Spencer's keen to market UP products

Spencer's, part of the Rs 11,300-crore RPG Group, is keen to offer well-known products from Uttar Pradesh all across the country, using its chain of super and hyper stores.

"There is substantial demand for the famous carpets from Bhadhoi and the basmati rice grown in eastern Uttar Pradesh. We plan to popularise the local products of the state across the country and also offer specialties of other states to the people here," said Sanjiv Goenka, vice-chairman, RPG Enterprises.

RPG Enterprises today opened the first Spencer's hyper store in Lucknow. This is the fifth Spencer's store in the city. Under the different formats of express, daily, super and hyper stores, the company will be opening 75 more stores in Uttar Pradesh this fiscal, with an investment of about Rs 100 crore.

"With stores already functional in Noida, Meerut and Ghaziabad, more stores will be opened in Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Bareily, Saharanpur and Agra," added Goenka.

Goenka also said RPG's retail outlets were expected to grow to 2,000 stores by 2009 and 5,000 by 2011 with a total investment of around Rs 1,200 crore.

The latest hyper store at Lucknow, spread across 40,000 square feet, offers 25,000 products from groceries, fresh fruits and vegetables to processed foods and personal care products. Apart from this, there will be garments, electronic goods, home care products, toys and home decor.

Spencer's hyper stores are present in New Delhi, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Jaipur, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Vizag, Aurangabad and Durgapur.

"We do source vegetables from Agra," said Sumantra Banerjee, president and chief executive officer, RPG Retail.

RPG Retail, the pioneer of the modern retail formats in the country, has opened 200 Spencer's outlets with 11 hyper markets, 6 super markets, 3 fresh, 40 express and 140 dailies across 40 cities. Spencer's currently has a national consumer base of over 35 million people.