The Armacar Group’s latest venture – Delfino’s Taleigao, ushers in a new generation of the Group into the retail sector
If you’ve lived in Goa for the past decade, chances are you’ve shopped at Delfino’s. With two existing outlets in the State – in Porvorim and Candolim, the family run business is known for offering a premium supermarket experience with a local flavour. Visit their stores, and it is easy to lose track of time while exploring everything they offer – from fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, and cooked food to home essentials, toiletries, and beauty products, kitchenware, bed and bath linen, pet products, home appliances, tools and a lot more.
Last month, riding on the success of their existing stores, Delfino’s opened a third supermarket – spread over 7000 square feet in the bustling village of Taleigao.
Besides expanding the business footprint of the Armacar Group, Delfino’s Taleigao is the first project in which the young generation of the Pereira family was directly involved. After finishing their education and garnering a host of professional experiences in other sectors, four youngsters – Golda, Raisa, Louis, and Gabrielle Pereira joined forces with their older generation in the nearly five-decade old family business.
At different points in the past four years, the youngsters of the Pereira family have returned home to the business. Raisa completed her BBA and LLB, gained experience as a practicing lawyer and worked with HDFC Bank before joining the business in 2017. Louis studied Economics at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, worked in Management Consulting, and subsequently spending time in the start-up ecosystem in Delhi. He moved back to Goa to work with the family in 2018.Gabrielle – the youngest of the lot, graduated from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, with a degree in Economics and Statistics. She then moved to London to work in Finance before returning to Mumbai to work with ‘Teach for India’. In March 2020, just before the world changed, she joined her cousins in taking the plunge into the family business.
Golda is an independent architect by profession. She has worked with the Charles Correa Foundation, and currently specialises in restoring old Goan homes, while also freelancing as an interior designer. She handles the design and interiors of all of the Armacar Group’s new projects, and the interiors of Delfino’s Taleigao were conceptualised and executed by her. The airy, modern, and upscale aesthetic of the store makes it an experience that is unparalleled in Goa’s current supermarket ecosystem.
Besides the spacious aisles, well-stocked shelves, and extensive fresh and frozen food selection, what sets this outlet of Delfino’s apart is the presence of an on-site bakery. Chefs prepare a range of breads and snacks – from western-style breads and cakes, to local pãos and poees. The bakery is visible from the shopping floor, and you can usually see the chefs at work, while picking up their freshly baked products directly from the shelves. When questioned about the level of competition among supermarkets in the area, the youngsters expressed that they are bullish about the growth of organised retail as a sector. They stated that “Organised retail is still a small percentage of total retail in the country. We do not look at the sector as a pie that needs to be carved up among existing players, but as one that will continue to grow in the years to come. Everyone will have enough. Besides, Taleigao and its surrounding areas have a residential base that is bound to increase over the coming decade. If things pan out the way we are expecting them to, there is room for everyone.”
When asked about future plans for the Armacar Group, the young generation mentioned that they are keeping an open mind – everything is on the table. Expansion of the supermarket chain is one route that they still see potential in, but diversification into other businesses is also an option that they are exploring. With the energy and determination from the younger generation, and seasoned experience of the generation prior, it seems like its still early days for the Armacar Group, and the future looks bright
