A P R I L 2 0 0 8 , R S 7 5

w w w . t i m e s b 2 b . c o m

Retail Shrinkage
Caught you there!

Retail Estate
Destination mall

SCM
Moolah matters…

Technology
IT in retail

CMYK
Front Inside Cover

Full page

Hana Cobi Co Ltd

 w w w. t i m e s b 2 b . c o m
FOREWORD
A P R I L 2 0 0 8
V O L 5 I S S U E 9
Anything but stationary
It is estimated that the Indian market for school and
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY education sector is currently hovering around the
Joji Varghese on behalf of
World Wide Media Limited Rs 5,000 crore mark. Given the governmentís emphasis
The Times of India Building, on education, this market will only grow in the days
Dr Dadabhai Naoroji Road,
Mumbai 400 001 ahead. Add to this the demand for paper and stationery
items from offices at all levels. All this obviously translates
EDITOR
Jitesh Pillai into huge business potential for the stationery industry.
Both domestic as well as international players would want
EDITORIAL & DESIGN COORDINATION
Netscribes (India) Private Limited to leverage on the growing demands. While Indian players
E-mail: niranjanm@netscribes.com are busy strengthening their positions, some international
Content Editor
Niranjan Mudholkar biggies ñ like Staples and OfficeOne ñ have already arrived
on the scene. Thereís a lot for everybody but who gets the
PRINTED AT
Rajhans Enterprises larger pie, is something only time will tell.
No. 134, 4th Main Road, Industrial Town, The race is on and the industry is abuzz with words
Rajajinagar, Bangalore 560 044
like expansion and innovation. A few months back
PROJECT COORDINATION Todayís Writing Products Ltd (TWPL) opened its first
Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.,
The Times Of India Building, stationery retail store under the brand name Offix and
Times Business2Business, Response, announced the plan to open 500 such stores based on
First Floor, Above MediaNet,
Dr. DN Road, franchise model over a period of three years. ITCís
Mumbai 400 001 stationery business, which reportedly is growing over
Phone: 22731937
100 per cent per annum, is expanding its product
SUBSCRIPTIONS portfolio by diversifying into writing instruments and
Mail: subscriptionsb2b@timesgroup.com
Tel: 022-2273 1228, 2273 3499 offering customised solutions. Meanwhile, Navneet is
looking at consolidating its leadership position by
INDIAN OFFICES
AHMEDABAD +91 9824000827
INTERNATIONAL OFFICES launching innovative marketing ideas. It has become the
Tejas Joshi
tejas.joshi@timesgroup.com INDIA first Indian stationery company to install automatic
BANGALORE Times International Marketing,
VKN Prasad
prasad.vkn@timesgroup.com
+91 9844355290
The Times of India Building, vending machines that will make available products like
CHANDIGARH Dr DN Road,
Arun Sharma +91 9814814007 Mumbai 400 001 long books, notebooks, drawing books, pencils and
arun.sharma8@timesgroup.com
Tel: + 91-22-22731116
CHENNAI
Leelaram JP +91 9840766775 Fax: + 91-22-22731948 various other stationery products to its consumers. The
leelaram.j@timesgroup.com E-mail: int.times@timesgroup.com
COIMBATORE
G Putarjunan +91 9843377016
plan is have 100 such machines within a year. These are
UK & EUROPE
govindarajan.putarjunan@timesgroup.com
HYDERABAD
Bharat Vaswani just a few examples but they obviously point towards
Pradeep M +91 9848024076 The Times of India,
pradeep.m@timesgroup.com
KOLKATA
No 54, Sydney Road, really interesting times ahead. One cannot help but
West Ealing,
Neelava Mukherjee +91 9830107357
neelava.mukherjee@timesgroup.com London W13 9EY, United Kingdom notice that except for the sound, stationery has nothing
MUMBAI Tel: + 44-208-8403838
Indrajit Chakrabarti +91 9892223069
indrajit.chakrabarti@timesgroup.com
Fax + 44-208-8403493 to do with the word ëstationaryí; this industry is really
NEW DELHI E-mail: timesofindia@btconnect.com
Ramanpreet Wadhwa
ramanpreet.wadhwa@timesgroup.com
+91 9811800201
USA happening and dynamic.
PUNE C. Umesh
Deepesh Chatterjee +91 9822494135 The Times of India Do share your views with us at
deepesh.chatterjee@timesgroup.com
1311 College Avenue
RAJKOT
Shailesh Desai +91 9426322707 Palo Alto CA 94306
timesb2b@netscribes.com
shailesh.desai@timesgroup.com
Tel: 650 796 6867
VADODARA
Tony Zachariah +91 9898592125 E-mail: timesofindia@compuserve.com Content Editor
tony.zachariah@timesgroup.com

All rights reserved. Reproduction without prior permission of the publisher is expressly prohibited. The publisher makes every effort to ensure
that the magazine’s contents are correct. However, we accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions and accept no responsibility for
any loss or damage caused as an effect thereof. The opinions expressed by experts are their own and in no way reflect that of the publisher.
 Contents
Cover Story
Smart equipment for you 10
Sayanti Banerjee learns more about ëthe art
of stationeryí retailing from Shailendra
Gala ñ VP Stationery Division, Navneet
Publications (India) Limited
Chasing big dreams in small
towns 14
Sandhya Patil finds out from Vikram
Mane, CEO, Cartoleria Retailing Pvt Ltd,
how the company has established its
stationery retailing business in the tier 1
and 2 cities
A new concept in franchising 17
Through an interview with Naveen
Rakhecha, Cartridge World, CEO South
Asia, Sayanti Banerjee finds out what
makes them stand out in the todayís
business world
Of elegance and substance 18
Sandhya Patil learns from Anand
Laksminarayan, National Manager ñ Retail,
Srinivas Fine Arts (SFA), how one can
'experience the finest in paper'
Eco-friendly publishing 20
Sayanti Banerjee probes into the concept of
eco-friendly publishing which
popularised by TERI Press
4 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
News National 5
News Global 7
Cover design: Sachin Puthli
Spotlight
“The Indian market is very
price-sensitive” 23
Bella Casa marked the entry of the
R Raheja Group into speciality home
improvement retail sector. In this
interaction with Ananth Narayan,
CEO, Bella Casa India (Pvt) Ltd,
Niranjan Mudholkar checks out the
companyís progress
Retail Shrinkage
Caught you there! 26
Through an interaction with
Dharmesh Lamba, Regional Head of
Checkpoint Systems Inc, Sayanti
Banerjee finds out how retail
shrinkage can be controlled
Retail Estate
Destination mall 28
is
Through a press interaction with Ian
Watt, Innovator in Chief, Retail
Xpressions and Ashwin Puri, VP of
Property Zone, Sandhya Patil finds out
how developers and retailers can
decide on various factors before
selecting a property to build a
retail mall
SCM
Moolah matters… 32
It has become important to invest your
money on right applications. In this
interview with Satish Moorjani, VP-
SCM Consulting Services, Bristlecone
International, Sandhya Patil finds out
how efficiently supply chain can
benefit a business in the long run
Technology
IT in retail 35
Sayanti Banerjee unravels how the
new age IT solutions can facilitate
modern age retailers to increase
customer satisfaction, minimise
losses and boost profits
Event Watch
Disha 2008 38
Sayanti Banerjee attended Disha 2008
to understand how synergised supply
chain will drive competitive advantage
Mobile retailing
MobileNXT 39
Vijay Menon, CEO, MobileNXT
gives insight into the retailing world
of mobile in an interview
with Sandhya Patil
Brand Watch
Up for grab 41
Retail Biz gives you a low-down on the
new products in the market
 NATIONALnews

Reebok’s latest Hex Ride Collection

Reebok has always mixed and matched sporty look with chic style. Innovation
has been its paramount global brand value. Over the years, Reebok has paved
the way with new technologies such as – The Pump, DMX and ERS cushioning
systems, Kinetic Fit system and many more. As a part of the spring 2008,
Reebok launched the new state-of-the-art technology - Hex Ride, which will be
a part of the performance running footwear.
Reebok’s Hex Ride running footwear collection features a hexagonal,
honeycomb-style build which is one of the top strength to weight ratio
constructions engineering can offer. Providing consumers with the best of both
the worlds, Hex Ride technology features exceptional cushioning while still
providing a lightweight ride.
The hexagonal build is a natural, efficient, and energy saving pattern
allowing more stable and softer ride. Hex Ride technology is dramatically larger and more impactful, both
functionally and visually, covering the entire bottom of the shoe. The evolution of Reebok’s Hexalite technology
was previously featured only in the heel or fore-foot of the shoe. Now this technology will be a part of performance
running styles such as – the Smooth Fit Hex Ride, Operator Hex Ride, Hex Exec and Hex Ride Rally.
The Hex Ride range will be available in Reebok stores across India for both men and women. This footwear
collection is innovative as well as a fashion-forward lifestyle product.

AV Birla to open ten more by opting for a new partnership between the two. A mega
hypermarkets soon plan is aimed at turning the existing kirana stores into
For Representational Purpose only
Around ten their franchisees. This model of business can create a
hypermarkets win-win situation for both the retailers, since this
under the brand partnership will help kiranas survive the onslaught of
name ëmoreí, organised retail by enhancing their competitiveness.
will be rolled out As a franchisor, Vishal Retail will provide kirana
by the AV Birlaís stores with technology, new practices, visual
retail venture ñ merchandising skill and special promotional schemes on
the Aditya Birla offer, in the companyís hypermarket ñ Vishal Megamart.
Retail Limited It will also take over their supply chain completely. A
(ABRL). Having minimum guarantee to all kirana stores will be offered
launched its first by Vishal in order to ensure that they do not lose out on
hypermarket in revenue after having joined hands with Vishal.
Vadodara with Vishal Retail is also planning to foray into the cash
the investment and carry business in the current financial year. Lifestyle,
of Rs 25 crore, restaurants, consumer durables, IT, footwear and
ABRL has speciality formats dedicated to fashion are likely to be the
announced its plan to launch more of such formats in retail options. These various formats will be categorised
Gujarat and Delhi.
For Representational Purpose only
Earlier, ABRL had unveiled its plan to invest, Rs
8,000 ñ 10,000 crore in expanding its operations across
the country, over a period of five years. The company had
declared its intent to emerge as one of the leading retail
players in India by planning 1,500 super markets and
100 hypermarket stores in the next five years.
Oracle will provide retail-based applications, finance
related and infrastructure software to the retail arm of
Aditya Birla group.

Vishal Retail’s mega plan

In the tug of war between organised and unorganised
retail, Vishal Retail has chosen to look for smart options

RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008 5

NATIONALnews

into separate divisions and will have different CEOs

heading them.
A new retail partnership forged between
Koutons has big plans for retail Dell and Croma
expansion
Koutons Retail India Ltd, the upcoming apparel discount
retailer aims to raise
Rs 2.5 ñ 3 billion through
equity in 2009ñ10 to fund
its big expansion plans.
Presently, the company
has a network of 1,150
outlets including Koutons
and Charlie Outlaw outlets
across the country. By the
financial year 2010, the aim
is to double this number.
Recently, the company
has forayed into womenís
For Representational Purpose only
wear and kidswear segment
with brands like ñ Les Femme and Koutons Junior.
ëLes Femmeí will sell womenís western wear,
including casuals and formals and the likes.
It will open 100 Les Femme and Koutons Junior Now a wide range of award-winning Dell Products will be
outlets and double this number in the 2010 financial available at select Croma stores. The consumers can experience
year. These outlets are likely to open in metros, tier-1 and and place a customised order for Dell laptops and desktops (‘Dell
tier-2 cities. Products’) with the consumer electronics retailer in India. World’s
Launching exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) in the near No. 2 maker of personal computers – Dell, has tied up with
future in order to showcase their latest offerings, are also Indian retailer Infinity Retail to sell its laptops and desktops
on the cards. Koutons is also looking at acquiring several through the Croma chain of stores.
regional brands as part of this venture. Dell’s extensive range of acclaimed products will be
showcased in a premium retail environment for the first time in
Vimal to re-define fashion with a India. The Dell XPS and Inspiron systems will be available at the
reputed Italian designer Croma stores with distinctive Dell branding and support. This will
be the first time for Dell Products to be made available in India
through such retail outlets.
The whole idea behind this initiative is to help customers
touch, feel, browse and experience the Dell Products. They can
also request for customisations of those products in order to suit
their specific requirements. The home delivered facility will also
be available.

Vimal, the flagship textile brand of Reliance Industries
Limited opened its second exclusive retail store at KG
Road in Bangalore. This Indian textile brand is back
with contemporary products that will appeal to the
fashion savvy consumers and offer contemporary
shopping experience.
In this relaunch phase, Vimal is all set to offer its
customers the best from the world of fashion. A step in
this direction has been Vimalís association with Maurizio
Bonas, the well-known and reputed designer and master
suit-craftsman from Italy who is based in Florence.
Mr Bonas has been associated with Vimal now for a
year in its endeavour to train leading suit-makers in the
metro cities, on the art of making fine quality Italian
suits, as part of the "Vimal Master Craftsmen Initiative".
Maurizio Bonas will develop seasonal collections for both
apparel and fabrics at Vimal to re-define fashion for the
new Indian along with giving his valuable inputs on
ëvisual merchandisingí at the exclusive Vimal stores.
Along with revamping its collection, Vimal will offer
a shopping ambience that reflects an international retail
design and architecture.
The redesigned Vimal showrooms will reflect
the bold new spirit of Vimal, along with its brand
new identity. These are the innovative ways in which
Vimal will redefine fashion.

6 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008

 GLOBALnews

M&S inaugurates its new ‘green’ store in Ilkley, UK

Marks & Spencer has opened a new contemporary 6,600 sq ft food store
For representational purpose only

in Ilkley. The store stocks over 2,000 quality food products from ready
meals to fresh produce, salads and snacks to an extensive range of fine
wines and champagne. It has an in-store bakery and integrates a number
of initiatives as part of the company’s five year ‘eco’ plan. Water-saving
features include dual flush toilets and self-closing taps, while lighting
with movement sensors will help to save energy use in the store. Some
70 per cent of all construction waste materials have been recycled.
M&S now has ‘Simply Food’ stores across UK. Testing eco-solutions
to meet the challenges that food retailing presents, is a major factor that will help M&S reach its overall goal of
becoming carbon neutral by 2012.

Vestcom International, Inc hires
well-known nutritionist to head
its in-store health and nutrition
programme
Vestcom International, Inc, the leading provider of data-
driven shelf-edge marketing solutions to major retailers
and brand manufacturers in the grocery, drug, and mass
merchandising industries, has announced the hiring of
Anissa Buckley as senior director health and wellness.
Buckley will be responsible for developing health and
nutrition marketing programmes for Vestcomís recently
initiated turnkey grocery wellness marketing
programme designed for retailers of all sizes.
The programme will provide retailers with easy-to-
read, data-driven, integrated shelf communications
that will operate as colour-coded nutrition ëflagsí to
identify foods that meet special dietary needs, such as
Gluten Free, Healthy Kids, Organic, and/or
Heart Healthy.
Vestcom family believes that Buckleyís experience
will prove to be a huge asset towards the programmeís
success. Vestcom also thinks that its health and wellness
marketing programme, under the supervision of Anissa
Buckley, will provide retailers with the support they need
to adopt value-added in-store programs that identify
healthy products and streamline shelf-execution.
Vestcom recently acquired Buckleyís Rochester,
New York-based ëNo Excuse Nutritioní, a retail
marketing company founded in 2005 to support its
new initiative.
Apple seizes No 1 position in music
retail from Wal-
For representational purpose only
tapped out the retail giant in both January and February
music sales.
Based on a congratulatory noted circulated to Apple
employees, the iTunes Store gained control over a 19
percent share of all US-based retail music sales for at
least one week in January, which was enough to instigate
the online music store to the No 1 position, a few points
ahead of Wal-Martís 15 per cent share.
It was certainly a quick climb for Apple to the top.
The only thing that remains uncertain is whether this
momentum will carry Apple through the rest of 2008.
Spartan to sell 12 Pharm Retail
Stores to Rite Aid Corporation
For representational purpose only
Spartan Stores Inc (SPTN) has agreed to sell certain
assets of 12 of its 14 Pharm Retail Stores to Rite Aid
Corporation (RAD).
The company said that the profits from the sale
would be used to help fund its disclosed strategic growth
objectives. The transaction is anticipated to occur in
45 to 60 days. The company said that it is in discussions

Mart to sell certain assets of its remaining two Pharm Stores

Apple has finally managed
to dash ahead of Wal-Mart
to become the USís largest
music retailer. According
to the latest data from
NPD MusicWatch, Apple
in independent transactions.
Black & Lizars sold to European
retail giant for £20 million
Black & Lizars, the largest independently-owned
opticians in Scotland, has been sold to a conglomerate of

RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008 7

GLOBALnews

TESCO to initiate its first green store

in Ireland
For representational purpose only
For representational purpose only

European investors in a deal assumed to be worth more

than £20 million. Tesco plans to open its first ‘eco store’ in Ireland, in October at
The Glasgow-based firm, which has 255 staff and can a cost of Euro 12.5 million (US$ 18.1 million). The store will
trace its history back 178 years, is expected to become utilise 45 per cent less energy and will save 420 tonnes in carbon
part of a Europe-wide network under the chairmanship emissions. This will result in a 30 per cent reduction in CO2 for
of UK retail veteran Maurice Bennett CBE, founder of Tesco. The store will make use of timber columns in preference
the Warehouse Group, Oasis Stores and Phase Eight. to steel, solar panels to generate electricity, better insulation,
The consortium has entrusted an initial funding more efficient baking ovens, air retrieval and recycling measures,
package to expand the Glasgow-based chainís 25 outlets and new technology to create self-sufficiency for heating and
in Scotland and Northern Ireland through acquisition hot water. Tesco has been testing new technologies in its stores
and to take the brand into England and mainland across the country and as a result of which it has come up with
Europe. London-based international optical retail a more sustainable blueprint for its new building. Tesco’s ‘eco
entrepreneur Majid Sadjadi is the new chief executive. store’ drive is certainly not about short-term environment-
friendly initiatives, but also about transforming its business
Wendy’s plans to bring in chicken model so that the reduction of its carbon footprint becomes a
wraps for hungry consumers on central driver of its business.
the go
Wendyís, one of the worldís largest and most successful
restaurant operating and franchising companies, has
announced that it is introducing a new line of three
Chicken Go Wraps.
For representational purpose only

These chicken wraps are designed to meet

consumersí growing demand for high quality, portable
snacking options at a reasonable price.
The Chicken Go Wraps, featuring tender, centre-cut
chicken breast fillets, will be available in Grilled, Spicy or
Homestyle ñ with shredded cheddar cheese, fresh lettuce
and ranch or honey mustard sauce wrapped in a warm
flour tortilla.
Wendyís believes that the excellent quality of its
chicken and its proprietary spicy offering will
enable them to stand out from other competitive wraps
in the market.

8 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008

Full page AD

FIHL
COVERstory
Smart equipment for you
W When I was in school, some of my most prized
possessions were my pencil box, eraser, notebooks and
the likes. The look, feel and smell of these ordinary items
had an extraordinary value for students then. But now
with the gizmo, techno savvy generation, these mundane
utility items have come of age. Yet, being the regular use
products, pens, notepads, pencils, erasers, sharpeners,
staplers and the likes are always in demand. The product
portfolio is constantly evolving with innovation and state-
of-the-art manufacturing technology coming in. Hence,
retailing of school or office stationery is churning out to
be a popular business sector. There are old players and
new ones in this brewing avenue now. Also, with the
buzz word being ëgreen consumerismí, recycling and
eco-friendly products are being encouraged. It might be
more expensive, but it is interesting how retailers are
trying to make both the ends meet.
Navneet Publications (India) Limited is a leading
player in the field of providing syllabus and non-syllabus
based education material to students since 1959.
Shailendra Gala ñ VP Stationery Division, shares his
views on the trends of stationery retailing and Navneetís
journey so far.
Has retailing of stationery and paper products
come of age? Kindly elaborate.
Yes, this industry has seen a lot of changes over the years.
It was started as a completely unorganised sector, which
is slowly changing. The advent of the organised retail has
also added to this change. The biggest example here is
that earlier books were sold in gunny bags by kilos and
now they are shrinking wrapped in packs of 10, put
inside cardboard boxes.
How has Navneet positioned itself in the
Indian stationery market so far?
Navneet Publications (India) Limited has emerged as a
leader in the field of providing syllabus and non-syllabus
based educational material to students since 1959.
Navneetís aim is to give excellent and value added quality
products at reasonable rates. Over a period of time,
10 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
Sayanti Banerjee finds out
more about the art
of stationery retailing from
Shailendra Gala
– VP Stationery Division,
Navneet Publications
(India) Limited
Navneet stationery has successfully established itself as
one of Indiaís most loved stationery brands. We are one
of the organised national players in the stationery
segment with probably the widest range of products in
student stationery market.
What are paper stationery and non-paper
stationery? Which of the two brings more
lucrative business and why?
Navneet Publications (I) Ltd has emerged as a leader in
the field of providing syllabus and non-syllabus based
educational material to students. As such, the brand
Navneet enjoys a monopoly status and unshakable brand
loyalty. Navneet is always on the lookout for newer
avenues to serve the student community.
Navneet Publications is broadly divided into two
strategic business divisions ñ ëBook Publishing Divisioní
and ëStationery Divisioní. The book publishing division
consists of educational books, childrenís and general
books, which together publish more than 3500 titles
yearly. Navneetís stationery division is the only one across
the country to offer an entire range of student stationery
products since the last 12 years. The paper stationery
products include different varieties of ñ long books,
notebooks, drawing books, scrap books, practical books,
journal paper, subject specific books and so on.
The newest segment is the non-paper stationery
segment under the brand name ëFuní with its innovative
and state-of-the-art range of products like ñ writing
pencils, erasers, sharpeners, colour pencils and exciting
colour range which will be shortly introduced.
How has Navneet adopted KAIZEN (Lean
Manufacturing System) in their production,
kindly explain?
Navneet has adopted ëKaizení since 2002 in our
stationery manufacturing units and distribution depots
at Silvassa, Daman and Vasai. Their various techniques
have been implemented and practiced since then. The
biggest advantage for Navneet has been the timely
production and distribution of quality products in the
Full page AD

FIHL
COVERstory
minimum required space and optimum utilisation
of resources.
Why did Navneet decide to tie up with
Grabbit? Is this advance technology suitable
for India?
We at Navneet are always trying to give something new
and extra from service point of view. Grabbit is an
innovative venture between Navneet group and Empire
Industries Pvt Ltd. Though this concept of vending is
very unique but it is well accepted in our country; for
example ñ Indian Railwaysí ticket vending machine.
How user-friendly will the system be? Kindly
give an idea of the operation.
Making the purchase of any product is now become
easy and more convenient. You just have to select the
product and then the attendant will do the operational
part for you, of choosing respective code of the product.
Insert the currency and the machine will deliver the
product of your choice within seconds. There is no
worry of putting exact currency as the machine will also
return the change after purchase. This machine accepts
credit cards as well.
What according to you are the advantages of
the new age savvy Grabbit vending machine?
Highlighting Points on Grabbit vending machine are
as follows:
” Instant product availability
” Brand perception
” Showcasing
” Products are available in a single machine at MRP
and no extra cost is charged
” Machine has currency detector. Credit cards are also
accepted
” Personal attendance for its customers
” Creates brand consciousness and recall amongst
our consumers.
12 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
Why did Navneet decide to tie up with
Reebok in order to promote the stories of
sportsmen like Dhoni through their
notebooks?
The Reebok series has currently two cricketers ñ Dhoni
and Yuvraj and also one basketball player ñ Allen
Iverson. The thought behind this series is to show
students the story of their success. What they did, how
they think and the experiences they shared in their
journey to reach greater heights. This should definitely
motivate students to overcome challenges in their
respective fields.
How educative do you think it will be?
Again, as stated before, Navneet is always looking for
better value-added products for its consumers ñ mainly
students. Since cricket is like a religion in this country,
youngsters always look up to all the players. This series
is not only educative, it is also motivational.
How does Navneet ensure that its stationery
goods are eco-friendly?
Majority of our products are eco-friendly. Our paper
stationery products are not produced from cutting down
trees. They are made from a renewable raw material
ëbagasseí or sugarcane waste. After the cane has been
crushed to make sugar, the left over pulp is turned into
paper and ëNavneet My Long Bookí eco-buddy book uses
this paper and the technology that is harnessed, to make
this paper product absolutely world-class.
How successful have exhibitions like
‘Stationery World’ been so far?
The company has been actively participating in all major
book fairs in India and abroad to gain a wider scope of
business and to have hands on experience with other
major developments in this field. Mega Events like ñ
ëStationery Worldí definitely helps us in generating
revenue in terms of brand awareness in the industry.
 Full page AD

CLAIRVOYANCE
COVERstory
Tell us something about Cartoleria Retailing
Pvt Ltd. How did you get started with the
stationery retailing business? Why do
you feel the need to start the stationery
retail business?
Stationery trade outside India is altogether a different
business. We saw that there was lack of awareness about
the stationery retailing business in India and hence, felt
the need to offer modern retail experience to the Indian
customers. This passion propelled us to start Cartoleria
Retailing Pvt Ltd.
Could you tell us what are the trends like in
the stationery market in India? How has the
market for stationery transformed with retail
industry taking hold on almost every
segment? What is your take on this? How do
you think the retail trend will translate
profits for your business?
Today average spending per student on stationery
products has increased substantially. Parents want their
children to use the best and new products. Students and
parents are always on the lookout for the latest products.
When it comes to shopping in big cities, ëpriceí is not a
vital issue.
With globalisation, we can now have an access to any
thing and every thing that is latest in the market. The
best part is that due to immense competition,
Indian manufacturers have started pacing with
International players.
With too many SKUs coming of age and the prices of
a majority of products getting insignificant, retail
industry is heedless towards the business of stationery
products. We are veterans in this business of stationery
14 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
Chasing big
dreams in
small towns
Sandhya Patil finds out from
Vikram Mane, CEO, Cartoleria
Retailing Pvt Ltd, how the
company has established its
stationery retailing business
in the tier 1 and 2 cities
and hence, we wish to offer our customers the experience
of shopping for their stationery, like never before.
We believe that customer loyalty will interpret
profits for us. We have also tied up with several schools
for supply of text books, note books and other stationery
products to the students at affordable discounts.
We will be the pioneers to offer discount on the text
books this year.
Stationery market in India is unorganised. Do
you think this will hinder the growth of
organised retail players in this segment?
What factors do you think will help to pull
customers towards organised retail outlets?
The unorganised nature of the present stationery market
is a boon for us. Customers do not have any choice to
select from, they do not get to see the new products, and
even the untrained manpower in the shop has no
product knowledge. These factors make it difficult for the
customers to make a buy decision.
Customers always look for good shopping
experience. Customers like to see, feel and try the
products, which then go in our favour. We provide
complete range of stationery products with prices below
its MRP cost.
How is the competition in the stationery
retailing segment? What care must be taken
to survive in this competition?
At present, we face competition from the traditional
market. However, this competition is manageable.
Modern stationery retail market is yet to grow in India.
However, a blend of modern retail experience with
personal touch factor helps in a big way to attract
 Full page AD
Brigade Group
COVERstory
‘For Representational Purpose Only’
customers in the shop. Customers love the attention and
being pampered as well. These factors help us to get
more and more customers to our shop, which thus
works as our plus point. And I believe that this will
surely take us ahead and away from the competition.
Tell us about your institutional sales. How do
you make the office supplies available to
your customers?
I feel that the Institutional sales are full of ëcheatingí. The
suppliers have taken full advantage of customersí
ignorance and have cheated them on both quality and
quantity level. These suppliers quote rates for the best
quality products and supply cheap and inferior quality
products. Short quantity supplies are rampant.
For instance, computer printer ñ suppliers deliver
800 sheets in place of 1000 sheets to the customers
practically all over. However, the customer
remains clueless.
We at Cartoleria, follow the transparent policy. Our
customers have full faith in us. We help them with
advices. We keep our delivery commitments. We have
also made available more efficient ways for our
customers to place their orders. They can place their
orders through our website, fax or phone. Cartoleria has
also employed experts to assist its customers with their
buy decision. Most of the customers approach our
experts first before placing orders. Our delivery vans
carry supplies to our customers.
What kind of business strategy do you
follow? Your business is already spread across
16 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
the tier 2 and tier 3 cities of the state. How
has been the response from these markets?
Do you have any plans to take your business
to the tier 1 cities? Are you planning to
extend your business in other states as well?
Our business strategy depends mainly on offering our
service in the tier 2 and tier 3 cities. These cities give us
the broad reach to expand our business with less scope
for competition.
We have been in these markets for some time and
our customers want to see more of us. We have no plans
to migrate to tier 1 cities as of now .We have plans to
extend our business in Gujarat and Karnataka in this
financial year.
How did the tie up with Godrej Agrovet Ltd
happen? Is there anything more to come for
Cartoleria?
Godrej Aadhaar did not have a full-fledged stationery
section. They were looking out for someone who will
help them start this section in their shop. We approached
them at the right time. And the deal was cracked.
Today, they want us to spread our concept in all the
malls they have in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana
and Punjab.
There are other big retail chains who want us to do
business with them. In the near future, may be we will
be the support provider for stationery products to all
major retail chains.
Tell us about the products you retail? Where
is this stationery being manufactured? How
does supply chain management and logistics
work for you?
We have an all brand umbrella. We deal in all kinds of
products. Our product range includes:
” Office Stationery
” School Stationery
” Student Stationery
” Home Stationery
” Executive Stationery.
At present, we have a central supply hub at CBD Belapur
and we take care of supplies to our outlets and office
supplies from this location.
What is your annual turnover? What are your
future retail plans?
We have just been in this business for a very short-time.
And I believe that we will certainly have a big impact on
stationery retailing in India very soon.
Any final comments for our readers.
Stationery retailing with modern format will be a treat to
the customers. They will see the stationery shopping
malls very soon.

A new concept
in franchising
Through an interview with Naveen Rakhecha,
Cartridge World, CEO South Asia,
Sayanti Banerjee finds out what makes
them stand out in the business world
How evolved is the stationery retail sector in
India, presently?
Stationery retail in India is largely unorganised.
However, consumers today have specific needs and
manufacturers and retailers are aligning themselves with
those consumer needs. This has given birth to the
concept of speciality stores which offer a wide range of
products and specialised services to customers unlike the
kirana stores. This is the gap that the organised players
are positioning themselves to cater to.
How well does Cartridge World fit into this
retail sector?
Cartridge World is uniquely positioned as a speciality
retail format covering digital imaging supplies
,consumables and services business. In India, industry
estimates reflect that printer consumables are more than
a Rs 2,500 crore opportunity growing at over 30 per cent
YOY with no saturation point in view in the future.
How has Cartridge World’s journey to success
been so far?
Cartridge World was founded in South Australia in 1997.
We operate on franchised retail store format. Today, it is
one of the worldís largest retailers of printer cartridge
refilling services with over 1600 stores across 46
countries. Cartridge World operates on a three tier
franchise model and all our stores are independently
owned and operated by the independent franchisees.
Cartridge Worldís ability to recharge printer
cartridges at half the cost while guaranteeing OEM
(original equipment manufacturer) like performance
and alleviating consumers of any warranty and quality
worries have made it popular.
What is unique about the concept of
‘refilling’ printer cartridges? How cost-
effective and efficient is it?
We use cartridge specific raw material (ink, toner and
parts), which are of quality comparable to that of OEMs.
Each cartridge is recharged through a process specific to
it, to enable us address their specific architecture.
Cartridge World, through use of innovative technology,
COVERstory
differentiates itself by helping customers to re-use their
cartridges while guaranteeing OEM like quality at a
fraction of the cost. All cartridges recharged at Cartridge
World come with 100 per cent money back guarantee.
How eco-friendly are the products?
The basic mantra for any environment friendly process
is: ëReduce - Reuse - Recycleí. Cartridge World promotes
this concept by helping customers reuse their spent
cartridges and also by using recycling process itself.
What according to you are the reasons behind
Cartridge World’s success?
Cartridge Worldís partners in India ñ AFL (The leading
express and logistics company) had all it required. The
concept is unique as it is a win-win-win model for the
customer, the franchisee and Cartridge World. The
success was a result of thorough market research, a well
planned strategy and adept execution by the team in
India. We are glad that it is recognised by FAI and the
jury members for the prestigious ëNew Concept in
Franchisingí award.
Kindly share your expansion plans with us.
Currently we have 34 operational stores across 16
locations like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai,
Hyderabad, Kolkata, Indore, Jaipur, Guwahati to name a
few. We aim to have 100 stores by the end of financial
year 2008ñ09 and expand our retail presence to tier 2
cities in India. Also, we aim to cover every region in such
a way that the Cartridge World stores are within the reach
of our customers.
After having been named as ‘No.1 toner
replacement service franchise’, what more
does Cartridge World wish to offer?
Our mission is to provide retail and institutional
customers with the best sales and service packages on
the supply of consumables, printers and provide
information on the benefits of reusing and recycling.
Our retail stores are ëone-stop shopí for all printer related
needs.We are planning to introduce printer servicing and
repair services very soon.
RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008 17
COVERstory
Of elegance
and substance
Sandhya Patil learns from Anand Laksminarayan,
National Manager – Retail, Srinivas Fine Arts (SFA),
how one can ‘experience the finest in paper’
S Srinivas Fine Arts (SFA) has established itself
successfully in the Indian printing industry. More than
40 year old company, SFA kick started the stationery
business by launching products under the brand name ë
Nightingaleí . Nightingaleí s wide variety of products are
designed to enhance individualí s written expression by
giving them the best quality stationery. Based in Sivakasi,
this company has always ensured to offer its customers
the world-class technology by manufacturing and
marketing high quality stationery products for the
domestic and international markets.
Why do you feel the need to start the
stationery retail business? Could you tell us
what are the trends in the stationery market,
in India? How has the market for stationery
transformed with retail industry taking hold
on almost every segment? How do you
think the retail trend will translate profit for
your business?
In todayí s changing retailing business environment, we
believe that there has been a change in a shopperí s
shopping habits, as he/ she wants to buy what he/ she
needs, based on quality, size, design and utility. And this
has rendered us with an opportunity to start our retail
course with major retailers of the country.
The reason for this focussed presence is that we are
providing the right product for the right customer. We
plan to focus entirely on the growth of the organised
retail segment in the future and make our presence with
them. Footfalls to the key retail and the quality of the
customer profile will translate into awareness of our
products and translate to customer satisfaction and
business profits.
Which retail format do you fall in? In which
cities do you vend your products? How did the
tie up with various big retailers happen?
We fall into the major retail key stores, large and medium
formats who have considerable footfall or the location at
18 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
which they are situated (the first stage has been the major
metros) like Landmark, Crosswords, Odyssey, Staples,
Reliance Time Out, and many more. We are present in
Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai,
Hyderabad, and so on. Currently we are planning to
enter into the medium format stores of the same key
retails in tier 2 cities like Mysore, Pune, and others.
How has been the response from these
markets – with regards to a) the demographic
presence b) working with big retailers and, c)
customers’ response?
There has been a good response from these markets, as
the product is reaching the end consumer through these
key retailers, whose presence is very vast and spread
across the country. There has been a warm response
from the consumers, as the quality and the design of our
product range is of very high standard. In fact many
customers feel that ë Nightingaleí is a brand from the UK,
which is now changing, as awareness is created that it
has always been a complete Indian product. Working
with key retailers has been much organised as we go by
the annual agreement which is mutually accepted by
both. And hence, there is no loop for confusion.
Do you think running a mall or having your
space in the mall proves out to be a good
business investment? Please elucidate your
point of view.
Costs matter in this venture. Hence, the demographics of
the key retailers and the footfalls is a major advantage for
us and our product presence is adding value to them
(giving the customer a better choice).This is the reason,
why we have planned to start up shop-in-shop with the
major key retail chains across the country.
Stationery market in India is unorganised. Do
you think this will hinder the growth of
organised retail players in this segment?
What factors do you think will help to pull

customers towards organised retail outlet?
This used to be a fact but is changing as there are major
stationery manufacturers joining the race. As for us, we
belong to a premium segment and cater to the selective
consumer who truly believes in high quality, designs and
finish. The floor layout of each organised retailer is easy
for the customer to find what they really want and this is
where it is advantageous for big brands like us to be
present in these retail chain stores.
Which products do you manufacture at SFA? ‘
Eco-friendly’ is a current buzz word with ‘
green consumerism’ making waves amongst
various businesses. What’ s your take on this?
Is SFA into the race of ‘ eco-friendly’
products?
We never used leather from the time we started this
business. We follow some of the strict guidelines on
usage of paper and finish.
We buy/ import finished paper from the
manufacturers who are involved in nature conservation,
hence, though not directly but indirectly we believe in
conserving nature. In many of our products, especially
diaries and hard bound books, we use boards made of
recycled paper pulp. We use cotton cloth as cover
material in some of our diaries. We are planning to
introduce green stationery/ eco-friendly office products
in future, which will be made of just raw paper board
with minimum usage of colour/ inks and printing.
Tell us about your institutional/ corporate
sales. How do you make the office supplies
available to your customers? How does the
COVERstory
supply chain management and logistics work
for you?
We have a dedicated and a highly knowledgeable team
focussed only for the corporate client for the diaries. We
customise diaries for the major corporates,
understanding their designs and needs. Orders are
confirmed and the end product is delivered to the
corporate. The logistics is very clear as the customer
gives us the delivery instructions and the end product is
delivered as per their needs to different destinations.
How is the competition in the stationery
retailing segment? Who are your
competitors? What care must be taken to
survive in this competition?
The stationery segment is growing at 15 ñ 18 per cent per
annum and there are competitors who are trying to
match our quality and the designs. But since we upgrade
our manufacturing technology and designs very often,
we are always ahead of such competition. Innovation of
new products is a major strength and we gain immense
knowledge and upgrade ourselves from attending
international trade expos.
What kind of business strategy do you
follow? Tell us something about your
advertising strategy.
We maintain a low ATL (above-the-line) ad strategy. But
we believe in sensible BTL (below-the-line) strategy like
good merchandising and product displays in all the
outlets we are present. One of the major reasons for this
is that the diary is a seasonal product. Stationery
products are targeted at above 20 years of age group and
our range is for the design, fashion, utility and quality
conscious user. Hence we do in-shop ad like POS (point-
of-sale) and mailers and we take part in the stationery
expos in India in different regions for creating product
awareness and continuous press write-ups are given in
the newsprint. For the current year, we are planning to
advertise in selective in flight magazines.
What is your annual turnover? What are your
future retail plans?
We are a more than 250 crore company with interest in
textiles as well. Our future retail plans are to join hands
with the major key retailers and make our product range
available to the consumer at all times for the many years
to come.
Kindly give some closing words of wisdom to
our readers.
ëExperience the finest in paperí is our motto and we take
all pleasure to stand up to this commitment by
innovation and offering the customer the best of paper
products with attractive designs which in itself gives a
different experience in writing.
RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008 19
COVERstory
Eco-friendly publishing
Sayanti Banerjee probes into the concept of eco-
friendly publishing which is popularised by TERI Press
I In todayís world it is extremely important to use eco-
friendly products. This is just one of the simplest ways in
which one can make an attempt to protect the
environment. There are so many products which we use
on a day-to-day basis that might be harmful for our
ecosystem but we are reluctant to let go off them or are
unaware of the hazards caused by them.
For instance, paper is one of the most common
substances we use in our daily lives, whether in the form
20 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
of newspaper, notepads, books or tissue paper for that
matter. Irrespective of what the end product is, the source
of most paper products remain the same ñ trees. By now
we have not only acknowledged the fact but have also
experienced the phenomenal climatic changes caused by
gradual deforestation.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in
consonance with Delhi government had organised a
high-level conference on ecological and sustainable
publishing practices in the capital. At this event entitled
ñ ëPathways to Greení, high-profile publishers, paper
manufacturers, and printers debated on ecological and
sustainable publishing practices. It was meant to serve as
a platform for stakeholdersí dialogue on ecological and
sustainable publishing practices. The conference was
inaugurated by Sheila Dixit, Honourable Chief Minister
of Delhi. Namo Narain Meena, Honourable Minister of
State for Environment and Forests, delivered the
presidential address at the conference.
The mission of Terrapin, the childrenís imprint of
TERI Press, has been spreading awareness among
children about various environmental issues. The books
entertain as they subtly educate. The theme of all these
books is woven around TERIís mandate of energy,
environment, and sustainable development. What makes
these publications stand out is the effort TERI Press puts
Full Page AD
House AD
(All Mag AD)
COVERstory
in publishing books on energy, environment, and the
likes on eco-friendly paper mostly.
Madhu Singh Sirohi, Head ñ TERI press, Area
Convener, explains, ìEcological and sustainable
publishing practices are those that aim at finding some
innovative solutions to the environmental hazards that
are linked with printing and publishing in India. Teri
Press is always looking to adopt new and innovative
measures in publishing, like the use of recycled paper, to
ensure that environmental considerations are given
utmost priority. As far as the brand position is
concerned, we want to position ourselves as a leader in
environment friendly publishing.î
22 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
With recycling and green consumerism in vogue,
paper products have come of age. Recycling is the
reprocessing of old materials into new products, with the
aim of preventing the waste of potentially useful
materials. So like the concept suggests, paper recycling is
the process of recovering waste paper and remaking it
into new paper products. Ms Singh Sirohi feels, ìThough
the recycling of paper is a concept that is gathering
momentum, it is very far from constituting a
mentionable percentage of paper used in India. We print
most of our indigenous products including four colour
childrenís books on eco-friendly paper. We print a
monthly magazine ñ Terragreen, Indiaís leading
environment magazine which goes out to thousands of
readers every month on recycled paper. It is one of the
many efforts that will go a long way in establishing TERI
press as ëIndiaís first green publisherí.î
Eco-friendly papers range from being wood free,
chlorine free, handmade and recycled paper. All eco-
friendly papers are not uneconomical but most of them
are higher in price to their counterparts because the
processes used to make them environment friendly are
expensive for manufacturers and add to the cost. This
makes them more expensive for consumers as well.
Hence, paper products, whether in packaging, books or
products, are still not made of recycled paper.
Ms Singh Sirohi concludes, ìWe have a long way to
go before paper products come of age in India with
respect to their ecological impacts. In India, it is
important for the government to consider reducing
import duties, offer tax incentives to encourage
manufacturers and consumers as well as help stabilise
the cost of eco-friendly paper products.î
 SPOTLIGHT

“The Indian market

is very price-sensitive”
Bella Casa marked the entry
of the R Raheja Group into
speciality home improvement
retail sector. In this
interaction with
Ananth Narayan, CEO, Bella
Casa India (Pvt) Ltd,
Niranjan Mudholkar checks
out the company's progress

What is your assessment of the speciality home importance as other elements. Also, today, the customer
improvement retail sector in the country? What has lot of options to choose from. This new trend has
challenges and opportunities do you see for a made the home beautification retail emerge as one of the
player like Bella Casa in this market? fastest growing sector in the modern retail industry.
With the boom in economy, double-income households Bella Casa, in spite of being a year old, we foresee a
and the on-line knowledge, Indian consumers are lot of untapped opportunities in the market. The industry
increasingly giving importance to the need of upgrading is growing at the rate of 15 ñ 20 per cent at present and
their lifestyle. This change in the consumer behaviour
has led to a distinctive change in their lifestyle habits
which is not only apparent in their eating and shopping
habits but also in their home space. Today, the very idea
of designing oneís home has gone a sea-change. Unlike
a few years ago, the concentration was only evident in the
living room. Today, the focus has extended to kitchens,
bathrooms and accessories and each and every room is
given equal importance. As a result, kitchens and
bathrooms have moved from being utility rooms to
glamorous and classy. These rooms have gained a lot
attention as they lend a style statement to the entire Qtr page AD
house apart from being a matter of pride for the
household. Modular kitchens, stylish and elegant shower Shimla chemicals
cabins, bath tubs, shower enclosures, bathroom
accessories and designer tiles have occupied equal

Bella Casa in Pune

SPOTLIGHT

the growth potential is equal in metros and tier 1 cities.
The increase in spending power and the aspiring
element growing amongst the consumers in these cities
are the key factors which drove us to focus in these
markets.
As for the challenges are concerned, the rising cost of
real estate and the availability of relevant manpower are
critical bottlenecks in our industry. Finding properties in
metros is our biggest challenge today, but we intend
drawing synergies from our group companies and take
advantage of the same. At the same time, we are already
into investing heavily on training and manpower
recruitment to ensure the availability of quality
manpower in this rapidly growing market.
Only a certain section of the Indian
consumers has been choosy about its
bathroom-ware and kitchenware. However,
thanks to the economic boom, more and more
people are adding to this category as lifestyle
differentiation is quickly replacing functional
differentiation. And both branding as well as
pricing are the key elements that influence
lifestyle differentiation. What will be Bella
Casa’s strategy in this context?
Undoubtedly, the Indian market is very price-sensitive;
willing to spend money in most cases, but always cost-
conscious, evaluating every rupee spent. Therefore, it
becomes important for retailers to offer world-class
products at good prices but backed by excellent services.
Apart from the quality products, our main USP is the
services offered to our customers. Each of our stores has
a dedicated team of in-house designers who assist the
customers in making the right purchase decision and
also ensures that he/she is free of any post-purchase
installation worries. The team of professionals is trained
to assist right from understanding each individualís
taste, finding the right design solutions, helping to
choose the right colours and patterns and supervising
the installation.
About Bella Casa
The term ‘Bella Casa’ derives its origin from Spain which
means ‘beautiful home’. Bella Casa is retail venture from
the Rajan Raheja Group, one of India’s leading business
conglomerates, with diverse interests. The Group has
been responsible behind leading brands in the country
like Johnson Tiles, Marbonite, Outlook, Exide, Raheja
Properties, Globus Stores, Prism Cement and RMC
Readymix. With the launch of Bella Casa chain of
exclusive stores, the Group marks its foray into the
speciality home improvement retail sector.
Yes, we have plans to open 650 stores. As you are aware,
Bella Casa India (Pvt) Ltd is the latest retail venture in
home beautification from the R Raheja Group. Bella
Casa has two store formats ñ Bella Casa and Tile Bazaar
and the 650 stores will be divided into these two store
formats (Bella Casa ñ 250 and Tile Bazaar ñ 400).
Bella Casa ñ This chain of stores is primarily for the elite
and those who keep abreast of the latest innovations in
the international market. It is the one-stop-shop for tiles,
baths and kitchens, floorings, mosaics, shower
enclosures and bathroom fittings. It houses some of
worldís finest and latest products from interior dÈcor hot
spots such as Italy, Germany, Austria, Spain, England

At present, how many stores do you have?

Where are they located and how has been the
customer response so far?
Currently, we have four stores ñ one each in Mumbai,
Bangalore, Pune and Gurgaon. All our stores have
received good customer response. The average customer
walk-in per store would be around 400 ñ 500
each month.

Reportedly, Bella Casa India (Pvt) Ltd is

planning to establish about 650 stores in the
coming decade. Can you confirm this with
details about the format of these stores,
investments planned and already made and
the targeted locations?

24 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008


and Turkey. There are baths from Twyford, kitchens from
Nobilia, laminated floorings from Egger, tiles from Imola
Ceramica and Cerypsa, glass mosaics from Vidrepur,
faucets from Kludi and shower enclosures from HUPPE
ñ Germany. All our stores are company-owned. Each
Bella Casa store occupies a retail space of 4000 sq ft
approximately. Currently, we have four stores and in the
pipeline are stores in Indore and Ahmedabad.
Tile Bazaar ñ This is the countryís first-of-its-kind value
retail tiles and sanitaryware showroom. This store deals
in value engineered and factory surplus right from tiles,
sanitaryware, bathroom fittings, accessories and so on.
Shortly, stainless steel sinks, storage tanks and modular
kitchens will be added to offer customers a complete
budget shopping experience. The store size of Tile
Bazaar stores ranges from 400 ñ1 600 sq ft. At present,
we have 17 stores in different parts of the country and by
2017 we will have around 400. Next in the pipeline are
stores in Chennai, Vapi, Vijaywada, Guntur, Vizag and
SPOTLIGHT
Ahmedabad. Depending on the location, the manpower
varies from three to five people per store.
Since, we are in the process of fine tuning our
business module, therefore it is too early to talk about
the investments. However, at a later stage, we will be
in a better position to divulge information on
the investments.
Online retailing is a slowly emerging sector
across the retail arena. Would you consider
getting into this format too?
Online retailing is really gaining acceptance in our
country too. However, we do not intend to get into it at
present. But, once we increase our presence, we might
consider getting into it.
Use of technology, particularly IT solutions,
is becoming imperative for the retail sector.
Can you comment on Bella Casa’s investment
in and implementation of technology?
We also have a very strong IT set up. All our offices and
stores are connected through Tally which enables
smooth functioning including billings and supply
chain management.
Where do you see Bella Casa – in terms of
market position – in the next two to five
years? What kind of market share will you
target in that time and what according to you
will be the growth drivers?
Looking at the rate the industry is growing, we plan to
open around 250 Bella Casa stores and 400 Tile Bazaar
stores within a span of 10 years. By then, we will be in a
position to share details on our market share. We will be
introducing more and more products in the segment ñ
tiles, bath and kitchen ñ and will continue to emphasise
on the service segment.
RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008 25
RETAILshrinkage
Caught you
there!
Through an interaction with Dharmesh Lamba,
Regional Head of Checkpoint Systems Inc,
Sayanti Banerjee finds out how retail shrinkage
can be controlled
W When it comes to discounts, retailers donít mind
pampering the consumers in order to make them happy.
But when consumers chose to take the notorious ëfive-
finger discountí as referred to in Australia and the United
States, the retailers feel cheated. Well, I was bantering
about the infamous practices of shop lifting or
commercial burglary. This is one of the root causes of
retail shrinkage. Other things that lead to apparent
inventory losses are small or large process errors,
accounting lapses, pricing mistakes and the likes.
Retail shrinkage can be better defined as the
difference between book stock and actual stock or the
unaccounted loss of retail goods. In India, the items that
26 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
get flicked are ësmall and pocketable itemsí; popular ones
being ñ shaving accessories (including cosmetics),
confectioneries and chocolates, biscuits, toys and clothes.
According to a recent global research conducted by
Centre for Retail Research, UK and sponsored by
Checkpoint Systems Inc ñ shrinkage cost the worldís
retailers $98.6 billion, representing an annual ëtaxí on
honest consumers everywhere of $287.70 per
household. Industry circles estimate loss from shrinkage
accounts for nearly three to four per cent of an Indian
chainís turnover, which can be estimated as nearly
double of their western counterpart. This translates into
an annual loss of about Rs 9,000 crore for the industry.
The Global Retail Theft Barometer Survey Information
Report deals with all retail sectors and vertical markets in
India, Australia, Japan, Singapore and Thailand. The
highest shrinkage was found in India, 2.90 per cent, a
reduction of 9.4 per cent over last years 3.20 per cent.
Dharmesh Lamba, Regional Head of Checkpoint
Systems Inc, explains, ìIn the retail environment, any
merchandise lost is considered as shrinkage in the store.
This can be either due to customer thefts, employee
thefts, vendor frauds or administrative errors. All lead to
the shrinkage for the retailer.î
Checkpoint Systems Inc, established in 1969, is a
leading multinational manufacturer and marketer
of technology-driven integrated loss prevention,
merchandising and labelling solutions to the global
retail industry. It has a presence in 80 countries and
a global network of more than 25 service bureaus in
the worldís apparel manufacturing space; 32 direct

The Global Retail Theft Barometer Survey Information Report
deals with all retail sectors and vertical markets in India,
Australia, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. The survey
information was provided from 103 large retail businesses of
these countries. They operated 16,230 retail stores with
combined retail sales of $65,418 million, equivalent to six
per cent of retail sales in these five countries.
The highest shrinkage rate was found in India, 2.90 per cent,
a reduction of 9.4 per cent over last year's 3.20 per cent
” The highest average rates of shrinkage were seen in vehicle
parts/hardware/ building materials retail (1.80 per cent),
” Cosmetics/perfume/beauty supply/pharmacy (1.70 per
cent), and
” Apparel/clothing and fashion/accessories (1.69 per cent),
” The lowest rates were footwear/shoes/sports goods and
sports goods (0.68 per cent), liquor, wine, beer (0.84 per
cent), and jewellery/ watches (0.88 per cent).
In India, 22.0 per cent of shrinkage was regarded as being
caused by administrative error.
subsidiaries throughout Asia Pacific, Europe and the
American continent.
Mr Lamba says, ìIn India we work with the
Pantaloon Group, Aditya Birla Retail, METRO Cash &
Carry, Koutons, Lilliput, Ritu Kumar, Ritu Wear, Salasar
Garments, Nic Nish, ETAM, Straps, PROMART, Priknit,
and many more.î
Checkpointís vast portfolio of services and products
enable customers to track, brand and secure their goods
worldwide. It provides shrink management solutions to
over half of the worldís top 200 largest global retailers.
Checkpoint continually delivers smart security solutions
to boost retailersí profitability by reducing shrinkage (the
loss of goods along the supply chain), increasing supply
chain efficiencies and enhancing customersí shopping
experience. Players are keen to invest on shrinkage
control mechanisms, such as installing RFIDs, sensors,
IT solutions and training employees.
Mr Lamba elucidates, ìCheckpoint Systems, apart
from having Radio Frequency Electronic Article
Survelliance (RF-EAS) system, also provide retailers with
people counting units, for instance ñ tracking the
footfalls in the store. Checkpoint offers retailers with
Checkpro Manager Systems, which is a web based data
collection service and exception based reporting
solution.î
ìRF-EAS and CCTV are Loss Prevention equipment
which track the possible thefts in the retail store.
Labelling solutions are different types of labels and tags
RETAILshrinkage
required to protect various types of merchandise in the
store, merchandising solutions are in-store visual
communication.î He adds further.
With a comprehensive portfolio of products and
services ranging from traditional security technologies to
real-world RFID systems, source tagging and service
bureau capabilities, Checkpoint makes it easy to deploy
the right value-added solution to meet the customerís
need to reduce losses and work more efficiently.
EVOLVE is one of the latest innovations from
Checkpoint Systems. This new range of products will
offer higher accuracy, fewer missed items, ability to
protect smaller items, broader coverage with fewer
pedestals and more open space for customer
merchandising.
EVOLVE also has software defined radio in which
EAS tag signal is directly processed and safe. This new
product provides full system connectivity which means
evolve electronics is the central point of SMS
information. This helps in seamless interconnection of
key components and therefore automatically increases
reliability. Of them, SLIMLINE is the most stylish and
fashionable EVOLVE product with innovative ferrite
based antenna. It can be easily mounted directly on
metal, has small profile as compared to pedestal, open
entrance walkways and cart enclosed flexibility and
aesthetic preservation by avoiding cart and product
collisions. This is favourable as it provides narrow
antenna technology competing with costly and
cumbersome floor systems while maintaining high level
of visual deterrent value.
Mr Lamba explains, ìCheckpoint introduces the first
of its kind, door-mounted RF-EAS Antenna System. The
Evolve S10 represents a true breakthrough in RF-EAS
Antenna design and the result is a strong and accurate
antenna in a very compact and attractive design. It has
mounting flexibility, allowing it to be mounted to
virtually any surface, like glass, wood or metal while
freeing up the valuable retail space for merchandising
and sales purposes.î
Product innovation and subsequent introduction in
market is forte of Checkpoint Systems, Inc. The
companyís mission is to be the leading provider of
solutions that help manufacturers and retailers identify,
secure and merchandise consumer goods worldwide.
The products are reasonably priced and are also well
accepted in the Indian market.
Mr Lamba concludes, ìEVOLVE is not only an
ongoing revolution for the retailer but also for
Checkpoint Systems as we ëevolveí into a ëtotal shrink
solutions providerí for our customer. Capitalising on our
extensive experience and global infrastructure, we help
our customers control their assets, boost efficiency,
increase sales/circulation ñ all leading to greater
profitability and productivity by bridging the gap
between todayís and tomorrowís technologies.
RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008 27
RETAILestate

Destination mall
Through an interaction with Ian Watt, Innovator in Chief,
Retail Xpressions and Ashwin Puri, VP of Property Zone,
Sandhya Patil finds out how developers and retailers can
decide on various factors before selecting a property
to build a retail mall

S Shopping in a mall is exciting. It is one of the popular

destinations to spend your day. Welcoming elevations,
long strolling escalators connecting one floor to another,
various colourful brands decked behind those jazzy glass
windows, plush environment, and a chilled-out
atmosphere; everything is so perfect. I can spend hours
and hours shopping or just roaming around in a mall
amidst this ambience without feeling sweaty! Window
shopping or brunching at the food centres when hungry,
are also good options.
By the bye, todayís large spending population is
happy shopping at the malls. And mall owners, too, are
vying hard to attract the customers to their shops. But
while getting excited with the thought of entering into
the malls, these shop owners ignore the very fact of
ëspace managementí. However, they should not be put to
fault. Itís the mall developer, who should be blamed for
this plight. In an attempt to match the western mall
developers, they forget to translate the international
standards in developing the malls, here, in India.
Time has made it necessary to explore the conditions,
which will help the developers construct the right format
for retail in India. This country is the hot investment
destination and Indiaís retail industry should not be
neglected. The country has lot of opportunities and
should be explored to find out the potential areas of
growth. In order to trace those opportunities and to know
where India falls short, it was very important for me to
understand the various aspects leading to the
unfavourable conditions of retail mall management.
The Press Interaction with the Innovator in Chief,
Ian Watt, of Retail Xpressions and Ashwin Puri, Vice
President of Property Zone, proved out to be a good
mode of identifying the pros and cons of retail mall
scenario.
ìIndians are through the advent of the mall and are
now able to enjoy a different shopping experience to
what they have had up until now,î says Mr Watt. ìThe
Indian consumer is constantly becoming more aware
due to various influences in daily life. For him, the

28 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008


hypermarket shopping in the larger cities has become a
trend,î adds Mr Puri. Malls have definitely changed the
perspective of the Indian consumer and have set a new
standard of shopping, giving rise to the emergence of
more malls for the service of the consumers.
Mr Puri puts in, ìMalls are becoming outlets to
service the consumer requirements. Until a few years
ago, mall experiences were limited to consumers
travelling abroad. With Indian consumers now
getting access to such experiences within their cities,
their shopping habits are undergoing a change.
Shopping with entertainment is fast catching up and
shopping malls are slowly becoming the place to meet
and conduct business, a privilege enjoyed mainly by
hotels till date.î
Mr Watt believes that the Indian consumer will have
access to concepts and brands through a mall and will
enjoy a more global experience. But, according to him,
ìThis concept should not however be allowed to
destroy the unique aspects that are part of the
existing retail scene. Every country has things that
are unique to their culture and community. This
is what creates the point of difference. The mall
should be considered the modern version of
the market place and allows for a more formal
and organised form of retail but at the end of
the day, it is doing what was always done ñ providing
a place for people to meet and enjoy themselves
while shopping.î
RETAILestate
What make malls so popular?
The success of a mall counts on the positioning of the
mall. And this can be determined by factors, which
include: tenant base, local demographics, expenditure
potential, traffic patterns, local consumer behaviour and
in-depth knowledge of competing centres/ malls.
ì Convenience, availability of national and
international brands under the same roof, catering for
the entire family, better availability of parking in
comparison to high streets ñ amongst other factors, have
made malls the flavour of the current times with the
growing middle class,î adds Mr Puri. In recent times,
India is witnessing the growing trend of mall culture ëof
mid-sized malls on multiple levels with developers
looking at maximising floor space index (FSI)í. He states
further, ìThis trend needs to change and developers need
to look at correct usage of the rights available rather than
just developing the space into shopping.î
Mr Watts puts in, ìThe shopping centre/ mall
industry in India is at an exciting stage with the sheer
volume and scope of what needs to be done will allow the
opportunity for new concepts and approaches to retail
development for starting up here. They will set the
foreseeable new trends and care must be taken not to
merely replicate older models as often these are fraught
with shortcomings that do not need to be copied.î
ìThe other trend that one notices is that there seems
to be a standard model to develop a tenant mix in a
centre, which broadly tends to segregate women, men
RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008 29
RETAILestate
and childrenís shopping experience. In addition,
developers tend to spend too much time wooing
international brands ignoring creating differentiating
factors. In fact, a few multi-mall developers are opting for
the same brands in centres/ malls in different locations,
which completely ignore the local market needs. I would
expect these trends to change in due course of time,î
suggests Mr Puri.
However, as it is said, every problem has a solution.
Similarly, there are various deciding factors before opting
for a property to build a retail mall. And these aspects
contribute in conceptualising and designing of retail
properties or malls.
ìAs I said earlier, a shopping centre (retail mall)
needs to be conceived to service the needs of the
community/ customers. It is not just about owning a
piece of land and deciding to build a shopping centre.
It is important to understand the principle ëpeople needs
first and property returns result from well conceived
projectsí. No developer should expect that just because
he wants to build something that it will be successful.
Understand the market and the demographics of
the site and what the community needs as well as the
planning constraints that exist and plan properly. î
explains Mr Watt
ìA good example of the poor planning that exists in
India, today is the apparent lack of appreciation for the
need to provide adequate parking in a development.
People in India are only beginning to enjoy the benefits
of car ownership and as more people own cars they will
want to be able to use them and projects with
good and well planned parking facilities will benefit. Two
points to remember a) With a car a shopper can carry
more goods/ purchases than they can using public
transport and this means they inevitably spend more
which is good for the retailer and ultimately for the
developer because a retailer needs sales in order to pay
rent. b) Bear in mind the ëTata factorí and the future
30 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
impact of the Nano; this is going to change life for many
people in India,î he adds further.
Adds Mr Puri, ìThe success of shopping centres/
malls is determined by how well a centre is able to
enhance the consumer experience. Therefore,
considering the consumer in all that is done is
paramount. Whether we talk design that can be catered
to reflect the community, or selection of tenants that
serve the needs of the immediate catchments, or looking
at entertainment avenues need to consider the consumer
and how their experience can be enhanced.î
ì However, there are a number of challenges that we
face while delivering services in India,î says Mr Puri. He
says further, ìThe major hurdle is the lack of
understanding on shopping centres that primarily come
due to not having developed such facilities before.
Shopping centres/malls need to be managed and
nurtured for them to deliver investment returns.î
Mr Watt finds lack of understanding of the fact that
there is a chain of connected events, as the main reason
for the shopping centre to work. And therefore, it
becomes important to understand the requirement to
construct the shopping centre or mall according to the
needs of the community who will come to shop. ìHaving
taken care of that, you can then plan shops to meet the
needs of the retailer. Most centres/ malls today ignore the
fundamental need to provide the retailer space that they
can use efficiently,î he states.
When a retailer opts for his shop, he looks for space.
A good managed store with spacious structure influence
the popularity of the shop and works as a crowd puller.
ìShopping centres/ malls are long term investments
unlike residential projects, where developers can cash in
on their investments early,î says Mr Puri. However, on
the other hand, these retailers ëdecide/demand rentals
that are not realistic or relative to the type of sales
turnover that can be achieved,î points out Mr Watt.

Mr Puri, too, agrees with what Mr Watt stated. He
explains, ìRarely do developers take into consideration
the turnover that retailers need to do to achieve the rental
levels. Parking is grossly underdeveloped in most centres
in India with developers not realising that parking is an
investment towards a successful development and that
they cannot look at returns from parking at the same
level as rentals.î
He further explained that maximisation of FSI is also
one of the challenge, which results in massing up
developments substantially more than what these
developers can take.
ìThere is a large gap in the understanding of what
management of shopping malls entails. Collection of
rent and facilities management is often considered mall
management, which is not correct. Use of international
consultants needs to be encouraged. Besides, getting a
more sound development will enhance the capabilities of
local consultant in retail developments,î he adds.
Taking this into consideration, their company,
Property Zone brings with it decades of experience in
developing and managing property portfolios.
The company was created to establish and to boost
the retail industryís growth and match international
standards. The team consist of highly skilled and multi
disciplined members, who have the experience and
know-how necessary to redefine and implement agreed
management strategies, redevelop and help in expansion
of projects.
RETAILestate
Company Profile
Pioneer Property Zone Services Pvt Ltd (Property Zone) a
50:50 joint venture between ICS Realty, India and Old Mutual
Investment Group Property Investment (OMIGPI), South
Africa, provides an entire gamut of property solutions for the
shopping centre industry right from site identification, project
conceptualisation, leasing and event asset management.
While the entire gamut of services offered by Property Zone to
its retail customers includes: Design development services,
Lease management and leasing, Property management services
and Asset management, the company can boast of an
impressive clientele comprising IVR Prime, Ozone Developers,
Mantri Developers, Sheth Developers, Runwal Group, Dainik
Bhaskar Group, P S Srijan Developers, Liberty International,
amongst others.
Currently, it works with leading developers and
retailers in India to optimise performance and returns.
ì To me, the most significant differences between Indian
and international centres/ malls is the volume of people
that Indian centres/ malls need to cater to in comparison
to its international counterparts. This individual fact is
going to mean that Indian developers will need to look at
different solutions to problems in comparison to the
west. For us, a consumer is an essential part. And
therefore, it is important to constantly determine his
needs, cater to him and enhance his shopping
experiences,î opines Mr Puri.
RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008 31
SCM
Moolah matters…
It has become important to invest your money on right applications. In
this interview with Satish Moorjani, VP-SCM Consulting Services,
Bristlecone International, Sandhya Patil finds out how efficiently supply
chain can benefit a business in the long run
O Over the years, globalisation has attracted competition
from among various sectors. Retail is one such sector,
which is going through many changes. Retailers world-
wide have joined the force to deliver the best products
and services to their customers and achieve new heights
on various levels. Whether it is about embracing new
technology or scaling their business by introducing new
standards, retailers have always ensured to take on this
battle and make it a win-win outcome for both ñ the
consumers and the retailers.
People have started preferring retailersí shop rather
than buying the day-to-day necessities from a
nearby kirana store. Peopleís penchant for buying
varieties under one roof has encouraged the retailers
to establish their retail outlet at every next possible
convenient destination. Growing consumersí demands
and their increased interests of shopping in the retail
outlets/ malls has made it necessary to update the stocks
available on the shelves from time to time.
And therefore, the retailerís are arduously trying to catch
up with the requirements of the consumers to earn their
Pallet and Shelves in a Warehouse
32 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
customersí loyalty. Good supply chain management is
the recent mantra with each retail supremo heading
towards adopting it. Earlier it was not the case. There was
no such bull fight among the retailers with regards to
spending on the supplier to the store system. But now it
is a different story. Retailers, too, are spending more
money in order to improve their supply chains.
Naturally, this is because the trend is changing, which is
thus evolving the retail scenario.
How has supply chain process revolutionised
both, nationally and internationally?
There are varieties of products available for the
customers and therefore the customersí loyalty is not the
same. It is reduced to the needs or products or to the
brands. And because of that the supply chain has to
become more responsive and flexible with the changing
requirements of customers. ITís application has
increased in terms of its role in the supply chain.
IT-enabled supply chain is the only way by which you can
integrate supply chain across different geographies,
different locations and have the visibility of what is
happening at the customersí end. And therefore, we are
able to take actions to respond to those changes. And
thus, IT-enabled supply chain is something that is
catching up internationally
At the retail perspective, the supply chain has
revolutionised in terms of sourcing by using e-
commerce. Integrating e-commerce with sourcing has
generated the flexibility of buying goods from cheaper
sources in other countries. It has helped in improving
inventory visibility and control. It has helped in
responding faster in changing customers demand levels
in terms of volume, totality and so on. This change is the
result of different types of products entering the market
everyday. This thus changes the process, making it
necessary for you to respond to that.
What according to you are the factors that are
responsible for the continual supply chain
process evolution?
Firstly, globalisation is the reason behind the continual
supply chain process evolution. It has evolved the
functionalities of the supply chain. Secondly, with the
availability of range in each product category going up,

the number of suppliers has also started increasing. And
therefore managing those suppliers, renewing their
contract, pricing, and decision-making, requires lot
of interfacing with the suppliers. This involves the
technology, which will thus help in sourcing
and procurement.
According to me, lack of manpower has led the
retailers to adopt technology. There is no need for
manual follow up or intervention. Technology will help
the retailer to deal with large number of suppliers. At
SAP the system like SRM (supply relationship
management module) helps interpret the number of
suppliers and even helps with the visibility of what stock
the retailer has. With such system, it replenishes the
stock level too. And all these things happen
automatically. A retailer does not even need to tell this to
the supplier. All these facilities help the retailer reduce
the manpower.
What does it take to be a supply chain
manager? Which is the other way a retailer
can meet the business challenge in the
absence of skilled supply chain managers?
A supply chain managerís job is a challenging job. He
should have various qualities to deal with different
departments of an organisation. He has to deal with
different departments like finance, sales and marketing.
He should have good understanding of the business and
the functions and should be sensitive to the demands of
all the departments.
Being a supply chain manager is always a high
pressure job. With competition, he cannot afford to leave
any change or cannot overlook a particular item to be out
of stock, though it is understood
that person cannot have control on the changes
in demand. The reason is ñ customersí preferences
keeps on changing with their demands. And therefore,
despite that he has to ensure that his store do not fall
short of supplies.
This means the challenge on one hand is that the
demand is changing. And on the other hand, the supply
chain manger has the pressure to utilise minimum
inventories. There are times, when infrastructure or
workforce breaks down. So these too call for lot of
challenges in terms of unpredictability.
In the absence of the supply chain managers, it will
be good enough to IT-enable the whole process system.
The other way out is to outsource such managers,
because nowadays it is possible to outsource most of the
organisationís activities like logistics, and so on.
What are the reasons behind the supply
chains being costly? How do you help your
client reduce its supply chain costs? What
kind of values do you recommend to your
client to improve these costs and help your
SCM
View of a Warehouse
client’s organisation to meet its objectives?
Elucidate your point with an illustration.
The first reason is the number of intermediaries that
makes the supply chain costly. The less number of
people in the chain, the less will be the expense. Now,
that is possible if an organisation has a total IT-enabled
connectivity across the supply chain. With this you can
communicate easily, work collaboratively, you can see
what is the stock and even the supplier from the other
end of the world, what stock he has and the issues that he
is facing, and so on. This is what is called as integration
of the supply chain and which provides visibility across
the supply chain. So this is one way to help our
customers to improve their costs.
The other way we recommend to our customers is to
change the supply chain processes. As the supply chains
are not very responsive and flexible, they tend to forecast
the market. Many of the companies are now operating on
forecast-based system and based on that the company
stocks the inventory. However, if the sale is not as per the
forecast, then it leads to the cumulation of the inventory,
hence making it uncomfortable to maintain. And when
the consumersí requirement changes, these inventories
become obsolete. Such things happen in case of
garments. But at times, items sell more than what was
forecasted, then the stores go out of stock.
However, the time has changed. The trend is now
towards the pull-based system, wherein you keep certain
inventory, which is adequate enough to serve the
variations of demand. And as and when the inventory is
consumed, you can replenish that inventory. So the items
that are not selling, you will not bring more of that. This
in turn will limit the restocking of your inventory.
How different is supply chain management to
that of logistics? Do you think technology or
changing business models are accountable in
distinguishing SCM and logistics?
RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008 33
SCM
The term logistics is used very loosely. Sometimes it
refers to the transport system or to a certain aspect of
supply chain. It also involves meeting customer
requirements, warehousing, delivery, and so on.
According to me, logistics has more to do with
movement of material. Supply chain covers other areas
like, planning that includes demand forecasting and
demand planning, inventory planning, supply network
planning, production planning and scheduling,
sourcing, procurement, material scheduling and also
deciding the measures to change the supply chain. So
supply chain is more encompassing.
Building good cold chains and maintaining a
proper stocked warehouse are gaining
impetus. Do you think these investments
are worth for a business to benefit in the
long run?
Absolutely, there is a high growth potential in this
business. This growth will be the outcome of the trade
through the perishable items. It is a big business for
todayís retailers, because many malls have started
including fruits and vegetables on the shelf for their
customers. Malls sell these items with a ëdiscountí and
ëhygienicí tags as compared to that of the hawkers or the
kirana stores. And this has definitely brought a huge
business for the retailers. With volumes of the customers
going up, this business will need such facilities of
maintaining the food items at the proper temperature.
And therefore, a cold storage has turned out to be a
necessity. Pharm retailers will also need the cold storages
to store the medicines.
With growing availability of various supply
chain management softwares in the market, it
must be difficult for a retailer to decide
which software is right for his business
model. In this case, how do you address your
client in choosing correct software?
It depends firstly, on the kind of processes the retailers
are following. And secondly, the level of sophistication
used in those processes. These processes explain the
factors like inventory planning, distribution,
functionality, level of integration that they have across the
supply chain, and so on. Do the suppliers have
IT-enabled systems? Is there communication IT-based?
What is the mode of sourcing, whether an e-commerce
or something else? All these things depend on the level
of technology and also the culture of an organisation.
Therefore, while addressing a client, the future gain of an
organisationís scalability of its operations has also to be
taken care of.
Tell us something about the SCOR model.
It stands for Supply Chain Operations Reference model.
The members of Supply Chain Council have developed
34 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
this reference model. They have defined the processes of
the supply chain as ñ plan, source, make, deliver, and
return. These are the references that they have put down
for the companies and on that basis the companies
follow the councilís references to see how their own
processes work on the SCOR level.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology
has now become more popular among the retailers.
Could you please tell us something about it.
It, is a kind of identification like the bar code.
However, RFID technology is more expensive, because
the reading of the RFID tags depend on the distance.
Greater the distance, more expensive is the cost of the
RFID technology.
What are some of the other big supply chain
challenges coming over the next five years?
How this will change your company,
going forward?
The first challenge is the globalisation. The tariff barriers
are coming down and world is becoming better
connected. Even the mergers,and acquisitions are posing
a challenge of the dynamic environment for the supply
chain to keep itself efficient and cost optimal.
The other challenge is the price. With prices going
down, it has become necessary for a business to show
improvement every quarter to quarter. And in order to
increase revenue, the company has to increase its sale on
a large scale. This will add to the high operating costs,
which will certainly increase the storage costs, logistics
costs, and so on.
Tell us about few trends in the supply chain
management.
One trend is towards the demand-driven supply chain. It
is sometimes pull-based or sometimes push-based. It
also increases postponement strategy. It helps to
differentiate our product or customise it for the
customers. For instance, giving customers a choice to
select their own print on a plain t-shirt is the best way to
customise your product to the needs of your customers.
The other trend is optimisation of end-to-end supply
chain. Earlier the trend was of optimising only the
company. But now the trend is to consider the entire
supply chain.
For instance, if I try to reduce my inventory, but if the
suppliersí inventory is going to increase then that stock
will come back to me in sometime in the future.
Therefore, I should not do things that would make it
inefficient for other partners in the supply chain. But
rather, I should try to make the entire supply chain more
efficient for all the partners.
Automation is also one of the trends. It is a tightly
integrated supply chain. It has an end-to-end visibility and
with intelligent software it will convey your decisions to
your concerned partners in the supply chain.
 TECHNOLOGY

IT in retail
Sayanti Banerjee finds out how the new age IT solutions can
facilitate modern age retailers to increase customer
satisfaction, minimise losses, and boost profits

T
Today, organised retailing has become a booming
industry in India with tremendous potential for further
growth. The modern retailers are trying to spread their
wings and diversify their presence in the industry. Apart
from the traditional retail formats, online retailing has
per cent features and functionality for every client to run
their business efficiently by reducing cost and
maximising the consumer experience.
DVS offers international solutions which have been
localised for Indian retailers. LS Retail based on
become popular in the age of e-commerce and m- Microsoft technology is one of the largest end-to-end
commerce is soon to make it big in the retail industry. In integrated and adaptable business management
this highly competitive world, only practical solutions applications that contribute to streamlining financials,
backed by advanced technology can give the retailers the customer relationship and supply chain processes. It
winning edge. enables businesses to innovate, improve productivity,
Currently there are a number of IT solution and collaborate.
providers gearing up to meet the challenges of the retail
domain, in an innovative way. Two eminent What is data management as far as retail
representatives ñ Rakhee Nagpal, MD Dynamic Vertical industry is concerned?
Solutions and Patrick Mathias, Regional Manager- As the retail industry is still at a very nascent stage, the
Enterprise, Cisco India ñ share their views on the role of retailers today are still struggling with the basics -
IT in retail. manual processes, data inaccuracies, and disparate
Dynamic Vertical Solutions (DVS) is a market and systems. One of the challenges a retailer today is faced
technology leader in end-to-end integrated and adaptable with, is the concern to consolidate data and convert it into
business management applications, providing meaningful information. A lot of data is mismanaged
comprehensive solutions for organisations of all sizes and not put into the right use.
and all Industry sectors. Cultivating innovative However retailers are investigating the use of
technologies on a reliable foundation of international emerging practices and technologies aimed at delivering
best practices and business experience, DVS delivers substantial improvements in performance. This is where
scalable solutions that enable its customers to the integrated, end-to-end systems play an integral role.
continually improve upon their decision-making
Rakhee Nagpal,
capabilities and business success.
MD Dynamic
Vertical Solutions
Today the booming retail sector is being
empowered by IT solutions, what has Dynamic
Vertical Solutions been doing so far in this
avenue?
The changing demographics and consumer behaviour is
forcing retail to evolve from the neighbourhood kirana
store (unorganised retail) to organised retail, which
presently accounts for four per cent of the total market
and is likely to increase its share to 22 per cent by 2010.
DVS has focused on the retail segment in the last 18
months and this will continue to be a key focus sector
going forward. We are investing in research and
development and in parallel, educating the market in
terms of the advantages of our technology. The retailers
still look at cost of technology as expenditure rather
than a long-term strategic investment for faster and
seamless growth.
Within the retail segment, our aim is to deliver 100

RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008 35

TECHNOLOGY
Implementing a solution like LS Retail helps the
retailers to improve data integrity and convert this data
into meaningful performance reports, that will inturn
help the management to make better decision and so on
and so forth.
Data which is captured at the front end, or at a store
level, is integral in reducing retailers overall costs by
enhancing the management of inventory, effective loyalty
programmes and cross selling opportunities when a
consumer is transacting.
What are LS Retail and Cenium? How can they
help Indian retailers?
LS Retail and Cenium are internationally proven
seamlessly integrated solutions, built on Microsoft
Dynamics Platform that caters to the retail and hotel
industry, respectively. It covers everything from POS to
back-office and head-office on the same application,
allowing seamless integration of all functional areas in all
of the following activities ñ retail management, financials,
sales, purchase, inventory, human resources, payroll, CRM
and production processes catering to retail and hospitality.
These solutions will help organisations optimise
their business systems, align supply chain management
and enhance consumer experience across in-store,
online and mobile channels.
Who are your retail clients? What kind of
solutions have you been offering to them?
We have more than 1000 stores and some coveted
brands as our customers in India like; Linc Retail,
Pyramid Retail, Disney Artists Stores, Door Steps,
Lilliput, Albeli Fashions, Body Care International to
name a few.
Our customers have also adopted international
solutions like inventory management solutions - AGR, to
help them get an accurate forecast and minimise the cost
of inventory, hand point - handheld solutions for effective
queue busting and field sales and Peocon - people
flow solution.
Also internationally, the LS Retail suite of solutions
are being used by leading clients like IKEA, Addidas,
Levis, Debenhams, Pizza Hut, Booths Supermarket, and
the likes, in more than 130 countries.
Can DVS solutions help retailers with rapid
growth and expansion plans? How affordable
are the DVS solutions?
All our solutions are scalable and highly adaptable to the
expansion plans of our customers. Some of our
customers have been able to adopt some of the best retail
practices that will make them industry leaders in their
domain. Our solutions cater to the fast track retailers,
who not only want to grow but also ensure high
customer service levels and experience, but also do that
without increasing costs.
36 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
Can retail shrinkage and shoplifting be
controlled to some extent by putting IT solutions
in place? (Kindly explain with an example.)
Shrinkage and shoplifting are a large and growing
challenge for retailers, the global retail shrinkage cost
retailers a whopping Rs 4,01,647 crore (Rs 4,016.47
billion) and that for the Indian retailers, it was close to Rs
8160 crore (Rs 81.6 billion).
Shrink reduction and prevention is definitely
growing in importance as a vital business practice. The
contribution to total store shrink was reported in five
categories: employee-caused shrink, shoplifting,
receiving, and accounting errors/damage. Of all
components of total store shrink, employee-caused
shrink ranked number one.
Retailers are employing the right technologies and
we are determined to help retailers in loss prevention,
operations, risk management and merchandising.
Some of the latest international standard products
provided by DVS, such as StoreVision, is fully integrated
transaction data and CCTV video images, filters out all
ëhigh-riskí transactions, allows for quick review and
identification of transaction shrinkage, and reporting to
retail management.
The StoreVision solution has been proven in various
retail formats, including pharmacies, convenience stores,
supermarkets, hypermarkets, specialty stores, and
department stores.
Apart from the LS Retail, NAV and Cenium, an end-
to-end integrated solution, DVS also offers add-on
solutions that enhance the customer experience at the
store level.
Peocon will help retailers to monitor the behaviour of
customers in terms of their choices and convert footfalls
into sales. They are suitable for fashion and apparel
stores, malls and the likes.
Cisco Systems, the company has developed
Intelligent Retail Network (IRN) for the retail sector and
have been working with leading global and Indian retail
organisations. Todayís retailer needs to achieve greater
information visibility and control between stores and
headquarters to continue to survive and grow.
Cisco understands these needs of retail environment
and has been instrumental in developing Intelligent
Retail Network (IRN) which helps retailers to deploy retail
applications to trim operating costs, improve productivity,
and maximise customer outreach across the enterprise.
Today the booming retail sector is being
empowered by IT solutions. What has Cisco
been doing so far in this avenue?
Once a fairly traditional industry, retail is rapidly
approaching the forefront of interactive technologies. In
todayís competitive environment, retailers increasingly
rely on in-store technologies to help enhance customer
service, differentiate their stores in the marketplace,

streamline operations, and increase revenues, so on and
so forth.
Ciscoís ëIntelligent Retail solutionsí are tuned to meet
the specific needs of retailers and offers comprehensive
and scalable networking solutions.
In all, Cisco retail solutions are made up of four
modules, each designed to meet specific needs in the
retail environment. The ëIntelligent Retail solutionsí
impact the retail environment as follows:
” Store Connectivity ñ Increasing operating efficiency
across stores using wide-area networks (WANs) and
virtual private networks (VPNs) to access corporate and
store information, including Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID-based) inventory management and
standard retail applications.
” Store Mobility ñ Use of wireless technologies at the
point-of-sale for faster checkout and real time product
information, in the store to improve operations, and
throughout the supply chain to reduce costs.
” IP Communications ñ Reduces retail costs through
converging data and voice systems, providing instant
communication throughout stores and with enterprise
applications and resources.
” The Store as a Medium ñ Supports employee training
and productivity and maximises customer satisfaction
with in-store broadcasting, multi-channel shopping, and
digital signage, as well as revenue-boosting smart
technologies and information kiosks.
On the whole, Ciscoís Intelligent Retail solutions are
not only beneficial for retailers but makes shopping
quick, efficient and pleasurable for customers who have
a better chance to fulfilling their shopping wish list and
walking out satisfied.
What is Intelligent Retail Network (IRN)?
Ciscoís Intelligent Retail Network (IRN) is a platform that
enables retailers to streamline business operations,
accelerate decision making and improve customer
satisfaction and manage inventory better.
Patrick Mathias,
Regional Manager-
Enterprise, Cisco India
TECHNOLOGY
With IRN, retailers can:
” Boost productivity by connecting people, places, and
information especially managing third party vendors
” Improve customer satisfaction by enhancing the
shopping experience
” Increase revenue by improving decision-making
through utilisation and delivery of data
” Secure and reliable by protecting brand image
and assets.
How has Cisco been improving access to
company information by updating sales
technologies, and refocusing on the future of
business as far as the retail sector is concerned?
Empowered by the Intelligent Retail Network, retailers
gain the flexibility to meet the constantly changing
business and technology demands. Across the store -
operations, merchandising, human resources, training,
customer services, and the supply chain-organisations
can develop a roadmap, based on this powerful
foundation, that will support their corporate vision for
years in the future. Implementation of unified network
solutions not only benefits the retailer with a
transparent supply chain but reap benefits on the
human resource front as well. In-store rich media
systems such as plasma video displays, kiosks, digital
signage, and personal PDAs and other devices play an
increasingly important role in providing customers
and stores personnel with advertising, brand
reinforcement, pricing, training opportunities, and
corporate communications.
Who are Cisco’s clients? What kind of solutions
does the company offer to Indian clients?
We are currently in talks with the Future Group as well
as all other leading retail businesses in the country. We
are not in a position to disclose these names as yet.
flexibility to the equation. In-store broadcasting and
digital signage to create new revenue-generating
advertising as well as accelerating brand awareness and
customised messaging also improving the over-all
shopping experience.
How are those solutions different from the
ones offered abroad?
While the technologies and solutions that Cisco offers to
customers are standardised across the world, it is
interesting to note that many Indian retailers are
adopting technologies that are far ahead of those adopted
by their western counterparts.
Well, though much needs to be comprehended one
thing remains clear that the IT solutions are certainly
going to empower the Indian retailers with smart
business tactics. With technology in place, the Indian
retail sector is all set to flourish like never before!
RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008 37
EVENT
Disha 2008
Sayanti Banerjee attended IIMM’s seminar to
gather views on how synergised supply chain can
drive competitive advantage
I In this age of neck breaking competition one thing that
gets you recognised easily, is a certificate from a reputed
institute. Today, in order to make it big in the retail sector,
you have to be professionally groomed on certain skill
sets at least.
Indian Institute of Materials Management (IIMM) is
the only professionally led institution in the field of
materials and supply-chain management, for over three
decades. It offers courses recognised by the ministry of
HRD, Government of India. It is affiliated to the
International Federation of Purchasing and Supply
Management (IFPSM), headquartered at Atlanta, USA.
IIMM had organised DISHA 2008, an international
seminar on synergized supply chain to drive competitive
advantage. The seminar focused on ñ purchasing,
logistics and supply chain management. It also marked
the launch of an international programme on ëCertified
Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) and its
contribution towards a social causeí. This programme
targeted at top executives and professionals, aimed at
enhancing executive skills and equip them with the latest
strategies and methodologies with all aspects of SCM.
ëSynergized Supply Chain to drive competitive
advantageí was an attempt to bring all the dimensions
that help drive competitiveness within the supply chain,
be it through better demand forecasting, performance
management, talent retention or embracing new
business models, together. This programme provided
insight into the revolutionary change that had happened
within the railway freight corridor and linked it up with
the Railway Budget 2008.
Supply chain activities transform natural resources,
raw material and components into a finished product that
is delivered to the end customer. In sophisticated supply
chain systems, used products may re-enter the supply
38 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
chain at any point where residual value is recyclable.
A typical supply chain begins with ecological and
biological regulation of natural resources, followed by the
human extraction of raw material and includes several
production links, for instance; component construction,
assembly and merging before moving onto several layers
of storage facilities of ever decreasing size and ever more
remote geographical locations, and finally reaching
the consumer.
So a proper definition of a supply chain or logistics
network would be ñ a system of organisations, people,
technology, activities, information and resources
involved in moving a product or service from supplier to
customer. Supply chains link value chains as well.
Following are interesting excerpts from the various panel
discussions at DISHA 2008:
While launching the programme Paul Novak,
President ñ International Federation of Purchasing and
Supply Management (IFPSM), USA said, ìHaving had
success with the programme at Institute of Supply
Management, Arizona (USA), we are optimistic that the
MNCís will take lead from their American counterparts
and recommend this course to their company personnel
as well.î
Speaking at the conference, Anshuman Singh, CEO
Future Logistics, said, ìSupply Chain Management in the
retail pie is 75 per cent. Logistic companies follow the
retail pathway. Quoting from the book ëIt happened in
Indiaí written by Kishore Biyani, the founder of the
Future group, Mr Singh said, ìRe-write rules but retain
values is the motto we follow. To simplify the concept of
SCM, I would say ñ retail is a simple business which
involves buying and selling but what we need to manage
is what follows inbetween. Thatís where SCM come in.î
Arun Gupta, Customer Care Associate and Group
CTO, Shoppersí Stop felt, ìOur motto is to provide our
consumers with an exclusive experience and not that of
just another retail outlet. As far as fashion is concerned,
it changes with seasons and during festivals SCM
becomes even more important.î
Vikas Kumar, Practice Head ñ Wipro Consulting
said, ìFor total value management it is important to
decide on the supplier and how to manage relationship
with the supplier. Cost of rejection, returned orders,
stock outs and the likes have to be taken into account as
well. Also, cost management for short product lifecycles
need to be worked out.î
 MOBILEretailing

Get your mobile

next door!
Vijay Menon, CEO, MobileNXT gives
insight into the retailing world of mobile.
Sandhya Patil reports

Tell us something about The MobileNXT.
MobileNxt was started two years ago by me and my
friend and colleague, Romy Juneja. We met each other
while working at Motorola. We found that the stores in
tier 2 and tier 3 cities did not offer accurate service to the
customers. They did not have right range of models,
right kind of ambience, right kind of salesperson, and so
on. So we decided to start our business by setting up
stores in these cities of India because, the metro cities
already had such stores that were catering to the
consumers there. So this was how the genesis or the idea
was born in November 2005. The company was
registered in February 2006 and our first store was
launched in April 2006 at DT Mall in Gurgaon. Till date
we have 50 MobileNXT stores across the country.
Whereas, in the tier 1 cities of India ñ Mumbai, Delhi,
Bangalore, Kolkata ñ we have tied up with various big
retail chains like Shoppersí Stop and many more.
Explain the formats in which the MobileNXT
works. According to you which format brings
in more profit?
The first type of format is stand-alone stores, which are
mainly found on the high streets or in the shopping
centres. These stores are owned and operated by us.
Sometimes they are franchisee-owned but operated by
opportunity to set up a store in store/ shop-in-shop
format in their outlets. However for us, all the formats
add value to our company.
How does a ‘one-stop mobile solution shop’
structure work towards the growth?
We discovered that the consumers used to go at different
places to buy new connection, mobile handset,
accessories and so on. Therefore, we thought to bring all
these services under one format of one-stop shop with
the choice of multiple brands. Apart from this we also
offer our customers various other gadgets like iPOD,
MP3 players, and so on. We have also created a choice for
our customers to buy gaming devices from our store.
Elucidate on the complete telecom solutions
and services that you offer? Do you have tie-
ups with any mobile brands?
From providing the range of mobiles, accessories, and
the related services, we also offer knowledgeable sales
people (store executives), who help the customers
through a buy decision. These store executives are
trained consultants. You will find at least four store
executives and one store manager across each
Vijay Menon at the store

us. The second type is the shop-in-shop format, wherein

we have our outlets at big retail malls. The third format
is enterprise store. We pioneered this type of format,
wherein we establish our store in big corporations. We
started stores based on these formats in the corporate
campuses of Motorola in India, TCS, and so on. These
stores do not operate everyday. They operate once in a
week or fortnight. Lastly, the virtual store format is
something that we have online. Consumers can buy
accessories or mobile phones and even the services of his
choice by logging on an online MobileNXT store.
Earlier, we started with just the stand-alone format.
But as our business evolved, the other formats came
subsequently to us. For instance, Shoppersí Stop and
Star India Bazaar (Tataís Trent Ltd) brought us an

RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008 39

MOBILEretailing
MobileNXT store. We also have ëvalue-addedí offers for
our customers. We have tied up with major national
operators like ñ Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, Reliance, and so
on. And on the other hand, we have tied up with major
mobile handset manufacturers like ñ Motorola,
Samsung, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and so on. We buy these
handsets from the national distributors rather than
buying from the local distributors. For instance, we buy
Nokia handsets from ACL, who is the national
distributor. Samsung does not have a national
distributor, but a regional distributor. So, mainly the idea
is that we buy the products from the highest level of the
manufacturersí distribution channels. Sometimes, the
manufacturers admit their promoters to the store.
What makes you different from your
competitors?
An important factor that differentiates us from our
competitors is our presence in those geographies, where
they have not yet reached. We offer the consumers from
these geographies (tier 2 and tier 3 cities), the experience
that they never had before. We get almost 30 ñ 35 per cent
of repeat customers to our store. Though we are not
running any CRM programme or loyalty programme, we
have the customers coming to our stores. The reason
behind this is that our customers like our store, our
service and so on. I believe the kind of branding with the
experience that we offer to our customers make us more
promising and different in their eyes. We at MobileNXT
understand your needs and help you to make a
buy decision.
40 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
The MobileNXT Store
Tell us something about the process of
logistics and distribution and the supply
chain that you follow.
We are building up critical masses in six states in India.
These focus states are Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Bihar,
Punjab, Haryana and West Bengal. These states were
chosen by using scientific method of market potential
value and were recognised as the high potential states
by this study.
Using these data we have expanded
our business. We have built the distribution hub in each
of these states. We get the materials from the
manufacturers in this distribution hub and then we feed
it in our stores. We will also move onto states like
Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh very soon.
What are your future plans of extending your
retail store chains in India?
We are planning to spread our business by starting 500
MobileNXT chains of stores across India by 2010. This is
our ambition and we are aggressively working towards it.
I think there is a huge opportunity in our country
in every sector.
Organised retail is a booming sector and telecom
sector is also on its high. We see a huge potential for our
business on both the organised retail side as well as the
telecom side.
We are really very excited with such opportunities. We
have also picked up the franchising programme very
assertively to bring the entrepreneurs to the small towns of
India and work with us.

Up for grab
Retail Biz gives you a low-down on the new products
in the market
Indian brand, Italian designs
Apriati launched its accessories designed exclusively for
an elegant and sophisticated woman recently in the
presence of its brand ambassador, Malaika Arora Khan.
The financially smart independent woman of today looks
at jewellery purely as a fashion statement ñ as a reflection
of the way she feels ñ Bold and Beautiful.
Apriati brings to the fashion-conscious discerning
woman a wide range of beautiful, unique and high-end
fashion jewellery created by Italian masters known the
world over for their uncompromising quality and design
at highly competitive prices. Apriati knows and
understands the woman on-the-go and that reflects in
the jewellery it has designed.
You can shop this eye catching collection at the
Apriati boutique at Kemps Corner or at the soon-to-open
BRANDwatch
boutiques across the city. This high quality designer
fashion jewellery designed in Italy is now available all
over India at affordable prices.
Timepiece from Raga
Titan launched its new collection of Raga Crystals
watches. Raga is Indiaís only woman watch in India. This
collection includes two ranges of watches ñ Venus and
Fairy Dust.
Add a touch of sophistication and glamour to your
wardrobe with Venus ñ a unique new watch by Raga
Crystals. This exquisite crystal studded design is inspired
by the first star that dazzles your eye. An elliptical dial
adorned with a promenade of crystals gives this
timepiece a very modern appeal. The watch is named
after the Roman goddess of love and beauty.
Look your stunning and glamorous best with the
new Fairy dust ñ a beautiful crystal studded watch by
Raga Crystals. Adorned with a delicate gleaming bracelet
and embedded with a unique stone dust dial pattern
RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008 41
BRANDwatch
makes it a classic creation. The perfect way to cast a spell
on your special one!
Both the watches are available in yellow metal and
bi-metal versions and are available at all the World of
Titan showrooms as well as the leading multi-brand
outlets and departmental stores across the country. So
the choices are unlimited!
Interesting interior and décor products
Make your home special with HomeTownís all new range
of Home Interior and dÈcor products. HomeTown,
Indiaís most comprehensive home making/ home
improvement store from Home Solutions Retail has
come up with its new range to make your home an
extremely special place.
Special Homes:
You like your home to be special. At Home Town,
nothing pleases us more than giving you everything you
need to make it so. From your living room to the
bathroom, we have everything you need for every part of
your home. This catalogue showcases the choicest new
introductions we have, that are just waiting to become a
part of your home. Every piece of this collection has been
42 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
specially handpicked by our experts keeping in mind
your taste and your budget. And it has been compiled to
make your home modern, warm, and as special as you
and your family.
Special Modular Kitchen:
A space that is closest and even sacred in the minds of
the Home Maker ñ The kitchen. Wide range of
configuration, styles and themes to suit the sense of
aesthetics. Exclusive Italian style kitchens available in
four premium options be it contemporary or classic. To
top it up all kitchen comes with three years warranty
Special Living Rooms:
A range of products introduced for the first time in the
country,.Italian scarlet sofa that will catch the eye to latest
European floral prints to enliven your living room.
Veneers used in inimitable style in Marquetry Dining
range and Zebrano sofas. At Home Town; we have kept
in mind the latest international trends for your needs
and preferences.
Special Bedrooms
From contemporary Platform style beds with storage, to
Indianised Wardrobes; From Wenge finishes to suit
contemporary interiors to rich grain veneers;
And flooring, walls, furnishings, decor and lighting
solutions to match! At Home Town, we have kept in
mind the latest international trends and your needs and
preferences. Find everything you had in mind to make
your bedroom special!
Special Modular Wardrobe:
Wardrobes designed to your requirements, completely
customised to your entire familyís needs. Benefit from
its wall to wall and floor to ceiling construction ñ so that
your bedroom looks compact and you donít waste an
inch! Choose from more than 18 finishes, customise the
accessories from ëHisí and ëHerí consoles, size it to
match your space and create a design with the help of
trained designers that will truly reflect your needs. At
your doorstep, flat packed, straight from the factory, itís
assembled within two days. Whatís more, it comes with
a two year warranty.
So whatever it is that makes your home special, rest
assured you will find it at HomeTown.
Two to tango!
Titan Nebula, the premium 18K gold watch brand from
Titan, launched the Duet collection ñ three pairs of
 BRANDwatch

specially crafted speed and continuous auto-focusing to help you capture

gold watches for fast-action shots. This intelligent technology allows the
the wedding camera to quickly focus on fast-moving subjects by
season. predicting where they will be in the frame ñ and
Meticulously ultimately reducing shutter lag.
crafted in 18k gold, It is a ideal pick for adventure sports, school recitals
this collection is a and family vacations. Available at all leading retail stores
unique blend of and exclusive Sony outlets, the DSCñH10 also has
intricate gold additional accessories such as wide and telephoto
craftsmanship and conversion lenses, filters, batteries, travel chargers,
fine watch making sports packs and cases.
technology. Three Packing a power punch in the small sized camera are
pairs of gold some of very sharp and distinct technological features
watches present in which enable DSCñH10 to have a dominant edge over
leather and gold other models available in the markets.
straps, form the ” A powerful Carl Zeiss 10x optical zoom lens and long
collection. The dials come in various adorned looks with range flash, helps capturing distant images.
unique patterns and are ” Superior face detection technology, to identify and
embellished with an all focus up to eight faces in a frame which automatically
round engraved pattern adjusts the focus for correctly exposed photos
cases. The pair in an ” Advanced sports shooting mode which combines
all gold look comes high shutter speed and continuous auto focusing to help
with a gold you capture fast action shots. This allows the camera to
bracelet that focus on fast-moving subjects by predicting the frame
drapes beautifully and reducing shutter lag.
around the wrist. ” DñRange Optimizer (DRO) makes you capture
The Nebula balanced images when shooting in high-contrast or
collection has been backlit scenes. DRO modifies the range from highlights
so exquisitely crafted to shadows through its in-camera hardware processing ñ
that they can be the ultimately producing more natural, evenly exposed
perfect accessory for images
any wedding outfit. ” Built-in slideshow function for fun playback of
Each watch comes with a lifetime warranty and is photos. Create slideshows set to varied music options, of
designed to last for generations.
The collection is available in mother of pearl dials in
both champagne and white options. The collection is
available in all World of Titan showrooms across
the country.

Capture the action

Sony India Pvt Ltd, Indiaís leading consumer electronics
brand, launched its new high-zoom digital camera ñ the
Cyber-shot DSCñH10, an ideal choice for avid lovers of
photography. DSCñH10 is a delight to use as it combines
superior technical performance in a convenient, pocket-
friendly size enabling both photo enthusiasts and those
new to digital photography to capture incredible images
like never before. The 8ñmegapixel camera with its
powerful Carl Zeiss 10x optical zoom lens and a long-
range flash is perfect for helping you easily capture playing up to eight songs via the cameraís USB port.
close-ups, even from a distance. Its face detection ” A full 1080 high definition resolution helps connect
technology can identify and focus on up to eight faces in the camera to a compatible HDTV set
a frame, and automatically adjusts the focus for correctly
exposed photos. Scan ‘em all
The high-zoom camera includes Sonyís advanced Tired of long checkouts at retail counters? Unsure if your
sports shooting mode, which combines high shutter hospital/pharmacy is prescribing the correct medication?

RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008 43

BRANDwatch
These are issues of the past, as Intellicon launches two
best-of-breed products from the stable of Metrologic
Instruments Inc, USA which will provide unmatched
performance due to their dynamic new design and
scanning throughputs.
The Metrologic MS7820 Solaris is a new vertical
mini-slot scanner engineered to increase productivity
with an unmatched feature set. It is designed for retail
environments including convenience, liquor, speciality
and grocery stores.
Solaris has been developed to increase system output
and lower the total cost of ownership. It scans the widest
range of barcodes from high density to poor quality
codes. The Metrologic MS7580 Genesis begins a new era
in barcode reading with 2D barcode reading capabilities
in a presentation mode. It is designed
for retail, healthcare, manufacturing and
transportation industries. Genesis meets the marketís
need for a bar code reader including those displayed on a
mobile phone screen for new applications like digital
boarding passes, event tickets or mobile coupons. Smart
and sophisticated, Genesis is going to change peopleís
perceptions about barcode readers.
For the second year in a row, Metrologic has received
the top score for its products according to the VSR POS
survey. Its barcode scanners finished first in each of the
five core areas of customer satisfaction: features,
innovation, reliability, pricing and service and support.
Both The Metrologic MS7820 Solaris and The
Metrologic MS7580 Genesis are available through
Intelliconís 15 direct offices and over 60 channel partners.
Home away from home
The search for aesthetically planned work places end
with the new world class engineered Fenesta UPVC
44 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008
window systems which are going to compliment modern
office structures. They will not only add to the comfort
but also in turn lead to enhanced productivity.
Fenesta Building Systems (FBS), a division of DCM
Shriram Consolidated Ltd (DSCL), has introduced a wide
range of Fenesta uPVC (unplasticised polyvinyl chloride)
windows and doors especially designed for the lifestyle
and health conscious office population in the country.
The new state of the art Fenesta range is designed
and developed by FBS purely in India. The new range
will add both to the comfort and ambience of the modern
office atmosphere.
The new system has an international look and feel
and provides an exciting array of features for all
segments of work places that not only make them
economical but also viable. Some of these features are:
” Unlike Aluminum, UPVC is a non-conductor; it does
not transmit heat. This, in turn, saves energy. In
addition, Fenestaís triple sealing system does not allow
cold air to escape or warm air to enter. This results in
reduced air-conditioning bills.
” Office owners on busy streets can take advantage of
the triple sealing system to completely obliterate noise
and dust, thus keeping the outside. Fenesta UPVC
windows reduce noise by as much as 30 decibels.
” Fenesta UPVC require very low maintenance as they
are termite proof, fire resistant and self-extinguishing
and do not fade or discolour even in the wake of harsh
weather conditions.
” They are structurally strong and durable as they are
steel reinforced. The strength of the UPVC windows
helps in making the office structure more secure.
A recently launched new range of Fenesta Windows
have been precision engineered to counter wind loads of
upto 3000 Pa (249 Km/hr). This new system is made
unique by a special ëHurricane Barí to resist heavy winds
and a ëRain Trackí that drains rainwater outside thereby
effectively preventing it from seeping indoors. The new
range offers latest styles like Slider-Casement
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been uniquely designed and handcrafted. Jaipur Gems

combinations and Tilt & Turn windows.
The steel reinforced Fenesta UPVC windows and
door systems were first launched in India in 2003 in
technical collaboration with Spectus Window Systems,
UK, a pioneer and market leader having significant
presence in US and Eastern Europe.
When vinyl (main component of UPVC) was
developed, the scientists were oblivious of the fact that
their invention would come to play a vital role in our daily
lives-helping make products like UPVC doors/windows
that are simply superior. They were initially launched in
Germany and UK between 1960 and 1980 marking the
beginning of a new era in the housing and construction
segment. Later, the trend spread to France, Italy and the
USA and soon caught up with other parts of the world
like Middle East, Brazil and China. The world market of
steel reinforced UPVC windows and door systems is two-
thirds of the total market. Fenesta is committed to
continuously evolving its product range to meet the
changing needs of the Indian consumers.
has turned its love for color and fashion into a sublime
collection of exquisite wearable art. This line offers a
wide variety of opulent and artistic floral styles for the
ageless women
The new collection brings in a refreshing feel to
fashion. Designed on the theme of flowers, this
inspirational jewellery is sure to add that element of
sparkle to your look. All pieces combine modern
jewellery design with classic elements, making each
piece distinctive.
The floral Collection at Jaipur Gems consists of
fashionable pendants, rings and earrings. This
inimitable line of high quality handcrafted jewellery with
flowers is made up with an eclectic mix of sumptuous
precious and semi-precious gemstones, diamonds,
citrines, amethysts and topaz set in white and
yellow gold.
What sets Jaipur Gems apart is the originality in the
design, fine craftsmanship, best quality of gems and
metals, making it the ultimate name in jewellery. The
designs at Jaipur Gems have always reflected a statement
of style and luxury to complement and enhance the look
of the wearer.

Blossoms of eternity….

Jaipur Gems introduces its latest floral collection. Floral

glamour by Jaipur Gems, have intricately designed
creations in their ensemble and are a reflection of
tradition and excellence and are in tune with todayís
fashion and the times. One-of-a-kind ornaments have

RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008 45

BRANDwatch

One of the designs from this stunning floral line available in a range of chest prints, auto stripers, cut
collection is the delicate pendant that is an amalgamation and sews in fabrics such as polo piques, sinckers, knits,
of green amethyst with citrines and smokey topaz, set in jaquards available in round necks as well as
yellow gold. It has fine diamonds placed on the eloquent collar options.
pendant which makes it look stylish and chic at any The exquisite summer collection by Cottons by
evening party. Century is 100 per cent natural cotton having excellent
Another elegant creation from this range is the perspiration absorbing capabilities and facilitates air
beautifully crafted pendant that is set in white gold with passage that provides comfort in handling the everyday
citrines and smokey topaz surrounded by diamonds in stress, keeping you fresh and cool. Each garment of this
the form of a petal. This stylish pendant is attached to a collection is sutured into skin-friendly, sheer fabrics that
white gold chain and can be worn to light up special ensure perfect relaxation despite the heat and humidity
occasions this summer. of Indian summers.
A symbol of eternity, a metaphor for purity, an
example or strength, thatís how Jaipur Gems is defined. Summer in capri
The inimitable collections at Jaipur Gems have opened a Leading menswear
mystical window to the fine and opulent jewellery that is brand, Turtle has
creating news far and wide. announced the launch
of its Spring Summer
Beat the heat Collectioní08, titled,
Enhance your style statement this summer with Cottons ëSummer in Caprií. The
by Centuryís latest cool spring/summer collectioní08 in collection draws
menís formal and casual wear. The collection for menís inspiration from Capri,
formal wear exuberates the summer freshness with a a small island in Italy
vibrant palette in solid blues, pinks, yellows and greens that is an oasis of calm
and many more colors beast suited from the and serenity.
male perspective. The collection
The collection of reversible shirts in vibrant stripes accordingly brings
and checks will definitely get your heart beat racing together a palette of
which are in regular as well as slim-fits and are well light, calm pastel
complimented by there 100 per cent cotton trouser shades with crisp cuts
range, in a variety of fabrics and finishes like ñ wrinkle and design lines. The
frees, dobbyís, satins , corduroys , silky denims which are collection has a spread
available in flat fronts and pleated trousers. of shirts, trousers, T-
The short and long kurta collection is also a product shirts and accessories.
which is popular for the variety of prints and ëSummer in Caprií
embroideries in cool summer fabrics and vibrant shades. reflects a sense of the
It will certainly add an extra zing the summer fashion. latest global style and
Also the summer sensation for men from Cottons by exudes subtle yet crisp
Century offers trendy new T-shirts priced encompasses cuts, designs, colours,
patterns and fabric that
function together to
create unforgettable
clothes with unique
detailing. The fabric
used ranges from pure
cotton to linen, voiles
and even poly satin.
While the collection is characterised by a vintage
charm, the detailing gives it a fresh timeless appeal. The
entire range has been conceptualised in an Italian
design studio. Summer in Capri is available at all Turtle
Worlds as well as at MBOís such as Pantaloons,
Shoppersí Stop, Globus, Indiabulls Megastore, Central,
and so on. The Spring Summer Collection from Turtle
promises to be a must-have in the wardrobes of
discerning men.

46 RETAIL BIZ APRIL 2008

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