Latest Retail Insight, News, Information & Articles from all top sources for the Internet.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal became the first person to register on the platform New Delhi: The government on Thursday said it has launched a platform, Bharat Startup Ecosystem Registry, to create a comprehensive database with details about all the startup ecosystem stakeholders under one roof across different categories. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal became the first person to register on the platform, signifying the government’s commitment to nurturing India’s burgeoning startup ecosystem. “The Registry will act as a one-stop database with details on all startup ecosystem stakeholders under one roof across different categories,” it said. It is envisaged that the registry will facilitate easy access and discovery, fostering collaboration and growth within the ecosystem. “This one-stop platform will house detailed information on all ecosystem participants, facilitating easy access and discovery,’ it said, adding that the registry will include various

The brand plans to open 70 stores in Mumbai before venturing further into Maharashtra New Delhi: Bengaluru-based quick service restaurant (QSR) company Biggies Burger plans to open 70 stores within the next 2.5 years, a top executive told IndiaRetailing. “All the outlets will be in Mumbai,” co-founder Sandeep Satpathy said. The brand, which opened its first store in the country’s financial capital at RCity Mall last year, considers the city as an important market. “We believe this vibrant city offers immense potential for our brand,” Satpathy said. The brand also has plans to spread further in Maharashtra. “Our initial focus in Maharashtra will be on Mumbai and Pune, followed by the Vidarbha region,” said Satpathy explaining the company’s cluster approach for the state. The company’s long-term vision includes further expansion across the western region, but the immediate focus remains on Maharashtra. The company boasts a network of over 130 stores across 35 cities and 14 states

The book  dives deep into the intricacies of mall development and management   and aims to be a guide for professionals and enthusiasts in the sector New Delhi:  Industry veteran, retail and mall specialist Susil S Dungarwal has released a book titled “The Mechanics of Malls’, a release said on Thursday. The book aims to be a guide for professionals and enthusiasts in the retail and real estate industries which dives deep into the intricacies of mall development and management. The book is targeted at mall developers, mall managers, real estate players and anyone fascinated by the evolution and operation of Shopping Malls. The book was launched at the Retail Leadership Summit, conducted by the Retailers Association of India (RAI) in Mumbai. The foreword of the book was penned by the shopping Mall industry leader, Dalip Sehgal, CEO, of Nexus Malls, which is the largest REIT in India for Malls. The prologue of the book is written by B S Nagesh, Chairman, Shoppers Stop & Founder –

The new store is located at Reliance Mall, Udhana, Surat, Gujarat Bengaluru : Reliance Retail’s youth fashion retail format Yousta has launched a new store in Surat, located at Reliance Mall, Udhana, a company official wrote on social media on Wednesday. “Hey Surat…New age fashion destination in your city. Yousta store now open at Reliance Mall, Udhana, Surat,” said Ramyaraj Rath, assistant vice president – head of inventory, Reliance Retail, in a LinkedIn post while sharing visuals of the new store. Yousta stores feature contemporary tech-enabled layouts and offer high-fashion at affordable prices targeted at young consumers. All products are priced below Rs. 999, with a majority priced below Rs. 499. The brand also provides new looks in its ‘Starring Now’ collection every week, where the latest fashion is offered as a complete outfit with matching accessories. Reliance Retail announced the launch of its youth-focused fashion brand Yousta in August 2023 with the opening of its fi

The funding will be utilised to build the brand and scale its retail presence Bengaluru:  Fashion jewellery brand Kushal’s has raised Rs 284 crore in a series B funding round led by Lighthouse India Fund IV AIF, the companies said in a joint press release on Wednesday. The funding will be utilised to build the brand and scale its retail presence. “The funding will facilitate investments in brand building, technology, people and retail expansion. We are thrilled to have Lighthouse as a partner in our journey. With their guidance and support, we hope to accelerate our growth, delighting consumers across the country,” said Manish Gulechha, co-founder of Kushal’s Retail. Kushal’s is the first investment by Lighthouse from its newly raised, fourth private equity fund. The retailer has earlier raised funds from India SME Investments followed by Motilal Oswal Private Equity (MOPE). The recent round also includes a secondary buy-out providing part exit to its first institutional investor In

The furniture retailer is looking at the next round of investment in India after exhausting its commitment of Rs 10,500 crore New Delhi: Swedish furniture retailer IKEA and Ingka Group CEO Jesper Brodin was in the national capital to look at the company’s upcoming projects in the Delhi-NCR region, as per a social media post by a company official. “Thank you for inspiring us these two days Jesper Brodin, looking at our upcoming projects in Delhi NCR, meeting our lovely co-workers and discussing how we can shape future opportunities together for IKEA in India,” said Susanne Pulverer, CEO & CSO, IKEA India in her LinkedIn post. “We also had the pleasure to meet the Hon’ble Swedish Ambassador to India Jan Thesleff and Team Sweden. Someone asked me if I had to ask for one thing Jesper, what would it be, and I said, “Come more often to India!”  You are a truly inspirational leader for us all,” added Pulverer. Ingka, the parent company of global furniture chain IKEA plans to launch I

This collaboration is set to focus on increasing conversions for merchants which sell high value goods online Bengaluru:  Fintech startup BharatX has partnered with the e-commerce logistics technology platform ClickPost, the companies said in a joint press release on Tuesday. This collaboration is set to focus on increasing conversions for merchants which sell high-value goods online. “With BharatX’s product, brands can provide a trustworthy credit option to their users by allowing them to White-Label BharatX’s credit platform as their own, similar to how large firms like Ola/Amazon have done with Amazon PayLater and Ola Postpaid,” said Mehul Jindal, co-founder of BharatX. “ClickPost’s expertise in the D2C space allows us to enable access to this option to a wider set of e-commerce merchants,” Mehul added. The synergy aims to provide a comprehensive, seamless shopping experience for consumers and is poised to set new benchmarks in e-commerce efficiency, customer satisfaction, and c

Pocket UPI allows users to make UPI payments through MobiKwik Wallet without linking their bank account New Delhi: MobiKwik has announced a new feature on its platform, ‘Pocket UPI’, which the fintech company said will enable users to have enhanced control over budgeting and finance management. Pocket UPI allows users to make UPI payments through MobiKwik Wallet without linking their bank account, thus giving more power in the hands of the users with an additional choice while they make UPI payments, according to a release. “ONE MOBIKWIK SYSTEMS LIMITED (MobiKwik)…introduced a new feature on its platform, ‘Pocket UPI’, that enables users to have enhanced control over budgeting and finance management,” the release said. Pocket UPI safeguards users from compromised transactions and financial fraud by transferring funds from the MobiKwik Wallet rather than their bank account, thus limiting exposure when making financial transactions, it said. The post MobiKwik introduces Pocket UPI

With brands and retailers  across categories reporting returns on investment ranging from 2%-10% from their digital ad spends, digital advertising is clicking for today’s businesses New Delhi: A whopping Rs 55,053 crore—that’s the total advertising revenues digital platforms like Google India, Meta India, Amazon India and Flipkart garnered in the financial year (FY) 2023 as per an Economic Times report. This surpassed the revenue earned by the TV broadcast industry in the calendar year 2023. Digital ads are becoming an imperative for retailers, especially in the e-commerce, D2C space, say retail experts. “No brand can afford not to run digital ads in today’s era since organic growth is slow and takes time and digital ads can get you immediate reach that every brand is looking for,” said Atul Jain, founder & chief executive officer (CEO), Cybez, which an e-commerce marketing and D2C growth hack company. And owing to the returns, the digital ad budgets are getting fatter by the

The collaboration aims to offer wellness products to serving women personnel New Delhi:  Gurugram-based personal hygiene and wellness brands Pee Safe has collaborated with the Indian Navy and Navy Welfare and Wellness Association (NWWA) to offer products for women’s hygiene to the serving women personnel, a release by the company said on Monday. This collaboration is part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed by the Indian Navy and NWWA with Pee Safe as part of the former’s wellness initiative for ‘Women in White, the release added. On the occasion of the 38th NWWA Diwas, Pee Safe kits were presented to all women officers and Agniveers posted in Delhi and the same is planned to be distributed in all commands. The kit consists of a Menstrual Cup, a Sterilizing Container, a Menstrual Cup Steam Sterilizer and a Menstrual Cup Wash. “Pee Safe considers it a great honour to provide essential feminine hygiene products to the Indian Naval Fraternity. Their dedication and

The event also awarded brands such as Rare Rabbit, Tommy Hilfiger Vero Moda, Mini Klub and United Colors of Benetton among others Bengaluru :  Being Human Clothing, a brand run by a charitable trust by Bollywood actor Salman Khan, has secured five awards at the India Fashion Forum 2024 held at the Hotel Conrad, Bengaluru on 21- 22 February. The accolades include Alizeh award in the apparel category, recognizing its marketing and promotion efforts. The brand’s celebrity-endorsed campaign, multimedia initiatives in the lifestyle segment and impactful social cause campaign were also lauded for their effectiveness. Moreover, the retailer was honored as the most admired brand for diversity and inclusivity, in addition to receiving the most admired ESG Initiative of the year award, underscoring its dedication to environmental, social, and governance principles. Being Human Clothing was founded in 2012 with the objective of furthering the interest of ‘Being Human – The Salman Khan Foundat

Through its smart vending machines, the Noida-based company is offering 24/7 convenience to customers, reach to over 200 brands and new business opportunities to entrepreneurs Workers at Reliance Industries Ltd.’s Jamnagar plant which is in the middle of nowhere never have to worry about getting food, irrespective of the hour. They can get traditional Gujarati savouries like theplas and khakras 24/7 at the touch of a button from any of the 120 machines installed on the premises. These smart machines by Daalchini Technologies were a saving grace for them during the lockdown. The Noida-based company enables 24/7 autonomous retail through smart stores, phygital kiosks and vending machines at manufacturing plants, ports and offices of Adani, Tata, BMW, Tech Mahindra, Wipro, Mercedes, and many others, alongside over 190 brands like Sleepy Owl, The Whole Truth Foods, and industry giants like Dabur, Nestle HUL, Nestle, Whirlpool and Aditya Birla Group. In just seven years since its incep

The report from CBRE South Asia states that the total retail stock in 14 tier-2 cities stood at 29 mn. sq. ft. as of September 2023 New Delhi: Nearly 35 major domestic and international retail brands entered 14 tier-2 cities in the January to September 2023 period, according to a report by the real estate consulting firm CBRE South Asia Pvt. Ltd. The 14 cities include Chandigarh, Jaipur, Indore, Goa, Mangaluru, Kochi, Lucknow, Patna, Ranchi, Guwahati, Bhubaneshwar, Vizag, Mysore, and Coimbatore. The report titled ‘Tier-II Cities: The Time to Shine’ shows that several domestic and international retail brands, including Croma, Armani Exchange, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Reliance Smart, Tanishq, H&M, Marks & Spencer, GAP, Starbucks, Pizza Express, Under Armour, among others, have expanded their retail footprint to tier-2 cities in the said period. According to the report, the total retail stock in these cities stood at 29 mn. sq. ft. as of September 2023, with Jaipur, Luck

A relatively new entrant in the online fashion & lifestyle space, Ajio has been growing at a phenomenal rate, adding 1.6 million customers just in the last quarter of FY2024 Launched in 2016, Ajio, the e-commerce platform by Reliance Retail challenges established players in the segment by positioning itself as a comprehensive fashion destination offering a wide range of clothing, footwear, accessories, and lifestyle products for men, women, and kids. Catering to diverse fashion preferences and price points, featuring both international and domestic brands as well as its private labels, Ajio has fast emerged as a leading player in the category with a growing customer base. In the first quarter of the financial year (FY) 2024, Ajio added 2 million new customers. In the fourth quarter of the FY, it added 1.6 million customers as per results announced by the company. The Ajio Advantage Over the years, Ajio’s strategy of linking multiple retail points has enabled customers to access

The company India ’s sole exporter to China and is planning to open 12 more showrooms in China solely for its products Bengaluru: Priti International finds its niche within the furniture domain and is anticipated to expand substantially with new offerings to the new-age consumers’ needs and wants by directly engaging with consumers and acquiring knowledge about their requirements, wishes, likes, and dislikes. Story of growth India is the world’s fifth largest furniture producer, with the industry expected to reach $37.72 billion by the end of 2026, growing at a double-digit CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 13.37 percent between 2020 and 2026. Hritesh Lohiya, founder and CFO, Priti International entered this market noticing the opportunity it held and how it had the potential to push its ideas to the right customer. In the early 2000s, he was failing at entrepreneurship and was unable to sustain any business for an extended period of time, from chemical manufacturing to stone-

Jatin Goel, Executive Director, Omaxe Ltd. about redefining the Chandni Chowk shopping experience, the group’s focus areas, plans and more New Delhi: Imagine a shopping mall in the bustling alley of Chandni Chowk, where the vibrant colours and rich heritage of Old Delhi converge with modern convenience and entertainment. Who could have thought amidst the maze of historic lanes and lively bazaars, rise a contemporary marvel – a state-of-the-art shopping mall, offering a panoramic view of the iconic Chandni Chowk?   Come March 2024, Omaxe Chowk, the upcoming retail infrastructure by Omaxe Group will be ready to offer the essence of Old Delhi—a timeless tapestry of culture, commerce, and community—with the marvel of modern retail. Spread over 1.11 million sq. ft. of exquisitely designed retail and atrium spaces, Omaxe Chowk is inspired by the architectural heritage of the Mughal and British eras. The project spreads over a vast 4.5 acres and seeks to redefine the retail and food ex

The brand has witnessed year-on-year revenue growth of 35.5% and its customers have grown by 47.2% year on year Bengaluru: In just a few years since its inception, Rosemoore has become a brand name to reckon with. Today, in the home fragrance and aroma category in India, it is one of the biggest brands with over 200 SKUs (stock-keeping units) and a retail presence in more than 29 states. Story of growth Ridhima Kansal started Rosemoore as a home aroma and fragrance brand in 2014. “I had worked with a few big retail companies following my MBA. After the job stint, I wished to start something of my own,” shares Kansal. Starting the brand, she continues, looked like a plausible idea because the home fragrance segment in India was still evolving back then. “There was limited awareness in the market and home aroma was perceived to be a luxury. Mostly, buyers would purchase products from high-end retail shops or duty-free stores”, explains Kansal. As there was an inherent demand for hom

The 150th Stovekraft store is located at Jayanagar, Bengaluru Bengaluru:  Kitchenware brand Stovekraft Ltd. has reached the milestone of 150 stores with the launch of its latest store in Bengaluru located at Jayanagar, the company said in a press release on Thursday. “We are thrilled at expanding the reach of our range of kitchen essentials closer to consumers across cities in both metro and non-metro areas. Through this effort, our focus is to create numerous job opportunities, support local talent, and contribute to the overall economic growth,” said Rajendra Gandhi, managing director, Stovekraft Ltd. After launching its retail operations in June 2022, the company grew its presence, reaching 100 stores by September 2023. Over the subsequent five months, it further expanded its retail footprint by 50 additional stores. Stovekraft stores offer over 1,000 products including gas stoves, chimneys, pressure cookers, cookware, and many small domestic appliances. The retailer has been c

The newly opened store is located on the second floor of the Select Citywalk New Delhi: Mumbai-based apparel and fashion brand Bombay Shirt Company has opened a new store at the Nexus Select Citywalk, Saket, Delhi, the mall’s social media handle wrote on Thursday. The newly opened store is located on the second floor of the mall. “Experience the epitome of custom-made mastery as The Bombay Shirt Company unveils its couture haven at Nexus Select Citywalk,” said Nexus Select Citywalk in a LinkedIn post. Bombay Shirt Company , founded in 2012 specialises in custom shirts for men, and women and e-commerce according to the details of its LinkedIn profile. The company has raised a funding of $8 million, the profile details added.  Its different brands include Bombay Shirt Company, Cityof, Korra and Pause. According to the company’s official website, it has its presence in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad,  Jaipur, and Pune with one store each, Bengaluru with three stores, Delhi-NCR with

The development comes at a time when RBI has ordered Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL) to stop accepting any money after March 15 for transactions. New Delhi: Fintech firm Google Pay Thursday announced the expansion of sound pods for merchants across India to be executed over the next few months. The company introduced Soundpods last year in India on a limited pilot scale. Like Paytm’s soundbox, Google Pay (GPay) soundpod is an audio notification service provided through a speaker device that alerts merchants after QR code payments. “Last year, we introduced our SoundPod product in a limited pilot – an audio device that helps merchants track QR code payments with audio alerts when a payment is received. Participating merchants have shared positive feedback, noting it reduces checkout time. We’re pleased to announce SoundPods will be available for small merchants across India over the coming months,” Ambarish Kenghe, Google Pay vice president for product, said in a blog post. The

From data analytics and chatbots to personalized content creation and data visualization, experts from Meta & YouTube among others discuss the transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence on the business of fashion at India Fashion Forum (IFF) 2024 Bengaluru: In the rapidly evolving fashion industry, transformative technology has become key to engaging consumers and driving purchases. With the help of AI-powered data, businesses can now precisely target shoppers in India’s tier 2 and 3 cities and thus maximize their market reach and impact. The substantial impact of two major players in this arena is evident: YouTube and Meta platforms. YouTube’s meteoric rise as the quintessential fashion destination is underscored by a staggering achievement of 5 billion views for fashion and clothing content in December 2023 alone. Similarly, insights into Meta platforms revealed a global monthly active user base of 3.8 billion and an astounding 2 billion individuals resharing reels daily