Gitanjali's gem of an offer at HPCL pumps

Now, you can buy diamonds as you wait for your car to be refuelled. This one-stop shopping experience is brought to you by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd and Gitanjali Gems Limited who signed an agreement on co-branding to boost revenues.

Recently, Gitanjali Gems had set up an exclusive outlet of its Sangini brand at HPCL petrol pump in Kolkata.

Elaborating, K S Rekhi, chief regional manager for retail at HPCL, said, "Every second HPCL customer is a Sangini diamonds customer. So, if we are looking at a one-stop-shopping opportunity for our customers, the brand fit is perfect."

HPCL petrol pumps also accommodate other brands like Cafe Coffee Day, Baskin Robbins, Subway, Crossword and ICICI credit cards at select locations.

McDonalds is present in petrol pumps in western and southern India.

"All our tie-ups depend on the space available and location. For example, a HPCL petrol pump has to have adequate space to accommodate another brand outlet.

"Similarly, every brand outlet at our petrol pump should cater to customers of the surrounding locality," said Rekhi.

"By November 2007, Sangini will set up close to 45 exclusive outlets, one at every HPCL petrol pump in India. Within another two months, we should be setting up close to five outlets at HPCL petrol pumps all over India," said Manjunath Jyothinagar, president of the jewellery business of Gitanjali Gems Limited.

He said HPCL petrol pumps were expected to yield annual sales of close to Rs 1 crore (Rs 10 million) from every showroom of about 300 square foot each.

Customers can also avail free parking every time they walk into a Sangini store at HPCL petrol pumps.

"We sell 200 kilolitre (kl) of petrol and 500 kl of diesel at an average pump every month. With such exclusive opportunities at our petrol pumps, we are expecting sales to grow by 30 per cent," said Rekhi.