Kicking off its expansion drive, Delhi-based premium frozen yoghurt chain Cocoberry has opened five new stores; four of these have come up in tie-ups with Fortis Healthcare, one of the leading chains of private hospitals, and multiplex chain DT Cinemas. “We are excited to continue our growth in India. Apart from tying up with companies such as Fortis Healthcare and DT Cinemas, we are aggressively exploring the franchise route,” says G S Bhalla, founder and CEO, Cocoberry. In the initial ph

Branded jewellery company Gitanjali Gems Ltd has reported a 42.8 per cent increase in net sales at Rs.2,509.71 crore for the quarter ended September 30, 2010, as compared to Rs.1,757.7 crore in the corresponding quarter last fiscal. For the quarter under review, the group also registered a 52 per cent increase in net profit at Rs.80.04 crore, against Rs.52.74 crore reported in the same quarter of last fiscal year. Commenting on the company performance, Mehul Choksi, MD, Gitanjali Gems Ltd, sa

Microsoft India has announced the launch of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, the cloud version of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 that delivers new levels of productivity to sales, service and marketing organisations. To meet the requirements of Indian customers, the Hindi version of the application has also been introduced. The on-premises and partner-hosted versions of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 will be globally available on February 28. “With cloud computing becoming increasingly popular in

Fitness First, the UK-based health club chain which made its debut in India around two years ago, plans to expand to 50 stores in the next five years. The company currently has four health clubs in India – one each in Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai and Bangalore. Speaking exclusively to IndiaRetailing, Vikram Aditya Bhatia, MD, Fitness First India, said, “The demography of India and growing disposable income of people work wonders for our business in the country.” Stressing that the Indian market

Cosmetics and toiletries brand The Body Shop (TBS) has expanded its footprint in Madhya Pradesh by opening a store at DB Mall in Bhopal – its second in the state. The brand also has an outlet at Treasure Island Mall in Indore. An official communique said over the next few months, The Body Shop was planning to open more stores in tier II and III cities across the country. The brand, which promises to offer naturally inspired and ethically produced products, operates more than 2,500 stores i

Going ahead with its pan-India expansion plans, Talwalkars Better Value Fitness Ltd has recently launched its health clubs in Gwalior, Ghaziabad and Jamnagar. With these launches, Talwalkars has spread its reach to 41 cities with over 79 gyms. “We are extremely happy to open our health clubs in these cities. All three cities are upcoming commercial and residential hubs, and we anticipate spreading fitness to more such centres where we see huge potential and latent demand,” said CEO Prashant T

Iconic restaurant chain Le Cirque has partnered with the Leela Group to open its first restaurant in Asia. The restaurant will come up on the 10th floor of The Leela Palace, New Delhi this year. With a total of 140 covers, it will offer a wine lounge, an extensively stocked bar and three cuisines. Confirming the partnership with Le Cique, a press release issued by the Leela Palace, New Delhi said Le Cirque's high-end dining experience will offer guests a whole new variety of culinary festivit

RPG Group-promoted Spencer's Retail plans to increase its presence through large-format stores. The retailer will open 20-25 new hypermarkets, besides a few small neighbourhood stores, by March 2012. "We plan to add an area of around six lakh sq.ft by March 2012 with a focus on large-format stores. These stores will have an area of around 20,000 sq.ft each, while the size of smaller stores will depend on the location. The total expansion plan would mean an investment of Rs.100 crore. We are l

Commencing the new year on a green note, Haier, one of the largest home appliances and consumer electronics brands, has recently announced its green initiative – 'Eco Life' – in India. The initiative is part of its global rebranding exercise aimed at designing smart products which not only meet customer needs, but also adhere to environmental norms. Looking at an aggressive multi-fold growth with an emphasis on technology, quality, innovation, value and services penetration, Haier is aggressi

Godrej Nature's Basket, the food retailing format of Godrej Agrovet Ltd, has no immediate plans to raise money through private equity. "Godrej Nature's Basket is not considering any transactions currently," a company source told IndiaRetailing. Earlier, media reports had said the gourmet store chain was planning to raise money through private equity for its southern operations. Nature's Basket currently has 11 company owned and company operated stores - eight in Mumbai and three in Delhi-