India’s leading retailers including Reliance Retail and Pantaloon are reported to be in talks with the US-based Specialized Technology Resources Inc. (STR) to get STR certification for all their products.
STR recently launched their first testing laboratory in India, at Manesar, Haryana.
Speaking to Indiaretailing, sources close to the developments said, “Reliance Retail and Pantaloon are already in talks with STR to get all their products tested and certified, and many more retail companies are expected to join hands with STR.” However, Reliance officials were not available for comments.
Addressing media, Ali Irshad Zaidi, regional operations manager, STR Labs, said, “Our laboratory in India will enable us to work as a full-service quality assurance partner with major brands and retailers, as well as their regional supply-chain partners.” However, Zaidi did not name any company that has approached or is in talks with STR in India.
Internationally, retail majors including Wal-Mart and Carrefour get their products tested from STR.
Speaking to Indiaretailing, Andrew L Fletcher, technical manager, STR Labs, said, “We do not distinguish between a traditional and a modern retailer. Both form a substantial part of our clientele and are important parts of the retail industry.”
Explaining the lab’s operations, Fletcher said, “We provide the testing services to our clients within 48 hours of receiving the order. We undertake a thorough check of the material in terms of product design, product development, manufacturing audits, supply chain assessments, social compliance assessments, post-production quality assurance, pre-shipment verification, and ISO certification.”
The new laboratory will cover an area of 16,500 square feet and provide facilities that will offer a broad range of testing and quality assurance services for retailers, manufacturers, importers, and distributors of apparel, textile, and leather products.
– Satrajit Sen
