At the age of 73, Harsh Mariwala still plays a very active role in the business he set up more than four decades ago. The Indian billionaire behind consumer goods company Marico recently visited a general store in Mumbai to meet with retailers and distributors and gauge consumer insights. In fact, visiting supermarkets and general stores is something that Mariwala does regularly to keep on top of fast-changing consumer trends.
His company Marico is best known for its Saffola cooking oil and Parachute hair oil. It is also represented by popular brands like Set Wet, Nihar, Livon and Mediker.
With an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion (as per Forbes), Mariwala could easily delegate the ground work, but the chairman of Marico recently shared a photograph which shows him at a supermarket in Mumbai.
“One thing I like to do is regularly go on visits to stores and meet with the retailers and distributors,” Harsh Mariwala wrote on X while sharing the picture. “It gives me a clear insight into the consumer mind and the emerging trends. Here I am at Shivraj Super Market in Parel, Mumbai.”
“How do you like to do consumer insighting for your business?” he asked.
Take a look at the post below:
{{/usCountry}}“How do you like to do consumer insighting for your business?” he asked.
Take a look at the post below:
{{/usCountry}}People in the comments section praised Mariwala but also offered suggestions for improvement.
“Personal interaction is priceless!” wrote one X user. “Amazing. First hand ground insights and then aligning it with boardroom discussions,” another said.
“Sir, your prime customers (who use coconut oil) are in tier 3 cities and villages. Please engage with them also so understand their aspirations and changing needs,” an X user named Sourabh Agarwal suggested.
And when a distributor from Jhansi complained in the comments section about the change in the composition of Saffola oil, Mariwala responded to him with an assurance that someone from the Consumer Services Cell team would reach out to him.