Air conditioner maker Blue Star is planning to open exclusive large format stores to hawk its products across all the segments, following the success of its exclusive small outlets, as part of target to achieve Rs 1,000-crore revenue from the residential segment by 2014.

“We have about 25 Blue Star display centres and we plan to open bigger ones. We have shortlisted some locations and will have first such store within the next six months. We hope to start with Mumbai and want to have one in each metro to begin with,” Blue Star President (Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Products) Mr B Thiagarajan told PTI here.

The company will also have a factory outlet for room ACs at Thane near here by the festival season this year. On the revenue side, Mr Thiagarajan said the company is eyeing Rs 1,000-crore revenue from the residential segment by the turn of 2014 on the back of growing demand.

“We will continue to grow in this segment. We had a turnover of Rs 535 crore last year and this calendar year our expectation is Rs 605 crore. Our plan is to reach Rs 1,000 crore by 2014 in room air conditioner segment.”

The firm, which claims to enjoy 7 per cent market share, plans to sell 2.65 lakh units of ACs this year compared to 2.35 lakh units last year, Mr Thiagarajan said.

Next year, he said, the commercial business would account for 40 per cent of revenues and the balance 60 per cent would come from the residential sector. At present it is equal from both the sectors.

According to Mr Thiagarajan, the penetration of room ACs is only 3 per cent and hence there is huge untapped potential in the segment.

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