Page 17 - Images Retail January 2018

SUCCESS STORY

THE TRADITIONAL
MODEL OF RETAIL
IS HERE TO STAY,
AND I THINK
THE STORY OF
INDIAN RETAIL
WILL CONTINUE
TO BE WRITTEN
AROUND BRICK-
AND-MORTAR IN
THE COMING 10
TO 20 YEARS

India with our F&B brand, here was in the toys segment,
Bloomsbury’s along with the ToysRUs and BabiesRUs. All
launch of our mall in Kochi. of these brands have one store
At that time, we fi gured India operational with many more
was at a stage where there stores opening up in India
was an opportunity to create soon.
visibility of international LuLu exchange site is the
brands in large numbers. We fi nancial retailing arm for the
also understood that Indians group side as such. Started in
aspired towards acquiring 2009, in Abu Dhabi, currently,
Western brands. Keeping we are spread over nine
this in mind, along with F&B, odd countries and have a
we started building a strong collective store count of close followed by one store each of brand, and it continues over a
portfolio in other retail sectors to around 170 plus stores. ToyRUs, BabyRUs, SpringField long time if the brand quality
as well. Th en there is Twenty14, and Women’secret. By end and service remains intact.
We then brought Galito’s to our asset management arm, of this year, we are hoping We at LuLu are a customer-
India, a South African peri- which essentially maintains to add at least 10 to 15 more focused organisation, where
peri chicken specialty F&B our hospitality portfolio. We outlets collectively across we always give the fi rst
brand. After that we took Cold are also currently we are the country. We have in preference to the viewpoint
Stone Creamery to India, an building two of the Marriot the pipeline, signed leases of the customer. We fi gure out
ice cream brand from USA properties in Bengaluru and from various players starting what they want and modify
and then came Springfi eld, one in Kochi. Predominately from Delhi in the North and the product according to the
a Spanish apparel brand we don’t manage these petering down the South of demand. Internationally, the
which is located in over 1,000 units, these are all managed India. customer base and demands
markets in 60 countries. by third-party international remain same to a larger extent
Th e fi fth brand that we players. Early Setbacks & but in India, the business was
were associated with was Challenges Faced in India a tad bit diffi cult to establish
Women’secret, a women’s Expansion Plans I think the customer demand in the initial stages.
essential brand with a large Currently we have six or the DNA of the customer as Nonetheless, things are
presence in the international operational stores of Cold such remains the same across getting on track in India.
market. Th e sixth and seventh Stone Creamery, two each the globe. Th ere is always a A big chunk of the credit
brand which we introduced of Bloomsbury’s and Galito’s liking towards a particular for this goes to the present

JANUARY 2018 | IMAGES RETAIL | 17