Demand for Guggalsambrani cups uphill in Rajkot: Narendra Bhai
Rajkot market is witnessing a surge in demand for Sambrani cups, with the guggal cups topping sales. Narendra Bhai, head of Surbhi Fragrances, has been running this business in Rajkot for the past 12 years. He draws his parentage from Jamnagar in Gujarat, where his younger brother now lives and manages their family shop. Narendra bhai has been a major player in retail and distribution for over 35 years. He has expanded his operations to Rajkot and beyond, overseeing a network of four retail outlets. The company represents a range of well-known brands that include Balaji, Hariya, PS, Prime, Alaukik, Shreeji, Kashi and products from Pune-based Gangotri, Oswal, Kalyani and Real. He serves Rajkot and systematically distributes across Jamnagar, Morbi, and Jaitpur, reaching around 1,000 retail locations. These encompass supermarkets, grocery stores, paan shops, general markets, and religious item stores.
According to Narendra Bhai, the market in Rajkot is thriving, with a notable preference for premium quality products. He highlighted that the market is split almost evenly between economy and premium segments. Among the top-selling products in Rajkot are brands like Cycle Pure, ZED Black, Balaji, Nishan, Forest, Apranji, Real, and Bharat Darshan, alongside several other established names. The most popular products are those priced around ₹100, particularly those in 50g and 100g box packaging, while jumbo pouches containing 300g or more are also in demand. Narendra noted a rapid rise in sales, particularly in the bamboo-less dry sticks of the same length as the traditional incense stick. Despite this growth, he confirmed that agarbatti still dominates the market, with a 70% market share. Wet dhoop also enjoys a steady demand. The market for traditional and dry sticks both have an equal share of 30%.
Narendra Bhai disclosed that their retail establishment in Rajkot is experiencing robust sales of premium incense brands, including Bansi, Balaji, and Vasant. Additionally, established incense brands such as ZED Black, Hari Darshan, and Dev Darshan continue to perform without competition. Among agarbatti brands; the Mumbai-based Arihant brand is a popular choice along with Raunak and Forest. The demand for Sambrani cups is on the rise, with the “Guggal” fragrance standing out as the most popular. Narendra Bhai noted that when “Guggal” is labelled on the Sambrani cup packaging, customers are more likely to purchase it. In the Sambrani cup segment, brands such as Naivedya, Vasant, JP, KF, and Nishan, are most in demand. Geeta’s 333 product leads sales in the camphor segment, while brands like Ok and Bhim Seni from Kolhapur are also sought-after. Additionally, the shop sees a high demand for Manohar Ashtgandha paste and powder in the sandalwood tika segment. When it comes to perfumes and attars, imported products are generally preferred, although domestic brands like Meena, Ajmal, Balaji, Arham, and Arochem continue to have a loyal customer base. Narendra Bhai also highlighted an increasing trend in Bakhur sales, with Gangotri and Prime emerging as the most popular choices. Bakhur is typically burned in a Kapoor Dani or on charcoal. Interestingly, he noted that only 2 out of 10 customers at his shop purchase products based on the brand name.
