Patanjali

Patanjali is a renowned Indian brand that operates within the FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) and wellness sector. The brand is built on consumer trust and affordability and has a deep connection with Indian traditions. Patanjali has a huge product portfolio that includes food items, personal care, wellness products, etc. The brand has experimented with different conventional retail formats and has presently established itself in urban and semi urban markets.

Patanjali had a clear objective: increase accessibility, improve product visibility, and build deeper engagement with consumers. And this is exactly where D’Art entered the picture.

The Challenge

It was not at all easy for Patanjali to expand into rural and semi urban areas within India. The brand was presented with a completely unique set of challenges that could not be addressed through conventional/traditional retail strategies, as it faced several limitations that further restricted its speed, scalability, and reach.

• As brick and mortar stores required significant investment in real estate, construction, and long term operations, physical retail expansion required a heavy budget.
• As the rollout timelines were extremely slow, it became very difficult for Patanjali to penetrate multiple geographies quickly and further take into consideration the market demand.
• Due to the absence of dynamic retail platforms in rural regions, the challenge of low product visibility and trial, particularly for new and fast moving SKUs (stock keeping units), significantly affected the entire expansion process.
• Patanjali was dependent on fixed infrastructure that reduced flexibility and also restricted the brand’s ability to test, scale, or relocate itself, based on its market performance.

The above challenges are more than enough to explain that in order to unlock growth in these high potential markets, it was extremely crucial for the FMCG brand to opt for a strategic solution that could be deployed immediately, is cost efficient, scalable, and capable of bringing the brand directly to the consumer.

The Solution

In order to help Patanjali overcome these challenges, D’Art decided to introduce a new retail format: “Store on Wheels”. We had a core idea behind introducing this format: instead of expecting the customer to come to the store, we wanted to bring the store to the customer. The team at D’Art engineered light commercial vehicles into fully functional mobile retail units that were strategically designed to operate as compact and self contained mini stores. The team made sure that these strategic vehicles acted as more than transportation units. This helped Patanjali achieve a unique purpose built retail environment that was capable of showcasing a wide product range while efficiently operating in the most dynamic rural conditions.

The entire architecture of the commercial vehicle was designed in a way that ensured ease of operation and high visibility. The side panels had a flip open feature that allowed the driver/retailer to immediately transform the van into walk up retail counters and enabled them to quickly set up in high footfall areas.

The brand's overall retail presence was paid utmost attention to. All the mobile stores were wrapped in Patanjali’s iconic green visual language. This also turned the vehicle into a moving billboard. Strategic design and precise execution highlighted some of the main factors that are responsible for building consumer confidence in rural and semi urban regions: familiarity, reliability, and value.

Results Achieved

The shop on wheels initiative was a complete hit as it successfully transformed the FMCG brand’s rural expansion strategy and delivered clearly measurable business.

• Allowed rapid market penetration
• Reduced the setup and operational costs significantly
• Boosted product visibility and consumer trials
• Helped Patanjali achieve a scalable and flexible retail channel
• Established a high ROI retail model

By redefining last mile access, the mobile shop design and execution allowed Patanjali to reach consumers faster, respond to regional needs, and build deeper brand relationships in previously underserved markets.

The Showroom on Wheels initiative for Patanjali by D’Art went way beyond being a mobile retail solution. Instead, it became a strategic growth tool that completely redefined the brand’s rural business model. By combining smart engineering and strong branding with customer centric design, this respective initiative helped Patanjali overcome traditional retail barriers and unlock new opportunities for scale, speed, and impact.

The project clearly highlights the fact that innovative retail thinking and execution can allow brands to reach new audiences, strengthen trust, and establish a sustainable model for growth.