Yamaha aims rural market to double its outlets in five years
Yamaha Motor, the world’s second-biggest motorcycle maker, plans to double its sales outlets in India in the next five years to tap demands in villages. The company plans to increase showrooms to 2,000, mostly in small towns and rural hubs. Around 10 percent of people living in villages in India own a motorcycle, compared with the national average of 18 percent. The company is refurbishing some of the existing outlets in small towns and rural hubs, and adding new ones called Yamaha Bike Corners, organising free motorcycle service camps and test rides. The new Yamaha outlets in villages would offer an opportunity to the in-store signage companies to unwrap business across the new region.
Bharti Retail, owners of Easy Day stores, is on an expansion spree after mostly restricting its presence to Punjab for almost three years, amid reports that the country may finally allow foreign investment in multi-brand retail. The retail arm of Bharti Enterprises, which has a joint venture with world’s largest retailer Wal-Mart in the cash-and-carry wholesale segment, plans to more than double its number of stores this year. The company plans to have 125 Easy Day supermarkets and 13 Easy Day Market hypermarts by the scheduled time. Bhrati Retail currently operates 60 Easy Day stores across Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and six Easy Day Market stores across Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Now the mega expansion of Bharti Retail is an unmatched prospect for in-store signage companies to harvest new business.
Shree Ganesh Jewelley House, manufacturers and exporters of handcrafted gold jewelleries in India, has launched its exclusive store – Gaja Heritage in Kolkata located at 227 A.J.C Bose Rd Inaugurated by Ms Mandira Bedi. House Ltd, the largest manufacturers and exporters of handcrafted gold jewellery in India has launched their exclusive store Gaja Heritage in at AJC Bose Road, Kolkata. Inaugurated by Mandira Bedi, the store flaunts its rich collection of handcrafted heritage jewellery. The store specializes in filigree and polki work and aiming to capture the high-end market. It is the first store for classic heritage jewellery in Kolkata, one-of-its-kind under an organised brand. Gaza Heritage is indeed a new hot spot for the in-store signage companies and others like PSPs, sign fabricators to tap a new business.
Leading watchmaker Titan Industries Limited announces to invest about Rs 100 crore for opening 50 premium watch outlets Helios in India in the next five years to attain a sales target of Rs 400 crore. Helios houses 34 fashion and premium global watch brands including Emporio Armani, Burberry, FCUK, Movadao, Fossil, Guess, Casio, Seiko, Titan, etc. In the first phase, the company will open 15 stores in top 10 cities within a year in line with its plans to have pan-India presence. The cities in which the companies will embark upon include Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad etc in next 12 months. Helios stores will be a new business opportunity for the signage players like in-store media companies, PSPs, fabricators, sign suppliers and others..
has asked property owners to take part in the ambitious growth plan for its retail venture by renting or selling real estate space across the country. The company has invited applications from property owners as it wants commercial space between 3,000 and 30,000 sq ft and above for Reliance Retail. This is part of the company’s plans to expand its retail venture tenfold in the next five years. Reliance Retail operates nearly 1,150 stores in 86 cities across 14 states. What it would bring alongside the retail expansion of Reliance Industries include new business opportunity to the signage sector, benefiting in-store signage companies, PSPs, sign suppliers, etc.
With the launch of new 70,000-sq ft family store format Big Bazaar at Express Avenue in Chennai, the Future Group is planning to invest Rs 600 crore over 18 months to open 60-odd Big Bazaar stores with a floor space between 40,000 sq ft and 60,000 sq ft. To manage the high volume of footfalls, big-format outlets like the family store at Chennai with 26 cash counters with touch screens and multiple scanners had been installed. The company also sees completion of the merger of the subsidiary company, Home Solutions Retail India Ltd (HSRIL) that administers the consumer retail electronics chain stores, e-zone. Big Bazaar’s big expansion venture will be an unmatched business opportunity for the signage sector, offering newer opportunity to in-store signage players.
Mumbai-based Veeline Jewellry and Watches Private Limited, the sole distributor of Milleret’s premium jewellery Swiss watches, is planning to expand its Milleret outlets to 70, from the present 37, primarily in Tier-II cities in Maharasthra, Punjab and in other parts of north India by March 2011. Currently, the company is targeting to sell about 1,100 units this year and will invest Rs 10-20 lakh in each of the proposed outlets. As of today, seven collections of Milleret watches with 120 variations are available in the Indian market. Expansion of Milleret’s premium outlets in major western and northern Indian cities will be a golden business opportunity for signage companies like in-store signage players, PSPs, sign fabricators and others.
Dubai-based Landmark Group is planning to expand its Lifestyle stores and supermarkets over the next three years. The company would increase the presence of Lifestyle stores from the present 21 to 40 over the next three years. This year, the company is planning to open seven more stores taking the total to 28. And from next year there will be some more stores and by 2013 there should be 40 Lifestyle stores. Such big expansion plan of this big retail conglomerate is a green signal to the signage sector where in-store signage companies, PSPs, signage fabricators would fine opportunity to unfold new business in the high-end Lifestyle stores.
Leading mobile phone manufacturer LG Electronics announces that they will open 100 exclusive mobile handset stores across India. Eyeing a market share of 10 percent by 2010-end in a projected 10 crore mobile handset market this year, the company has set a target to double its retail distribution network from 20,000 dealers to 40,000 across the country. The South Korean firm has earmarked a budget of Rs 290 crore for marketing activities, including investments made for improving visibility. The robust retail expansion of the global electronics giant is a new business opportunity to every in-store signage company in the country.
Breguet of Swatch Group is looking at a 50 per cent sales growth in India this year. The company announces that an aggressive marketing has been carrying out across the subcontinent since 2007 and already India features among our top 10 countries in terms of sales. Breguet is aiming to open an exclusive boutique for its watches in the country soon. Currently, Breguet has appointed six retailers in India, including Kolkata, to sell its products. Such expansion plan of the world’s leading watch company will be an unbeatable delight for new business opportunity for in-store signage companies.
Pantaloon Retail, which is in the process of merging its home solutions business with itself, has big plans to stimulate growth in its home retailing business post merger. The company’s business is currently being run by Home Solutions Retail India Ltd (HSRIL) that has stores like E-zone, Electronic Bazaar and Home Town. As part of its growth plan in home solutions, HSRIL will roll out 22 E-zone stores in the current financial year. With 66 stores already operational with an average size of 10,000 square feet per store, the company plans to target the metros and Tier I cities for this expansion. In-store signage companies can harvest new business in the post-merger expansion move of Aditya Birla Group.