Reliance Retail plans expansion in southern states

Reliance Retail Limited, a subsidiary of the Reliance Industries, is on an expansion mode with plans to add more stores in the southern states.

The company had three types of shops -- Reliance Fresh, Reliance Super and Reliance Mart --  and wanted to increase their numbers in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, chief exexutive (operations) Eby Mathews, in-charge of South India operations, said.

However, the expansion depended on finding strategic locations, Mathews, who was here recently to inaugurate a Reliance Mart, a mega size store offering over 20,000 products ranging from fresh fruits to consumer electronics and fashion products, said. This is the first Reliance Mart in Tamil Nadu.

RRL, which opened its first store in November 2006, now operates over 900 stores in 80 cities spanning 14 states with over 4.2 million sq.ft. of trading space, he told PTI.

In Tamil Nadu, the company at present had 75 RRL outlets, including 70 Reliance Fresh stores, he said adding it was scouting for space in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem and Tirunelveli for setting up Reliance Marts, whose carpet area would be 25,000-30,000 sq ft.

In Karnataka, RRL planned to open ten Reliance Fresh outlets in places such as Mysore, Hubli, Darwar and Belgaum within the next few months. It had 55 Reliance Fresh and one each Reliance Mart and Reliance Super across Bangalore and Mangalore cities.

RRL was very keen to put up two more Reliance Mart outlets in Bangalore besides Reliance Super in Mangalore, Hubli and Belgaum, Mathews said.

It was also eyeing expansion in Kerala where it had 30 outlets and in Andhra Pradesh. Hyderabad, Tirupati and Nellore
were among the radars of the company for expanding its presence in the state from the present 70 stores, he said.

On its Tamil Nadu operations, he claimed RRL had a loyal customer strength of 1.2 million and expected it to surpass
the two million mark by the end of this year.

The company had provided direct job oppourtunities to 2,000 people and indirect employment to over 25,000 people in the state, he said.

He claimed that the company offered upto seven per cent discount on fast moving consumer goods numbering around 7,000. On future plans and services, he said the company would soon launch its Reliance Auto stores in Bangalore offering sales and service facilities.

After sales service for consumer electronics, apparel alteration service,  gift wrapping and sale of snacks such as
pop corn and sweets and free parking were also being planned. He said the price of the products was same across the
three different kinds of stores and all the outlets across the country had been networked.