Future Group to dress up homes

Retail giant Future Group is going to enter the home solutions market next, Group CEO Kishore Biyani today said in Bangalore. The company is planning to enter the home solutions market in a big way with an investment of about Rs 200 crore in the next six months.

Biyani said they were planning to open about nine 'Hometown' stores in the next six months. The nine stores would cover an area of about one million square feet.

Hometown stores are likely to be a one- stop shop for everything needed to set up a house and maintain it. While home furnishings and furniture will be a big part of the stores, the company is planning to open counters, which will also offer services like plumbing, masonary and painting .

He also said they were in talks with several builders like the Ansals, Unitech and Salarpuria to enter into partnerships. "We have not taken a final decision yet but we may tie up with these builders. We will offer services like setting up a kitchen in the homes they sell," Biyani said.

The company is also likely to offer financial services at these stores. "We will try to offer everything needed in homes. Our moto is 'Ab ghar banaana kitna asaan'," Biyani added.

He said the first Hometown store would come up in Noida in the next two months.

Biyani said that unlike other companies entering the retail space he was not looking at tying up with any global retail majors and would like to keep it 'desi'.