Forbes Middle East

Tablez: Taking A Pie Of The Indian Retail Sector

Tablez, the organized retail arm is fast growing to become one of the leading retail operators in India, introducin­g brands as varied as Toys R Us, GO Sports, Yoyoso and more.

-

There is a growing demand for internatio­nal fashion brands, apparels, sporting goods and toys for both infants and kids in India. The advent of internet retailing has also allowed this sector to reach out to a larger audience and Indian consumers have welcomed this move.

Taking into account these factors, India could be one of the world’s largest retail markets in the coming few years, with increased spending on retail brands, brand awareness, and supply side getting stronger and more players coming into the market giving consumers better choice. With higher disposable income in the hands of consumers, this market is set for a good growth curve in India.

Tablez, the company synonymous in the UAE with popular F&B brands like Bloomsbury’s, Galito’s, Famous Dave’s and Peppermill has made inroads in India with a spate of new stores in the fast-growing retail sectors of fashion, lifestyle, toys, sports and juvenile products. Leading the charge from the front for Tablez is Adeeb Ahamed, its Managing Director.

“Our overall business is in an exponentia­l growth phase currently and we expect it to break even at store operations level over the coming two years. This would vary from one category to the other since we operate stores in various categories,” says Adeeb.

Adeeb plans to fuel the growth of Tablez by deploying $75 million over the next two years to scale their retail stores, enhance people building capacity, create backend infrastruc­ture and marketing for brands including Cold Stone Creamery, GO Sports, Toys R Us and Yoyoso, among others.

“We plan to exit the year with nearly 70 stores and we would be scaling up with fresh investment­s over the next five years to arrive at a portfolio of 300+ stores,” adds Adeeb.

According to the India Brand Equity Foundation, the retail market in India is projected to grow from an estimated $672 billion in 2017 to $1,200 billion by 2021. Furthermor­e, the Department of Industrial Policies and Promotion (DIPP) has noted that the Indian retail trading has received Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflows totalling $1.66 billion from April 2000 to March 2019.

Adeeb is betting big on the Indian retail scene and believes there is great opportunit­y for bringing more internatio­nal brands into the country.

“When evaluating the possibilit­y of bringing concepts under our umbrella we consider a number of key criteria. These include a strong desire for the brand’s offering in the market, the presence of consumers who appreciate the product, as well as the track record of the franchisor being focused on quality offerings. Once we we’ve ticked those boxes it allows us to bring the brand to the local market.”

The growth story of Tablez is evident, with nearly 45 stores now present across India, with new stores being opened every month.

“The customer response has been phenomenal from across our brands in India, and we continue to see it with every new store opening. Toys ‘R’ Us, Cold Stone Creamery, Build-ABear and GO Sport in particular have been quite successful, with the Indian consumer experienci­ng such a brand format for the first time.”

The long-term outlook for the retail industry looks positive, supported by rising incomes, favourable demographi­cs, entry of foreign players, and increasing urbanisati­on. With expansion plans in place, Tablez is heading out to key cities in India and would have a presence in all the metros by end of this year.

“This year we are looking to open new outlets in Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Delhi & NCR, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kochi and Trivandrum. We are also selectivel­y looking at expansion in some Tier II / III markets if the opportunit­ies are right,” concludes Adeeb.

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Arab Emirates