Food & Grocery retailers expand

5th December 2008, Bangalore Economies across the world may be in turmoil and companies may have slammed the brakes on their expansion plans, but that isnít stopping retailers in India from charging forward with their plans. Two major FMCG retailers have launched stores in the past week. Metro Cash & Carry, the Indian division of the German-based Metro AG, opened its first outlet in Kolkata and have announced one in Punjab as well. This takes their tally to five in the country; one apiece in Hyderabad and Mumbai and two in Bangalore.

Wadhawan Food Retail Pvt Ltd (WFRL) opened their 50th Smart supermarket in Bangalore on 4th December. This takes their tally up to 200 foods and grocery stores in 15 cities under various brands; Smart retail in Karnataka, Spinach in Maharashtra and Kolkata and Sabka Bazaar in Delhi NCR. The company also owns ëThe Home Storeí, a home dÈcor and utility lifestyle store in Delhi NCR, Jaipur and Bangalore.

Ashok Bhasin, Managing Director, WFRL said at the launch, "We continuously endeavour to understand our customer needs and aspirations and offer products and services that will enhance customer loyalty as well as attract new customers. With a mission of "Customer Centricity", our focus remains creating a truly differentiated and relevant 'Brand Proposition' and 'Brand Identity' for our expanding Retail Operations across all existing and new formats. Our business is modeled on best international practices effectively customized to the Indian landscape. With a clear focus on our consumers, efficiency and profitability, we will continue to successfully build our retail operations.