Gautier ties up with Ebony for furniture retail in India

Kolkata: French furniture giant Gautier has announced a partnership with retail chain Ebony, the retail arm of the DS Group, under which it will set up home décor stores. Previously, KK Birla Group Company Zuari Industries was the Indian partner, retailing furniture under Gautier’s brand name. That association came to an end quite some time ago, and Zuari now retails furniture independently under its own brand name. The new joint venture company will be called Ebony Gautier. Ebony Gautier will set up exclusive home decor stores, involving investments of around Rs120 crore over the next two years. Reportedly, the plan is to set up around 20 stores, which will admeasure between 20,000 to 40,000 square ft, mostly in north and west India. The product line will include contemporary furniture, furnishing and home decor products. For the joint venture, the French furniture maker will provide expertise and products, where as Ebony will invest financially into the venture, besides providing the retail expertise. Reports also indicate a national presence for the joint venture at a later stage, basis a greater involvement of the French player in case the FDI regulations in retail are relaxed further. The company has launched its first store in Delhi’s suburb Noida, and is looking at servicing customers seeking style and affordable prices in their furniture shopping. According to the company, there’s a clear “vacant market slot” and a clear opportunity to market contemporary-styled branded furniture, such as Gautier’s range which is benchmarked internationally for design and quality, and yet provides good value. Gautier has a wide range of furniture products retailing at 300 stores across more than 50 countries, with worldwide sales in excess of €160 million. The company has three manufacturing facilities in France, and the company reportedly plans to bring its entire range of products to the Indian market in an “internationally benchmarked retail environment.” Ebony Retail has a significant presence in north India, with stores at South Extension in New Delhi, Noida, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Faridabad, and Amritsar.