HyperCity to focus on private labels

Mumbai, Feb 6 (PTI) K Raheja-promoted hypermarketchain HyperCity, though bullish on its current model ofbusiness, is focusing on expanding its private labels thisyear, that will help the company up sales and boost margins, atop company official has said.

The company, expecting to break-even by FY 13, hopesto add more private brands to its portfolio and have at least17-18 stores by then mostly in the tier I and II cities suchas Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ludhiana.

"We are focusing on adding more private brands thisyear. This will definitely increase sales volumes and help usattain better margins. We will have more brands in apparelsand consumer goods as they always fetch good margins than thefood and grocery items," HyperCity CEO Mark Ashman told PTI.

Currently, HyperCity, positioned as a premium and high-end player among all modern retailers, sells private brandssuch as Fresh Basket (bakery), Everyday (range of cereals andpulses), Terzo (homecare), Ebano (home essentials), Avorio(lifestyle), Maxit (sports equipment), RiverInc (apparels) andJooJoobs (infant wear).

"The plan is to focus more on apparels, especiallykids wear. We hope to increase the kids wear range frompresent 50 per cent to 75 per cent," he said, adding that forthe company quality is more critical than pricing.

HyperCity, a unit of BSE-listed Shopppers Stop,currently runs eight stores and will add five more in the nextfiscal, Ashman said, adding the company would turn profitableby FY 13 on the back of a product mix in non-food items.

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