IndiaRetailBiz

Tatas are taking yet another plunge in retail, though with a difference!

The new retail initiative of the ’steel to software’ conglomerate is not based on the usual brick and mortar business model, but it’s a mouse and click project that proposes to sell the products manufactured by various group companies via internet.

Tatas, according to a top official of the group, are planning to set up an “Electronic Mall” in the next two months.

“We are in the process of doing that. A team of ours is developing the project. This is going to start in the next two months,” said a top Tata Group official.

The proposed e-mall of the group, apart from offering the convenience of shopping in the comfort of customers’ homes, will allow them to save on both time and effort required on physical shopping of the products needed by them.

Tata group, which operates two pure-play retail ventures via group companies Trent Ltd (Westside, Star Bazaar, Landmark retail chains) and Infiniti Retail Ltd (Croma retail chain). The group’s precision engineering consumer products like wrist watches, gold jewellery, and eyewear products are also sold through retail chains operated by Titan Ltd, a group company, under the brand names of Titan, Fastrack, Tanishq, and Eye+, among others. The group is also trying to promote business of beverages (Tata Tea, Himalayan Natural Water, etc) through retail chains.

Recently, Tatas had roped in services of their Westside, Croma, and Star Bazaar retail chains to display and promote registration of the world’s cheapest cars being manufactured by the group under the brand name of ‘Nano.’

The group has also tied up with the world’s third largest retailer Tesco plc of UK, to extend the reach of its hypermarket stores format promoted under the brand name of Star Bazaar. The group is planning to set up 50 new Star Bazaars across the country with the assistance of the British retail giant.