Shoppers Stop to spread retail, plans to open more stores this year

Shoppers Stop is focusing on retail expansion. The company runs a fashion chain, a bookstore chain and a luxury beauty store. Together, it operates over 300 stores in 50 cities across India. This year the plan is to open 50 new locations and have 12 department stores. Crosswords the bookstore chain, is going to design new store concepts to cater to the needs of children. The Shoppers Stop umbrella owns over 80 Crosswords outlets. Crossword has come up with a three-year strategy and the next step is expansion.

The country’s oldest department store has upgraded its internal systems and omni-channel systems and has invested in virtual trial rooms. This technology reduces the hassle of waiting outside a trial room on busy days. For the third quarter, Shoppers Stop’s loyalty program contributed 84 per cent of its revenues, up five per cent from the previous-year period. As part of its revamp plan, the company has decided to relaunch the loyalty program with more benefits. A personal shopper service currently contributes 14 per cent to Shoppers Stop’s sales.

Despite the challenges, the chain has an edge in terms of experience in the retail industry, which has helped it stay relevant in modern times.