Strand plans expansion in Punjab

Chandigarh-based beauty retail chain Strand plans to open 10 new outlets by the end of this financial year.

The brand has five outlets, of which three are located in Chandigarh and one each at Patiala and Panipat.

Launched by Naunihal Singh, a local entrepreneur, two years ago, Strand plans to roll out new outlets at Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Bhatinda, Ambala, Karnal, Sirsa, Hisar, Dehradun and Shimla. Singh said the new outlets would either be franchise based or joint venture, with minority stake of the owner of the brand.

Singh who worked in beauty industry in various capacities for ten years, was inspired by the success of the big players in the beauty business in Punjab. Singh has tied up with 'Arush', a local brand in Cochin, to run Strand in Cochin. The company expects to have about 50 saloons by March 2009 across India.

The company has its training institute Clara International (a tie up with a Malaysian academy) to train people. According to Singh, they trained 70 people last year and would train 200 persons in this year, through one year and short-term courses.

He added that having its in-house training academy was a major factor that has helped in expansion. Singh expects to clock in a turnover of Rs 15 crore after the consolidation by March 2009.

He is also scouting overseas markets to set his foot in foreign locations to give the brand a global identity.