The UK-based toy store Hamleys, that entered India through a partnership with Reliance Lifestyle Holdings Ltd, is eying a presence in the top 25 cities of the country soon. Stores will be in malls only.

Reliance Lifestyle is a subsidiary of Reliance Brands Ltd.

‘Right spot’ According to Darshan Mehta, President and CEO, Reliance Brands, the expansion into these cities will happen once the company gets the “right spot”. At present, Hamleys has 14 stores across eight cities.

“Our plan is to be present in the top 25 cities of the country. How soon we would achieve that depends on us finding the right spot,” Mehta said on the sidelines of the launch of the first Hamleys store here in the city.

“For example, ideally we would like to have been present in Kolkata some two years back,” he added.

₹4,000-cr market The toy market in India is pegged at ₹4,000 crore with a compounded annual growth rate of 20 per cent.

The organised segment, however, stands at estimated ₹700-800 crore.

While 35 per cent of stock keeping units (SKUs) at Hamleys are own brands, the remaining 65 per cent are non-Hamleys ones.

Some of the toys like board games, soft toys (called plush) and sports items are sourced from the country itself. “Going forward, we believe that the manufacturing side will grow,” Mehta added.

Related Topics