*This is a guest post by Power of Skills.
Launched in 2012, Navalanka Supermarket has always been a place that offers a unique opportunity for the residents in the Dehiwala, Wellawatte and Mount Lavinia, to truly shop in comfort.
Navalanka has a massive range of imported stuff from many different countries, including UAE, KSA, Malaysia, India, Australia, UK, Turkey and Pakistan. The arrival of this supermarket has certainly changed the lifestyle habits and living standards of hundreds of residents and ex-pats living in and around the region by becoming the go-to store to get your overseas grocery fix.
Located at No. 50, Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha, Dehiwala, this double storied departmental store is not the most conspicuous from the Main Road, but once you walk in, it’s like a factory of elves.
Friendly and attentive their staff is more than happy to run around on behalf of you, help you locate your what's on your grocery list and help you carry your groceries to your vehicle instead of the self-service system which we commonly spot in some other supermarket chains. As of now, they've got 35 employees working with them.
The car park, which is located right at the entrance of the store can comfortably house up to 40 vehicles in one go. Parking is rarely an issue even on busy days.
Navalanka attracts up to 1300 customers on a daily basis, and most of them are regulars. The lively, highly-energetic, warm and welcoming environment coupled with excellent service, grocery shopping here won't make you feel like you're doing another boring chore.
Navalanka, the nation’s largest Supermarket importer for food and non–food products, has a wide space of 3500 square feet, two floors, elevator and neat aisles with more than 8000 products in store. Procurement of goods is carefully taken place by properly analyzing their target market and assessing the needs of their locality.
It can be considered a fully-fledged departmental store as they specialize in a full range of merchandise to satisfy every want and need of the customers from food, hardware, electronic devices, cosmetics and other household products. They also have provision for potential fulfillment capacity giving them flexibility for the future which also allows Navalanka the opportunity and visibility to promote its massive selection of local and international brands.
The Navalanka Meat Department is becoming an increasingly powerful magnet for time-pressed and convenience-oriented shoppers as they have the best butchery in town. Their extensive of Halal-certified range of meats include Mutton, Turkey, Beef, Quails, Organic Chicken, Fresh Curry Chicken, Turkey, Chicken parts and Fresh Broiler Chicken which are neatly cut and thoroughly cleaned.
Moreover, Navalanka has been appointed as the Sole Agent in the Sri Lankan region, for United Dairy Company, an established producer of highest quality dairy and juice products in the KSA.
Shifraz Cader, a Director of Navalanka, also a CIM Member, is a strong role player in ensuring that the on-site shopping experience of the discerning customer is at its optimal level. He is also in charge of procurement and has a keen eye for consumer vibes and market trends.
Online Shopping at Navalanka.lk
Navalanka has already established itself as a major feature of the retail landscape. With the unprecedented arrival of the COVID – 19, the Sri Lankan consumer behavior has undergone it’s greatest change from the usual ‘’shopping at supermarkets’’ to ‘’shopping online.’’
With the sudden rise of delivery services, consumers are more worried about their food than ever.
Where does it come from? Will it be available? Is it expired? Is it safe to consume? It’s more than just a knee-jerk response, a sure outcome of a pandemic. It takes a true veteran to pick up on these consumer vibes and truly deliver in a very proactive and consumer-conscious way.
Navalanka has succeeded in giving them a comforting feeling of authenticity, quality and product integrity by being swift to show their adulation of and support for its consumers, FMCG dealers, farmers and fisherfolk.
Safraz Cader is the brain behind the genius "click and collect" system which allows customers to place their orders during the day and pick it up on their way home from work, rather than having to wait in long queues.
Navalanka experienced a sharp growth in online pickup propelling it towards high-sales gains during the COVID-19 Lockdown.
Safraz Cader says that the same day delivery service growth was accomplished due to the ability of his team to quickly pivot to meet shifting demands to accommodate this incredible surge in digital fulfillment under very high pressure.
There have been multiple changes in shopping behaviour and one thing that was observed about this crisis is that it has caused an acceleration and a quick adoption of digital shopping. The ability of Navalanka’s operations to handle this unexpected acceleration without any advanced planning has given them a stronger conviction and assurance that they have what it takes to be the strongest Virtual Supermarket in Sri Lanka which can withstand any continued change in the future.
It was an extreme test of their E-Commerce, and the Navalanka team has performed admirably in the face of the challenge. They have more than 150 consumer reviews that can justify this.
The Navalanka.lk website ordering system is highly responsive, user-friendly and free of bugs and glitches. It has had a thumping page view count of more than 500k customers. Plus, they've sold over 150,000 products and have handled more than 5000 orders during the lockdown.
Navalanka started off with a fleet of just 7 in-house delivery drivers, catering to Colombo limits at a 300 orders-per-day basis, but has now tied up with Certis Lanka as the strategic delivery partner, therefore island wide delivery is assured.
Another important feature is the opportunity given to their International customers. They will also be able to place their orders and pay via the payment gateway which will be up and running soon.
Navalanka also has a responsive Customer Care department that is happy to talk to customers at any given time. Shopping online truly has never been this easier.
