Finally, Mukesh Ambani-promoted Reliance Retail’s plans have started taking shape in the western region of the country including Mumbai and Gujarat. The company is all set to launch 30 ?Reliance Fresh? supermarkets by mid-August 2007 in phase-I in Mumbai. To start with, the company has recently bought 10 shops at Thakur Complex, Kandivali with a total area of 3,000 sq ft which is currently being renovated to launch `Reliance Fresh’ supermarket within a month. Similarly, the supermarket chain will be set up in Thane, Borivali, Kandivali, Ghatkopar, Nala Sopara, Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Chunabhatti each, apart from seven outlets in Vashi in Navi Mumbai. Reliance Retail officials told FE, ?Plans are on the anvil to launch 100 ?Reliance Fresh? supermarkets in Mumbai by 2007-end.? Besides, a senior Reliance Industries (RIL) Ltd official added, ?We are likely to open 220 Reliance Fresh retail outlets spread around 25 districts in Gujarat along with hypermarket and multiplexes. This is would be the first of its kind in the state.?
Currently, there are 226 ?Reliance Fresh? supermarkets spread across 11 states. He said ?With our expansion plans, the total number of the supermarkets will reach 500 .?
