Retail insight as on 26th April 2010

April 26, 2010News for the Retail industry










Previous Issues



News: Apparel, Specialty, CDIT ...



Govt may relax FDI in retail

Business Standard

The government is considering a proposal to ease foreign direct investment (FDI) rules in the retail sector. The commerce and industry ministry is working on a concept note to allow up to 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail other than primary goods (foods, groceries and vegetables), but with some stiff riders.







Reliance Retail focusing on value formats: Agarwal

Press Trust of India

Reliance Retail, an arm of RIL, will continue to focus on value formats as well as its various joint ventures like Reliance Express and Marks & Spencer Reliance India, a top RIL official said today. Currently, the company has over 1,000 stores in ’value’ and ’speciality’ segments in 85 cities in 14 states covering more than 4.4 million square feet.





Pantaloon demerges mall biz, floats step-down arm for leasing, eateries

Business Standard

Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd, the country’s largest listed retailer, announced it would demerge its mall management and project management activities into a separate company in a bid to unlock its real estate assets. The demerged entity, to be called Future Mall Management Ltd, is expected to get listed in the near future, sources said. Pantaloon said it had also created a step-down subsidiary of the demerged company which would hold all leasing business and food courts and restaurants run by the company.





Pantaloon Retail posts net profit of Rs 32.50 cr for Jan-Mar

Economic Times

Kishore Biyani-promoted Pantaloon Retail India on Friday reported a net profit of Rs 32.50 crore for the third quarter ended March 31, 2010. It had a net profit Rs 34.37 crore during the same period a year ago. The results of the third quarter and nine-month period are not comparable, as the company has transferred its value retail business to its wholly-owned subsidiary Future Value Retail, Pantaloon Retail India said in a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange.







France’s L’Occitane seeks emerging market expansion

Reuters India

Cosmetics retailer L’Occitane International S.A. plans to expand into high-growth emerging markets after its share sale of up to $708 million in Hong Kong, the company said. It aims to expand further in China, Brazil, India, Mexico and Russia, with expected increases in consumer spending power, L’Occitane chairman Reinold Geiger told reporters via video link from New York.





Cera seeks tie-up with European brands

mydigitalfc.com

Cera Sanitaryware is set to bring in a couple of premium international brands to India soon. The company had last year teamed up with Novellini, the European leader in sanitaryware wellness products, and has started bringing their premium range of shower trays, complete cubicles, equipped panels, hydro-massage bath tubs and shower enclosures to India.





News: Food & Grocery, QSR ...



Domino’s to expand product offering in India, eyes small towns

Economic Times

In line with its target to make India one of its top five global markets in three years, US quick service restaurant chain Domino’s Pizza said it will expand its product offering and focus on smaller towns for growth opportunities. The company also said it was going ahead with an aggressive brand building exercise, including increased spending on marketing and special offers, as it seeks a bigger pie in the estimated Rs 1,000-crore Indian pizza market.





Scaling the food chain

Times of India

The humble cookery class has moved into restaurant kitchens and department stores...Gourmet store Godrej Nature’s Basket regularly conducts cooking demonstrations. After the Italian cuisine and amuse bouche (single-bite starters) workshops in Mumbai and Delhi stores, the chain is dedicating one to the scorching heat. MD Mohit Khattar says the workshop will showcase "fuss-free , time-saving exotic summer food".





A taste of Mumbai comes to ’amchi’ Bangalore

Daily News & Analysis

For Mumbaikars pining for their unique version of street food, a silver lining now graces their dark gastronomical cloud. Located near Jyothi Nivas College in Koramangala, a one-room restaurant takes pride in producing the fieriest Mumbai vada pavs in Bangalore. According to the man behind the Bangalore outlet, Adarsh Shetty, Goli Vada Pav is India’s first ethnic fast food chain with products made in its fully automated HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) certified hands-free plant.





Retail Trends



Glamour retail

Financial Express

Well, Emporio is not a mall with a dominating presence. With Promenade, another of south Delhi’s upscale malls on its right, it inadvertently has to share some of the glam quotient. And shortly, another mall will spring up on the Nelson Mandela Road on its left. That will be the fourth mall on that road - all standing next to each other with uncanny discipline, painting an optimistic picture of India’s booming retail industry.





Footwear design and dev inst to start four institutes in 2010

Economic Times

The Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI), set up under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, will start four institutes this year. The four campuses to come up at Chennai, Kolkata, Chindwara and Haryana at a cost of Rs 384 crore, would have an intake of 1,500 students.Two design and retail institutions, LDT Nagold of Germany and A R Sutoria, Milan, Italy along with FDDI would design the courses.





Retail Insight



How Retailers Can Use Email Marketing to Increase In-Store Traffic

Melcooper



Technology has now made it possible for even the smallest retailers to build stronger, more loyal customer relationships that result in higher instore traffic and more profitable sales. One such technology is permission-based email marketing. Email marketing can not only dramatically reduce the cost of touching retail store customers and prospects, but it can also enable the retailer to deliver compelling, "rich-media" content in ways that are impossible to do with traditional direct mail. Furthermore, email marketing enables retailers to quickly and cost-effectively satisfy their customers' desire for useful information and ultimately deepen relationships that drive in-store traffic.