A SPECIAL INDUSTRY TRIBUTE TO
RELIANCE RETAIL
ON ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Table of Contents
FOREWORD
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Reliance Retail was launched in 2006 as the retail arm of Reliance Industries Limited, with the first Reliance Fresh store opening in Hyderabad. It soon diversified, commencing operations in the consumer electronics, fashion and lifestyle, and wholesale food segments over the following decade. Additionally, it established partnerships with other leading retailers, launched several e-commerce platforms and expanded internationally, with the acquisition of British toy retailer Hamleys.
The company has won awards for numerous aspects of its operations and is now India’s largest consumer electronics retailer and fashion and lifestyle retailer, with more than 8000 and 5000 stores, respectively, across the two segments. It is also the country’s leading grocery retailer, with brands including Reliance Smart Superstore, Smart Bazaar and Freshpik, while its JioMart e-commerce platform offers a broad selection of goods across multiple categories to customers in over 200 locations nationwide.
Reliance Retail posted revenue of INR306,786 crore (US$36.7 billion) in the financial year ending March 2024. The company plans to continue focusing on product development, sourcing, network expansion, digital commerce, data and analytics, and strategic acquisitions and partnerships to ensure further growth.
This independently produced commemorative publication celebrates 20 years of Reliance Retail by providing an impartial and objective overview of its achievements, current operations and future plans, as it continues to cement its position at the forefront of India’s retail sector in the coming years.
01
Company Evolution
In the early 2000s, Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, a prominent force in the country’s textiles, petrochemicals and telecoms sectors, decided to diversify into the retail market, beginning with groceries. Since then, the company it created, Reliance Retail, has become a leader in multiple retail streams, as India’s dominant retailer.
02
Awards and Recognition
The story of Reliance Retail’s growth has been one of consistent achievement, resulting in multiple awards for the quality of its service and products, the speed of its expansion, its attractiveness as a workplace and the popularity of its many brands, covering groceries, fashion, household goods and electronics.
03
Corporate Culture
Customers are at the heart of everything that Reliance Retail does, and of its corporate culture. The company strives to improve customer experience, provide outstanding service, deliver high-quality goods at a competitive price and offer an attractive shopping environment. It also has a strong commitment to nurturing the talents of its employees.
04
International Presence
Reliance Retail has earned an international reputation as one of the world’s most dynamic retailers. In recent years it has acquired the iconic London-based toy store Hamleys and formed partnerships with numerous global fashion and retail brands. Its subsidiary Reliance Brands Limited has become the partner of choice for luxury brands from around the world.
05
Brand Portfolio
One of Reliance Retail’s key achievements is nurturing and growing a large number of consumer retail brands, each with its own personality and reputation, and targeted at a specific consumer demographic. Marketing campaigns, leveraging a mix of traditional and digital strategies, ensure that its brands are familiar to Indian consumers.
06
Store Network
Phenomenal growth in recent years means that Reliance Retail is now by far India’s largest retailer, with almost 19,000 stores in more than 7000 towns and cities, providing grocery, fashion, home and personal care, and electronic goods. This geographic coverage is unprecedented and has given consumers much increased choice and quality.
07
Digital Platforms
From the mid-2010s onwards, Reliance Retail invested heavily in its online presence, developing a suite of digital platforms to give consumers even greater choice and convenience. The company now offers hyperlocal delivery services and a range of payment options, while its fashion and lifestyle websites are extremely popular.
08
Sourcing and
Supply Chain
With thousands of suppliers, including businesses of all sizes, both from India and worldwide, Reliance Retail has one of the world’s most sophisticated and extensive supply chain networks. Its fashion operation delivers products from raw materials through to finished products.
09
Product Design
and Development
As Reliance Retail has grown, the company has developed an increasingly broad expertise in product design and development, spanning fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), fashion and consumer electronics. To further strengthen its in-house capabilities, it has formed partnerships with some of the world’s leading brands and collaborated with noted designers to deliver high-quality results.
10
Strategic
Partnerships
From its inception, Reliance Retail’s operating model has been one of widespread partnerships, with suppliers, merchants, franchise holders and other retailers. In recent years, this model has extended to globally leading corporates and luxury brands, as well as home-grown companies, large and small, with expertise that can benefit its operations.
11
Harnessing Innovation
Combining the best of traditional retailing with the convenience and technology of the digital age, Reliance Retail has earned a reputation as the most innovative of Indian retailers, able to attract tens of millions of customers, both offline and online, by offering new formats, new products and new shopping experiences.
12
Corporate
Responsibility
Reliance Retail bases its approach to corporate responsibility on a series of environmental, social and workplace commitments. These include a target of net-zero carbon by 2035 and initiatives promoting health, education, sport and community development, together with a dedication to the well-being of its thousands of employees and partners.
13
Maintaining Growth
From its earliest beginnings, Reliance Retail has enjoyed consistent growth. Yet once it embarked on a journey to diversify into digital distribution channels, the company grew at an exceptional rate, with hundreds of millions of new customers and transactions, reaching a valuation of around US$100 billion in 2023, with further extensive growth in prospect.
FAQS
1. What is Reliance Retail?
Reliance Retail is India’s largest retailer, offering groceries, fashion, electronics, and lifestyle products through 19,000+ stores and multiple digital platforms
2. How has Reliance Retail grown over the years?
Starting in the early 2000s with grocery formats, Reliance Retail has expanded into fashion, electronics, FMCG, luxury retail, and e-commerce, becoming India’s dominant retail player.
3. What makes Reliance Retail’s supply chain unique?
The company runs one of the world’s most advanced supply chain networks, partnering with thousands of suppliers and enabling fast, efficient nationwide distribution.
4. Does Reliance Retail operate internationally?
Yes. It owns the global toy brand Hamleys and partners with several international fashion and luxury brands through Reliance Brands Limited.
5. What digital services does Reliance Retail offer?
Reliance Retail provides online shopping, hyperlocal delivery, AI-driven personalized recommendations, and popular fashion and lifestyle e-commerce platforms.
6. What is the core philosophy of Reliance Retail’s corporate culture?
Its culture is built around customer-centric service, high-quality products, innovation, competitive pricing, and strong employee development.
A Special Industry Tribute
to Reliance Retail
on its 20th Anniversary
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