The Hindu Business Line : Mudra, Percept to handle creatives of Pantaloon Retail

PANTALOON Retail India Ltd has aligned the creative accounts of its value and lifestyle retailing stores to ad agencies Mudra and Percept, respectively, a press release has stated.

According to Mr Kishore Biyani, Managing Director, Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd, the retail chain's ad spends for the year 2004-05 have been pegged at Rs 35 crore. "We require strategic positioning for the same and a lot more work needs to be done in both segments, value as well as lifestyle retail," Mr Biyani said.

The media account of Pantaloon continues to be with Millennium; there are no plans at the moment to scout for a new media agency, the release issued by Pantaloon said.

Pantaloon's retail ventures include Big Bazaar, Food Bazaar and Gold Bazaar. A Footwear Bazaar is expected to be launched subsequently under the same format. All these come under the `value retailing' venture. Pantaloons, Arcus and Central (a new mall brand) are categorised under the lifestyle retail chain.

Pantaloon Retail is expected to close this year with Rs 650 crore in sales as against Rs 450 crore last year. The company has projected sales of Rs 1,000 crore by June 2005, according to the release.