TGI Friday’s to have 19 outlets by 2015
International casual dining restaurant chain TGI Friday's (TGIF) is enhancing presence in
India with plans to nearly treble the number of restaurants here by 2015. The chain, whose Indian operations is owned 26 per cent by global hospitality and travel company Carlson and rest by Bistro Hospitality Pvt Ltd , currently has seven TGIF outlets operational here. The chain recently opened new restaurants in Hyderabad and Noida. It is looking to add one each in Delhi and Bangalore very soon, he added, without giving investment details. Expansion of the TGI Firday’s outlets across the country is added advantage for the in-store signage companies for new business level.
The Triangle Real Estate India Fund, a $120 million venture by Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments (OMIGPI) and ICS Realty, is targeting growth of its portfolio through more partnerships in retail-biased assets now that its first Indian investment, the Prozone Aurangabad Mall, has opened its doors. Triangle fund was also partnering with Prozone, a joint venture between Provogue, a leading Indian retail group and Capital Shopping Centres plc, in investments in two other fast-growing cities - Coimbatore and Nagpur. Onset of such high-end malls in the Indian retail segment will be a golden opportunity for the signage companies dealing with in-store displays.
Tommy Hilfiger, the premium international fashion brand, recently forayed into children’s wear segment in India. The brand made its India debut in April 2004 through Arvind Murjani Brands, a 50:50 JV between the Murjani group and the Ahmedabad-based Arvind Mills. At present, the JV company is retailing from 15 outlets, but from mid-December, and they will tour North India to expand its presence. Over the next nine months, the company plans pan-India presence in smaller cities. Arrival of Tommy Hilfiger outlets in smaller cities across India is a bigger opportunity for the in-store signage companies.
to start similar projects in other big cities, including Hyderabad and Chennai, that are seeing traction for high-end brands. The company is currently in talks with the existing tenants at its DLF Emporio for the same. There are some 10-12 anchor brands the company is in discussion with to bring up similar models in other cities. Expansion of DLF malls across the big cities will be an added opportunity for the signage companies engaging into in-store POP displays and others.
The Essar Group-owned telecom retailer, The MobileStore, is planning to add 700 outlets in the next six months. The company already has 1,200 outlets across 200 cities and 45 per cent market share in organised telecom retail. The company has started the process of adding 200 stores and has around 100 stores in the pipeline. To hasten its plans, it decided to adopt the franchise model in Tier-II and Tier-III cities and towns. The model will help the company add around 500-600 stores, leveraging the existing supply chain system which has already been set up by the company. Such mega expansion of MobileStore outlets is an added advantage to the signage companies dealing in in-store displays, POP, etc.