Reliance Industries retail chain now largest in India

With 1,000 stores, Reliance Digital is now the biggest consumer durables and electronics chain

Reliance Retail is not just the largest retailer in terms of revenues, but is also the biggest in most of the categories it operates in. With 1,000 stores, Reliance Digital has become the largest consumer durables and electronics retail chain in the country. Tata-owned Croma runs 97 stores while Videocon’s durables chain, Next, owns about 800 stores. Reliance Industries gave out its retail figures in the financial results for the quarter ended March 2015 on Friday.

Reliance Digital Xpress Mini at more than 800 stores is now the largest mobile phone retail chain in the country. Essar-owned The Mobile Store runs over 800 stores in the country.

Reliance Retail has a clear lead when it comes to cash and carry stores. Started four years ago, Reliance operates 43 such outlets called Reliance Market stores. Set up seven years ago, US-based Walmart runs 20 stores and Germany’s

Metro, which had started more than 10 years ago, operates 17 outlets.

Reliance Market has 1.5 million registered members, with stores across India. Reliance is also the biggest in department stores. The 200 stores of Reliance Trends sell 1,50,000 garments daily, making it the largest fashion retailer in the country.

Rahejas-owned Shoppers Stop runs about 75 stores while Aditya Birla owned Pantaloons has more than 100 outlets.

Its footwear chain, Reliance Footprint, operates 200 stores across 100 cities. As on March 31, it operated 2,621 stores across 200 cities, with 12.5 million sq ft space.

While Future Group runs over 317 stores, Bharti Retail operates another 215. Future and Bharti are learnt to be in talks to merge their retail business in the face of growing competition.

Reliance Industries had in 2013 given a five-year projection for growth in the number of employees in its retail operations. From 35,000, Reliance Retail aimed at growing the employee number to 1,20,000 by 2018.

RETAIL PUSH

• Reliance is also the biggest in department stores. There are currently 200 stores of Reliance Trends that sell 1,50,000 garments daily
  

 

Reliance Retail has a clear lead when it comes to cash and carry stores. Currently, it operates 43 such outlets called Reliance Market stores
 

Its footwear chain, Reliance Footprint, operates 200 stores across 100 cities. As on March 31, it operated 2,621 stores in 200 cities