The Bombay Store to set up e-store

One of the country's oldest retail chains, The Bombay Store is planning to take the online route to reach out to consumers all over the country. Asim Dalal, Managing Director, The Bombay Store said that the company is in the process of launching an E-Store for its store label The Elephant Company. Launched last year, The Elephant Company currently retails a range of home and personal products like mugs, umbrellas and cushion covers under this brand. "Over the next three-six months, we will expand The Elephant Company brand and set up shop-in-shops, as well as boost its online presence," said Dalal. While at present the contribution of the online business to sales is negligible, Dalal has plans to scale this up. The company recently launched a range of YRF ( Yash Raj Films) branded merchandise, and over time, the plan is to start retailing that online as well.

The stores are present primarily in Mumbai and Pune, with the company gradually expanding to Goa, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Given its restricted presence, setting up an online presence to tap into customers all over the country makes sense.In addition to expanding The Elephant Company brand, the company will also be adding more outlets over the next year. The plan is to add 3-4 stores this year to the existing 12. The company posted a topline of Rs28.5crore for 2011-12 and hopes to close this year at about Rs 36cr.

The Bombay Store came into existence as Bombay Swadeshi Co-op Stores in 1906 and was the first retail organisation to be listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. It was rebranded in 1995 to cater to a more contemporary shopper.