Peter England, the retail arm of Aditya Birla Group’s apparel business firm Madura Garment, plans to expand its presence in 1,000 towns in the urban areas by 2009-end. Further, the company plans to set up around 20 more store by the end of FY ’09, according to a company official.
“We plan to expand more in urban areas than rural as we scent a lot of potential in these markets. We are already present in 600 towns. Our target is to have a presence in 1,000 towns by end-this year,” said Kedar Apshankar, chief operating officer, Peter England.
However, the company plans to set off its mode of operation in the form of franchisee stores in urban areas.
“Our plan is to find a local franchisee who is well- versed with the area, its rules and regulations and customer tastes and preferences,” added Apshankar.
In 2008, the company had set up around 100 stores and would add another 20 by 2009 March-end. These would be located in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Satara and Kolhapur in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and a few other cities.
“Of the 20 stores, two-thirds would be franchised while the remaining will be our own stores,” concluded Apshankar.
— IndiaRetailing Bureau
