New Business Opportunity

Leading textiles maker and retailer Raymond Ltd plans to add about 100 retail outlets this fiscal as domestic consumer sentiment […]

Bharti Walmart, the 50:50 joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and US-based Walmart, opens its third wholesale store in Punjab taking the company’s investment in the state to Rs 115 crore. Bharti Walmart opened its first cash & carry—Best Price Modern Wholesale—in Amritsar in May 2009, and added another outlet near Chandigarh this year. The JV is expected to open 10 to 15 wholesale cash-and-carry facilities and employ approximately 6,000-7,000 people over the next three years. The new up-market store is new delight for signage companies engaging extensively in the in-store displays.

The UK-based premium kitchen appliances maker, Kenwood, contemplates setting up manufacturing facility in India once it reaches a certain scale

Several apparel and fashion accessory manufacturers catering to global brands are increasingly shifting the domestic retail market. With the increased of spending power, the sector is very lucrative destination for new business. Mandhana Industries is opening 10 exclusive flagship stores in metros and then it will take it to Tier II cities.  Tirupur-based Royal Classic Group, which targets students and young professional with affordable brands such as Classic Polo and Smash, plans to open around 100 exclusive outlets by the end of 2011. With such swift change in the retail sector, new business opportunity is now on the way for in-store signage companies as well as other associated players like PSPs, fabricators, sign suppliers, etc.

Global digital camera maker Olympus has launched its new exclusive retail store, Olympus Zone, at Edappilly in Cochi, Kerala. The

Porsche, which launched its new five models—Cayenne, Cayenne S, Caynne Turbo, Cayenne Diesel and Cayenne S Hybrid—in the Indian market has already received bookings for all models. The company has already received bookings of at least 70 units. This model represents the perfect balance between elegant design and powerful driving dynamics. Currently, the company has two showrooms and plans to open five more sooner than later. The auto showroom will be an unmatched opportunity for in-store signage companies as well as PSPs, fabricators, sign makers, etc to tap a new business.

HM-Mitsubishi Motors, India’s leading automobile manufacturer, has unveiled the company’s first authorised service outlet in Worli, Mumbai. The service outlet

S Kumars Nationwide Limited, a leading textile and apparel company targets to achieve sales of Rs 500 crore in the next four years from its newly launched apparel brand World Player. The company is basically targeting youth in 18 to 35 years age group from semi urban and rural areas. With the new marketing strategy will boost the company go for pan-India launch of its brands at its new retail formats around West Bengal, Punjab,Haryana and Delhi. S Kumar currently has 12 distributors and 902 retailers in four southern states. The company will also set up over 8,000 point of sale outlets over the next few years across the country.

Wadhawan Lifestyle Retail Pvt Ltd, a master franchisee of Ed Hardy is planning to open 12 stores in standalone and shop-in-shops formats by next year. Out of these 12, five will be opened in Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh and Ludhiana. The company is mainly targeting north India as it has high level of brand awareness amongst consumers. The company runs a total of nine Ed Hardy stores; out of which three are EBOs/standalone stores and six are shop-in-shops, across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Amritsar and Jalandhar. Opening of dozen Wadhawan Lifestyle Retail stores is an opportunity for signage players extensively engaged in in-store retail segment.

Modern retail is not all about size and scale; several family-run supermarket chains are chock-a-block on the back of a

Future Group’s Big Bazaar Family Centre with its focus on community retailing, intends to open two new centers and also

High-end fashion brand from the house of Dubai-based Landmark Group, , has launched its fourth store at Mega Mall, Andheri (W) in Mumbai. The value fashion chain is already present in this western Indian city is areas like Navi Mumbai (Vashi, Kharghar), Mulund West and Bhayander. Spreading on an area of 8,500 sq ft, the store shelves apparels, footwear and accessories for men, women and kids. Ushering of the new Max store in Mumbai is an added advantage for the in-store signage companies

UK-based kitchen appliances maker Kenwood announces its entry into the Indian market with plans to garner sales of over Rs

Following Rs 385-crore investment made by private equity firms Bain Capital and TPG Growth, India’s leading kids wear brand Lilliput Kidswear is all set to double its retail space this year with a total investment of Rs 175 crore. The company is planning to open around 70 stores pan-India. Also in the line of plan is introduction of its new range of ‘Everyday Essential’ which is children casual wear in September at a starting price of Rs 125. The company is opening 50 stores of Liliput and 20 stores of Liliput World in tier I, II and III cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Jaipur, Pune, Guwahati, Jodhpur. Mega expansion of Liliput stores would offer room for a new business opportunity to in-store signage companies as well as PSPs, fabricators, sign makers.

Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets Amul brand of dairy products, announces that it will double its retail

More than five weeks ago, Zara opened its first store in Delhi, followed soon by Mumbai. The Mumbai store in the Palladium mall is a few metres away from Kakkar’s shop-in-shop outlet inside Pantaloon department store in High Street Phoenix. The chance to observe Zara’s has proved hugely beneficial. Zara is indeed the Coca-Cola of the fashion world. Starting sometime in the mid-1970s in Spain, Inditex, the Euro 11 billion (revenue) company that owns Zara and some other labels, built a hugely successful business model of taking the latest catwalk designs and converting them into affordable high street fashion in a matter of three weeks. Zara stores will be a new zeal for in-store signage segment where sign makers, fabricators, printers and others would able to tap new business.

Arvind Ltd aims to double its revenue from retail business to Rs 800 crore by 2013-14 from Rs 400 crore

MINC, an eco-friendly fashion store for women in 2007, has opened by Mini, who was previously head designer with popular brand Weekender and her husband Cdr Shibhu, decided to start off on their own. The concept was to promote eco-friendly fashion, working with khadi fabrics, organic cotton and vegetable-dyed fabrics, while supporting a social chain of tribal cotton farmers, weavers and dyers community, therefore, trying to facilitate a healthier environment. Despite being a den for fashion freaks, flaunting of such new set-up retail store is an unmatched opportunity for signage companies engaged in retail sector.

Marks and Spencer Reliance India, a joint venture between Mukesh Ambani-run Reliance and Marks and Spencer Plc, intends to open

The world’s largest corporation and retailing giant, Wal-Mart will open “hundreds of news stores” if the government of India allows foreign companies to invest in the sector. The firm, under its 50:50 joint venture with Bharti Enterprises, has just two stores currently and will expand very slowly if the government does not allow foreign companies to address the retail customer. Under the current arrangement, Bharti-Wal-Mart owns and operates only wholesale or ‘cash and carry’ stores which are open only to traders and not to ordinary customers. Well, it’s now wait and watch situation for signage companies engaging in retail sector. Once the Wal-Mart’s proposal is settled, it’s new delight for in-store signage players and other associated with them.