microsoft Cloud for Retail' collaboration is expected to further strengthen that relationship.

Sonata Software has delivered high-quality solutions for retailers world-wide over the years, based on a deep understanding of retail markets and retailers' needs, using world-class IPs, in-house migration and modernization tools, strong engineering services, all underpinned by Platformation™, its unique digital transformation framework. Sonata Connected Retail delivers personalized, intelligent, and adaptive solutions that allow retailers to unlock the potential latent in their businesses and deal with shifting market landscapes.

"Sonata Connected Retail stands for best-in-class omnichannel experiences for retail customers, helping them create personalized shopping experiences for their customers, across physical and digital worlds. The partnership with Microsoft Cloud for Retail will further enhance our capabilities, with its emphasis on leveraging data, elevating the shopping experience, building real-time, sustainable supply chains, and empowering store associates," said Rajsekhar Datta Roy, Head, BizApps and Industry Platforms, Sonata Software.

Robbee Minicola, Senior Director, Partner Strategy, WW Retail & Consumer Goods Industries at Microsoft, added, "Sonata and Microsoft have had a longstanding relationship, and together, we will deliver solutions that allow retailers to build resilience and grow now and into the future."

Customers can find the Sonata Connected Retail solution through Microsoft AppSource.

Sonata Software is a Microsoft Gold Partner, recognized for its expertise in delivering the highest quality of service on the Microsoft stack. Sonata is a member of the Microsoft Inner Circle for Business Applications and Microsoft named us their Partner of the Year for Biz Apps in the India region in 2021. Sonata also holds a range of advanced specializations from Microsoft.

Pamper your Skin this Winter with Vasu Naturals Premium Winter Care Range

Offers Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Aloe vera and All Season body lotions & skin creams with Natural Actives

Mumbai: Winter is the time when our skin needs extra care, hydration and nourishment. Keeping in mind the need of the season and protecting it from getting dry & patchy, the leading brand in Herbal Cosmetics & Personal care segment - Vasu Healthcare

has introduced an array of winter care products to give a hydrating and refreshing feel during colder temperatures. The company offers an range of body lotions and skin creams like Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Aloe vera and All Season for complete body care under 'Vasu Naturals'.

Winter care products from Vasu Naturals are blended with Natural Actives like Shea butter, Aloe vera, Cocoa butter and infused with Olive oil, Argan oil, Vitamin E, Vitamin B5, etc. Vasu Naturals products are available on Amazon, Flipkart, and its own store https://www.vasustore.com/.

Sharing more details, Mr. Hardik Ukani, MD, Vasu Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., said, “Blended with Natural ingredients and rich Herbal extracts, Vasu Naturals Winter care products can be the perfect companion this season for glowing and moisturised soft & supple skin. We have a vision to establish VASU as a science-based, problem-solving, head-to-heel brand, harnessed from nature's wealth, and we are working with a mission to bring the best and innovative Health and Wellness products for our customers from across the World."

Vasu Naturals is set up with an objective to offer a range of innovative herbal products enthused by the Ayurveda’s rich heritage and backed by strong R&D, modern science and technology. It offers a full range of 50 plus products - including a range of Face Wash, Face Mask, Face Scrub, Hand Cream, Foot Cream, Face Cream, Shower Gels, Body Lotions, Lip care, Skin Cream, Hand Sanitizer, Rose Water etc. Vasu Naturals products are Paraben-free, Formaldehyde-free, HALAL-certified, Non- irritant and Dermatologically Tested for Safety.

With 40 plus years of rich heritage and brand legacy, Vasu Healthcare is among the leading companies in the Ayurvedic Therapeutic formulations, Herbal Cosmetic & Personal Care,  & Nutritional Supplements. Brand Vasu has earned trust and recognition globally with its quality and innovative range of products and is currently exporting to 50 plus countries including EUROPE, ASEAN, CIS, MENA, and Latin America region etc. Company’s flagship brand –TRICHUP is omnipresent Worldwide and offers a range of Hair Care Solutions including Oil, Shampoo, Serum, Hair Conditioner, Hair Mask,  Cream etc.

About – Vasu Healthcare https://www.vasuhealthcare.com/

Carrying Heritage of Ayurveda to conquer new frontiers in Healthcare.

 

Established in 1980, Vasu Healthcare is a leading Indian company in the Herbal Cosmetics, Personal Care, Nutritional Supplements and among top players in the Ayurveda prescription market. Company has a vision to establish itself as a science-based, head-to-heel brand, harnessed from nature's wealth. Vasu Healthcare exports to 50+ countries including Middle East, North Africa, CIS, UK, Latin America region countries etc. Company reported sales of Rs.125 crore in FY 20 and aiming for sales of Rs. 250 crore in the next 3 years.

 

Company offers 200 plus products covering segments including Urology, Orthopedics, Pediatrics, Gynecology, Respiratory care etc. Company’s flagship brand -TRICHUP is omnipresent Worldwide and offers a range of Hair Care Solutions including oil, shampoo, Serum, Hair Conditioner, Creams.

 

Company has a pan-India network of dealers and distributors, including 50,000 pharmacies, retail chemists, modern trade and 1000 stockists. Company also sales through leading e-commerce portals including Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa, 1 Mg and its own online store. (https://www.vasustore.com/)

 

The company has a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Makarpura and Savli in Vadodara, Gujarat, complying with stringent international quality and compliance norms and are accredited by GMP, ISO 9001, ISO 22716 (European Standard for GMP of Cosmetics), GMP, HACCP, Halal helps in achieving highest quality. Over 750+ “VASUDHARS” drive company’s seed-to-shelf policy adopting eco-friendly practices to support the environment with mutual trust and respect and utilising talent of every member of Vasu Family.

Research arm of the company, Vasu Research Centre handles Formulation & New Product development, pre-clinical studies focusing on research areas like Herbal & Ayurvedic Pharmaceutical, Nutraceuticals using modern science and technology, without diluting the principles of Ayurveda. Recognised by the Department of Scientific and Technology, R&D facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art devices including Analytical & Microbiology Lab, HPTLC, Flash Chromatography, HPLC, Gas Chromatograph, ICP-MS Technology etc.

Leading Company in Ayurveda Prescription market in India

40 + years of Rich Heritage of Ayurveda

200 + Products with Key Brands

50+ countries Exports

30+ Awards