Hasbro to ramp up presence in tier II cities

Hasbro Clothing Pvt Ltd expects to ramp up its presence in tier II cities by setting up stores in Salem, Madurai and Kozikhode by May 2006. Hasbro, which owns the brands - Gensis and Basics, currently has 10 stores in tier II cities and the other 13 stores are in Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Addressing a press conference on the launch of its seventh store in Chennai, Suhail Sattar, director, Hasbro, said that the company would open two more stores in Chennai, one store each in Salem, Madurai and Kozikhode, involving a total investment of Rs 1.5 crore. Hasbro expects to fund its expansion plans through internal accruals, he added.

Sattar said that the company would also expand to the men's inner wear segment. He pointed out that being present in shopping malls was relevant as the customer gets the choice of purchasing Gensis and Basics brands from 400 multi-brand outlets.

The company has two plants, one each in Bangalore and in Chennai, with a combined manufacturing capacity of 6 lakh garments a year. While the Chennai unit manufactures shirts, the plant in Bangalore produces trousers.