For 56 years, Eros Group has specialised in the distribution and retail of consumer electronics, mobility, IT, home appliances and convergence products. Today the company is a multinational conglomerate with a reputation recognised across several continents, but it all started with just one small electronics store.
“We started way back in 1967 as a small store in Deira,” recalls Ravichandran Pattabhiraman, CEO of Eros Group. “We had one brand and one mission. Hitachi was the brand, and the mission was to sell the goods.”
From the very beginning, Eros Group had a clear and singular vision to bring quality products to its customers. It has followed that vision for the last five decades, undergoing a remarkable transformation to become a diversified conglomerate that operates across the UAE and beyond, with over 16 brands to its name.
“What distinguishes us is our commitment to excellence and our ability to adapt to a changing business landscape,” Ravichandran explains. “We also benefit from our unique geographical position. Being based here in Dubai, we have proximity to the African, Asian, and European markets. That geographic advantage, combined with our robust distribution network, allows us to effectively serve 2 billion people across those regions.”
Those 2 billion customers are served by Eros Group’s dedicated team that excels in every aspect of the business.
“That team is Eros Group’s strongest foundation,” Ravichandran says. “From that foundation, we find new brands and businesses that complement our portfolio.”
At the time of writing, those brands include internationally recognised household names such as Hitachi, Samsung, TCL, Lennox, Midea, Ariston, Rinnai, Thermobreak, Supreme Insulation, Cosori, Levoit, Huawei (Ideahub), and our own brand Krome etc.
“We are the preferred name for brands that want a strong distribution partner to accompany them into new markets,” Ravichandran explains. “If anyone wants to expand their business into UAE, they approach Eros because of our longstanding reputation.”
The Ongoing Journey
Eros Group has come a long way, but its journey is far from over. When we talk with Ravichandran, he tells us how the Group’s current strategy emphasises the importance of online retail.
“We are approaching arrangements with all major online and offline retail channels,” he tells us. “These partners are drawn to Eros Group’s legacy, our commitment to quality, and our forward-looking approach to the needs of our partners and customers.”
Online retail is the next step in Eros Group’s journey from a single retail branch importing one brand’s products, through diversifying into a multinational conglomerate.
“It is a testament to our dedication and passion for serving our customers,” Ravichandran says.
The company’s owner-shareholders oversee the professional management team, empowering them to face all the challenges they might encounter in the sector over the last few decades. The growth of online retail is simply the latest in a long line of risks and opportunities.
“We have faced a lot of challenges over the last 56 years,” Ravichandran admits. “The distribution business sector as a whole has faced challenges with the growth of electronic retail. We are having to compete for customer preference against e-retailers and big retail chains.”
This is not the first time that Eros Group has had to adapt. At the turn of the century, as other businesses were entering the sector and taking retail share Eros Group learned to compete with those retail chains with a chain of its own.
“Today that business has over 18 retail stores and an online platform,” Ravichandran points out.
Naturally, Covid has also been a challenge, accelerating that already existing trend towards online retail. So once again, Eros Group adapted.
With the growth of e-retail, Eros Group has adapted by collaborating with big online presences such as Amazon, noon etc., offering products to customers through their platform.
“We have a clear process of showing how we can go forward on online platforms with our channel partners, and the customers benefit,” Ravichandran says, “We have been very adaptive right from the beginning.”
A Flexible Team
The company’s adaptability to market trends is possible thanks only to the people that make up Eros Group.
“We have an agile team who are experienced in adapting to changes in the market situation,” Ravichandran explains. “We have developed an approach to retail that caters to a variety of customers by teaming up with people who have relevant industry experience.”
The real challenge, as always, is finding people with that aptitude and capability, and investing in them.
“We have a very clear recruitment policy,” Ravichandran insists. “We value our employees and have a rigorous recruitment programme to ensure we bring the best people on board. Those we recruit enjoy a positive work environment that encourages creativity and innovation with opportunities for skills and development. It enables team members to reach their full potential, rewarding teamwork, individual contributions, and collective contributions. We have an open communication policy and encourage a sense of belonging by investing in our people, as a dynamic organisation.”
That team is guided by a single philosophy.
“Our focus is clear,” Ravichandran insists. “Financially, ethically, and morally we are very strong, and the whole team is working to keep it that way. All our staff are given a free hand to work within the company and achieve that goal, with management from me and my colleagues.”
When we talk with Ravichandran, he is already looking towards the next step in that dynamic organisation’s journey.
“Eros is always looking for more brands to bring on board and ways to expand the business within the electronic and distribution sectors, as well as across the geographic regions we work in,” he says. “We have developed our own identity to cater to the segment of the market seeking out quality brands. Our plan for the future is to find more brands that can use our distribution capability while expanding our own brand into the GCC. We have started our operations in Bahrain and from there we intend to move into adjacent markets. Ultimately, our goal is to have a local presence in every market.”
As it moves into those markets, Eros Group will take with it the values and standards that have brought it this far.
