Reliance Retail brings Hamleys

Reliance Retail today announced the launch of an exclusive pan-India franchise arrangement with UK-based Hamleys. It is set to open two flagship stores in Mumbai and New Delhi in 2009. This will be followed by a regional expansion, across India over the next few years. By 2016, 20 stores will be opened with an investment of Rs 125 crore.

While the Reliance Retail will pump in the money, Hamleys will do value addition to the stores, which are expected to open by April next year. The stores would be of two kinds8211;flagship stores and regional stores. The flagship stores would be set up in Mumbai and Delhi by 2009, while the remaining stores would be set up in Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Pune, among other places. The UK-based entity would design the stores and train personnel for which Reliance would pay a royalty.