The godfather of frozen yogurt

The world leader in frozen yogurt and gelatos, Ci Gusta! is one Italian brand that’s preparing to captivate the Indians with its amazing, lip-smacking offerings. Dario Rabboni, MD, Ci Gusta! shares the brand’s retail plans.

Retailer: As we already know that Ci Gusta! is present globally, in Italy, Riyadh and Singapore, how have you ensured that you localise with the markets in terms of product offerings?

Dario Rabboni (DR): The recipes of Ci Gusta! are the same all over the world because they are made in Italy with a typical Italian taste. What Ci Gusta! is willing to do is to export the premium quality and Italian flavoured recipes for soups, gelatos, etc.

Retailer: Why are you targeting the Indian market and have you done any prior research on the Indian market?

DR:  We are entering the Indian market right now with our local partner who has strong expertise, know-how in the business of franchising and understanding the taste profile of India. Again, we will be present in the Indian market with our standard Italian offerings and flavours because we have realised that the ‘made in Italy’ tag is always a premium concept, a winner in the food business. We, with our partner, believe that the country is ready to be introduced to such delicacies. We have a whole range of pre-mixes-around 100 flavours, so one can easily pick and choose flavours which suit their market specifically. Ci Gusta! offers health products, and considering that the health segment is growing at 30-40 per cent in India, we believe the time is right for Ci Gusta! to enter the country.

Retailer: What store formats are you looking to adopt for Ci Gusta! in India? When is your first store expected to open up in the country?

DR: Ci Gusta! offers pre-mixes, hence our products are quick to prepare, which is why we do not require a chef for our stores, everything is prepared in the factory to avoid any mess with the product and served in quick time. Our target is to open our first outlet in June this year.

Retailer: What is your retailing strategy for stores in India, which region will you be targeting and what will be the format of the stores for Ci Gusta!?

DR: Initially, we will be targeting the top metros in the country, wherein catering to the North, South and West region and only Kolkata in the East. We will be soon finalising our plans for a store in Mumbai, which takes the count of stores in India to two for the initial phase of expansion for Ci Gusta! We have four store formats that we will implement in India. First is 1000-1200 sq ft, then mini-café outlet of 500-600 sq ft, and we have two kiosk formats which have been specially designed for malls, multiplexes, IT parks, etc. There are various formats so that a franchise partner can choose the products accordingly as per the demand.

Retailer: Who is the targeted customer for Ci Gusta!? What will be the pricing strategy for India?

DR: We will be primarily targeting the youth mass of the country which forms the major crux of Indian urban population. Also the fact that the youngsters are health conscious encourages us to cater to this segment in particular. A small cup will start at `80 going up to ` 200.

Retailer: Internationally where are you present, is it the malls, high-streets or cinemas?

DR: Ci Gusta! makes itself available across various platforms; we are present in malls, high-street in the form of sit down stores. In Delhi, the location that we prefer is niche areas such as Khan Market, Greater Kailash, Saket, Gurgaon, Noida,  etc. We will also be tying up with multiplexes in India and targeting airports as well.

Retailer: What is the service time for customer, ie, how much time does it take from placing an order to receiving the order?

DR: The time taken to serve the order take us 40 seconds because, everything that we offer is specifically made from frozen yogurt and soft ice cream. So, all we need is to scoop the flavours ordered and serve it to the customer in no time. On an average the entire menu is served in less than a minute.

Retailer: Which part of the day do you register best sales? What is your expected average ticket price per customer?

DR: At Ci Gusta!, sales are recorded almost all day long but the most crowded time of the day is lunch period because people have frozen yogurt as an alternative to a heavy meal. This preference has been brought about by the need for a healthy lifestyle nowadays. Also, during the evening time after dinner is a peak time when frozen yogurt is consumed as a dessert. In Italy, our average product per customer is a couple of Euros. We expect an average ticket price per customer to be around `200 in India.

Retailer: What is the role that Ci Gusta! will play in building itself in India with its local partners?

DR: What we bring to our partner in India is our varied experience in preparation of our offerings and presenting the typical Italian product related to Ci Gusta! with highest quality. We ensure that the customer enjoys moment of pleasure while entering our outlet which is located in a nice location, well designed and products are well-prepared and good to taste, which is the only way to retain customers.

Retailer: Will you be providing any sort of training for the staff in India?

DR: We will be taking the Indian staff to Italy where they will be trained as per the standards of Ci Gusta! worldwide. The entire crew will be educated about the process of operating our stores, preparing our products and also how to run the store. This will be undertaken till the time a couple of stores are operational in the country.

Retailer: Do you also offer some ready-to-eat packed products that are available at your store counter?

DR: Well at this point of time, we are not offering such products in our stores; this could be something which can be planned out for the second phase.  That said, we have some products like ready-to-make deserts, instant soups with Italian flavours which are not spicy. 

Retailer: What will be your marketing strategy for Ci Gusta! in India?

DR: Our marketing operations will be done by our local partner in India, primarily focusing on BTL activities, print ads and having mascot, which is done globally by Ci Gusta!

Retailer: What is the ratio of hot and cold products that Ci Gusta! offers? Is the same going to be applicable for the Indian market?

DR: Ci Gusta! in Italy is primarily known for its cold offerings but for the first time hot products are going to be offered specially for the Indian market. This is basically for the fact that Indian customers prefer hot products even during summers which is something we have realised while conducting market research.