UK-based mother and baby care retailer, Mothercare plans to bring its Dark Stores to India, according to media reports. Dark Stores are usually a large warehouse that can either be used to facilitate a ‘click-and-collect’ service whereby a customer collects an item they have ordered online. The company aims to follow an omni-channel retail model in India. The company also aims to open small format stores in India as part of their retail expansion strategy. The new stores would be opened through all kinds of partners – franchisees, dealers and distributors. Apart from exploring untapped Tier II and Tier III cities, the company would also launch an e-kart website where it will initially retail 20-30 brands. Mothercare had signed a joint venture with DLF Brands in 2010 to offer products and services for mothers, mothers-to-be, babies and young children. It sells its products through multi-channel retail and wholesale operations in the UK and through franchise operations across its international markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia and Latin America.
