Pantaloon joins hands with international apparel brands

Pantaloon Retail has entered into a master franchisee agreement with Italian denim wear brand Replay of Fashion Box Group. Two standalone stores of Replay have been launched in Delhi. As revealed by Fashion Box Group director Brian Kreel, Future Group is taking care of the supply chain management of the company. Rakesh Biyani, CEO, Future Group says, “We are planning to invest 3 million USD on this project. The aim is to open 12 to 14 stand alone stores in the major metros in next three years.” Pantaloon Retail has signed a 50:50 joint venture agreement with French apparel firm Celio which is a premium mass market brand to retail products ranging from Rs.1,500 to Rs.3,000. The product seems to work as bridge between the mass market and high-end luxury segments. The company plans to invest 7 million USD to set up 60 stand alone stores in next three years in the major metros, tier I and tier II cities. The stores will encompass approximately 1800 – 2500 sq ft. Biyani says, “We can consider franchising as a mode of expansion for this project.”