7th Heaven - How did it become India’s Largest and most well spread Bakery Chain
The pathway to achieving enduring success, often becomes as clear as day once you find your true calling in life. Arjun Chugh realized his lies in the realm of entrepreneurship, while he was in the middle of working through a degree in psychology. His unabating passion for business first came into fruition at the end of his third academic year, when he set up Design In Cakes, an online cake ordering service, with his father Mr. Sanjay Chugh. As is the case with most remarkable success stories, Arjun did not forecast the magnitude of what awaited, right off the bat. But brick by brick and one order after another, his venture began to blossom. So much so, he arrived at the decision of propelling further and establishing his first retail cake store in 2014, by the name of 7th Heaven.
Arjun went for this goal, hand in hand with his partner in life and business, Swati Chugh. A psychology student herself, and eventually a Professor of the subject at Delhi Public School, it did not take long for Swati to direct all her time and focus on building 7th Heaven and its business. It took 8 odd years and endless sprints of hard work merged with dedication, for 7th Heaven to spread across 75 cities in 21 states of the country. Cut to today, and 7th Heaven has emerged as India’s largest bakery chain with a store count that has crossed the threshold of 200.
7th Heaven is a family business; not only Arjun and Swati but their father Mr. Sanjay Chugh, a successful and experienced entrepreneur has been the torch bearer, guiding the business towards success with his valuable expertise and knowledge. Karan, Arjun’s brother, an upcoming singer too, has been involved very importantly and works relentlessly towards the success of the brand. Their mother Mrs. Sunita Chugh is a strong pillar of support, source of strength and offers valuable suggestions, opinions, and new ideas. With love and undying labour, the family together erected a bakery venture that continues to expand and thrive. And now, with the launch of their first international store in Dubai, the journey has begun internationally!
The journey hasn’t been easy by any measure. Making headway in today’s ever-changing and relentlessly ruthless F&B industry, isn’t a piece of cake. But for them, it was literally and exactly that. Giving the phrase fresh out of the oven a whole new meaning with their Live Kitchens, 7th Heaven brings to its varied customer base, cakes fine-tuned to fit their preferences and done in just 7 minutes. 7th Heaven’s loyal legion of fans would testify to the staggering difference in quality, this innovation makes. From elaborate 3D designer cakes to macarons and mug cakes, every outlet of the country-wide dessert chain has a huge range of cakes and desserts for satiating your sweet tooth cravings. What’s more is that some of the stores are cafes which offer delicious range of beverages and food in continental and oriental cuisine. And all their offerings come infused with the kind of fresh softness, that delights all your senses in equal measure.
Continuous additions to an already extensive inventory of products, cutting-edge technological infrastructure, professional management, frontline logistics, transparency in business and original promotion strategies that strike a chord with both potential and existing customers, are some of the things that set 7th Heaven apart from worthy competitors. Add to the mix reasonable prices, delivery of customized cakes on that very day, and expertly trained chefs churning out only the most supreme quality desserts, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for triumph.
The concept of Live Kitchen among many others, is one of 7th Heaven’s biggest unique selling points. As anybody who’s felt a twinge of disappointment at receiving stale bakery products in exchange for valuable money would assert, trust in dessert stores is hard to come by. 7th Heaven’s solution for the predicament? Let the customer witness the entire process, as chefs whip up their demands in a Live kitchen. Another USP, is the staggering variety of products that dissuades the customer from stepping foot in another bakery to get certain demands met. After all, when you’re getting everything you could possibly want under one single roof, why would you feel the need to wander into a second dessert store? With these avant-garde features in place, 7th Heaven was destined to become a bakery-name people swear by. All that was left was to spread the word. They did so with the help of both traditional marketing techniques, such as dropping in leaflets and offering free tasting samples, innovative schemes coupled with reaching wider audiences through digital marketing techniques like printing out newspaper ads, radio and online endorsements, and the usage of media vehicles. etc
When you are establishing a business in an industry as competitive as Food & Beverage, taking the plunge requires a lot of courage, and a lot of investment. In the case of 7th Heaven, the latter was worth crores. Also necessary was heavy-duty patience, as the company waited for longer than what was anticipated, to reach the break-even point. But resilience never goes to waste, and that statement certainly rings true in the case of this bakery chain.
So, to sum up, 200 plus stores across 75 cities in 21 states of India, these are the numbers that underlie 7th Heaven’s acquisition of the title of India’s largest bakery chain. But statistics aside, it’s the countless hearts Arjun and Swati have managed to touch over the years across the nation, that keep the passion ignited.
