Customers shop at a retail store in Sakchi. Telegraph picture

Jamshedpur, Aug. 27: Give street shopping a break and get ready to splurge.

Now the dream of owning that desired pair of branded denims and stylish leather boots is only a retail mall away. After Ranchi, big retail joints have set their eyes on Jamshedpur.

Increase in the purchasing power has given rise to a strong middle-income group that doesn’t mind spending extra on branded clothes and luxury goods.

After opening a retail space in metropolitan cities, companies are shifting focus to smaller towns. Soon the steel city would get its first flagship Reebok store. The 1,600sqft showroom coming up in Bistupur would open doors to shoppers by mid-September.

Besides Reebok, other brands invading the silent retail scene in Jamshedpur are Pantaloons and Big Bazaar — both part of the Future Group.

“The economy is booming. The youth are conscious about their lifestyle. We have plans to open stores across India and now we have shifted our focus to Jharkhand. The market in smaller cities has to be explored and if everything goes according to plan, we will have a store in Jamshedpur by next year,” said Rajat Gupta, the general manager (marketing) of Big Apple, a fruit, vegetable and grocery chain based in New Delhi.

Television and Bollywood have contributed to the growth of the retail sector.

Big budget movies, designer clothes and brand ambassadors have generated an awa-reness about foreign brands in the country. Jamshedpur already houses John Pla- yers, Lee, Woodland and Koutons.

“People in smaller cities want to advance and grow. In recent years, income opportunities have multiplied and there is more money in the hands of the consumers. For retailers, this is a step towards expanding our business but for those in smaller cities, it is more of a wish fulfillment,” said Atul Takle, the general manager of corporate communications of Pantaloons Retail (India).

Students are also ready to jump on the brandwagon. “Students or professionals, who come from metros to work here, have few options. I would not mind spending a little extra on clothes that last long, colours that don’t fade and designs that are trendy,” said Rim Bhattacharjee, an architect with a design firm in Jamshedpur.

“There are few stores but we need more,” said Amborish Chowdhury, an MCA student.

For shoppers in the city, good days are in store at retail stores!