Evok plans new stores by 2010-11
Evok Mega Home store, a specialty home interior destination brand by Hindware Home Retail Private (HHRPL), plans to open seven-eight Evok stores by the end of 2010-11. At present, the company has five stores in the NCR region and the sixth store was launched at Zirakpur recently. It has been decided that the new stores would be opened in Western and Southern parts of the country to help Evok create a pan-India presence. No doubt, the Evok stores would provoke new zeal in the business of in-store signage companies as well as others like PSPs, fabricators, sign suppliers, etc.
Metro Cash & Carry, an international self-service wholesale retailer, would initially make its two wholesale distribution centres at Zirakpur and Ludhiana operational by the middle of 2011. The group would also launch the other two distribution centres at Patiala and Jalandhar by the end of year 2011. The centres would give a push for the modern practices in the development of the state with the focus on agriculture development and employment generation in allied farming. The new Cash & Carry outlets is an added advantage for the in-store signage majors as well as others like PSPs, signage fabricators, etc
Bharti Walmart plans to open 40 more retail and three cash-and-carry wholesale stores by December 2010. Two cash-and-carry stores would come up in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh by the year-end. The company currently has three such stores. The firm will be looking at south India next year. This process is on and Andhra Pradesh and the south will be the company’s next foray to set up cash-and-carry stores. The company plans to invest US$2 billion in the next 10 years. This expansion is the new step with which in-store signage companies can embark upon new business.
Gitanjali Gems, a listed jewellery company that owns brands such as Nakshatra and D’damas, has engaged consulting firm KPMG to help restructure its business. The company believes that the intrinsic value is much more than the existing market cap of the company. The company has five major businesses. These include manufacturing of diamond and jewellery, brands, retail stores, construction and international retail stores. The restructuring exercise is expected to be completed over the next 6-12 months. In this endeavor of Gitanjali Gems, in-store signage companies can find opportunity to unfold new business.
in-shop model. The brand, now owned by Moet Hennessy – Louis Vuitton (LVMH) group, was launched in 2009 in India and now eying brand conscious and global traveler young Indians as its growth strategy. India is very unique market with lots of diversity at the same time exiting with opportunities as the company is trying to tap the opportunity. With such double fold increase of Zenith stores, there creates opportunity for new business for in-store signage companies.
Pune-based A P Confectionary Pvt Ltd (APCPL), is planning to open 150 new franchisee outlets at select major cities across India by the end of the next FY 2011-12. The company is also planning to introduce sugar free chocolate drink for diabetic patients in the coming few months. The company, which already has two outlets in Nashik, is planning another two new outlets in Nashik by September 2010. Addition of new stores to the existing 50 franchisee outlets, including 20 in Pune and rest of the outlets are located in other cities will be an added advantage for signage companies, particularly those engaged in in-store displays.
Akai India forays into the Indian mobile market with the launch of ten new handsets with a price tag between Rs. 1,800 and Rs. 8,000. The range will appeal to consumers across all segments, with a special focus on the youth, and are currently available across 8,000 retail outlets in the country. The company plans to ramp up the number of retail outlets to 20,000 by end-September, 2010. The new Akai stores will be an added advantage to the signage companies, particularly the in-store display majors, to tap new business.
Leading paint manufacturer, Kansai Nerolac Paints (KNPL), plans to invest around Rs 600 crore over the next three years for upping its production capacity by 50 per cent. The company is looking forward to increase production capacity by nearly 50 per cent in the next three-years for which it has planned an investment of around Rs 600-crore. The company currently has a capacity of 2-lakh tonnes per annum and its total number of 100 colour stylers and 25 impression style zone outlets is planning to add nearly 150 and 40 more. Such overall expansion of the paint major will bring a new colour in the business of signage companies, particularly in-store ones dealing with retail displays.
Retail chain Max of Dubai-based Landmark Group announces its plan to establish 60 stores in the country by 2010-11. Max launches its first store at Bhopal and the third in Madhya Pradesh. The company aims to take offering to customers across the nation, including all metros and key tier II and tier III cities. At present Max has 33 stores across India and we plan to take it to 60 by 2010-11. The gradual increase of Max’s presence in the Indian retail segment will be an added advantage for in-store signage companies across the country.
Essar Steel plans to enhance its retail distribution network in Kerala by 44 per cent. Essar Hypermart, which currently has three Hypermarts and 15 Expressmarts in Kerala, will increase Expressmarts number to 23 by the end of 2011. Essar Hypermart is an initiative of Essar Steel to make steel available to end-users close to the point of use, and 500 such outlets are operational across the country. Hypermart also arranges for channel financing through banks to eligible customers. The distribution model is backed by world-class service centre facilities and supply chain management and offers customised products to customers at their doorstep. The new Expressmarts will deliver a new business to in-store signage companies as well as others like PSPs, sign suppliers, fabricators, etc.
Haier aims to ramp up its Indian turnover to Rs 900 crore this year from Rs350 crore last year, mainly by expanding its presence through new experience zones and marketing campaign. It has set aside Rs 60 crore for marketing this year, and has signed up John Abraham to endorse the brand. Following the recent launch company’s first experience zone in India and its 38th in Chennai a total of 75 such stores would be opened across the country by Diwali, with two of those in Hyderabad and one in Vijayawada. By the end of next year, the company will have 300 experience zones. Such expansion is an added opportunity for in-store signage companies looking ahead to tap new business in the retail/ in-store sector.
Madura Garments Lifestyle Retail announces its plan to set up high-end luxury stores -‘The Collective’ in three new cities next year, besides expanding in the existing locations. The company currently operates two stores, one each in Mumbai and Bangalore that sell high-end luxury apparel and accessories from brands across the world under ‘The Collective’ banner. The company is likely to make an investment of about RS 40 crore in next year. “One store entails an investment of Rs 8 crore for the expansion move. Such development will bring in a new sliver lining in the business of those signage companies dealing extensively in in-store/retail segment.