Everyone shops at a supermarket. Almost nobody thinks about what’s happening behind the shelf. Chandra Vikram Prahaladka does, every single day. As CFO of Choithrams GCC, he’s spent years inside the numbers that decide which products stay, which stores succeed, and which businesses quietly run out of cash while looking profitable on paper.
On the latest episode of The Investment Compass by MoneyPetrol, powered by RG Group, Chandra walked through how a brand that’s been trusted in the UAE since 1974 keeps competing in a more crowded market and more demanding environment, every year. His path wasn’t the usual finance-school-to-CFO route either: he started as a civil engineer before moving into consulting and eventually finance. Here’s what he had to say.
Trust Isn’t a Marketing Line, It’s a 50-Year Balance Sheet
Choithrams has been around since 1974, and Chandra was clear that longevity like that isn’t an accident or a slogan. It’s the result of consistently getting the basics right- pricing, product quality, and store experience- for five decades straight. In a market full of new entrants, that kind of track record is genuinely hard to compete with.
Location Decides More Than People Think
Chandra said what matters most in retail is: Location, Location, Location, and he means it literally. Choithrams’ strategy leans heavily on high-street stores over massive out-of-town hypermarkets, because foot traffic and convenience win more often than sheer size. He argued, where you put up a store, often decides its fate before a single product hits the shelf.
The CFO’s Job Isn’t Just Numbers, It’s Walking through every store aisle
One of the more memorable parts of the conversation: Chandra says he regularly walks Choithrams stores like an actual customer, not an executive reviewing a report. It’s a simple habit, but it’s how he catches what spreadsheets miss, pricing that feels off, shelves that aren’t working, competitors doing something smarter down the street. For him, being a good CFO in retail means being a business partner first, not just a numbers person.
How Supermarkets Decides What Stays on the Shelf
Ever wonder why some products disappear from stores? Chandra broke down the logic: it comes down to unit economics, sales velocity, and customer demand data working together. Shelf space is limited and expensive, so every product earns its place — or loses it — based on performance, not habit.
Building Private Labels People Actually Trust
Private-label products have a trust problem in a lot of markets, people assume “store brand” means lower quality. Chandra talked through how Choithrams has worked to flip that assumption, building private labels that customers choose deliberately, not just settle for on price.
Cash Flow Is the Silent Business Killer
If there’s one line from this episode worth remembering, it’s this: businesses don’t usually die from lack of profit, they die from lack of cash. Chandra was direct about this being one of the most underrated risks for entrepreneurs, especially in retail, where margins are thin and cash gets tied up in inventory fast. Profitable on paper and broken in reality is a more common story than most founders want to admit.
More Than a Business: Make It in the Emirates and Community Impact
The conversation closed on a broader note, touching on Choithrams’ involvement in the Make It in the Emirates initiative, along with community-focused CSR work including healthcare and education initiatives in India, a reminder that for a business this size, growth and community responsibility tend to move together.
Where Choithrams Is Headed Next
Looking ahead, Chandra shared where Choithrams’ growth strategy is headed through 2027 — doubling down on the formats, locations, and data capabilities that have kept the brand relevant for half a century, while adapting to a UAE retail landscape that keeps changing shape.
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