H. & R. Johnson (India) Limited in Gujarat

This case is written at a time when organized retailing in India was booming, opening up opportunities for numerous big indigenous and foreign players. Also, with the rising disposable incomes of the Indian middle class and their changing tastes and preferences, they were becoming more and more demanding. The case is written at this crucial juncture of the changing economy wherein a mammoth like H. & R. Johnson, with a rich lineage of product and process innovations and international and domestic (Indian) market leadership needed to make the best out of the changing economy. Should HRJIL ride the retail wave by offering different products from its broad range of products, like ready-made kitchens, living rooms and the like; or should the company, given its dreams and present capabilities, utilize the unmet customer service gaps to provide services required of laying tiles, and in the process, develop servicing capabilities to become an end-to-end solution provider to its customers. The purpose of this case is to enable students to practice making decisions for the company at this important point in time with regard to the market opportunities by considering the capabilities and the core competencies of the company, its business model, and the existing distribution network.