Chapter 2 • Trends in Retailing | 35
Case Study: Reliance Retail – Setting New Retail Trends in India
With its foray into organised retail, Reliance aims Reliance Retail also started its loyalty programme
to forge strong and enduring bonds with millions for customers by introducing the ‘RelianceOne’
of people in India and take its relationship with membership card from the first day of operations
end-consumers to a new level. Reliance Retail is in Hyderabad. The loyalty programme has millions
undoubtedly creating a virtuous circle of prosper- of members enrolled and it is growing at a rapid
ity by creating win-win partnership for all stake- rate. The RelianceOne card doubles up as a pre-
holders especially producers and consumers. This paid wallet in terms of functionality in addition to
idea has been evolved based on the new paradigm being a regular loyalty card that is sued to ‘earn’
in the area of the consumption of products and and ‘burn’ points.
services in India. Reliance currently has over 3300 Today Reliance Retail is a veritable retail force
stores in various formats spread across 13 million in India, with its retail footprint covered across
square feet in around 210 cities and towns in the whole country. Value for Money is the posi-
India. By the achievement of a total revenue of tioning platform of all the Reliance retail formats.
` 216 billion in the financial year 2015-16, Reliance Each format tries to be a leader in the respective
Retail has emerged as the largest retailer of India. category. Reliance Digital aspires to be a one-stop
Reliance Fresh, Reliance Digital, Reliance solution provider for all technology requirements
Timeout, Reliance Footprint, Reliance Trends, with a wide array of brands and products covering
Reliance Living, Reliance Jewels, Reliance Mart, consumer electronics, home appliances, informa-
AJIO (e-commerce), Vision Express, etc. are some tion technology and telecommunication. Reliance
of the key formats of Reliance Retail. The com- Mart that began as a hypermarket in Ahmedabad
pany is said to have expended over ` 25,000 crores is currently spread in many cities and towns where
(US$ 5.6 billion) in the last few years to build merchandise is available at very customer friendly
state-of-the-art retail infrastructure in India. It has price points. Reliance Mart is said to carry a range
followed a multi-format strategy by opening up of over 95,000 products across categories rang-
hypermarkets, supermarkets, seamless malls/ ing from fresh produce, food & grocery, home
department stores, convenience stores and other care products, apparel and accessories, non-food
specialty stores across India covering major towns FMCG products, consumer durables and IT, auto-
and cities. Continuing this effort, Reliance Retail motive accessories, lifestyle products, footwear
is expected to create over 500,000 jobs through and more. The store also offers some unique ser-
direct employment and over a million through vices to the shoppers like tailoring, shoe repair,
indirect employment before the turn of this watch repair, a photo shop, gifting services and
decade. The Company is poised to unfold a new laundry services all within the store. The store
and expansive chapter in India’s growth story. network continues to expand at a rapid pace.
Reliance Retail entered the organised retail market Apart from these formats, Reliance has launched
in India with the launch of its convenience store its online retailing initiative ajio.com, which sells
format under the brand name of ‘Reliance Fresh’. a wide range of merchandise in categories like
Since the launch of the first Reliance Fresh store apparel, accessories, digital, etc. A unique cate-
in November 2006 in Hyderabad, the network gory called INDIE differentiates Reliance Retail’s
has expanded considerably covering almost the online business as it promotes the merchandise
whole of India now. During the year 2007, Reliance creations of artisans from across all corners of
launched their B2B operations called Ranger Farms India and the World.
to cater to small retailers in Hyderabad. They also Reliance Retail is poised to grow from strength
introduced their private label in the staples cat- to strength in future.
egory under the ‘Reliance Select’ brand name.
