Big C plans expansion

Hyderabad: Big C, a mobile retail chain, has said it would expand the network to Tamil Nadu and Kerala next year. The company has a chain of 60 showrooms in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

“We are going to set up outlets in Coimbatore, Thiruvananthapuram, Madurai and Salem. The company would spend Rs 50 crore on the expansion plans,” Mr M. Balu Chowdary, Chairman and Managing Director of Big C, said.

“We covered top towns in Andhra Pradesh excepting in Medak and Mahboobnagar districts. We will be covering these and tier-II cities to have 100 outlets by the end of the financial year,” Mr Y. Swapnakumar, Executive Director of Big C, said.

Addressing a press conference, they said the slowdown might impact just 10-20 per cent of the mobile market. “But it gives us a good opportunity to bargain better for space and human resources,” they said.

The company, which registered a turnover of Rs 180 crore in 2007-08, was looking at Rs 250 crore this financial year.