Bharti commences retail operations from Ludhiana with ‘EasyDay’, sans Wal-Mart

New Delhi: Bharti Enterprises subsidiary Bharti Retail Limited has commenced its much talked-about retail operations.

Choosing to start from Ludhiana, Punjab, the company set its retail ball rolling with a neighbourhood format shop, 'EasyDay.' The store is meant to be a one-stop shop for a family's day-to-day requirements, stocking a wide product range, good quality products and providing for a great in-store experience and service.

This retail endeavour does not include participation of Bharti's proposed joint venture partner WalMart. That joint venture, where Wal-Mart is to provide back end supply chain and logistics support, is speculated to commence its cash and carry (wholesale) business sometime in the third quarter of 2008, eventually opening around 15 centres over seven years.

Bharti's EasyDay stores will employ people from local communities in Ludhiana, who have been given intensive and structured training by Bharti Academy of Retail, which has been set up by Bharti Retail Limited. Around 1,800 people have been trained by the academy so far. Bharti has set up three stores in Ludhiana.

Easy Day shops will vary between 2,500 to 4,500 sq ft, and will sell stationery, household articles, hosiery items, daily-need groceries including staples, processed foods, bakery and dairy products, meat and poultry and fresh produce among others, according to a company statement. The company has also hired local meat sellers, fruits and vegetable vendors, housewives, retired staff, rural population, and the physically-challenged in its operations, the statement said.
 
According to company sources, though the number of EasyDay stores remains somewhat of a mystery, the company's plans are to launch the retail venture across most major towns and cities in India. After the rollout of the neighbourhood format, next on Bharti's agenda are the supermarket and hypermarket formats.

Bharti has announced plans for investing Rs10,000 crore for setting up stores across the country by 2012 to the tune of 10 million square feet of retail space, and employing around 60,000 people.