hapter Two of the retail boom is unfolding. Organised retail chains are trying to specialise and draw consumers by routes other than the regular one of plain discounting. After creating the first of its kind shopping-cum-entertainment mega store in Mumbai, Crossroads, the Piramyd Group has now carved out stand-alone superstores (1,500-10,000 square feet) called TRU Mart and TRU Mart Daily. Present in Pune (four outlets) Mumbai (two, with another coming up shortly) and Nagpur (one), the chain is owned by Piramyd Retail, an entity that was created recently.

What is striking about the new venture is the lengths to which the company has gone to synchronize everything, from the brand logo to store design and the uniform of attendants. "After the success of Piramyd superstores at Crossroads in Pune, we ran a pilot project and floated Piramyd Superstore, a stand-alone. Through that we realized that there is a lot of potential," says Bipin Piram, chief operating officer, Piramyd Retail. However, since it needed a different brand experience altogether, the company hired DMA, the branding division of the Alia Group.... more