Westside to expand to Tier II, III cities

New Delhi, May 22 (UNI) Tata's leading chain of retail stores Westside today said it plans to expand its reach to the Tier II and III cities through the franchise route to cover 37 cities.

''We believe that there is a huge business potential in Tier II and III markets. Consumers in these cities are well informed but do not have any access to fashionable apparel,'' said Trent Ltd Head (Marketing) Neeti Chopra.

It has identified cities on the basis of investment potential of the business community, consumption trends and spending potential of the consumers.

The target includes cities of Allahabad, Patna, Guwahati, Dehra Dun, Madurai, Kolhapur, Jammu, Bareilly, Aligarh, Kochi, Puducherry, Thiruvananthapuram and Salem.

''The stores will be spread across 8,000-12,000 sq ft and will be set up with an initial investment of Rs 1.5-2 crore and is inviting franchise proposals from the prospective franchisees of the short listed cities,'' she added.

During the set up period, Westside will help the franchisees in the recruitment of staff, give marketing and promotion support to boost sales, replenishment of the stock, IT and merchandise support and project assistance for the store fit out.

Westside will also invest in training the franchisees and the store workforce.

UNI SR AK HS1937