MAHALAXMI TRADERS REDEFINES INCENSE RETAIL WITH AC SHOWROOM IN KOLHAPUR
“We Educate Customers Before Selling Products”: Prathamesh Daware
Just like malls, supermarkets, and modern retail stores that feature neatlydisplayed grocery andconsumer goods in air-conditioned environments, the trend of organized retail is growing. MahalaxmiTraders in Kolhapur is one such prominent retail centre where top Indian brands of agarbatti, dhoop,and pooja items are displayed attractively, offering customers a pleasantshopping experience.
At this exclusive store, customers areeducated about the product quality,fragrance types, and raw materials ofincense and other aromatic products.They are encouraged to browse attheir leisure, understand the details,and then make informed purchases.
As a result, consumers become more aware and brandconscious.Today, 8 out of 10 customers here choosebranded products. Mahalaxmi Traders’ owner, Mr.Prathamesh Daware, told Sugandh India in a specialinterview that they launched this fully air-conditionedshowroom three years ago with a fresh retail concept,which quickly proved successful. Customers beganbuying premium incense and related products in greaterquantities.
Prathamesh shared that his father, Mr. Raj Daware,started the business 10 years ago. Though the family isinvolved in other businesses as well, three years ago theylaunched this wholesale and retail counter dedicated toagarbatti, dhoop, and pooja materials. Initially operatingfrom a small counter, Prathamesh envisioned a spacewhere customers could comfortably enter the store,explore products based on their preferences and needs,and receive product information from the staff. Buyingfrom outside the shop, he believed, didn’t allow for thesame experience—hence the birth of the AC showroom.
Within a year, the results were promising. Today, the store carries over 1,000 products from more than20 major brands. The nearby temple also contributesto heavy footfall. The retail model also helped thembetter understand product quality and consumerpreferences, resulting in higher customer satisfactionand acceptance.
Responding to Sugandh India’s query, he explainedthat customers visiting the store can view a wide displayof products and buy according to daily needs, specialoccasions, or fragrance preferences. “Just as everyonehas unique tastes in food and lifestyle, people also havedifferent sensitivities to fragrance. A scent that feelsmild to one person may feel strong to another,” he said.They help guide customers to products that suit theirtaste. From retail experience, he learned that over 70%of Kolhapur’s consumers prefer strong fragrances.
Prathamesh believes that the future of India’sagarbatti industry depends on creating more consumerawareness. He emphasized that companies musteducate buyers about quality, burning time, andfragrance notes. “Until brands inform consumers aboutpremium products, people won’t fully understand orappreciate them,” he added. Because of his informativeselling approach, even economy buyers are now buyingpremium products without hesitation.
He shared that Big Bell and Balaji are their top sellingbrands. Balaji products often fly off the shelvesby themselves. Other popular brands include Nikhil,BIC, and in masala agarbatti, Flourish. Agarbattiproducts costing over Rs. 1000 also are in demand.Among customer favourites are Balaji’s Botanical Garden(₹500) and Nikhil’s 250g pack priced at ₹1075—bothhave loyal buyers. In Kolhapur, incense sticks dominatethe market with a 70% share, followed by wet dhoop,dry sticks, and sambrani cups. Wet and dry dhoop haveroughly equal customer bases. The ₹50 zipper pack isthe highest-selling incense product. In jumbo packs,the White Stick by Orange Aroma in four fragrances(400g) is popular—he sold 60–65 packs in the last 5–6months.
He noted that large packs also sell well in ruralareas. Mahalaxmi Traders supplies across Kolhapurdistrict, including its rural zones and parts of Konkan.Their distribution network reaches over 100 storeswithin an 80 km radius—general stores, pooja productstores, supermarkets, and stationery shops.
In wet dhoop, BIC, Balaji, and Forest are the top sellers. Wet Dhoop products priced between ₹20 and₹70 sell the most. In dry sticks, products priced at ₹70and ₹105 with burn times of 1–2 hours are popular,particularly from Balaji and Big Bell. In dry stick, BICis also a popular choice with Himalayan and BlackMusk (₹60) being highly demanded. In sambrani cups,Manohar, Nikhil, and Shri are well-received. For scentedcamphor, Mangalam is a customer favourite.
The store stocks only Manohar for sandalwood tilak,which is preferred by 80% of customers, along with HariDarshan. There is high demand for sandalwood powder,especially in orange colour with real sandalwood. In roll-onsand attars, Arome (Ratlam) and Nikhil are the mostpreferred brand. According to him, individual customersspend between ₹1000 to ₹1500 per month on agarbattis,and most of them shop by brand name.
