Hamleys plans to double its stores in India

Hamleys is already the largest toy retailer in India with 26 stores across 14 cities since its entry six years ago. It now intends doubling its number of stores within the next two years.

Reliance Brands, the master franchise for Hamleys India, is already on the job of launching six new stores this fiscal in tier 2 cities like Bhopal, Coimbatore and Guwahati under different formats including its smaller express stores.

The toy industry may lack buoyancy but India has emerged as the third largest market for Hamleys after UK and West Asia.

India is already the largest market in terms of number of stores and is growing much faster at 33 per cent for Hamleys than countries in Western Europe where growth is in single digits today. While we have 88 stores across 23 countries, India is our third largest market after the UK and GCC countries,’’ said Gudjon Reynisson, Chief Executive, Hamleys.

In India, Hamleys continues to import the bulk of its toys from China for its private label and sources the rest from distributors like Funskool, and has also included popular Indian characters like Chota Bheem at its stores.

Darshan Mehta, CEO, Reliance Brands, said, “ India is possibly the fastest growing market for toy retail. Now we have six new stores under construction mostly in the tier 2 cities and should reach a total count at 32 stores this fiscal. Consumers are going to malls where we are present and we want our stores to be there in even smaller markets like Ludhiana. ’’

Scotch & Soda inks exclusive franchise Partnership with Reliance Brands

Dutch apparel brand Scotch & Soda has struck a long-term partnership with Reliance Brands to open its stores in India, which was being sold exclusively on Myntra.com.

Reliance Brands, which runs stores of 19 international brands in India, including the likes of Muji, Kenneth Cole, Steve Madden, Diesel and Brooks Brothers, will start off by opening two stores next year for the Euro 600 million brand. 

The e-commerce rights for the brand will also move to Reliance at a time when fashion retailers are looking to deploy a multi-channel strategy of having physical stores as well as a notable online presence.

Scotch & Soda was founded by Laurent Hompes in 1985 and presently runs 160 mono-brand stores globally. In 2011, US-based apparel group Kellwood Company acquired the Dutch fashion brand. Darshan Mehta, president & CEO, Reliance Brands, said, "Myntra will be one of the channels for us and we will continue to sell through them. But we are now the exclusive master franchise partner of Scotch & Soda across all channels in India."

E-commerce, both mono-brand through scotch-soda.in and multi-brand online commerce would be an important part of our growth and reach strategy. We would also push multi-brand brick and mortar stores, Mehta said. Over the past year, conglomerates like Aditya Birla group, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries, which owns Reliance Brands, and Tatas have all spruced up their online commerce offerings particularly in the fashion and lifestyle category. Snagging online rights has become significant for retail groups which bring in foreign retailers to India. 

Scotch & Soda's CEO, Dirk Jan Stoppelenburg said that Reliance recognizes the brand's breakthrough style and creativity. "We are looking forward to growing our brand in collaboration with Reliance's expertise in this very important region," he said. Reliance Brands has over 200 stores across its portfolio. 

Reliance Securities Seeks Partners Pan-India

Reliance Securities Limited, one of India’s leading equity brokerage houses, is looking for more franchise centres. The company presently has 89 franchisees in Delhi-NCR. Of all these centres, four are company-owned units.

The company offers many services including stock broking, mutual fund, life insurance, corporate FDIs and all sort of general insurances. The brand offers its franchisees exclusive feature of trade booster which not all companies have. As per Company’s Official Spokesperson: “We have 89 franchisees in Delhi NCR and we are looking for more franchisees. We provide all support and assistance to our franchisees so that we can together provide best services to the consumers.”

The company works towards bringing unique and rewarding opportunities for promising entrepreneurs. Its EDGE+ initiative helps like-minded entrepreneurs to understand the opportunity framework with-in the financial services and empowers franchisees to take informed business buying decision. The brand offers attractive product bouquet, cutting edge trading platform and proven track record of research.

RCOM To Expand Its Mobile Store Presence To Over 1000 Locations

Reliance Communications (RCOM) is one of India's foremost and truly integrated telecommunications service provider. It serves over 118 million active mobile subscribers on its seamless CDMA and GSM, IP enabled network across the country. To upgrade the service experience of its subscriber, RCOM is in the process of expanding its high tech and fully integrated customer touch points across 22 telecom circles it operates in. These Reliance Mobile stores are being upgraded as special experience zones for its wireless products and services, where a customer would be able to find solutions and remedy to any telecommunication related query by a well trained staff manning them. 

The new Reliance Mobile Stores (RMS) would have a mix of Company owned and Franchisee owned outlets, totally in sync with the expanding and evolving requirements of its customers. As RCOM is the only integrated telecom operator offering seamless pan India CDMA and GSM Mobile services to its customers, these new stores will benefit RCOM’s subscribers to have easy access to solutions & services on demand at a convenient location near them. These new Mobile stores are being upgraded as one stop shops to provide instant solutions under one roof to any subscriber who requires handset related remedy, including dongles & smart phones or needs to seek a remedy pertaining to mobile services being offered by RCOM.

The company plans to have over a 1000 such Hi-tech RMS by the end of current financial year, keeping majority of them under its own ownership to have a better control through the initial teething phase of this expansion.

‘Dressing Up New India’ Vimal Plans to expand Franchise Network

Vimal, the textile brand owned by Reliance Industries has plans to expand its franchise network with 1,500 new retailers expected to stock its fabrics and apparels. The company recently released a fresh communication strategy in line with its plans, which says “1,500 new outlets across India are waiting for you…” The ad also includes a woman wearing a western dress. Much as the company claims that it is not getting into women’s western wear fabrics, there are indications that the extended franchises are getting roped in to enable the company get into fabrics for women and even home furnishings in the near future.

The textile company revamped the heritage brand in 2007. At present, it has 15 flagship stores apart from 400-odd franchise outlets. By adding 1,500 franchises, the company is looking at increasing the number of franchisees to 1,800 to balance its capital expenditure. In the past, the company had indicated that women’s fabrics would be a natural extension of the Vimal franchise.

With the tagline ‘Dressing Up New India’ Vimal has positioned itself as a brand for the masses. So far offering fabrics for menswear, its new communication strategy hints at the company’s entry into fabrics for women’s wear, though it has not confirmed the development. Though there is tough competition from Raymond and Siyaram, Vimal has the advantage of using the retail formats of the company such as Reliance Trends and Reliance Marts. There is also a likelihood of starting e-commerce through its website onlyvimal.com.

Reliance Brands to buy 50% stake in GAS jeans JV

Italian fashion apparel maker, Grotto, best known for its jeans brand GAS, is set to strike a strategic partnership with Reliance Brands, a unit of Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Industries, in an attempt to revamp its India play. Reliance Brands will buy a 50 per cent stake with management rights in a deal which is in the final stages.

GAS made its India debut in 2006 through Raymond and parted ways three years later. In 2010, GAS returned to the country through a completely owned cash-and-carry format, reaching customers through the franchisee route. 

The Grotto family is expected to assign the brand rights for the Indian market to the new equally owned joint venture company, Economic Times reported, citing sources. 

The GAS label, launched by Claudio Grotto in 1984, is the latest lifestyle brand to tweak its India strategy to sharpen its focus on one of the world's fastest growing economies to offset slowing growth in western markets. 

GAS or Grotto Apparel Sportswear has few exclusive outlets and presence in department stores in the country currently. Reliance Brands operates about 60 stores for a slew of international fashion brands like Diesel, Kenneth Cole, Thomas Pink, Paul & Shark and Zegna among others. 

The company, which has the backing of the deep-pocketed Reliance Industries, wants to be a platform for international labels across lifestyle and accessories aiming to enter the Indian market.

Reliance Brands opens first Superdry store in India at Mumbai

Reliance Brands has opened the first Superdry store in India at Palladium mall, Lower Parel, Mumbai. Spread over 1,750 sq.ft., the outlet stocks T-shirts, jeans, sweaters, joggers, shirts, rugby shirts, polo shirts, bags, and accessories for both men and women.

SuperGroup and Reliance Brands entered a long-term franchise agreement this year in July to bring the British fashion brand Superdry to India. SuperGroup, which employs over 2,000 staff, owns the Superdry brand. 

The collection at the store targets young people between 15 and 30 years.

Superdry claims that it has been worn by celebrities from David Beckham and Ben Stiller to Ewan McGregor, Jamie Oliver, Shakira, Mariah Carey, Pixie Lott, and Helena Christensen.

The price range for menswear is from Rs 2,000 to 12,000 while womenswear ranges from Rs 1,500 to Rs 8,000.