Shoppers Stop, the department store chain owned by the K. Raheja Corp Group, which started its city sojourn in Forum five years ago, will ramp up its investment in Calcutta to Rs 50 crore by adding two more outlets to take the store count to five.

Shah Rukh Khan at the launch of the new Shoppers Stop logo in Mumbai recently

Unveiling a Rs 20-crore programme for a new brand identity in Mumbai recently, with a sharper focus on youth and environmental awareness, the group bosses confirmed they were planning big for Calcutta.

“Organised retail in Calcutta has really picked up since we came in, and consumers have been extremely receptive to our formats. We plan to recognise that by adding two more large outlets, in Rajarhat and Howrah, in the next three years, and maybe a HyperCity as well,” Govind Shrikhande, CEO, Shoppers Stop Ltd, told t2.

The five city outlets will collectively throw up 280,000-sq ft of shop-floor space. The group, which has a pan-India presence of over 1.1 million sq ft of retail space, plans to shore it up to 3.5 million sq ft in three years. “Over the past five years, we have grown older and our customers have become younger, also in the heart. Hence, after 17 years of existence, we decided to give our profile a twist and upgrade positioning to a ‘bridge to luxury’ store,” B.S. Nagesh, managing director of Shoppers Stop, said at the Mumbai function for the launch of the new logo by Shah Rukh Khan.

The reinvention of the Rs 1,000 crore-plus-turnover company, is based on the theme, “doing things for the first time”. “When was the last time you did something for the first time?” SRK asked the audience, confessing even he was in a fix when confronted with the poser. “Of course, then I thought of the Kolkata Knight Riders. It’s never late to start something new,” he smiled.

Shrikhande said the new-look Shoppers Stop (now spelt without the apostrophe) stores are not only about new uniforms for the customer care associates or a new ad campaign, it’s “about addressing all the touch points so that the customer’s experience inside a Shoppers Stop outlet is enhanced 360 degrees”.

“Our thrust henceforth will be on better customer connect. We know initially there was a perception in Calcutta that Shoppers Stop is a little detached and not up, close and personal. We have been chipping away towards changing that and the effort will accelerate,” the CEO promised. A new staff anthem penned by Gulzar and sung by Sonu Nigam, an in-store radio channel, a service excellence programme and green initiatives comprise the new direction.

At the newest Calcutta store of the chain in South City Mall, customers can get their travel booking or cinema tickets done while they are shopping, a value-add to be introduced soon. Novel community outreach initiatives like visits to old-age homes and orphanages are also being planned.

“Our store manager, with a group of customer care associates, could cheer up the lives of these lonely senior citizens or orphan children by carrying gifts and chocolates to them during a Diwali or a Christmas. They will do a host of things for them, like writing letters, or playing a musical instrument.”

The South City outlet will be the group’s Calcutta flagship, and incorporates a host of firsts like the Mothercare range of maternal and infant-care products in tie-up with Mothercare plc of the UK, an in-store Crossword and the Brio cafe bistro.

Besides, there are shop-in-shop formats for Tommy Hilfiger, United Colours of Benetton, Esprit, Boss and Armani (watches and sunglasses), the Charles & Keith footwear range, beauty treatment rooms by Clarins and Shiseido and the very exclusiveDucati and Ferrari range of pens.