Future Group to add Big Bazaar stores

The Future Group will be increasing the number of its value retailing Big Bazaar stores to 70 by the end of this year. The maximum number of new stores will be in the state of Maharashtra, in smaller cities like Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Kohlapur and Solapur. Thee company currently has 44 Big Bazaar outlets, with most outlets located in metros and larger cities such as Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad, which are the most lucrative markets. An estimated 66% of the Big Bazaar's Rs 900,000 crore income comes from these eight markets. The company will be exploring smaller cities too, after its success in Sangli, a small town in Maharashtra and was surprised at the level of success the store has achieved, encouraging it to invest in smaller markets.