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Tag: india

  • Linen Club to add 20-25 outlets in India next fisca

    Linen Club to add 20-25 outlets in India next fisca

    Amid rising demand for linen fabrics, Jaya Shree Textiles, an Aditya Birla Group company, plans to add 20-25 Linen Club stores to its retail chain in 2015-16. Jaya Shree has 116 Linen Club stores at present and the company’s fabrics are available through 4,000 outlets across India.

    The company launched its flagship retail store in Bengaluru with a new identity that showcases the largest variety of linen fabrics and products and wherein customers can walk into a store, feel the fabric and get it stitched to their requirement.

    Linen Club has also launched readymade garments that would be soon made available across all stores, said, S Krishnamoorthy, CEO, Domestic Textiles, Jaya Shree.

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  • Crocs India terminates franchise deal

    Crocs India terminates franchise deal

    US shoemaker Crocs has cancelled its exclusive franchising agreement in India with Chogori Retail.

    The Colorado-based company, renowned for its unsightly but comfortable shoes, says it will now partner with several retail companies and will ramp up its store roll-out program.

    Crocs debuted in India in 2007 after entering into an exclusive joint venture deal with Chogori retail. Later the contract was converted into a franchise agreement.

    But the venture has been far from successful to date. After eight years the brand has just 30 stores in India, after closing about 12 during the last eight months.

    Crocs says by opening the door to other partners in the fast growing market it can open about 60 new stores over the next three years. The company also has a successful eCommerce operation which already accounts for 10 per cent of its India sales.

    “We have planned out a strategy of having few but strong franchise and shedding some of the partners that don’t, can’t or won’t want to grow with us whatever the reason might be,” said Nissan Joseph, Crocs India GM.

    The last of the Chogori JV stores would close by June.

    “Some will close and reopen, some will reopen in different locations inside the mall and some will reopen through new franchise partners,” he said.

    Chogori, meanwhile, has other priorities. It is the India licensee for Hi-Tec, amongst other brands, and has recently announced a partnership with US adventure wear brand Columbia Sportswear to open 25 stores.

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  • Meet iBall: the tablet maker crushing Samsung in India

    Meet iBall: the tablet maker crushing Samsung in India

    Indian budget consumer electronics firm iBall raised eyebrows this week on a report that it has stolen South Korean juggernaut Samsung’s crown as India’s number one tablet vendor.

    Mumbai-based iBall claimed a 15.6 percent share of India’s tablet market in the fourth quarter of 2014, up from 4.5 percent a year earlier, as Samsung’s share shrank to 12.9 percent from 17.9 percent, according to IDC.

    iBall launched in 2001 with just one product category – the mouse. It ventured into the mobile phone business in 2010 and made its foray into tablet space a year later with the iBall Slide. In a price sensitive market, iBall products are attractive.

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  • India’s Intex plans retail outlets to boost reach

    India’s Intex plans retail outlets to boost reach

    Handset vendor Intex Technologies is planning to set up standalone brand stores to boost its retail presence. Called ‘Intex Smart World’, 400 stores will come up next fiscal (2015-16) at a cost of over Rs. 100 crore (USD16.1 million). Investments will be through internal accruals.

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  • Internet revolution will drive FMCG sales in India

    Internet revolution will drive FMCG sales in India

    Internet not only has an edge over physical retail when it comes to apparel and electronics but also fast moving consumer goods (FMCG). A joint study by Google India and Bain and Company said that the Internet will influence 1/3rd of the total FMCG sales in India over the next five years.

  • Woodland to invest USD80.5m in 5 years in India

    Woodland to invest USD80.5m in 5 years in India

    Footwear and apparel firm Woodland will invest up to Rs. 500 crore (USD80.5 million) in the next five years on expanding its retail network as part of its plans to double the store count to 1,000 by 2020 and enhance capacity. The company has also set a target of Rs. 2,500 crore (USD402.6 million) revenue by 2020 from Rs. 1,300 crore (USD209.3 million) expected in 2014-15.

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  • India’s LocalBanya aims to raise USD15m in the next quarter

    India’s LocalBanya aims to raise USD15m in the next quarter

    Mumbai-based grocery e-tailer LocalBanya is set for a fourth round of funding worth about USD15 million from domestic venture capital firms within the next quarter. The company has raised about USD20 million in three rounds, one of them about a quarter ago. “We’ll need another round of cash infusion to go national.

  • IKEA to set up more manufacturing facilities in India

    IKEA to set up more manufacturing facilities in India

    Swedish furniture retailer IKEA will set up more manufacturing facilities in India and has plans to increase production in the country, its top official has said.

    In a meeting with the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) Secretary, Amitabh Kant, on Wednesday, IKEA India CEO Juvenico Maetzu shared the company’s plans for India.

    While IKEA is yet to open its stores in India, it has already announced its plan of investing INR12,500 crore (INR125 billion, USD2b) in the country and set up 25 stores over the next ten years.

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  • India’s Snapdeal ventures into TV commerce shopping

    India’s Snapdeal ventures into TV commerce shopping

    India’s online marketplace Snapdeal.com recently launched a 50:50 joint venture with DEN networks to launch a TV Commerce channel.

    The DEN Snapdeal TV shop is urrently available for viewers on channel number 132 on DEN cable network and will be extended to other cable and DTH networks in the course of the next six months.

    The move is seen to benefit customers who have limited access to Internet services, particularly in Tier 2 and 3 cities further hampered by lack of physical access to top retail products and brands at competitive prices.

    DEN Networks Ltd. reaches about 13 million households in over 200 cities across 13 states in the country. Snapdeal.com said it will use this distribution network to provide customers easy access to products across home, lifestyle and electronics categories with great value deals.

    “India is a country with many heterogeneous segments of consumers, and we believe that by reaching 150 million households with 600 million people that have a TV, we can create another revolution through TV Commerce,” Kunal Bahl, Co-founder and CEO Snapdeal.com said.

    The pilot was launched in September in select geographies and so far the channel has posted a growth rate of 200 percent month-on-month since inception.

    Sameer Manchanda, CMD, DEN Networks, said the response to the pilot has been very encouraging and the parters are confident the DEN Snapdeal TV Shop will be received well by viewers.

    The plan is to take the DEN Snapdeal TV shop to 100 million households across India over the next 12 months.

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  • India malls turning friendly for the disabled

    India malls turning friendly for the disabled

    Malls are doing their bit to make the world a better place for people with disability. With Braille signage, wheelchair on call, disabled-friendly washrooms and specially allotted parking space, malls are looking to increasing footfalls by becoming more socially conscious.

    Interestingly, several States such as Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have also asked mall managements to remove “infrastructure snags” and create a conducive environment for people with disabilities.

    According to the 2011 Census, the number of disabled in India is 26.8 million — 15 million men and 11.8 million women.

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  • Van Heusen to target women

    Van Heusen to target women

    The Indian business of Van Heusen is planning a network of stores targeting solely women.

    Van Heusen, owned by Madura Fashion & Lifestyle, also plans to focus on repositioning its essentially denim-based youth fashion range Vdot.

    Brand head Vinay A Bhopatkar says the company will open up to 25 stores annually exclusively for women. It also plans another 50 stores annually for its menswear collection as it moves to target tier 2 and 3 cities, currently underserved and home to people with growing spending power.

    The company says womenswear accounts for about 10 per cent of its sales now but is the fastest growing segment of its business and projects it to grow by 50 per cent in the next three to four years.

    The Vdot retail network will also be expanded by 15-20 stores annually from the current network of 10. Currently a clubwear brand, the Vdot range will be expanded to provide clothing for more casual occasions as well.

    Van Heusen’s clothing is  sold through about 2000 points of sale, including 250 exclusive stores and 200 department stores.

  • KFC aims to have 500 outlets by year end

    KFC aims to have 500 outlets by year end

    American quick-service restaurant (QSR) brand KFC plans to become the largest QSR chain in the country and expects to have over 500 outlets by end-2015.

    The company has just launched its “Flaming Crunch Chicken,” which has been spiced using the ‘BhutJolokia’ chilli grown in Assam.

    Talking about expansion, Dhruv Kaul, Chief Marketing Officer, KFC India, said: “We have aggressive plans. It’s our ambition to become the number one QSR chain in the country by next year. We target having over 500 outlets by 2015.”

    Kaul said despite softer consumer sentiment, the company is continuing to open new stores, not only in cities where it is already present but also in new cities. KFC India has over 300 restaurants across 81 cities, which are a mix of franchisee and company-run outlets.

    “Last year was challenging for the industry, but we are confident about 2015. We hope to see an uptick in the economic environment and are well-positioned to leverage it,” added Kaul.

    Vegetarian menu

    Last year, the company expanded its vegetarian menu and it has kick-started this year by introducing a spicier version of its chicken offering. Kaul said: “We have seen a new trend emerging, where our consumers prefer a more intense, spicy experience in their food, After scouting for chillies from around the world, we narrowed down on “BhutJolokia” from Assam. We will continue to focus on introducing products that are rooted in consumer insights.”

    This year, the company will also focus on growing its online ordering facility as an incremental channel for sales. “Last year, we scaled up home delivery significantly across our outlets. Also, without any big push, we have seen growth in online ordering. Stores that offer home delivery are seeing over a quarter of orders coming through the online channel. This year, we will give a big thrust to grow the online ordering,” Kaul added.

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  • Car-makers on sales overdrive in India with discounts, freebies

    Car-makers on sales overdrive in India with discounts, freebies

    It is a buyers’ market out there in the country’s automart. If you are planning to buy the first dream car or upgrade to the next one, then this is perhaps the best time. Most automotive companies are offering a slew of discounts and freebies through dealers to boost year-end sales in a sagging market. These include direct cash discounts, option of zero payment on insurance for three years with extended service warranty and loyalty bonus.

  • Fossil to invest USD6.3m to open 25 outlets in India

    Fossil to invest USD6.3m to open 25 outlets in India

    US-based watchmaker Fossil will invest up to INR40 crore (INR400 million, USD6.3m) to open 25 retail outlets in India by 2017 as it aims to reposition itself from a watch brand to a fashion lifestyle brand.

    The company, known for its range of watches, will sell non-watch products such as leather bags for women and men, wallets, eye-wear and jewellery through its retail outlets in the country.

    “We want to re-position Fossil from a watch brand to a fashion lifestyle brand. We will focus on developing non-watch categories. We will sell these products only through our retail stores. We plan to open 25 outlets by 2017 and will invest INR35-40 crore,” Fossil India Brand Head Sumit Ghosh told PTI.

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