Software strategy: BodyFirst opens offline retail store offering personalised nutrition consultations in Mumbai
The firm’s products are sold online such as Amazon, Nikaa, and its official website since 2019, and is also available in health foods stores such as Nature’s Basket, Reliance trade, and Radha Medicals.
Its products span across categories including vitamins and supplements, sports nutrition, and functional foods.
More notably, it is backed by Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty, who is both the ambassador and investor of the BodyFirst brand.
Speaking to NutraIngredients-Asia, Sandeep Gupta, executive director, chief mentor, and strategic alliance founder, said the store would be the first for the firm in offering personalised nutrition consultation to the consumers.
Through discussions and feedback from 150 nutritionists and doctors, the firm has designed software that could generate nutrition intake recommendations based on diet and lifestyle habits for free.
Gupta said that this was especially relevant in India, since different regions have different dietary habits, and certain nutrients might be lacking in some diets.
“We don’t want to change their habits, but we want them to enjoy it as it is, but we would help them by coming up with recipes that bridge their nutritional needs,” he said.
Secondly, the software could also offer recommendations based on one’s daily activities and the types of sports played.
“For example, I participate in a marathon, I play cricket or football, or I do aerobics, we have designed a personalised nutrition based on an individual’s hobbies.
“We have designed the supplementation advisory for over 70 activities, whether you need more energy, stamina, or strength, or whether you need to take care of your joints.”
Thirdly, the software could offer supplement recommendations to 22 specific health conditions, such as diabetes and arthritis.
“The idea is that this is going to be a purely consultative process assisted by the nutritionists, and so, this is going to be a very informed decision and ethical process.
“The nutritionists will also talk about the quality of the ingredients that go into the products, how the product is processed or made, so that consumer confidence and conviction can be built.”
The software will be going through a beta-test before it is officially launched next year. The firm also plans to bring the personalised nutrition service online.
Franchisee
Gupta said that the firm has developed a franchisee model for store expansion across India and also internationally.
Tucked in Peddar Road – said to be one of the premium locations in Mumbai, the aim of the first BodyFirst store is to reach out to consumers with higher purchasing power.
“Our idea is to first create influence and impact on such audience. We are starting to get good response and footfall on the process, on what BodyFirst could offer in the transformation of their wellness journey.”
Moving forward, the aim is to open 25 stores across India and internationally and branch out with franchisee partners to open more stores in the next three to four years.
According to Gupta, the cost to open each store is about 1.5 to two million rupees (US$18k to US$24k).
Overseas, the other locations of interest to the franchise business include Dubai and Singapore.
Upcoming new products
At the moment, the company has launched over 130 products, with the aim of increasing it to over 200 by March next year.
The bulk of the products currently are supplements for different health needs, including eye, joint, heart, and beauty.
Gupta said that the firm would be launching superfood bars as well as healthy snacks.
The aim is to expand the brand’s presence into the general trade channels, such as supermarkets and even the Horeca sector.
