New Business Opportunity

Leading retail chain Koutons plans to expand and focus on its family concept stores by opening 100 more such outlets […]

Retail chain Suvidhaa Infoserve has announced it plans to open 1,000-1,200 new outlets every month across the country and eyeing one-lakh strong networks in the next two-three years. As of now, this Mumbai-based retail firm has 18,000 convenient neighbourhood stores called ‘Suvidhaa Point’ across the country in more than 20 states and over 400 cities. The company’s further expansion plan will be an golden opportunity for the signage companies where in-store media majors and signage suppliers can embark upon new areas to exploit.

Japanese premium watchmaker Seiko plans to expand its retail network in India to 250 over the next two years through

Future Group is expected to engage in two different business models with French retailer Carrefour. While at the front end

ACK Media, India’s leading entertainment and education company for young audiences, has announced their entry into the home video business.

World’s leading lingerie brand, Triumph International, plans to invest over Rs 1,000 crore in India to open 12 more flagship

In its first phase of operations, Bharti Retail has strengthened its position in north India by opening 59 stores in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi, called Easy Day stores. In addition, the comany has also launched three compact hyper stores called Easy Day Market in Punjab. In the next five years, it is planned to offer approximately 10 million square feet of retail experience across all cities in India. This will be a big opportunity for the signage industry where in-store media companies and signage supplies can embark upon the new landscape.

Premium carmaker SkodaAuto India, a unit of the Volkswagen Group, has been quick to follow suit by launching its limited

Mahindra First Choice, an arm of Mahindra and Mahindra Group (M&M) which sells used cars, announced it would set up sales and service outlets in rural areas across India to sell one lakh vehicles by 2015. In 2008-09, the company sold 10,255 vehicles. Around 20 percent of their business come from the C segment in Tier-II and III cities, while 80 percent of the revenues come from metros and state capitals. The company aims to tap rural market through its expansion plans and this new drive of the company will offer outdoor media companies a chance to hit upon the rural parameter.

Essar Hypermart is a pioneering initiative of Essar Steel to make steel available to end users close to the user

Textiles major, Alok Industries, will dilute a 33 percent stake in its subsidiary Alok H&A in return for a Rs 45 crore infusion from Asiabridge Fund 1 LLC. The entire funding as well as the transfer of stake will occur over a period of two years. Alok H&A, currently a 100 percent subsidiary of Alok Industries, is a leading Cash & Carry player in the home textiles, garments and accessories segments. The mega expansion of Alok H&A will be a big opportunity for in-store media companies and signage suppliers in the signage sector.

Fastrack, a fashion accessories brand from Titan Industries Ltd, is mulling to take the number of its exclusive stores to 50 across in India by April 2010. Most of the outlets would be operated on franchisee model with an investment of Rs 40-50 lakh and a floor space of 400-500 sq ft. The brand, whose mainstay is watches and sunglasses, forayed into accessories like belts, hats and bags this year and the new store expansion plan is undoubtedly a sunshine opportunity for signage players like in-store media companies as well as signage suppliers.

Gitanjali Jewellery Retail Private Limited, a unit of Gitanjali Group, has decided to expand its business aggressively with the opening

Tesco, the third largest retailer in the world, is planning to open its first wholesale Cash & Carry outlet in India this year. The company already has presence in the country through a joint venture with Tata and its stores are located in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Chennai. Tesco operated 4,331 stores worldwide and employed 470,000 people in 14 countries and this solo entry of the company into India will benefit even the signage segment, particularly in-store signage companies and print providers.

World’s leading retailer of coffee Starbucks has revived its plans for India and had talks with Jubilant Group for a

SRS Group, one of India’s leading conglomerates with business interests in real estate, multiplex cinemas, retail and food & beverages,

Delhi-based lifestyle fashion brand Ritu Wears announces that it will invest around Rs 230 crore over the next four years as part of its plan to expand pan-India by opening 33 large-format stores. The company is going aggressive with home category portfolio, and will focus more on the toys and books segment in its outlets. Beyond North India, their sight is set on other regions, such as Indore, Jaipur and Bhopal. In this big way expansion, opportunity will also be for signage sector benefiting largely signage suppliers and in-store media companies.

Tata Group’s Trent Hypermarket plans to scale up its Star Bazaar stores to 18 by the end of FY 2011. The company will be opening 7-9 stores by the end of next fiscal and two by March-end. The investment per store would be Rs 7-crore. As of now, Trent operates seven Star Bazaar stores and the new stores will come up at Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad. Voila! It would be a sunshine opportunity for every signage player surfacing across the in-store segment.

Future Value Retail, the Future Group firm which owns value retail formats like Big Bazaar and Food Bazaar, plans to

Enthused by good sales in the past few months, Reliance Retail Lifestyle is planning to increase the number of Reliance Jewels outlets to 100 by 2013. The company has plan to add 14 more by this fiscal-end to its existing 10 outlets of Reliance Jewels, which sells gold and diamond jewellery under private label RJ. The new jewellery stores will bring a sunshine space to exploit in the signage segment offering unmatched opportunity to the companies such as in-store media companies and signage suppliers.