NewU Stores

Hardly listened about the new retail format, infact not new, its been more than a year that Dabur India has rolled out health and beauty stores under the brand name NewU with a tagline “Beauty Health and Welness” about U.

This retail format is in direct competition with Reliance Wellness stores, The Body Shop. Initially when it launched its first retail outlet in early 2008, Dabur had plans of expanding it to 160 stores in next 10 years. The first store was spread over 4,500 sqft and had 13,000 SKUs. As compared to that the latest one at Vasant Square Mall in New Delhi has smaller size 1200 sqft with the number of SKUs around 6000.

NewU concept is designed by the British brand agency Pikefell. This venture is really an opening up of a new page in the history of Indian retail sector. It offers a wide range of assortments from both national and international brands in categories like cosmetics, fragrances, skin and personal care, baby and family care, fashion accessories, herbal and ayurvedic pharmaceuticals.

As of now Dabur has 8 operational NewU stores in cities like Banglore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and is planning to set up 10-12 more stores in a year.

These stores are targeted at the upper middle class and upper class segment of the society. With the increasing wealth and awareness about the personal care, these stores are bound to succeed in times to come. Though the recent halt is the result of global recession.

Dabur India Ltd's beauty, health & wellness retail arm - NewU - has been voted as the Most Admired New Retail Launch of the year at the fifth edition of Images Retail Awards (IRA) during India Retail Forum 2008 at The Grand Hyatt, Mumbai.

The store also hosts beauty experts to offer advice to its customers.  With this kind of structure, it becomes easier for global brands to enter into the Indian markets.