India’s first Home Improvement Store format offering ‘end-to-end solutions’ for the new home. First store opens in The Great India Place, Noida spread across an area of 125,000 sq.ft. Marks entry of Future Group into the services business

Noida, April 6, 2007: Home Solutions (India) Ltd., a part of the Future Group, today, announced the launch of first of its kind home improvement retail format in India – ‘HomeTown’ at Great India Place (Unitech Mall), Noida. Spread across an area of about 125,000 sq.ft., HomeTown will provide consumers all that goes into building a house and everything to make it a ‘Home’. HomeTown offers consumers largest choice and variety under one roof and a specialized team of experts to set it all up for them at their home. The launch of HomeTown also marks the entry of Future Group into the services business. In addition to retailing, the newly launched format will also provide services like electrical, plumbing, interior decoration, vaastu, etc.

The Store is divided into three sections – exhibitions, markets and services. HomeTown will have live displays various rooms such as living room, dining room, bedroom, kids' room, kitchen & bathroom in the exhibitions section. Markets section will feature products for living market, dining market, bedroom market, kids' room market, kitchen market, bathroom market, Home furnishings, mattresses, eZone (consumer durables and electronics) & Depot (books, music, etc). The services section will offer service options such as - Mr. Carpenter, Mr. Plumber, Mr. Electrician, Mr. Painter, Tilewala, DesignCentre, best wishes, grihapravesh, door delivery and installation.

Said Kishore Biyani, CEO, Future Group, “Owning a home has always been the ultimate Indian dream. Currently, consumers have to visit multiple stores & markets, while building a home and have to often rely on advice from unqualified sources. HomeTown will address this consumer pain point by providing a single point destination for all their needs to build, equip and decorate their homes. Additionally, consumers will also get professional advice on various aspects, ranging from interiors, carpentry, plumbing, painting, etc to grihapravesh pooja for the home.”  He added, “HomeTown is an amalgamation of the value-lifestyle propositions, so appears eminently approachable to the budget-buyer, as well as the aspirational customer, and also to the lifestyle-driven customer. The displays will echo the aspirations of the consumer, keeping traditions alive in a contemporary world.”

HomeTown will display products from all major manufacturers, represented across numerous categories such as tiles, sanitary ware, bathroom fittings/fixtures, paints, furniture, etc. Customers will be given price, service and product guarantees. If customers find any products that they have purchased, cheaper elsewhere, they will be given a gift voucher of double the difference, provided they bring an original receipt within two days of purchase of the product. HomeTown will also guarantee workmanship of the jobs that it undertakes, for one year, from the time the job is completed. Every product or service provided is backed by the reliable manufacturers and service providers. In case of any manufacturing defect, consumers will get the option to exchange or refund the product

About Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited

Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited is a leading retailer with a turnover of Rs. 2,019 crore for the financial year 2005-06. Headquartered in Mumbai, the company operates through primarily the ‘Lifestyle’ and ‘Value’ formats through multiple delivery mechanisms and lines of business — some of them being, fashion, food, general merchandise, home, leisure and entertainment, financial services, communications and wellness.

The company has about 331 stores in over 40 cities across the country, constituting 5 million square feet of retail space. The company caters to the ‘Lifestyle’ segment through its 31 Pantaloons Stores and 4 Central Malls, as well as its other concepts. In ‘Value’ retailing it is present through 51 Big Bazaar hypermarkets, 77 Food Bazaars and 5 Fashion Stations, and other delivery formats.

About Future Group

Future Group is positioned to cater to the entire Indian consumption space. It operates through six verticals: Future Retail (encompassing all lines of retail business), Future Capital (financial products and services), Future Brands (all brands owned or managed by group companies), Future Space (management of retail real estate), Future Logistics (management of supply chain and distribution) and Future Media (development and management of retail media spaces).

The group's flagship enterprise, Pantaloon Retail, is India's leading retail company with presence in food, fashion and footwear, home solutions and consumer electronics, books and music, health, wellness and beauty, general merchandise, communication products, E-tailing and leisure and entertainment.

Future Group's vision is to, “deliver Everything, Everywhere, Every time to Every Indian Consumer in the most profitable manner.” One of the core values at Future Group is, ‘Indianness' and its corporate credo is – Rewrite Rules, Retain Values.

For further information please contact
Mr. Atul Takle
Head - Corporate Communications
Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited
Email: mediarelations@futuregroup.in
Website: www.pantaloonretail.in