Brands
Spencer’s to finalise e-commerce plan next fiscal, aims to increase private labels
KOLKATA: RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group’s Spencer’s Retail aims to finalise its e-commerce plan by April next fiscal (2015-16). Spencer’s Retail sector head Shashwat Goenka confirmed that prices at the brick and mortar stores and the e-commerce would be the same once the company offers the product online in April.
Additionally, Spencer’s Retail, a CESC subsidiary, also said that it has decided to augment and increase its private labels, mostly in food and apparels.
“We would freeze the e-commerce business model within next couple of months and implement it over a time period. We are likely to begin with a few categories of products for our on-line store,” Goenka said in Kolkata on Friday.
To make a differentiation and to cut down logistics cost, the company would depend on local sourcing more than pan-India collection. “In West Bengal, we are focusing on local food items including varieties of fish and rice,” he said.
It should be noted that within a short span of its operation, Spencer’s has become a family store since it offers regional flavours in the product vertical. “Spencer’s has decided to stress more on local sourcing and bring in regional flavours in the product baskets,” Goenka said.
Talking about the plans for apparel section, he said, “In the apparel segment, we are looking for a new sourcing point in Kerala. We have developed seven apparel brands including men’s, women’s, kids and sports wear.”
The retail chain is also looking to expand its chain but mainly through large-format in the range of above 25,000 square feet, said Goenka, explaining that all these efforts were geared to make Spencer’s profitable.
Speaking about the company’s expansion strategy, Goenka said that Spencer’s would focus on expanding in the eastern and southern markets of the country. “We would also be present in the north, particularly in Uttar Pradesh and the National Capital Region,” he said.
However, western region will continue to see a token presence in Gujarat.
In the next fiscal 2015-16, Spencer’s is looking at commanding a presence in 12 – 15 large format hyper stores, with a majority of stores being in the eastern and southern regions.
Currently, Spencer’s has around 125 stores in 36 cities including 33 hyper stores. The total store area now stands at over one million square-feet.
For expansion, Spencer’s would spend approximately Rs 3 -5 crore for each hyper store. When asked about the funding for expansion, Goenka said, “CESC, our parent company, would fund the projects.”
Brands
Sapphire Foods FY26 revenue rises to Rs 3,125 crore, posts loss
Q4 revenue at Rs 792 crore, FY26 loss at Rs 32 crore amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: If growth is on the menu, profitability seems to have taken a brief detour. Sapphire Foods India reported a steady rise in topline for FY26, even as rising costs weighed on profitability. Revenue from operations grew to Rs 3,125 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, up from Rs 2,882 crore in FY25. However, the company swung to a loss, reporting a net loss of Rs 32 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 17 crore in the previous year. Total income for the year stood at Rs 3,153 crore, while total expenses climbed to Rs 3,167 crore, reflecting pressure across key cost heads.
In the March quarter, revenue came in at Rs 792 crore, compared to Rs 711 crore in the same period last year. The company reported a quarterly net loss of Rs 13 crore, against a profit of Rs 2 crore a year earlier.
Cost pressures remained visible across operations. Material costs rose to Rs 995 crore for FY26, while employee expenses increased to Rs 428 crore. Other expenses, the largest component, stood at Rs 1,229 crore, underscoring the impact of store operations and expansion-related spends.
Depreciation and amortisation expenses also climbed to Rs 392 crore for the year, reflecting continued investments in store infrastructure and growth.
At the operating level, the company reported a loss before tax of Rs 37 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 23 crore in FY25. Exceptional items added Rs 24 crore to the cost burden during the year.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 3,256 crore as of March 31, 2026, up from Rs 3,041 crore a year earlier, indicating ongoing expansion. Net worth stood at Rs 1,389 crore.
Despite profitability pressures, operating cash flow remained resilient at Rs 507 crore, highlighting underlying business strength and demand stability.
The numbers paint a familiar picture in the quick-service restaurant space, growth continues to be served hot, but margins are still finding their footing.
