Booker India opens first store in Mumbai

Booker India Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Booker Group Plc, the largest cash and carry operator with 173 stores in UK, opened its first store cash and carry format stoere in Mumbai.

Around 35,000sqft store was officially launched last week, in the western suburbs of Mumbai. The store in Kandivali–East, near the Mahindra and Mahindra factory has had a total investment of Rs 8 crore.

Booker Cash & Carry is a business to business wholesale format which is open to foreign direct investment. Unlike other players in this field, Booker will be focussing on the food, beverage and other non food categories.

The portfolio of products will include fresh, grocery and staples, processed food and beverages, tobacco, homecare and personal care products with special emphasis on the needs of the catering sector. This will be full service cash & carry outlet with 100 percent sourcing from the Indian companies to cater to the need of the Kirana stores, hoteliers and restaurants.

Booker will bring in significant expertise in terms of systems, processes and efficiency in managing the supply chain and back end operation to make the entire value chain more efficient which will be passed on to the retail community for their benefit which in turn will benefit the ultimate end consumers. Booker India has put a strong local team in place to implement the strategic blue print worked out for the Indian business.

"Strong processes and systems orientation based on the learning from Booker UK with local adaptation and modification will be the key strategic drivers for the Indian business" says Zunaid Bangee, managing director of Booker India.

Booker is the UK's largest food wholesaler operator offering branded and private-label goods to over 400,000 customers including independent convenience stores, grocers, pubs and restaurants.