Andhra Stationery Syndicate-The stationery shop from 1970s in Vizag

In the bylanes of Dabagardens in Visakhapatnam stands the Andhra Stationery Syndicate, a stationery shop holding a brand that has stood the test of time and continues to grow. Jaya Siva Murty brings you the story.

When Sriram Nevatia came to the city from Calcutta in 1969, he was looking for a job. He decided to set up shop and started the Andhra Stationery Syndicate, a stationery shop instead. He handed the store over to his brother Ram Avatar in 1971, and the brand has continued to function since then. While the earliest shop no longer stands, Andhra Stationery shop now has offices in the bylanes of Dabagardens, with a store on the main road too. Talking about the change that can be seen over the years, Ravi Nevatia shares that today much has changed. “When the store had started out, work would happen more on the basis of relationships that the store had formed with its people. However, today with many MNCs, and plenty of commercialisation coming into the city, that has changed.” Known for its professional way of conducting business, Ravi brings to light that the work culture, buying patterns and customer’s awareness are different now. Also, while the store once dealt only with stationery related products, today it has expanded its presence to add computer peripherals as well. With a printing press that prints stationery material and takes care of customised large-scale orders, the shop is packed with products on every side.

Talking about the market back then, he recollects that the number of players was few during those days. Today, along with an increase in customer base, the number of competitors, have gone up too. “Back then, we had customers like Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, BHPV, Hindustan Zinc and HPCL to name a few. Now new MNCs and even the defense sector make up our customer base.” Talking about the online market, he shares that it has also transformed how the brick-and-mortar stores operate. “Many customers, especially the new ones, quickly compare the product we give them, to what’s available online.” While this increase in awareness is good, Ravi shares that often many don’t understand the nuances of quality, and end up comparing two completely different products. “Many people also take voluntary retirement from their jobs and become middlemen between the company and us”, he shares, leading to lowering their profit margins.  

Enjoying good relations with customers, Ravi adds that people who once become a customer at the store, continue to be associated. With four members from the family operating the store, 20-25 people work here. Sharing that the market has plenty of scopes, the stationery shop product line includes student stationery, office stationery, art materials, computer cartridges, keyboards, and RAMs to name a few. While the store does not plan to open new branches, due to the challenges of managing the huge inventory, it has opened a residential outlet in Odisha. They may have an online presence in the coming years. “We have a huge range of products in every category, and often customers just know 10% of what we have. An online presence will make it easier to browse through the entire range.” With delivery vans that can easily cater to their business clientele, any customer can come, browse and pick what they need. With the shop opening at 12, he shares that his uncle Ram Avatar ji, continues to stick to his schedule of working from 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM, as a habit. The store on the main road thus opens early in the morning.

Talking about Visakhapatnam as a market, Ravi shares that it offers peace of mind and provides a good lifestyle with easy transit. He adds that it is also the second biggest retail test market, after Pune. “Any product which is launched by a national company is first launched in Pune and then in Visakhapatnam.” He shares that this is thanks to the cosmopolitan mix of people in the city. Working as a family-run business, Andhra Stationery has grown over the years, and we hope to see this local brand grow and complete a century.