Rourkela, June 24, 2009: Essar
Steel Hypermart, India’s largest chain of
steel retail outlets, today opened its first outlet
in Orissa in the steel city of Rourkela, which is
home to the Steel Authority of India’s largest
plant. The move is in line with Essar Steel’s
philosophy of making customised steel products available
to end users in geographies that have high steel
consumption.
Commenting on this strategy, Mr Vikram Amin, Director
(Sales & Marketing), Essar Steel, said: “It’s
a win-win situation for everybody, especially SMEs.
Customers will have direct access to our products
without the intervention of intermediaries, or restrictive
terms and conditions. Essar Hypermart offers complete
transparency to its customers.”
A pioneering initiative of Essar Steel that was
first launched in 2006, there are 65 Steel Hypermarts
across the country. With a strong pan-India presence,
they cater to a range of customers -- from small
manufacturers, local fabricators and general engineering
firms to large corporations and construction companies.
Each hypermart offers a comprehensive range of flat
and long steel products for a variety of applications.
The outlets ensure immediate delivery, transparent
pricing and customised quantities, along with guaranteed
quality of materials that are sourced from an ISO:9002
and ISO:14001 certified mill. All products sold
in the outlets carry a quality test certificate.
Sales from the Essar Hypermart currently account
for 20 percent of Essar Steel’s annual revenues.
The company plans to expand its distribution network
by opening many more outlets through the franchisee
route. The hypermarts are backed by world-class
Steel Service Centre facilities and Essar’s
efficient Supply Chain Management system. For select
customers, Essar Steel Hypermart also arranges for
channel financing through approved banks.
About Essar Steel
Essar Steel, part of Essar Group, is a fully integrated
flat carbon steel manufacturer—from iron ore
to ready-to-market products. Essar Steel has a global
steel production capacity of 8.6 million tonnes
per annum (MTPA). Its products find wide acceptance
in highly discerning consumer sectors, such as automotive,
white goods, construction, engineering and shipbuilding.
Essar Steel produces highly customised products
catering to a variety of product segments and is
India’s largest exporter of flat products
to the highly demanding US and European markets,
and to the growing markets of South East Asia and
the Middle East. It has invested in downstream capabilities
to evolve from being a product based company to
becoming a value added service provider. It has
a global network of retail steel outlets, called
Steel Hypermarts, and offers services, like cutting,
slitting and blanking of steel sheets, through specialised
Steel Service Centres worldwide.
www.essar.com
For Media Queries
B.Ganesh
Pai, GM - Corporate Communications, Essar, Phone:
+91 98197 30225, Email: ganesh.pai@essar.com
Sharad Goel, Group Head - Media Relations, Essar
Group, Phone: +91 22 6660 1858, Email: sharad.goel@essar.com
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