Trent to enter foods business

Mumbai: Trent Ltd, a retail venture owned by the Tatas, is planning to foray into the food business. The Tata Strategic Management Group has chalked out a detailed plan for its proposed foray into the new business.

Says Trent general manager (marketing) Himanshu Chakrawarti: "We have reached the final stage and have short-listed a number of segments for the foray." He, however, is reluctant to divulge more details on the development. Trent sources say the stores will be on the pattern of service supermarkets, selling food and non-food items, including wet groceries.

The new project will entail an estimated investment of up to Rs 40 crore over a five-year period. Trent has already established a name in the lifestyle retail business with its Westside stores. Trent has already established 13 Westside departmental stores each, in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, New Delhi and Kolkata.

Adds Chakrawarti: "We are in the process of consolidating and expanding our Westside retail network in the country. We have just opened our new Westside outlet in Mulund [a Mumbai borough] and a couple of similar outlets will be opened soon." During the current fiscal, Trent has invested around Rs 94 to set up retail outlets.