IndiaRetailBiz

Sanjay Dalmia, Chairman of the contry’s leading soda ash manufacturing company, GHCL, is working on an ambitious retail plan to become one of the top retailers in the world.

Unperturbed by the global economic slowdown and consequent effect on retail business, Sanjay Dalmia, is going ahead with a plan to expand his UK-based home textiles retail chain Rosebys globally. Rosebys, the financially stressed UK-based retail chain, was acquired by Dalmia, over two years ago in 2006, for US$45 million.

With Rosebys acquisaition, GHCL became the world’s only integrated home textiles company with presence across spinning, weaving, product design & development, sourcing and distribution to retail stores at a global level. Even at the time of taking over Rosebys, Dalmia had made his vision clear, saying, “This acquisition provides us with an ideal opportunity to leverage Rosebys’s established platform across the EU markets and a renowned global brand in order to make GHCL one of the dominant player in the Home textile space globally.”

Now, Dalmia sees retail business via Rosebys as the engine for his group’s future growth.

“Going ahead, the growth engine for my business will be retail. We have already started in India and this year would start expanding across the world,” said Mr Dalmia, who wants to see Rosebys become a global retail chain with a turnover of $200 billion (Rs 10,000 crore) in the next five years.

“In five years time, I want Rosebys to be present almost in all the countries in the world… My target is to achieve a turnover of $200 billion (Rs 10,00,000 crore) and become one of the top retailers globally,” said Dalmia in an interview (PTI).

Interestingly, the group’s present turnover is about a mere Rs 2,000- 2,500 crore ($400-500 million). However, justifying the ambitious growth plan, Dalmia said, “You need to be ambitious… you have to think big, if you want to grow big.”

Rosebys kicked off its retail roll-out in India last October with plans to set up 650 exclusive stores by 2012. It has roped in Bollywood actor Soha Ali Khan as its brand ambassador. Rosebys is planning to penetrate the estimated Rs 10,000 crore Indian decor market using the franchise route with 600-1,200 sq ft stores in all metros and Tier-I and II cities.