Bharti Walmart, the joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and Walmart Stores for wholesale, business-to-business and cash-and-carry operations in India, has opened its first Best Price Modern Wholesale cash-and-carry store at Nidamanuru, National Highway-5 in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Spread over 53,000 sq.ft., the store will stock over 5,000 items, including a wide range of fresh, frozen and chilled foods, fruits and vegetables, dry groceries, personal and home care items, hotel and restaurant supplies, apparels, office supplies and other general merchandise items at wholesale prices.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajan Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Walmart, said: “We are delighted to expand our footprint to South India, which is a key market for us. It will be our endeavor to add value to the economy of the region, with Andhra Pradesh to begin with, by offering our customers a combination of great quality and prices. Also, Bharti Walmart will source a large number of products locally, thus providing momentum to the local industry and create direct and indirect employment opportunities.”
Raj Jain, Managing Director and CEO, Bharti Walmart, said: "Best Price Modern Wholesale cash-and-carry stores across India help kirana stores, small and medium businesses, hotels, restaurants and institutions save money, so they can pass the benefits to their consumers and help them live better." He said the company will also build community relationships.
The new outlet will also have a "Mera Kirana" program sharing best practices such as various aspects of using low-cost modern techniques and processes such as assortment planning, layout and fixtures, displays, backroom, licenses, safe food handling, customer retention and value added services with small and medium retailers.
The joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and Walmart to serve small retailers, manufacturers and farmers is expected to open 12 new wholesale cash-and-carry facilities and employ approximately 4,000 people by December 2011.
Currently, Best Price Modern Wholesale stores are present in Amritsar, Zirakpur, Jalandhar, Kota, Bhopal, Ludhiana, Raipur, Indore and Vijayawada. Bharti-Walmart plans to invest over USD 15 mn in Andhra Pradesh this year and impact lives of 25,000 women through multiple initiatives by 2016, it has already created more than 2,000 job-ready women in 3 years through Bharti Walmart Training Centres.
-IndiaRetailing Bureau
