ABRL to focus on private labels

Aditya Birla Retail said that the company has chalked out a plan to concentrate on its private labels business and is looking to introduce its own branded consumer durables and electronics products by 2012.

The company is aiming to increase the share of private labels in its total sales to 30 per cent within two to three years, from around 20 per cent currently.

Aditya Birla Retail Ltd Chief Executive Officer Thomas Varghese said that the company’s strategy is to focus more on private labels as they give more margins and also increase brand profile.

Varghese said ABRL is exploring the consumer durables and electronics segments for launching its own private labels. However, it will take some time and possibly by early 2012, and will launch once the company has at least 15-16 of large format More Hypermarts.

The company will look at all categories of consumer durables, including televisions, coolers and refrigerators.

ABRL currently sells a range of private labels catering to various segments, including FMCG, apparels and footwear. Among its major in-house brands are More (staples), Blue Earth (apparels), True (footwear), Feasters (food based items), Kitchen's Promise (ready-to-eat) and Enriche (soaps and conditioners).