Pressto, the express dry-cleaning chain from Spain, will announce its India entry by opening four shops in Mumbai by March 2008.
“We plan to establish a few company-owned stores before expanding through the franchise route. India could be our biggest market. We would love to expand rapidly but real estate lease costs are very high here,” Esther Lennaerts, executive chairperson, Pressto, said in a statement.
Announcing future plans, Lennaerts informed that the company will soon launch a network of stores that will offer dry-clean, laundry and other specialised services in New Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
At present, Pressto operates around 600 shops in 15 countries.
Citing reasons for choosing India as their new ground of operations, Lennaerts said, “India has an amazing range of textiles, but these do not have wash-and-care instructions. This results in damaged garments. We want to change the way this business is done in India.”
With an initial investment of Rs 23 crore, Pressto plans to offer Indian customers the choice of pick-up or home delivery services. It also plans to set up outlets in malls and crowded neighbourhoods.
The company also plans to train people in this trade, and is already in the process of recruiting and training people to treat garments peculiar to the Indian market.
