Brands
Vakrangee makes Guinness World Record with 1107 simultaneous store launches
MUMBAI: Mumbai-based technology company Vakrangee, which connects India's rural citizens with its modern ecosystem through its retail network of Vakrangee Kendra, has entered the Guinness World Records by launching 1,107 stores at 11:07 am on 14 January 2019. It achieved this by beating the existing Guinness World Records title of ‘Most stores launched simultaneously’ of 505 stores held by Xiaomi Technology India Pvt Ltd, which it had made in 2018.
These 1,107 stores were part of the 3,300+ Nextgen Vakrangee Kendras which were launched on the same day. These Nextgen stores offer a comprehensive range of products and services across banking, insurance, ATM, assisted e-commerce, e-governance, financial services, and logistics. These Nextgen outlets are spread across 19 states, 350+ districts and 2,000+ postal codes of the country, out of which more than 70 per cent outlets are from tier 5 and tier 6 cities.
Commenting on the same, Vakrangee founder promoter and executive chairman Dinesh Nandwana said, “We are honoured and excited to receive this certification from Guiness World Records. This global recognition is a validation of our belief and commitment to the transformation agenda to the Nextgen Vakrangee Kendras. This record-breaking feat also showcases capability of our extended family of Vakrangee employees, franchise partners and vendor associates.”
Vakrangee’s planned target is to reach at least 25,000 operational Nextgen Vakrangee Kendras by FY 2019-20 and further enhance it to reach 45,000 Nextgen outlets by FY 2020-21 and 75,000 by FY2021-22.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
