Reliance joint venture with iconic UK fashion retailer M&S

Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani’s deal-making spree to get the best domain expertise in the retail sector is poised for the big one now. His retail arm, Reliance Retail (RRL), is locked in ‘substantial’ discussions to float an equal joint venture with iconic UK fashion retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) for apparel, gourmet food and cafes, multiple sources familiar with the situation said.

According to a source close to the deal, the gourmet food format is likely to be integrated with Reliance Fresh “wherever possible,” (upmarket localities) as a shop-in-shop format. This would help M&S get immediate scale in food business. There are 491 Reliance Fresh stores that sell food, FMCG and fruits and vegetables and this figure is likely to touch 1,400 by the end of next fiscal.

The $16-billion M&S, operating in the country through a franchisee arrangement with Planet Retail since 2001, is in the midst of charting a new India strategy aimed at accelerating expansion in the domestic market. It recently slashed prices by 20% to attract more footfalls in the stores and taking prime space in malls to open more stores.