Retail Insight on February 9th 2010

February 9, 2010

News for the Retail industry

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News: Apparel, Specialty, CDIT ...

Raymond eyes 40 pc rise in retail biz revenue in 2 yrs Economic Times Apparel house Raymond today said it is aiming to increase revenue from retail business by up to 40 per cent in two years, from the current Rs 1,000 crore, for which it will add more stores in smaller towns.

TPG submits plan to CDR cell to buy stake in Vishal Retail Financial Express Vishal Retail on Monday said global private investment firm TPG has given a proposal to the Corporate Debt Restructuring (CDR) cell to buy stake in the company but it is subject to approval by lenders. "Under the CDR mechanism, TPG has given a proposal to the CDR cell and the same has to be approved by all participating banks under CDR and also the CDR cell. This is at a nascent stage at the moment," Vishal Retail said in a filing to the BSE.

Biyani to mix food brands into one company Economic Times Pantaloon Retail, the nation's largest retailer, plans to spin off at least five of its brands and merge them with Capital Foods, as Kishore Biyani looks to consolidate the foods businesses under one company to get ahead of global giants Nestle and Kraft with his home-grown recipes' such as pav bhaji masala and lemon pickles.

Celio to expand presence The Hindu Celio, a hi-fashion French men's apparel brand, is planning to invest Rs. 15 crore in the current financial year ending January 2011, to expand its presence across the country, according to Rajat Luthra, Chief Executive Officer, Celio Future Fashion. He said Celio had presence in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi as standalone stores and across the country as shop-in-shop (SIS) formats.

Delhi Bazaar prepares to add vibrant local flavour to T3 opening MoodieReport Delhi Bazaar, at the new Terminal 3 at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, will be "the most unique retail experience at any airport in the world," according to Craft House India, the company running the operation. President Monisha Gupta said, "The concept of Delhi Bazaar at the world's best terminal shall truly justify and further enhance the tagline 'Explore' [the overarching retail brand introduced by Delhi International Airport Limited at its concessionaires' conference last week].

Diesel fuelling denim aspirations in Indian market Livemint Italian fashion brand Diesel will launch in India by the third week of March, in partnership with Reliance Brands Ltd, a unit of Reliance Industries Ltd. Diesel SpA has been trying to enter India since 2007, but its previous joint venture with Arvind Mills Ltd fell through. The premium apparel and accessory brand will have five stores - two in Mumbai, and one each in New Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

Upholstery major Natuzzi steps in to Indian market Fibre2fashion.com Natuzzi Spa, the Italian premium upholstery major, which has around 350 outlets in 123 countries across the globe, plans to set up 70 stores in India by 2012, mainly through the franchisee route. This was revealed by Mr. Nitin Bahl, Country Manager of Natuzzi, who said that the company will open its first two flagship stores in Delhi and Mumbai.

Destination Maternity opens two new stores FashionUnited India (blog) Destination Maternity, the world's leading maternity apparel retailer, will open two more Motherhood Maternity shop-in-shops in India. Motherhood's trendy, affordable maternity fashions are now available at the Center Square Mall in Vadodara and Gulmohar Park Mall in Ahmedabad. It's present in Mom & Me stores which are owned and operated by Mahindra Retail, Destination Maternity's franchisee in India.

News: Food & Grocery, QSR ...

Rediff East India Company to sell tea, coffee in London The Hindu East India Company, the trading company with a 400-year-history will soon open outlets to sell tea, coffee, spices and fabrics. Bought in 2004 by Indian-origin businessman Sanjiv Mehta, the company will now seek to conquer the retail market by opening its flagship store in Mayfair, central London, this year, with more outlets planned in India, the Middle East and later in Japan, Russia and the U.S.

Indian twist The Hindu The U.K.'s Costa Coffee chain has sent a British celebrity chef to the Indian capital, Delhi, to devise spicy snacks as accompaniments to its cappuccinos and lattes. In the U.K., Costa doesn't generally offer spicy bites alongside its beverages, but in India the market is different.

Jubilant Foodworks dazzles on debut NDTV.com When it comes to delivery on time, no one could beat Jubilant FoodWorks, which runs Dominos fast food retail chain in India. So much so that despite the markets being in choppy waters, Jubilant made a fantastic market debut listing at 11 per cent premium.

Retail Trends

Retailers seek access to foreign capital mydigitalfc.com The capital-intensive organised retail business, which has already seen a large chain like Subhiksha going bankrupt and biggies like Vishal Retail, More and Reliance Retail reeling under losses, is hoping that the union government will provide them with access to foreign equity in the forthcoming Union Budget. Industry leaders also hold that any effort to boost household consumption will directly help the retail sector's fortunes.

Brand-conscious Indians remain loyal Economic Times At a time when loyalty is at a premium, brands such as LG, Levi's, Canon, Adidas, Westside, Spencer's Retail and Emami have managed to keep their customer base intact in spite of a slowdown, thanks to a slew of loyalty programmes that deliver immediate value, choice and personal relevance.

Retail Insight

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