Future Group's 'Sabse Saste Din' Sale to be Live on Amazon Too

Kishore Biyani-led Future Group's 'Sabse Saste Din' sale starting from January 26 would go live on e-commerce major Amazon's web store as well, according to sources.

This would be the first time when Amazon would host Future Group's sale. Earlier last year, Amazon had announced acquiring 49 per cent stake in Future Coupons, which owns 7.3 per cent shares of Future Retail, with an option to buy the entire holding at a later stage.

"As Future Group has entered into a tie up with Amazon, its 'Sabse Saste Din' sale would also go live on Amazon (e-commerce portal)," a source said.

Future Group would conduct the sale through its various stores, including Big Bazaar retail outlets. The company's 'Sabse Saste Din' sales are held around Republic Day and Independence Day holidays.

The sale, lasting five-six days, contributes substantially to Future Group's annual retail turnover.

Besides, the group also organises two small 'Sabse Saste Din' sales on May 1 and October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti). When contacted, Future Group declined to comment.

In August last year, Amazon had said it would acquire 49 per cent stake in Future Retail promoter firm Future Coupons Ltd for an undisclosed amount.

Future Retail Ltd operates popular supermarket and hypermarket chains such as Big Bazaar and WHSmith. PTI KRH

Amazon May Buy 10% Stake in India's Future Retail That Owns 'Big Bazaar'

After losing Flipkart to Walmart, US-based e-commerce giant Amazon is reportedly in talks with India’s largest brick-and-mortar retail company Future Retail, to acquire a stake.

Future Retail, which is the retail arm of Kishore Biyani-led retail & FMCG giant Future Group, owns physical retail stores such as Big Bazaar and Easy Day.

This development was first reported by FactorDaily, which said, quoting sources, that Amazon is looking to pump in roughly $600 million for a 10% stake in the company.

Quoting a second source, the report further said that the possible deal values Kishore Biyani owned Future Retail at about $6 billion (Rs. 40,872 crore). Amazon might end up spending about $500-600 million to acquire the stake in Future Retail -- which has a market cap of $4 billion and is listed on the bourses.

According to an another daily news website, Kishore Biyani and Jeff Bezos had a one-to-one meeting earlier this year to explore a possible deal.

Biyani visited Seattle around January or February to meet with Jeff Bezos, post which executives from Seattle came down to Mumbai to meet with Kishore Biyani and his team. However, discussions had been put on hold after that.

Reportedly, both -- Amazon and Future Retail-- wanted to wait for the Walmart-Flipkart deal to be over and then make the announcement of possible Amazon-Future Group deal thereafter, and then take things forward.

Future Retail is a listed company with a market cap of over Rs 26,000 crore and has over 900 stores across the country. Kishore Biyani, who has largely been known to criticize e-commerce players, has also made some unsuccessful attempts earlier at e-commerce with Future Bazaar, Big bazaar Direct and the acquisition of FabFurish, all of which were eventually shut down.

Post Walmart-Flipkart deal, the grocery market in India is expected to heat up in the coming months with BigBasket, Grofers, Flipkart, Amazon, Paytm Mall and Future Group lift up their strategies to capture the market.

As a matter of fact, Future Group is currently testing an app for online delivery groceries for EasyDay members through a subscription service on the lines of Amazon Prime. Interestingly, another Indian FMCG player -- Adani Wilmar, the company that markets ‘Fortune’ brand of food products in India, is also planning to enter the online grocery sales business with a new e-commerce portal and app called ‘Fortune Online’.

For Amazon, a deal with Biyani-led Future Retail will help the US giant to expand its capabilities in the same omni-channel category. Amazon, through its Amazon Direct and Amazon Fresh services has been looking at entering the grocery segment in India. A deal with Future Retail will also help it have an offline presence and give it access to the large customer base of Future Group.

In the past, Amazon has invested in brick-and-mortar retail companies. In September 2017, it had bought a 5% stake in Shoppers Stop for Rs 175 crore, which was earlier acquired by Future Group for Rs 655 crore, in 2016.

Earlier this year, Future Group has acquired Snapdeal's logistics arm Vulcan Express, for Rs 35 crores.

Amazon May Buy 10% Stake in India's Future Retail That Owns 'Big Bazaar'

After losing Flipkart to Walmart, US-based e-commerce giant Amazon is reportedly in talks with India’s largest brick-and-mortar retail company Future Retail, to acquire a stake.

Future Retail, which is the retail arm of Kishore Biyani-led retail & FMCG giant Future Group, owns physical retail stores such as Big Bazaar and Easy Day.

This development was first reported by FactorDaily, which said, quoting sources, that Amazon is looking to pump in roughly $600 million for a 10% stake in the company.

Quoting a second source, the report further said that the possible deal values Kishore Biyani owned Future Retail at about $6 billion (Rs. 40,872 crore). Amazon might end up spending about $500-600 million to acquire the stake in Future Retail -- which has a market cap of $4 billion and is listed on the bourses.

According to an another daily news website, Kishore Biyani and Jeff Bezos had a one-to-one meeting earlier this year to explore a possible deal.

Biyani visited Seattle around January or February to meet with Jeff Bezos, post which executives from Seattle came down to Mumbai to meet with Kishore Biyani and his team. However, discussions had been put on hold after that.

Reportedly, both -- Amazon and Future Retail-- wanted to wait for the Walmart-Flipkart deal to be over and then make the announcement of possible Amazon-Future Group deal thereafter, and then take things forward.

Future Retail is a listed company with a market cap of over Rs 26,000 crore and has over 900 stores across the country. Kishore Biyani, who has largely been known to criticize e-commerce players, has also made some unsuccessful attempts earlier at e-commerce with Future Bazaar, Big bazaar Direct and the acquisition of FabFurish, all of which were eventually shut down.

Post Walmart-Flipkart deal, the grocery market in India is expected to heat up in the coming months with BigBasket, Grofers, Flipkart, Amazon, Paytm Mall and Future Group lift up their strategies to capture the market.

As a matter of fact, Future Group is currently testing an app for online delivery groceries for EasyDay members through a subscription service on the lines of Amazon Prime. Interestingly, another Indian FMCG player -- Adani Wilmar, the company that markets ‘Fortune’ brand of food products in India, is also planning to enter the online grocery sales business with a new e-commerce portal and app called ‘Fortune Online’.

For Amazon, a deal with Biyani-led Future Retail will help the US giant to expand its capabilities in the same omni-channel category. Amazon, through its Amazon Direct and Amazon Fresh services has been looking at entering the grocery segment in India. A deal with Future Retail will also help it have an offline presence and give it access to the large customer base of Future Group.

In the past, Amazon has invested in brick-and-mortar retail companies. In September 2017, it had bought a 5% stake in Shoppers Stop for Rs 175 crore, which was earlier acquired by Future Group for Rs 655 crore, in 2016.

Earlier this year, Future Group has acquired Snapdeal's logistics arm Vulcan Express, for Rs 35 crores.

Future Group Acquires Snapdeal's Logistics Arm For ₹35 Crore

Kishore Biyani's Future Group's Supply Chain Solutions today said it will fully acquire Snapdeal's logistics service provider Vulcan Express Pvt Ltd in an all-cash deal valued at Rs 35 crore, reported Business Line.

With this acquisition, Future Group plans to boost its last mile capabilities and also offer modern solutions to its e-commerce and retail clients.

The acquisition deal happened in less than a month after Snapdeal infused fresh funds of ₹27 crore into Vulcan Express. Earlier in this month only, we reported about the possibilities of this acquisition.

Snapdeal Chief Strategy and Investment Officer Jason Kothari said, "Similar to our recent sale of FreeCharge, we believe Snapdeal's sale of Vulcan Express to Future Group is a successful deal for all three parties."

"Company divests off an asset that is non-strategic in nature for Snapdeal 2.0, allowing it to focus its capital and management on its core e-commerce business; Future Group gains high-quality pan-India end-to-end e-commerce logistics capabilities, and Vulcan secures a great new home for its business, including its team.", added Kothari in an official statement.

In an internal mail to employees, Vulcan Express CEO Hardeep Singh said, "This association is being recognised to be one of the most significant developments in the logistics industry in India... Vulcan's capabilities will be of big value to Future Supply Chain in enhancing its footprint and services".

Earlier in July 2017, it was reported that for sale of Vulcan Express Snapdeal was in talks with a few contenders including Gati, the express distribution and supply chain company, considered one of the largest in the country, and TVS Logistics. But it did not materialise into a firm deal.

Formed in 2014, Vulcan Express used to manage about half of Snapdeal's deliveries and shipments, replacing gojavas as the primary logistics partner, when about three years ago Snapdeal abandoned its plan to acquire Gojavas.

Future Group has been on an acquisition spree in the recent past. In April 2016, Future Group had also acquired Fabfurnish, an online furniture retailer, in an all-cash deal, followed by acquisition of Shoppers' Stop for Rs 655 crore.

Future Group Acquires Snapdeal's Logistics Arm For ₹35 Crore

Kishore Biyani's Future Group's Supply Chain Solutions today said it will fully acquire Snapdeal's logistics service provider Vulcan Express Pvt Ltd in an all-cash deal valued at Rs 35 crore, reported Business Line.

With this acquisition, Future Group plans to boost its last mile capabilities and also offer modern solutions to its e-commerce and retail clients.

The acquisition deal happened in less than a month after Snapdeal infused fresh funds of ₹27 crore into Vulcan Express. Earlier in this month only, we reported about the possibilities of this acquisition.

Snapdeal Chief Strategy and Investment Officer Jason Kothari said, "Similar to our recent sale of FreeCharge, we believe Snapdeal's sale of Vulcan Express to Future Group is a successful deal for all three parties."

"Company divests off an asset that is non-strategic in nature for Snapdeal 2.0, allowing it to focus its capital and management on its core e-commerce business; Future Group gains high-quality pan-India end-to-end e-commerce logistics capabilities, and Vulcan secures a great new home for its business, including its team.", added Kothari in an official statement.

In an internal mail to employees, Vulcan Express CEO Hardeep Singh said, "This association is being recognised to be one of the most significant developments in the logistics industry in India... Vulcan's capabilities will be of big value to Future Supply Chain in enhancing its footprint and services".

Earlier in July 2017, it was reported that for sale of Vulcan Express Snapdeal was in talks with a few contenders including Gati, the express distribution and supply chain company, considered one of the largest in the country, and TVS Logistics. But it did not materialise into a firm deal.

Formed in 2014, Vulcan Express used to manage about half of Snapdeal's deliveries and shipments, replacing gojavas as the primary logistics partner, when about three years ago Snapdeal abandoned its plan to acquire Gojavas.

Future Group has been on an acquisition spree in the recent past. In April 2016, Future Group had also acquired Fabfurnish, an online furniture retailer, in an all-cash deal, followed by acquisition of Shoppers' Stop for Rs 655 crore.

Future Group May Buy Snapdeal's Logistics Arm For ₹50 Crore

Within a week after Snapdeal infused fresh funds of ₹27 crore into Vulcan Express, its logistics arm, here comes the news that Future Group, India's larest retailer is in talks to buy Vulcan for about ₹50 crore in an all-cash deal.

Earlier in July 2017, it was reported that for sale of Vulcan Express Snapdeal was in talks with a few contenders including Gati, the express distribution and supply chain company, considered one of the largest in the country, and TVS Logistics. But it did not materialise into a firm deal.

With Vulcan purchase, Future Group wants to boost its strategy of integrating the retail company's digital and brick-and mortar retail businesses.

Formed in 2014, Vulcan Express manages about half of Snapdeal's deliveries and shipments, replacing gojavas as the primary logistics partner, when about three years ago Snapdeal abandoned its plan to acquire Gojavas.

Elaborating the purchase deal, the ET report said, "It will be a distress sale and the final valuation could be less than Rs 50 crore. The contours of the deal, including the size and through which company it will be done, are still being worked out."

It is also said that even if Snapdeal sell out Vulcan to whom so ever, the logistics company will continue to be the shipping and delivery partner of e-commerce firm.

Kishore Biyani-owned Future Supply Chain, on other hand, has raised Rs 650 crore by listing on the stock exchanges, a couple of weeks ago. The decade-old company caters to clients across consumer, food and beverages, ecommerce and electronics and gets about 63% of its revenue from group entities. At present, Future Group's technology integration, internally called Retail 3.0, is being piloted by making several Easyday stores a marketplace, giving consumers access to the company's entire inventory through the digital medium.

In April 2016, Future Group had also acquired Fabfurnish, an online furniture retailer, in an all-cash deal. The company however failing to run the purchased business and now its been reported that Kishore Biyani will shut down the Fabfurnish business.