Retail News Update

Bharti Retail Ltd will start its retail venture next year from northern India but with small grocery stores (2-5000 sqft). The Company will stay clear of unfriendly states such as UP, Kerala, Orissa and West Bengal. Like a learning curve, this will be followed by medium and larger stores (30-50,000 sqft) and then a cash-n-carry hypermarkets (75-125,000 sqft) in a tie-up with Wal-Mart, according to retail head Rajan Mittal. The Wal-Mart hypermarket is being scheduled for Q3 next year with 15 in five years. The neighborhood store format will be headed by Dippankar Halder who was pinched from Wadhawan Food last month.