US retail giant Walmart has opened its 21st wholesale store in India after a gap of about four years.
The opening of the store in Agra marks an end to a freeze Walmart had imposed on its spreads into India amid an internal probe to check whether its local unit flouted US anti-bribery laws.
Walmart India operates cash and carry stores under the Best Price brand. The new store in Agra is the company’s second outlet in the city and the fourth in Uttar Pradesh, Walmart said in a statement.
The new store at Sikandra Industrial Area is spread over 60,000 square feet. It has incorporated environment friendly practices like usage of green energy (natural gas), LED lights, water recycling through sewage treatment plant and ground water recharging through collection of storm water.
The new Best Price store simultaneously got integrated with the ecommerce platform, making it the 21st Best Price store to go online, according to the company’s statement.
Walmart India recently announced plans to add 50 more cash and carry stores over four to five years, saying it continues to focus on B2B segment in the country.
“Setting up a second store in Agra and fourth in the state of Uttar Pradesh reinforces our belief in the ease of doing business here in UP under the leadership of state Chief Minister Shri Akhilesh Yadav,” said Krish Iyer, president & CEO at Walmart India. “While growing the business, we will continue to invest in the supply chain infrastructure and supplier development, focusing on the growth of small and medium manufacturers, helping grow our farmer suppliers, setting new benchmarks in the cash and carry business and creating thousands of local jobs.”
Best Price Modern Wholesale stores stock over 5,000 items each, including a wide range of fresh, frozen & chilled foods, fruits & vegetables, dry groceries, personal and home care items, hotel and restaurant supplies, apparel, office supplies, electronic goods, and other general merchandise items.
Walmart has also recently partnered with mobile payment solution provider MobiKwik to power 20 of its Best Price Modern Wholesale stores in nine Indian states.
