Shanti Juniors participates at TIMES SCHOOL EXPO - 15 TO 18 ( FOUR DAYS) DEC. 2011 at Palace Grounds, Seeking Franchises for all unrepresented areas.

The Shanti Educational Initiatives Limited (SEIL) is a Corporate Citizenship initiative by the Chiripal Group., a Rs 1500 Crore conglomerate involved in textiles and petrochemicals in India. This has been established with the objective of creating interfaces with society. Education is one of the portals which shall be instrumental in helping the Chiripal family return back to society more than what it has got.

‘Shanti Juniors’ is the launch pad for the little ones in formative years who have begun their educational journey. It is here that a strong foundation is laid as little ones put their first step out of their homes in an early learning centre. Child’s first preschool is the place where love for learning is developed for a life time. We take this opportunity to express what our noble dream of ‘Shanti Juniors’would rise to be:

• Our Juniors would be the smiling faces in school who posses love to learn for life
• Our Juniors would overcome challenges with wisdom and tact.
• Our Juniors would be strong and smart adolescent who can make the right choices for themselves
• Our Juniors would be preside and decide holding key positions in their adulthood; making their parents, family and alma- mater proud by their excellence.
• Our Juniors would make our Country proud with their skills, knowledge and expertise which they shall express with finesse in whatever they do.
• Our Juniors would be global citizens of the world who respect their family, Country, Its culture and traditions.
• Our Juniors would be Independent, loved and loving individuals whose company shall be worthy.
• Our juniors would be virtuous of human beings and proud citizens of India.

From ‘Shanti Juniors’, we aim to see our little ones progressively proceeding to ‘Shanti Asiatic School’ for an excellent schooling experience and further rise up to be the students of ‘Shanti Business School’ as they graduate lessons of life to be ready for their professional career.

Marketing Strategy In Franchise Business

The development of franchise business that recently began to mushroom, making competition increasingly stringent franchise business. Every day came the new franchisor that does not directly increase the number of franchisees in the market, so competition among businesses today increasingly high. Without a workable marketing strategy, a brand franchise could die in the midst of a brand new competition which is now beginning to emerge.

Although currently many franchisors that offer investment partnerships with the support of several marketing tools, such as X-banner, Both interesting, attractive product packaging, brochures, etc., but in fact the partners are still many difficulties to face intense competition in local markets are pretty solid. Therefore, to assist the franchisee to join a particular partnership, we inform some of the following marketing strategies that can be done to support the development of your franchise product marketed.

1. Recognize the behavior of your potential customers and markets.
One of the keys to success in marketing a product that is to recognize the behavior of each consumer and the potential market that you can use. That way you can determine how the most appropriate promotional strategies to market products that you follow the franchise.

2. Ensuring Brand and unique look of your business
Value of the franchise business owned more than non-franchise business opportunity lies just on the strength of brand and appearance Both (establishments) are interesting. So try to keep the appearance of products as well as offering a brand that is truly unique and exciting, so that consumers do not hesitate to drop by at your outlet.

3. Use tools such as mass media campaigns that are around you.
Call it advertising on radio, television, business magazines, tabloids, newspapers, and many more electronic media and other print media that you can use to promote the franchise business is run.

4. Position yourself as a solution for your consumer problems.
By becoming an expert and offer products and services needed by the consumer, then your chances to take care consumers more wide open. So that customer loyalty will be built to strengthen the brand has to offer.

5. Maintain existing customer loyalty.
Your old customers become one of the assets that need to be maintained properly. Therefore, try to hold promotional activities on a regular basis, so that the loyalty of existing consumers is increasing.

6. Take advantage of online media for promotion
To this day not many franchise businesses are realizing the importance of online marketing, but every day the number of Internet users has increased quite sharply. Sure you can use this as a potential market opportunities. For example just by creating a website or joining an existing business forum on the internet.

7. Direct approach to the consumer.
This strategy can do by interacting directly to consumers, and asked consumers to write testimonials (comments or feedback) after they use the product or service offered by your franchise. Because the testimony of the consumer to be part of a promotional tool that can support the marketing word of mouth (from mouth to mouth).

Hopefully the information about the marketing strategy in business franchise can be useful to readers and help the franchisee in marketing their products. There is always a way if we are always willing to try

FREE Franchise Your Business FRANCLINIC at Nehru Centre, Mumbai on 08th & 09th Oct 2011

Oct 7, 2011 – We are pleased to announce our free franchise workshop for business owners seeking to franchise their businesses for Mumbai. If you are a business owner seeking expert professional/ franchise consultants to help you franchise your business and have been contemplating from some time to expand your business, we can help. We have helped 100's of businesses of all sizes to expand from as minimum as an Idea to 1000's of Units now. You can also expand your business to multiple units across India and then the globe. You could meet one of India's senior most franchise consultants at the location mentioned above and discuss in length the opportunity you see in expanding your business and the challenges you face in doing so.

We will help you identify the key components of how you can take your business forward and probably work closely with you in franchising your business. At the 1-1 diagnostic meetings, generally lasting for 30 Minutes, you can get a overall picture on how to franchise your business. We would request you to come well prepared with your queries to make the best out of these meeting. A small brief of your business and your intent to meet us in advance, will help us allocate time for you.

Moreover these meetings are absolutely free and we are sure that you will have loads of expert franchise advice to take back with you, enabling you to clearly see the road ahead for your business.

About Sparkleminds:

Is a specialist franchise consultancy company established in 1998 and headquartered out of Bangalore, India. We work on all facets of franchising. We offer complete franchise solutions from franchise strategy, franchise development, franchise documentation, franchise registrations, franchise agreements, franchise recruitments, franchise marketing’s, franchise trainings and everything else a business would need to grow using the franchise route.

For More or To Request for an Appointment Contact:

Ms Nahid

Senior Franchise Consultant

Sparkleminds

#309, Swiss Complex,

#33, Race Course Road.

Bangalore-560001

India

Call:080 41512345

Mumbai FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES: BG Cleaning Systems, Iceland participates at The Mumbai Franchise Expo at Nehru Centre, on 08-09 October 2011

We are very excited to launch the Franchise Marketing of the BG Commercial Cleaning Franchise at the Times Franchise Expo to be held at Nehru Centre, Worli, Mumbai on Sat/Sun 08-09 Oct 2011. BG Cleaning systems will be soliciting responses Mumbai Franchisee through this expo, wherein we will approve exclusive state development rights for the approved master franchises who will have to invest Rs 20-25 Lakhs and will have to operate one unit franchise themselves. Understanding the potential of the several offices and commercial establishments across the region and Industries that need world class commercial cleaning services, we feel that it is appropriate to solicit for franchisees who will offer these services in the region. We will then assist these master franchises to develop their territory by appointing further unit franchises who will come in with an initial investment of 12-15 Lakhs.

About BG Cleaning Systems:

BG Cleaning systems (www.bgcleaning.net) founded in 1995 in Reykjavik, is a multifaceted global cleaning services company that caters to all types of facilities with all kinds of cleaning needs. The company services some of the largest corporations, public and private institutions, establishments, insurance companies, supermarkets, shipping lines, airline servicing companies, homeowners’ associations and offer a wide range of cleaning solutions – from regular janitorial cleaning services to special cleaning services, i.e., floor maintenance, insurance-related clean up, construction clean up, general cleaning, window washing, carpet care, and more.

For more on details or To Request for an Appointment

Ms. Nahid

Sr. Franchise Consultant

Aadhaar Retailing aims to break even in a year

Aadhar Retailing, the rural retail joint venture between Future group & the $3.3 billion Godrej group, is embarking on a restructuring exercise for the loss making chain that aims for a break even level of operations in a year, Financial Chronicle reported, citing senior officials at Future Group. Meanwhile, the company is looking to expand its retail network via franchise model.

“We will take around nine months to break even. While 35 per cent of our existing stores are profitable, we are expecting 35 per cent to break even in two-three months,” said a senior company official in the know of the development. On an overall basis the chain plans to achieve break even within a year.

For the financial year 2010-11, Aadhaar Retailing had sales of Rs 68 crore and a loss of Rs 20 crore. As of end of March 2011, the group had invested Rs 86.18 crore in this venture, which retails products such as apparel, seeds, fertilisers and FMCG products.

The group is trying to lure rural customers to stores with personalised communication via mobile messages, loyalty programmes instead of banking on print or television media. There is new technology in place to link up to the stores through the internet.

Kishore Biyani is trying to rationalise costs and rentals by relocating staff, hiring less qualified employees at the front-end and shutting down unviable stores. “We are trying to increase the sales throughput to be more profitable,” said a senior company official.

The group that currently has 40 stores of its rural retail chain plans to add 40 more over the next three months across clusters around districts in Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat, added the senior official. The first round of expansion would be around Gujarat and the second phase in Punjab. As part of its restructuring process, the group is trying to launch a wholesale format that would stock food and grocery. Each of the wholesale stores would have around 1,600 stock keeping units (SKUs) against typically 10,000 SKUs in a Big Bazaar, said another senior company official. The size of the retail store would be scaled down to 500-1,000 square feet from average 5,000 square feet.

The new model being piloted at Kalol in Gujarat, will see Aadhaar become a cross between a cash-and-carry store and a front-end retailer. Under the proposed pilot, the company will operate a hub and spoke model where its existing outlets will serve as supply hubs while the franchisee outlets will be spokes.

In a typical cash-and-carry format, the store serves as a front-end outlet to wholesale goods and services for commercial/industrial consumers and small store owners.

But the model Biyani is proposing involves Aadhaar also ensuring last mile delivery and working with small kirana outlet owners to run stores.

Gas Jeans targets tier-2 cities; seeks franchisees

Gas Jeans India Pvt Ltd, running on the wholesale cash and carry model, is planning to tap into the potential of tier-2 cities. Running on a franchise model with just three stores in Mumbai and Delhi, the premium denim brand is extending its reach beyond the metros to enter smaller cities such as Ludhiana, Pune, Chandigarh and Hyderabad. Gas intends launching 12 stores in the next three years and also turning profitable by the next fiscal.

“Tier-2 cities have the spending power and there are opportunities for the brand. We should start with the first store in Ludhiana followed by other cities like Pune and Chandigarh,” M M Kamath, director, Gas Jeans Pvt Ltd, told Business Line.

With a seed capital of Rs 6 crore, Gas is staying away from making big investments into the country till such time FDI is allowed. “All the 12 stores that were under the joint venture have been discontinued and today we run with minimal investments on the franchise model,” said Kamath.

Today the Gas brand is made at its home base in Italy along with other countries such as Tunisia and Romania in Eastern Europe. With steep import duties at 28 per cent, Gas is also looking at ways to reduce its dependence on imports. “There is a possibility of setting up a manufacturing base somewhere in South India in the future, but it is still early days to take a decision,” said Kamath.

There is also a likelihood of introducing online sales for the brand as it already has an e-commerce model in Italy.

Globally, Gas is a Rs 600-crore brand and in India the brand is aiming to achieve a turnover of Rs 40 crore by 2013.

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BG Cleaning Systems, Iceland participates at The GOA Franchise Expo at Hotel Fidalgo, on 24-25 Sep11 | PRLog

BG Cleaning Systems, Iceland participates at The GOA Franchise Expo at Hotel Fidalgo, on 24-25 Sep11 PRLog

FREE Franchise Your Business FRANCLINIC at Hotel Fidalgo, Goa on 24th & 25th Sep 2011 | PRLog

FREE Franchise Your Business FRANCLINIC at Hotel Fidalgo, Goa on 24th & 25th Sep 2011 PRLog

Sahara plans major expansion in FMCG retail space through franchising

Business conglomerate Sahara India has announced a mega expansion plan in the fast-moving consumer goods retail space, with plans to launch a range of food and non-food items at over 10,000 franchised outlets across 285 cities in India.

"For the first time in India, Sahara India Pariwar is setting up the largest FMCG company in the country with its own distribution network through over 10,000 franchise outlets," Sahara India said in a public announcement.

The group plans to have 305 warehouses spread across 285 cities with more than 25,000 distribution vehicles in order to cater to consumers right at their doorsteps, it added.

As per its website, at present, Sahara offers a range of FMCG products and other items through a chain of showrooms under the banner 'Unique' at various locations in India.

Sahara India claimed that with the new initiative, the unorganised retail sector is set for a "complete transformation".

"With 3,500 quality advisors and seven state-of-the-art quality labs in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Nagpur, Patna and Lucknow, Sahara India Pariwar will assure quality through packaging, uninterrupted supply chain, doorstep delivery and money-back guarantee," the announcement said.

It is hunting for a new chief operating officer to steer the new venture and is also hiring professionals across levels and verticals, including supply chain management, marketing, finance, legal, human resource and sales.

The group currently has assets with a market value of Rs 1 lakh crore and a workforce of more than 10 lakh people, it said.

It has a presence in various sectors, including financial services, infrastructure and housing, media and entertainment and information and technology.

Paris Hilton set to launch accessories line in India

Fashion-accessories company Brand Concepts will bring 250-300 Paris Hilton-branded items to Indian consumers when the fashion line is launched next week. It is the fashion-licensing partner for the soon-to-be-launched Paris Hilton handbags and accessories in India.

Abhinav Kumar, CEO, Brand Concepts, said the Paris Hilton line of accessories includes handbags, watches, fragrances and clutches at Rs 2,000 to Rs 12,000. Paris Hilton will launch the line in Mumbai on September 24, he said.

Brand Concepts is the exclusive licensee in India for Tommy Hilfiger (travel gear and small leather goods), Nickelodeon and Barbie back-to-school bags, Arrow small leather goods and the entire collection of Rocky S.

Premium licensed brands of Brand Concepts are currently available in multi-brand outlets and 15 exclusive stores. For the Paris Hilton range, the company is setting up four exclusive outlets this year -- in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai or Hyderabad -- and will also make it available at multi-brand outlets, Kumar added.

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Spanish designer Adolfo Dominguez catwalks into India

Adolfo Dominguez, the Spanish designer recently unveiled his flagship store in New Delhi. The store has stocked the latest spring/summer 2011 clothing and accessories collection, for both men and women.

For its Indian operations, Adolfo Dominguez has entered in to an eight-year exclusive master franchise agreement with Wadhavan Lifestyle Retail and has plans to pump in around Rs 500 million to establish the brand in India.

In 2008, Wadhavan Lifestyle had brought the American urban street wear brand Ed Hardy to India. With over 35 years of experience in about 37 countries, the first Spanish Adolfo Domínguez stores opened in 1982 in Madrid and Barcelona.

As a marketing strategy, Wadhavan wants a lot of consumers to be aware about Adolfo Dominguez. They have started with a little bit of marketing by creating some awareness about the brand. Apart from which, other activities would talk about the luck and heritage of the brand.

Mr Abhinav Zutshi, Head – International Brands, Wadhavan Lifestyle Retail Pvt. Ltd spoke exclusively to fibre2fashion about their future plans for the Adolfo Dominguez brand in India and the potential for European designer wears in the Indian market.

Speaking about the potential for European designer wears, he said, “I think, in the last 3-4 years, a lot of European brands have come to India and have been well accepted by the consumers. This is the right time for new brands to come into India and try the market.

“For all the global brands, China and India are now the largest markets in the world and it’s high time that they come in and see how their products click with the Indian consumer. I think there is tremendous potential for all these brands to come in. The consumers and the markets are available. According to me, this is the best time to be in India”.

Giving an insight in to the trends of the Indian market, he informed, “Mostly the Indian brands have either focused on women’s wear or men’s wear because these are the two main categories in India. But apart from this there is a lot of scope for kids wears as well as home products.

He added by saying, “The Indian consumer is maturing and has a fair understanding about international styling and products across all categories. In the next five years, one will see a lot of activities and lot of global brands coming in to India”.

On the strategy to increase their presence in India, he said, “I think the strategy goes hand in hand with the availability of real estate. Good real estate basically means good malls and good hyper cities at a place where all like-minded brands are available, which gives the consumer a wider choice as well as create awareness levels.

“So based on how the market is evolving and the number of malls coming up in the next two years, we will be sounding out bigger metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai. After a period of two years we willexplore other cities like Pune and Nagpur. These are the cities where the brand evolution will be slower”.

Mr Zutshi however was critical about the imposition of the 10 percent excise duty on branded clothing. He said, “The input processes in apparel production are very complicated so it’s not very simple for international partners to understand customs policies and procedures. Once you open the doors for FDI, the investors look for single window clearances.

"Currently one has to through multiple levels of clearances, apart from which there are different committees. Once the government makes up its mind that, they want more people to come and invest in this country, they will have to look at simplifying the process”, he wrapped up this very informative interview by saying.

Source : Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

Yum! Brands sets $1 billion revenue target from India by 2015

Yum! Brands Inc, the US owner of the KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants, expects its Indian operations to be around Rs 4,600 crore [$1 billion] by 2015. With plans to open a total of 1,000 outlets across brands in India by then, the company will also invest Rs 460 crore ($100 million) in the next four years.

"We expect our business in India to grow four-fold [from present] by 2015 with a turnover of Rs 4,600 crore [$1 billion]. With that kind of a revenue growth, India would start contributing meaningfully to Yum! Brands globally,” Niren Chaudhary, managing director, Yum! Restaurants India, told PTI.

Though India is a very small market for Yum! Brands in terms of revenue generation at present, the firm is making strategic investments in the country. "Our business in India is seeing tremendous growth across brands...From now onwards to 2015, we will invest $100 million here," Chaudhary said.

Yum! Restaurants India currently operates close to 400 restaurants mostly under KFC and Pizza Hut brands and three Taco Bell outlets for Mexican food.

"All our brands are growing at double digit rate both in terms of sales and number of transactions...KFC for instance has grown 70 per cent in terms of sales in the last one year," he said.

As it looks to deepen ties with India, Yum! Brands is also looking to contribute to the society through its 'Yum's World Hunger Relief programme'.

"Globally, we have raised $85 million for the United Nations' World Food Programme [WFP]. From India alone, we have already contributed Rs 2 crore since 2007, and hope to raise for funds from both corporates and our customers going ahead," Chaudhary added.

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BG Cleaning Systems Hires Sparkleminds For India Franchise Development and Master Franchise Recruitment.

eykjavik, Iceland- Bangalore, India- 19 July 2011.

Commercial Cleaning Franchise Company, BG Cleaning Systems, Iceland, has appointed India-based franchise consultants, Sparkleminds, to develop their franchising in India.

Sparkleminds (www.sparkleminds.com) is a specialized franchise consulting company offering international franchise companies seeking to enter India, complete start to end franchise consultancy services, beginning with localized franchise strategy, territory mapping, franchise agreement, trade mark registrations, franchise marketing, franchise recruitment, franchise trainings, franchise audits and other customized franchise solutions for international clients for over a decade now.

Benedikt Hjálmarsson, Founder and CEO of BG Cleaning Systems, says that it is their “goal to create a worldwide system for running successful and respectable cleaning businesses without the burden of having to pay high royalty and franchise fees. This would then give interested entrepreneurs around the world the opportunity to easily succeed in starting their own cleaning business ventures while we focus on keeping updated with the current trends in the art and science of the cleaning industry and training our franchisees to do this business flexibly, effectively and efficiently.”

He further states that he is excited about the work the team at Sparkleminds has put in to customize their business for India. He says, ‘we are now absolutely ready for India, with over the last couple of months going into the research and understanding of this business and localizing it for India. We are glad to have been working with Sparkleminds and have created a unique financial model, which will ensure that we keep the cost as low as possible, while we focus on approving the right profiles as franchisees for our India growth. In fact”, Mr. Hjálmarsson points out, “the huge difference in quality of services being offered presently vis-à-vis what the BG franchisees would be able to provide, as he experienced during his visit to India. Our frugal model, will ensure that we clean better, faster and with lesser people, saving time and costs for all”.

“The cleaning industry in India today is pegged around Rs 1000 Crores and has been consistently growing at a brisk rate of 30-40% CAGR. An increased focus from all kinds of corporations, small, medium and large, all seeking professional mechanized cleaning solutions, is bound to trigger an explosive growth in this segment. While franchisees of International companies like BG Cleaning systems, who have the systems, concepts, processes, and know-how to operate and deliver good quality services, are on the forefront of tapping this enormous opportunity. It definitely is the right time for entrepreneurs from across all cities and towns of India seeking service franchises to get into this commonly known recession-proof industry. To emphasize on the quality of the services, all BG Master and Unit franchises will be trained at their global headquarters for 2 weeks, in Iceland.

“We are very excited to launch the franchise marketing of the BG franchise at the Times Franchise Expo to be held at Pragati Maidan, Delhi on 23-24 July 2011. For the first time, BG Cleaning systems will be soliciting responses for India Master Franchises through this expo, wherein we will approve exclusive state development rights for the approved master franchises who will have to invest Rs 25 Lakhs and will have to operate one unit franchise themselves. We will then assist these master franchises to develop their territory by appointing further unit franchises who will come in with an initial investment of 12 Lakhs”, says Mr. Nahar.

About BG Cleaning Systems:

BG Cleaning systems (www.bgcleaning.net) founded in 1995 in Reykjavik, is a multifaceted global cleaning services company that caters to all types of facilities with all kinds of cleaning needs. The company services some of the largest corporations, public and private institutions, establishments, insurance companies, supermarkets, shipping lines, airline servicing companies, homeowners’ associations and offer a wide range of cleaning solutions – from regular janitorial cleaning services to special cleaning services, i.e., floor maintenance, insurance-related clean up, construction clean up, general cleaning, window washing, carpet care, and more.

Shah Rukh Khan acquires 26% stake in KidZania

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has acquired 26 per cent strategic stake in the Indian franchise of KidZania, an international chain of family entertainment centres. The $3.5-billion Comcraft Group, which holds the franchise for Kidzania in India, had been scouting for a significant minority investor to add value to the Indian project and decided to bring the Bollywood star on board, Economic Times reported, citing people familiar with the development.

"He brings strategic value to the deal in that he is a brand himself," said an official with knowledge of the deal. The Comcraft Group is owned by NRI Chandaria family with diverse interests in about 40 countries across the globe.

Mexico-based KidZania is an interactive family entertainment centre or indoor park that allows children between 5 and 13 age group to role-play adult occupations in a miniature city. It has activities designed to mimic real-life and functioning economy.

The more than Rs 100-crore "edutainment centre" project will unveil its first leg in India in 2012 at R City Mall in Mumbai's Ghatkopar area. The centre will be spread over more than 70,000 square feet. Similar edutainment centres are also likely to be opened later in Delhi and Bangalore.

Source : Franchise Plus

Landmark eyes $68 million plan to expand restaurant portfolio

Foodmark, the food and beverage arm of leisure and retail giant Landmark Group, is planning to have 100 restaurants in its portfolio by 2015. Having opened six new outlets in the past six months across the GCC, a further five new outlets will open before the end of 2011, the company said in a statement.

To reach 100 restaurants by 2015 Foodmark will invest in excess of AED250 million ($68 million), on top of the previously invested AED100 million to open the first 25 outlets.

Most recent openings include popular Italian chain Carluccio's in Kuwait and Qatar and Thai eatery Mango Tree in Qatar.

In addition to these, Foodmark's own brand Zafran has now opened in Kuwait, offering contemporary Indian cuisine, the company added.

The latest opening is in Dubai, with Chinese inspired Chi'Zen now open in Mall of Emirates following its growing popularity in Festival City.

Plans are in place to open an additional outlet in Doha, Qatar later in 2011, Foodmark said.

Naveed Dowlatshahi, general manager of Foodmark, said: "Foodmark's success in the UAE and GCC has been consistently growing year-on-year, and we continue the search for not only perfect venues and ideal locations but the ideal people to run those outlets.

"We are delighted to be launching the second and third Chi'Zen restaurants in Mall of Emirates and Kuwait, where our other outlets Mango Tree, Zafran and Carluccio's have already been extremely well received.

"It is an exciting time for us, and we look forward to developing the Foodmark brand significantly in the coming years."

Since forming in 2009, Foodmark now employs more than 700 members of staff across three countries.

KidzArt signs franchise agreements to expand into Saudi Arabia, Malta

KidzArt, the leading art franchise worldwide, announced its continued expansion with two new franchise partners signing on in Saudi Arabia and Malta. Responding to an increase in demand for children’s creative educational services, KidzArt has added a dozen new franchises internationally in the past two years.

“The KidzArt franchise business has expanded to all corners of the world to help develop children’s creativity and expression,” says KidzArt CEO Sue Bartman. “Our ‘no mistakes’ philosophy and right brain thinking approach encourage children to explore their imaginations without inhibition. People around the globe recognise that children with creative thinking skills possess a mindset that will thrive in our fast-changing world.”

KidzArt provides fine arts classes for children of all ages and has a philosophy based on using right brain skills to develop creativity. With 11 new franchises opening in the Middle East and southeast Asia in the past two years, KidzArt’s development in these areas is not a coincidence. To prepare for the global economy, a new generation of parents is advocating that their children expand their creative thinking skills to develop their resourcefulness, imagination and originality.

In Malta, educators Philip and Simone Stilon will open the first European KidzArt franchise this summer. With the strong instructional background, the Stilons embrace the concept that learning should not be a chore but a pleasure and art can open children’s eyes to the world as well as their minds and hearts.

“The KidzArt programme offers so much excitement, colour, creativity and endless opportunities for all ages,” say Philip and Simone Stilon. “We are pleased to bring KidzArt and its unique art concepts to Malta.”

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Lite Bite Foods to open outlets in Singapore, Bangkok

Indian restaurant chain Lite Bite Foods will open an outlet each in Singapore and Bangkok, as part of its overseas expansion plan. The chain's overseas expansion would initially be driven through the franchisee route.

Lite Bite, promoted by Dabur India vice-chairman Amit Burman and entrepreneur Rohit Aggarwal, is also looking at options in London, Dubai, Hong Kong and Macau.

"We have finalised partners in Singapore and Bangkok and are evaluating other places. This will be the first time any Indian restaurant chain will venture overseas," Burman told Economic Times. The chain's overseas expansion would initially be driven through the franchisee route, with investments coming from partners and Lite Bite taking care of the management and driving profits, Burman said.

The company, which is the largest franchiser for fast-food chain Subway in India, has close to 50 outlets across the country and aims to grow to 200 outlets over the next three years.

Lite Bite plans to utilise its Indian cuisine brands 'Punjab Grill' and 'Zambar' for its overseas expansion.

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Schneider Electric enters retail segment

Schneider Electric India has announced a retail rollout for its switches, sockets and distribution systems for the home and SMB (small and medium business) markets. The retail initiative kicks off with the launch of the ‘ZENcelo' and ‘Vivace' range of switches and the ‘NeoBreak' distribution systems in a phased manner that starts with Maharashtra, followed by Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu over the next few months, a company statement said.

The national rollout aims to appoint 4,000 retail outlets and will be complete by 2012. All the products across categories will be available under the Schneider Electric brand, the statement said.

The market size of switches and distribution boards in India, growing at approximately 16 per cent on an annual basis, according to industry estimates, is currently pegged at Rs 2,400 crore.

Of this, the home market size is considered to be Rs 1, 400 crore while the enterprise market is pegged at approximately Rs 1, 000 crore.

FranchiseBazar.com Conducts Entrepreneur Meet For Mastermind Tutorials for its Write Right and Vedic Maths Brands.

FranchiseBazar.com will conduct a franchise and new businesses match making event, ‘Entrepreneur Match Making Program’ to connect entrepreneurs and franchise companies across India. The program will be held across various Franchisebazar.com franchise offices and will begin on Saturday 9^th July between 10.30 Am -6.00 Pm for Write Right and Vedic Maths at its HO in Bangalore. It will be a multi city, multi brand activity, focused at connecting entrepreneurs with specific requirements with those companies that match them. It is absolutely FREE for the entrepreneurs, as all they have to do is to register with our local offices for this program, and we will get in touch with them, whenever we do an event with a company of their choice.

Crumby’s Hires Sparkleminds To Expand Its Quick Service Chicken Restaurant

‘Crumby’s, a leading small format, low investment, chicken restaurant chain, has hired Sparkleminds (www.sparkleminds.com) for expanding its business through franchise model. Sparkleminds is a specialized franchise consulting company offering franchise expertise to businesses seeking expansions, for over a decade now.

Crumby’s is focusing on providing customers with a 'fresh dining experience' through its small format restaurants (200-500 Sft). The main drawback of a large format outlet is the prohibitive cost of real estate and the over-all investment required by the franchisee for the infrastructure, which in turn, elongates the return on investment and the gestation period, making it a very risky business preposition. While, Entrepreneurs across the country are seeking reputed food opportunities with low investments and high returns, the company is also coming out with a Kiosk and a Food Court Model, to reach out to larger audiences and be present in High Street Retail. Its main attractions include Chicken Samosa (Crumbosa^TM), Chicken Shawerma (Crumberma^TM) and Pasta (Crumpasta^TM) along with Burgers (Crumburger^TM) and ice creams, including a VEG Shawerma. The company is eyeing 100 franchises in 3 years.

Malabar Gold partners with Brand Union for global push

Malabar Gold, leading jewellery retailers, is joining hands with Brand Union, a global branding agency, for creating a distinct international brand identity. Brand Union, part of WPP group, will work closely with Malabar Gold in strengthening the latter's position in the regional and global markets, according to M P Ahammed, chairman, Malabar Group.

He said that the group, which had retail outlets both in India and GCC countries, was all set to become an international brand by expanding its network to other regions of the world. It was now looking at Far Eastern countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia and also Sri Lanka for immediate expansion.

Also on the anvil was an entry into European markets, starting from London, he said.

Malabar Gold, which currently has a turnover of Rs 4,000 crore and employs 4,600 personnel, has opened 54 showrooms over the last 18 years and, during the last two years, established its presence in all the GCC countries. It will soon open new outlets in Jeddah, Ruwi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Guntur, Kondotty, Kottakkal and Chavakkad.

Ahammed said there was good opportunity for India-designed and India-made ornaments all over the world and it was a fact that 10 out of 12 diamonds marketed worldwide were finished in India.

He said that by expanding the network across the world, Malabar Gold was opening the doors for global appreciation of Indian jewellery.

Hermann Behrens, chief executive officer, Brand Union, Middle East, said that his company would help Malabar Gold achieve its ambition of becoming one of the top global jewellery brands.

American Tourister aims to become No 1 brand; mulls franchise expansion

Durable family travel solutions company American Tourister aims to become the number one luggage brand by 2014 by increasing its presence to 300 showrooms pan-India, especially in tier II and III cities. The company is looking for potential franchisees to expand its retail network.

“We are expecting 85 per cent brand growth this fiscal (calender year) and to become the number one brand by 2014 in the organised mid to premium luggage segment,” Samsonite south asia group marketing director Sudip Ghose said in Mumbai.

American Tourister is a brand of Samsonite Corporations and was introduced in India six years ago with a price range starting from Rs 1,700 up to Rs 6,000.

“The concept of luggage has now changed and people are looking at buying good quality products that is durable, which is resulting into the shrinking of the unorganised sector,” he said.

American Tourister, which has 80 company-owned showrooms and 150 franchises, plans to open another 70 new stores, taking the total to 300 by the end of this year, he said.

“We already have a considerable presence in the metros and bigger towns. Now our main focus will be the tier II and III cities, where people have money to buy good quality luggage and aspire to own the American Tourister. The company plans to invest Rs 100 crore to fund this expansion,” he said.

The total luggage market in the country is worth Rs 3,000 crore, out of which up to Rs1,700 crore is the organised segment. “We enjoy about 29.4 per cent of the organised luggage market, which comprises Rs 500 crore,” Ghose said.

In terms of volumes, he said the company is already on the verge of becoming the market leader. He said looking at current growth, the company is doubling its volumes every two years and this trend is likely to continue for the next five years.

Samsonite Corporations has a hard-side suitcases factory at Nasik, in Maharashtra, which has the capacity to produce one lakh units per month and caters to the whole of Asia and parts of Europe. “Hard side suitcase is 20 per cent of our total business, that includes both our brands -- American Tourister and Samsonite,” he said.

The company also has its own factories in Argentina, Belgium, Chile and China.

Ratnagiri Impex to open 250 new agrimart outlets; seeks franchisees

Eyeing to offer farm equipment under a single roof, Bangalore-based Ratnagiri Impex Pvt Ltd is planning to open 250 new franchise outlets under the brand name ‘Agrimart’ at select locations across the country in the coming two and a half years.

At present, the company has 32 district-level outlets in Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. “Farmers travel to major cities not only for sourcing agri-equipment, but also for after sales service and spare parts. To avoid this inconvenience, we have set up a retail chain of agri equipments under the brand name ‘Agrimart’ and have already opened 32 outlets so far. Agrimart is a farmer-friendly concept as it provides all kind of equipment for horticulture, industrial cleaning process, gardening and agricultural activities,” a senior company official said.

He added that the company planned to open 250 new Agrimart outlets at select district headquarters across the country in the next 30 months. "We are also looking for suitable local partners for our proposed district-level outlets,” he said.

Ratnagiri Impex was established to promote the concept of mechanisation in agriculture by offering a wide range of advanced machines like mist blowers, motorised backpack sprayers, brush cutters, chainsaws, augurs, lawn mowers, tillers, pole pruners, high pressure washer etc. The company has formed strategic alliances with leading manufacturers around the world.

“Taking appropriate equipments to the agriculturalists would help the sector modernize, improve productivity & yield and rationalize production cost. Apart from machineries and its spare parts, the after sales service, demo and training of the machineries will also be provided. We are placed uniquely to promote the usage of equipments and Agrimart would be the perfect vehicle to reach out to the rural masses,” the official said.

California Pizza Kitchen inks franchise deal to expand into Taiwan

California Pizza Kitchen, Inc (CPK) has signed an agreement to expand into Taiwan with new franchise partner, Quanta Foods. As part of the agreement, a minimum of six new California Pizza Kitchen restaurants are expected to open in Taiwan over the next five years.

“We are proud to be a global brand and whenever we are able to introduce our innovative menu into a new country, it is an opportunity we pursue,” said Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax, co-founders and co-CEOs of CPK. “Quanta Foods has a great success record in Taiwan and we are pleased to partner with them on this venture.”

Quanta Foods has been in the restaurant business for over twenty years and was previously a joint-venture partner in Taiwan with such brands as McDonald’s and TGI Friday’s. Currently, Quanta Foods is the exclusive franchisee for Outback Steakhouse in Taiwan, as well as the operator of other independent restaurants in the market.

Founded in 1985, CPK is a leading casual dining chain featuring an imaginative line of hearth-baked pizzas, including the original BBQ Chicken Pizza, and a broad selection of distinctive pastas, salads, appetizers, soups, sandwiches and desserts. Of the chain’s 265 restaurants, 205 are company-owned and 60 operate under franchise or license agreements. There are currently 35 restaurants located internationally in China, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Mexico, South Korea, Guam, India, Indonesia and United Arab Emirates.

FREE Learn To Franchise Your Business FRANCLINIC In Bangalore on 4th & 5th June 2011

Free franchise workshops for business owners seeking to franchise their businesses. Bangalore – NIMHANS Conv. Centre, 4^th & 5^th June ‘11. Franchise Your Business Complimentary Consultations For Businesses that are seeking franchise expansions.

We are pleased to announce our free franchise workshop for business owners seeking to franchise their businesses. If you are a business owner seeking expert professional help to franchise your business and have been contemplating from some time to expand your business, we can help you get started. We have helped 100's of businesses of all sizes to expand from as minimum as an Idea to 100's of Units now. You can also expand your business to multiple units across India and probably the globe. You could meet one of India's senior most franchise consultants at the location mentioned above and discuss in length the opportunity you see in expanding your business and the challenges you face in doing so.

We will help you to identify the key components of how you can take your business forward and probably work closely with you in franchising your business. At the 1-1 diagnostic meetings, generally lasting for 30-60 Minutes, you can get a overall picture on how to franchise your business. We would request you to come well prepared with your queries and make the best out of these meeting.

Morever these meetings are absolutely free and we are sure that you will have loads of expert franchise advise to take back with you, enabling you to clearly see the road ahead for your business.

ZoomIn to roll out 50 offline franchise stores

Mumbai-based Zoomin Online (India) Pvt Ltd, a photo services start-up, plans to set up 45-50 offline stores by the end of this year through franchise model. At present, ZoomIn has 17 offline retail studios across the country, of which two are franchise-run stores and the rest are in partnership with retails such as Shopper’s Stop’s bookstore chain Crossword and Tata’s consumer electronics store Croma.

The company is also betting on digital camera sales this quarter after witnessing a doubling in user activity on its flagship portal Zoomin.com. Its website offers customised photo products such as mugs, calendars and wedding albums.

Elaborating on why the company took the service offline, Ajay Menon, VP of corporate and business development, Zoomin.com, said, “Our core target is wives and mothers who organise photos and create memorabilia. However, many are not comfortable using the Internet and even if they are, they do not prefer to use the credit card online. Access to the Internet from homes is another barrier. Finally, the touch-feel factor is very powerful in India. That is the reason we have decided to opt for offline retail.”

ZoomIn studios are located in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Chennai. At these studios, visitors can purchase the same range of print products which are available online. The studios typically record 50-200 footfalls on weekdays.

The company is also exploring ways to work with neighbourhood photo studios to leverage ZoomIn services. Some of these studios have shown interest and are conducive to becoming ZoomIn resellers, said Menon.

Sagar Ratna plans Gujarat entry; to open Jain restaurant in Delhi

The Delhi-based Sagar Ratna Hotels Pvt Ltd, which runs the Sagar Ratna chain of restaurants in northern India, is planning to expand its network in Gujarat, according to Mr Roshan Banan, Director of Sagar Ratna Hotels Pvt Ltd.

In an informal chat with Business Line here on the sidelines of the launch of ‘Kudlada Ruchi' (Taste of Mangalore) festival at the Ocean Pearl Hotel on Thursday, Mr Banan said plans are there to open Sagar Ratna Hotels in Gujarat in the next one to two years.

“We are pondering whether to go on our own or take the franchise route,” he said.

Mr Banan said that the company will open an exclusive Jain restaurant at Hotel Ashok in South Delhi in the next three to four months. The food served there will be devoid of garlic and onion, he said.

Stating that the company is also into industrial catering segment, he said it has been catering the needs of a major industrial house in Noida, a major hospital in Delhi and some of professional education institutions in northern India.

On the expansion plans of the company, he said plans are there to have a total 100 outlets in the next five years. Sagar Ratna made an entry into Bangkok three months ago, he said.

At present, the group runs around 75 Sagar Ratna chain of restaurants in various parts of northern India and in Mangalore. In Delhi National Capital Region alone, the company owns 25 outlets.

The company entered the hospitality market of Mangalore with Ocean Pearl (an 84-room luxury hotel) last year. Sagar Ratna has outlets in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu.

Source : The Hindu Business Line

Gelato Italiano to take franchise route for expansion

Blue Food's leading gelato chain Gelato Italiano plans to expand its presence across India. It is looking at strengthening its presence in tier I cities, before venturing into tier II and III cities.

“Our expansion plans are very aggressive this year. We have a very stable base with an excellent back end structure and are poised for growth in the cities where we are currently present. We still have many tier I cities not covered, so will be looking to hit them before looking at expanding in tier II and tier III cities,” Arun Chopra, head-operations, Blue Foods, told IndiaRetailing.

Without revealing how much the company plans to invest on fuelling its expansion plans, Chopra said, “The investment on expansion depends on the openings that we can achieve through the franchise route.”

He, however, informed that Gelato Italiano was looking at presence in both malls and on high street.

The gelato chain currently has around 60 outlets across India in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

Vishal Retail founder to launch new 'V2' stores in 2-3 months

NEW DELHI: After selling off stores and assets of debt-ridden Vishal Retail, the company's founder R C Agarwal today said he is ready to make a come back in the retail space with a chain of stores under the 'V2' brand within the next 2-3 months.

In an e-mailed interview, Agarwal told PTI that his new venture will be rolled out under the already publicly listed, Vishal Retail Ltd, with an initial investment of up to Rs 8 crore.

"The name of the brand is V2...It will be done under Vishal Retail Ltd, a listed company," Agarwal said.

In March this year, Vishal Retail Ltd sold off the wholesale and franchise business to private equity firm TPG and the retail undertaking to Chennai-based Shriram Group for a total consideration of Rs 70 crore.

Source : The Economic Times

The transaction also included rights to all trademarks and intellectual property for brands like Vishal, Vishal Retail, Vishal Megamart and Vishal Fashion Mart.

Consequently, Agarwal has chosen a different brand for his new retail venture.

Asked by when he would kick off operations of the new venture, he said it will happen "within 2-3 months".

On the planned investment, he said: "Initial investment will be in the range of (Rs) 7 to (Rs) 8 crore."

As per the plan, Agarwal is looking to set up five hypermarkets to begin with in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, UP and Jharkhand.

At the time of selling the assets and stores of Vishal Retail, Agarwal had stated that he was preparing a blueprint for a new business and was confident of a 'formidable come back in no time'.

He had founded Vishal Retail a decade back and the brand became a popular name in the country in the discount retail segment.

In 2009, however, Vishal Retail got into financial trouble and piled up around Rs 730 crore in debt and was forced into a corporate debt restructuring (CDR) programme.

Vishal Retail's scrips were trading at Rs 29.90 per share, down 1.16 per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Finding Franchise Opportunities That Fit

Franchise business is the best way for aspiring business owners to own or start a business. There are several well documented reasons for this, including proven business model, established operating procedures and the support system that comes with any franchise business just to name a few. There are several other reasons that easily come to mind, but I am sure the overwhelming majority of business minded people have no arguments against the premise.

Now let us address the question I have proposed in the topic of the article. Is there a ‘best fitting’ franchise business – franchise owner scenario? And if there is such a scenario, how does one go about finding the best fitting franchise business for a prospective owner.

There are two approaches to answering this question, one from the Franchisor perspective and the other from the potential business owner perspective. Firstly, the franchisor is typically interested in finding a business owner that has the financial capital and the resources required by the franchise business. Franchises vary a great deal in the amount of liquid capital required and net worth required to operate a business. Franchisors are very aware of this and the first and perhaps the most important indicator of fitness is the capital required and capital available. While the a novice prospective franchisee generally would push the limits of his capacity, the more experienced franchisor must exercise caution while selecting future franchise owner since they know a lot more about the capital demands of the franchise.

The operational requirements of the franchise and the prospective owners experience is another important factor in evaluating the fitness. Franchises have varying operating skill and experience requirements, with some requiring very close attention to detail from the operators, while others are amenable to a hands-off approach. In some cases the domain experience can be crucial such as the food service industries. The time demands on the owner operators can vary a lot as well. So it is imperative that the fitness of the owner and franchise to each other is evaluated by both parties upfront in detail.

The geography and location of the franchise owner also plays a major role in the success of a franchise venture. The location, while may be a totally unexplored geography for the franchise, may not fit the business model and the demographic client base of the franchise. Also the proposed location must fit the potential franchisee, in terms of convenience to their home, availability of employees, cost structure and so on. So the geography becomes a major fitness factor for the franchise selection. There are several franchise for sale opportunities and a franchisee must exercise care while selecting the right franchise opportunity.

As you can see from the above, there are some very crucial fitness factors that must be evaluated between the franchise business and the potential franchisee. Just the simple numbers of the franchise business or the qualifications of the franchisee in isolation do not paint the full picture. The study of fitness of one to the other adds an important dimension to the selection process for both the franchisor and the would-be franchisee.

FitnessOne to invest Rs 30 crore to expand Propel chain

May 11, 2011

FitnessOne, a fitness services and equipments provider, would invest Rs 30 crore to expand fitness centres and fitness equipment stores, branded as Propel, in the next two years. The company has announced a tie-up with Shriram Finance to provide EMI option for their propel fitness equipments.

The company, which runs 37 fitness centres across south India, is planning to strengthen its presence through expanding the number of centers to 100 in next two years, said Vivekanand, managing director, FitnessOne.

"We will be investing Rs 30 crore for the expansion projects, mainly using internal accruals," he said. Currently, it is focusing on reaching out to the tier-1 and tier-2 cities of south India, as fitness consciousness is on the rise in the region, he added.

The company would also increase the number of Propel fitness equipment stores from current 10 to 50 by the period. Almost 75 per cent of the new stores would be company owned, while the rest would be managed through franchise model. At present, it has eight franchise outlets.

Through its tie-up with Shriram Finance, meant for customers in Tamil Nadu, it would offer five EMI schemes to choose from depending on their convenience. Propel stores, established in 2008, currently provides fitness equipments ranging from Rs 300 to Rs 3 lakh including fitness cycle, yoga mat, treadmill, benches, stretchers and strength equipments.

The company has clocked in around Rs 35 crore turnover in the last fiscal and expects to reach a turnover of Rs 50 crore by the end of current fiscal year, he added.

Pressto on mega expansion mode; seeks franchisees

Dry-cleaning and laundry service chain Pressto plans to reach the 100-store mark in the next 2-3 years via franchise model. It plans to invest around Rs 20 crore to fuel its expansion plans, reports IndiaRetailing.

Esther Lennaerts, executive chairperson, Pressto, said, “We would invest around Rs 20 crore for expanding retail footprint.” It currently has 12 stores -- eight in Mumbai and four in Delhi.

In this calendar year, Pressto plans to double the store count to 25 and to expand to cities such as Pune and Bangalore.

Green Trends opens franchise salon in Chennai

Green Trends Hair & Style Salon, owned by Trends In Vogue Pvt Ltd, a CavinKare Group company, has recently launched its exclusive unisex franchise salon in Chennai. Located at Shanthi Colony, Anna Nagar, this is Green Trends' 43rd outlet in India and 23rd in Chennai. Spread across an area of 1,200 square feet, the salon has seven haircut zones, three spa/facial zones, two hair wash and one pedicure section.

The interiors in the salon are serene with ample lighting, giving customers a relaxed atmosphere. The salon is furnished with modern, stylish and comfortable equipment and seating zones.

Green Trends is a pioneer in offering a full range of grooming solutions for value-conscious consumers. It offers trendy haircuts and colour services, complete skin care solutions and bridal packages at affordable rates.

Uninor to open 25 new retail outlets in AP; seeks franchisees

Announcing further expansion in Andhra Pradesh, mobile telephone company Uninor said that it would open 25 new retail outlets which would take the total number of outlets in the state to 90. The company is seeking franchisees to expand its footprint across the state.

These stores serve as a one-stop service point for existing and prospective Uninor customers across majority of district and taluk headquarters in Andhra Pradesh and reinforces Uninor's commitment to extend its reach and services to both urban and rural customers, a Uninor press release said.

Satish Kumar Kannan, (business head) AP Circle, Uninor, said, "Uninor has always been committed to extend its reach and services to our customers whether they are settled in the rural areas or the biggest cities of the state. At present, we have 65 Uninor branded stores across three different innovative retail formats and we look forward to a 90 store footprint by June end."

BEAUTIFUL BRANDS TO EXPAND

TULSA — Beautiful Brands International is opening branch offices in India, Kuwait and Canada to support its franchise growth worldwide. “These three regions are absolutely essential to seeing the growth of BBI and its opportunities skyrocket,” said Shahab Bakhtiar, general manager over the Canadian and Middle Eastern offices. Beautiful Brands has a portfolio of restaurant concepts including Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe and FreshBerry Frozen Yogurt.

From staff reports

Choice Hotels to bring two new brands to India next year

Global hospitality chain Choice Hotels International today said it will introduce two of its global brands into India by next year to cater to rising consumer demand in the country.

While the company has not disclosed the names, it is understood that the two brands that the hospitality chain plans to introduce are budget hotel 'Econo Lodge' and 'Cambria Suites', which caters to upscale customers.

The company, which currently operates 27 hotel properties in India, mostly through franchise agreements, aims to have 40 hotels in its portfolio by the end of the next year.

"We have conducted market research and realised a need to bring in an upscale brand and an economy brand into the country, possibly by the end of next year," Choice Hospitality India Sales and Marketing Vice-President Shivali Sharma told PTI without disclosing the names.

Industry sources, however said the two brands are Econo Logde and Cambria Suites.

Globally ,the company has over 800 Econo Logde hotels positioned as 'an affordable and convenient place to stay'. On the other hand, Cambria Suites is positioned as an upscale full service brand.

At present, Choice Hotels operates 27 hotels with a total capacity 1,800 rooms are operational under the Comfort, Quality and Clarion brands in India.

Of the entire portfolio, three hotels in India are currently managed by the company and the rest are franchisee operated.

"By the end of next year, we intend to operate 40 hotels with a total capacity of 2,200 rooms, mostly franchised and some under management contract, if required," Sharma said.

Besides the existing three brands, Choice Hotels is also set to launch the economy brand 'Sleep Inn' India, for which a property is currently under development in Faridabad.

"The Sleep Inn hotel in Faridabad will open later this year," she added.

The locations for the future expansion include Ahemadabad, Rajkot, Delhi, Ludhiana, Manesar and Rameshwaram.

While the investment for setting up new properties will be made by respective franchise partners, the company will invest in technology support and marketing initiatives.

"Choice Hotels India, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Choice Hotels International, is currently self-funded, but going ahead, the parent company will make need-based investments in certain areas of marketing and technology," Sharma said without giving financial details.

Globally, Choice Hotels International has more than 6,000 hotels, representing more than 4.85 lakh rooms in the United States and more than 35 other countries, according to the company's website.

Source : Business Standard

Vadilal on expansion mode; seeks franchisees

Ice cream maker Vadilal Industries is targeting sales growth of 40 per cent in 2011-12, with plans to capture 25 per cent market share in the next 2-3 years. The firm is also looking to increase the number of exclusive 'Hapinezz' outlets to sell its ice creams from 200 at present to 400 in the next 18 months. Most of the new outlets would be owned and run by franchisees, according to its top official.

"Currently, Vadilal is the second largest ice cream player in India, with 20 per cent market share. In the next 2-3 years, we are targeting 25 per cent share," Vadilal Industries M D Rajesh Gandhi told reporters.

According to Gandhi, the total ice cream market is estimated at Rs 2,500 crore, with the organised segment contributing Rs 1,500 crore. “The industry has been growing at a CAGR of 15 per cent in the last five years. As against the industry average, we are working hard to achieve a sales growth of 40 per cent in 2011-12," Gandhi said.

The company has also launched a range of new products targetting premium ice cream segment of the market. "In the next 2-3 years, we expect our premium products under Badabite, Flingo and Gourmet brands to contribute around 10 per cent to the company's total sales," Gandhi said.

Besides selling ice creams, the company also offers a range of ready-to-eat food items primarily catering to 45 countries outside India. For the 2009-10 fiscal, the company had registered revenues of Rs 188.91 crore and net profit of Rs 5.75 crore.