Raymond has today transitioned to a more advanced digital value chain based on demand side economy and adoption with agility, says its Chairman and Managing Director Gautam Hari Singhania. In an interview with IANS, Singhania said: “Until the second wave swamped us sometime around February end, we were witnessing healthy signs of recovery and moving towards pre-pandemic levels. However, varied localised restrictions across states to curtail the spread of pandemic has resulted in the industry facing similar issues that we faced last year.”

“Overall, with the spike in cases in leading metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, the consumer sentiments are subdued and once again the weddings are being postponed,” he added.

Singhania said presently, for everybody, the immediate priority is health and safety of family and friends, and shopping has taken a back seat. “We expect this scenario likely to continue till the second wave subsides,” he added.

“We clearly have moved away from the conventional supply chain of manufacturing large volumes and distributing and stocking inventories way ahead in advance from the season. Today Raymond has transitioned to a more advanced digital value chain based on demand side economy and adoption with agility,” Singhania said. Here are excerpts from the interview.

What are the challenges for the retail industry given the new wave of the pandemic?

Until the second wave swamped us sometime around February end, we were witnessing healthy signs of recovery and moving towards pre-pandemic levels. However, varied localised restrictions across states to curtail the spread of pandemic, has resulted in the industry facing similar issues that we faced last year.