Flipkart Wholesale, the digital B2B marketplace of Flipkart Group, is expanding its operations into 12 new cities with the fashion category, the company said in a statement.

Ahead of the festive season, Flipkart Wholesale will now be operational in Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Mysore, Chandigarh Tricity, Meerut, Agra, Jaipur, Thane-Bhiwandi-Ulhasnagar, Greater Mumbai, Vasai-Virar-Mira-Bhayanadar, Thane (Kalyan-Dombivli), and Thane (Navi Mumbai).

Since the launch, the company has partnered with several leading brands and enabled ease of doing business digitally for SMBs and Kiranas by helping them leverage micro-market level B2B and B2C insights from the Flipkart ecosystem to better understand customer demands specific to their area so that they can buy and sell the right products.

By this year-end, Flipkart Wholesale also plans to expand into categories such as home & kitchen and grocery.

Reliance Industries (RIL) has approached the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to approve its deal with the Future Group (FEL). CCI was notified about the deal by Reliance Retail Ventures (RRVL), who proposed that the relevant markets for the fair trade regulator’s assessment of the deal should be tagged as ‘market for retail in India’ and ‘market for B2B sales in India’.

The manner in which the CCI evaluates the deal will set an example as the deal includes not only online and offline businesses but also covers a range of sectors including retail, wholesale, logistics and warehousing.

In August, RIL had announced a deal to acquire the Kishore Biyani-promoted Future Group on a slump sale basis for Rs 24,713 crore. The acquisition includes key brands like Big Bazaar, fbb, Foodhall, EasyDay, Nilgiris, Central and Brand Factory.

Further, within retail there is the organized (supermarkets, retail chains, e-commerce) and unorganized sector (locally run stores), which is segmented by products in terms of electronics, food, groceries, apparel etc.

As per Fashion Network, Entrepreneur Akshay Kumar has launched an apparel and accessories e-commerce site ‘The Black Lover’ to retail all-black products online. The Black Lover retails a range of black printed t-shirts among other products - The Black Lover.

The new store retails products under the brand name 'TBL apparels & merchandise' and product categories include menswear, womenswear, ethnic wear, homeware, and accessories. A customization service enables customers to personalize an outfit which will be styled by an in-house team and launched on our website on their birthday with their name and picture.

Products on the e-commerce store retail between Rs 99 ($1.35) and Rs 999. The brand has also launched an app which is available on Play Store and the App Store.

India’s antitrust body CCI will examine the online and offline aspects of the Reliance-Future Group deal – separately and together – to ascertain their effect on competition, according to an official.

Reliance Retail Ventures., a unit of Reliance Industries , sought CCI’s approval for its Rs 24,713 crore acquisition of the online and offline businesses of the Future Group, which includes retail, wholesale, logistics and warehousing operations.

The first step for the competition watchdog in assessing the deal would be to define the relevant market. Experts said the CCI may not have a precedent. This is a first-of-its-kind deal where both offline and online businesses are being acquired, said Kanika Chaudhary Nayar, a partner at law firm Luthra & Luthra.

According to Karan Singh Chandhiok, a partner at Chandhiok & Mahajan, the CCI will determine whether the retail supply chain management includes logistics and warehousing.

Ratirup Retails has launched ‘Alabhya’, a bespoke clothing boutique for women’s ethnic fashion wear. The boutique caters to the women’s need for ready-to-stitch clothing materials. It provides a wide range of fabrics in various qualities, colors, concepts and themes.

Its handloom sarees include varieties in nylon, rayon, vscose, pure linen, chiffon, embroidery, digital prints, hand work and hand paints.

Besudes clothing material, the brand also offers high quality ethnic fashion jewellery, footwear as well as a wide range of perfumes from popular brands. Tee perfumes can be customized on request to match the customers requirements.

‘Alabhya’ has a 100 per cent franchisee model and aims to target Tier II and III cities. The franchisee cost ranges between Rs 20 to 40 lakh depending on the location, region and size of the store.

The ideal size of a ‘Alabhya’ franchise store is between 500 to 800 sq. ft. The brand focused on South India plans over 50 stores in the first year and over 200 stores in the next three years across India.

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Fashion e-commerce platform Myntra has partnered with another team Mumbai Indians as it looks to strengthen its presence in the financial capital of India. Myntra had earlier partnered with IPL teams Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore as their fashion partners to tap the South Indian markets.

As part of this partnership, Myntra will have its logo placed across MI’s team branding and communications, while MI’s team merchandise will be sold on Myntra’s platform. Myntra will also showcase MI’s team and player imagery on its platform in an effort to leverage its salience in Mumbai – one of the most crucial markets for Myntra.

Amar Nagaram CEO Myntra said, Myntra’sassociation with the defending champions, Mumbai Indians, is bound to add to the fashion and form quotient of the season. Mumbai, considered the hub and trendsetter for fashion and style, will propel Myntra to further deepen its relationship with the customers in the region and beyond whilst enabling impactful visibility for Myntra across the wide fan base of the game.

Himatsingka Seide, a India-based manufacturer, retailer and distributor of home textiles, reported 71.6 per cent revenue decline to Rs 183.29 crore in its first quarter (Q1) for fiscal 2021 ended on June 30, compared to Rs 644.55 crore in the same period previous year. EBITDA for Q1 FY21 was a loss of Rs 80.71 compared to profit of Rs 143.08 crore in Q1 FY20.

The group’s profit after tax registered a loss of 139.79 crore compared to profit of Rs 45.25 crore. Its manufacturing facilities at Hassan and Doddaballapur campuses along with distribution facilities in North America and Europe remained non-operational during April and most of May due to the lockdown. Plants commenced partial operations during the month of June. However, the operating conditions remained challenging due to supply chain disruptions and interruptions in work force availability.

For the upcoming quarter, group stated that its Q2 FY21 order book looks healthy under the circumstances, and H2 FY21 order pipeline is robust and Himatsingka remains focused to surpass pre-Covid-19 levels during H2 FY21.

Rahul Mishra presented an Impressionist inspired menswear and womenswear collection titled ‘The Lotus Pond’ as a digital showcase as part of India Couture Week.

Mishra’s latest couture collection, inspired by Impressionist artists including Monet, used a nature theme to explore the relationship between humans and the environment and promote a more eco-friendly approach. Mishra’s showcase took place of day two of the Fashion Design Council of India’s virtual edition of India Couture Week.

The collection was presented through a film and lookbook shot at the Tijara Fort-Palace and features traditional wear garments including lehengas, sherwanis, and sarees. Intricately embroidered natural scenes of ponds and vegetation evoke Impressionist paintings and 3D butterflies and flowers add a touch of whimsy.

Mishra was also asked by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode to present a couture film as part of Paris Couture Week, which will feature digital showcases this season.

India’s fastest growing retail company V2 Retail posted 82 per cent revenue decline to Rs 370 crore in its first quarter ended June 30, 2020. It had posted revenue worth Rs 2,023 crore in the same period previous fiscal. The company incurred a loss after tax Rs 89 crore during the quarter compared to profit after tax of Rs 114 crore in the corresponding quarter of previous fiscal

Ram Chandra Agarwal, Chairman and Managing Directors, attributes this loss to changing consumer sentiment from positive to cautious. According to him, a slowdown in the economy has badly impacted the retail sector with most people shifting consumption to only essential products.

The company’s gross profit for the quarter was Rs 110 crore. Its EBIDTA reported a loss of Rs 2 crore compared to earnings of Rs 276 crore. The company expects an uptick in consumer demand with the onset of festive season starting from Durga Puja and Diwali. It believes that its growth and profitability will continue to accelerate on the back of sustained focus on customer experience, merchandise selection, strong brand recall and our omnichannel presence.