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Debdatta Das

Forms joint ventures with Manipal Group, Talwalkars

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New Delhi Feb. 6 Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd (PRIL) is opening niche healthcare clinics and gymnasiums across the country, under the wellness segment.

To foray into the segment, Pantaloon has entered into joint ventures for both its clinic and gymnasium initiatives, there by creating new entities to run the two businesses.

"For our niche healthcare clinics, we have a joint venture with the Manipal Group, and the entity is called Manipal Cure and Care. Whereas for our gymnasiums, we have entered into a joint venture with the Talwalkars, and the company is Talwalkar Pantaloon Retail Ltd," said Mr Rahul Bhalchandra, Category Head, Wellness Segment, PRIL.

While both Manipal and the Talwalkars will be providing their expertise in running the respective outlets, Pantaloon will help out in real estate matters. "Though as a company our outlook is to create new ways of reaching out to the consumer, we prefer to tie up with experts in the field to provide better services," said Mr Bhalchandra.

He added, "Even under the health clinics, we are piloting two-three different models. We are planning diabetic and diet clinics that will advise clients on their diet and related problems and render services to diabetic patients. We also plan to open an ophthalmologic clinic that would give advice on eye care. These outlets won't be the regular clinics and will be located in malls." The clinics will be of around 2,000 sq ft-8,000 sq ft.

On the gyms, Mr Bhalchandra said that the company plans to open around 50 to 60 outlets of around 5,000 sq ft- 6,000 sq ft in the next three years in malls. PRIL also plans to open around 400 outlets of its beauty format Star and Sitara and its shop-in-shop pharmacy outlets that are present at most Big Bazaar outlets. "We do plan to hive-off the pharmacy format as standalone outlets in the future," Mr Bhalchandra added.

Through these initiatives in the wellness segment, PRIL targets a turnover of around Rs 100 crore in the first year of the segment's existence.

More Stories on : Retailing | Diversification | Health

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