A world of its own

Newly opened Farid’s is well-stocked and well-priced.

KARACHI:

Farid’s Superstore at Ocean Mall in Clifton is causing a buzz around town. With 45,000 feet of retail space, Farid’s is more than just a grocery store. The ground floor includes grocery, pharmacy, beauty, electronics and tableware departments.

The grocery section itself includes a branch of Rahat Bakery from Lahore and a Deli, which is run by Café Aylanto. There is an extensive books section run by Liberty Books, as well as a large film and music department by Laraib Music. The upper floor, which is not accessible directly from the mall, houses the homewares department, luggage, gym equipment, camping and hunting equipment, and a lingerie section.

And yet, plenty of retail space is no guarantee of success. The short-lived D-Mart had the space to include a deli counter, a meat counter and more, alongside an extensive grocery section. However, it was poorly laid out and never quite managed to get its mix of stock quite right. This, and an over-reliance on own-brand products quickly lost it customers. Housewives don’t want to go to a store where they won’t find the top-selling local brand of washing-up liquid.

Farid’s, however, has not made any of these mistakes. The grocery section is well thought out and offers a staggering variety of well-known brands, both local and imported. There is a dedicated baby shop in the pharmacy section that has everything from Avent bottles to Cerelac. Its own brand of rice, daals, spices, etc are all high quality and well-priced. The meat section similarly, is super-hygienic and is priced lower than competitors like Hyperstar. It also stocks specialist gluten-free food and organic food, as well as catering for wheelchair users. An immense amount of thought has gone into the inventory and layout and this is what will keep customers coming back.

The tableware section is particularly well done, with a small but well chosen array that includes Royal Doulton and silver chafing dishes, as well as brands from the Far East. Budding Masterchefs can find an interesting array of kitchen gadgets including those appealing blow torches that chefs on TV are always using.



The homewares section is the only one that is not entirely convincing. Existing stores like Gul Ahmed Ideas and Chen One offer a better selection of bedding and towels. There are some interesting decorative home accents but overall the choice is somewhat limited. This section could have been so much more. What Farid’s does do well, is that is has a great variety of high-quality home products. Little things like storage jars, dustbins, soap dishes, shoe racks and toilet brushes — all very tasteful and priced to suit any budget.

Farid’s is keen not to pigeon-hole itself as an upscale, high-priced store merely for the moneyed few. It claims to cater to everyone and seems to have achieved this. It has the space to stock an extensive range of local products alongside its imported and specialist goods. It certainly made an effort to include quality products to suit every budget. For example, Farid’s tableware section includes hand-painted Pakistani plates as well as Versace tea sets. The beauty section has displays for Karaja and Luscious as well as MAC and Clarins. The toy section has Fisher-Price toys alongside less well-known brands. This aim to suit every pocket is bound to work to Farid’s advantage, but it is ultimately its range of luxury goods that sets it apart. The cigar store, the extensive range of golfing equipment and the designer cufflinks in the men’s corner are all aimed at a certain lifestyle.

Al-Fatah in Lahore may not have a mini spa or nail art machine like Farid’s, but it offers an even wider range of goods than Farid’s. However, it is difficult to think of a store in Karachi that offers everything this store does. Other upscale groceries tend not to have as wide a variety of local goods due to space considerations. Groceries like EBCO and My Superstore have the space but haven’t achieved the same delicate balance between everyday and luxury groceries. For example, Farid’s has a far more extensive cheese section than either EBCO or My Superstore, and it is the only one that stocks Lloyd Grossman’s Pasta sauce as well as cheaper varieties.

Prices at all these stores are very similar though Farid’s is keen to point out that it’s prices are more reasonable than Hyperstar for staples like meat and daal. Like Farid’s, Hyperstar does offer more than just groceries, but its inventory of imported goods is not of the same high standard as Farid’s. Add the hangout possibilities at Liberty Books and the mini-food court outside, and it’s clear that Farid’s is set to become very popular indeed.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets@karachista

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2013.

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