Canon to open 300 outlets across India

Japanese imaging major Canon's Indian arm aims to triple its business to Rs 4,500 crore ($1 billion) in four years by opening 300 exclusive outlets, many of them in tier-III and IV cities, the head of its operations here says. "We hope to close this year at Rs 1,600 crore. By 2015, we hope to take this to Rs 4,500 crore. In the process, we will be increasing our exclusive retail brand stores from 95 by the end of this year to 300," Canon India president and CEO Kensaku Konishi told IANS in an interivew. "We are growing not only in the big cities but in the tier II and III cities too. Presently, if you live in these towns, you would have to go to a big city. Now, we are going to our customers with exactly the same kind of exclusive retail outlet that you would find in a big city," he said. Toward this end, the company already opened 38 outlets in tier-II and III cities. Incorporated in 1997, Canon India Pvt Ltd is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Canon Singapore Pte Ltd. Canon today has offices spread across seven cities in India with an employee strength of over 840 people and markets a comprehensive range of 160 sophisticated and contemporary digital imaging products in the country. These include digital copiers, multi-functional peripherals, fax-machines, inkjet and laser printers, scanners, all-in-ones, digital cameras, digital camcorders, dye sub photo printers, card printers & cable ID printers. Apart from the Canon Image Square exclusive outlets, the company also has around 380 primary channel partners, 13 national retail chain partners, seven level-IV Master Service Centres, over 100 authorized service centres, over 4,000 secondary retail points, including 270 national retail chain store partners and 33 Canon Care Centers. Canon products are made available in over 400 towns in India and overall, Konishi said, the company's products are available at over 5,000 outlets. "We had acquired a customer base of over three million by the end of 2010. We hope to double this to six million by 2015," Konishi said. And, considering that 60 percent of its India revenues come from products other than cameras, Canon has opened a Business Solution Lounge in Mumbai, Bangalore and Gurgaon for B2B customers "to showcase business applications with seminar rooms for business workshops", the official said. That's not all. "As part of our promise to enhance digital experience for consumers, a Canon Image Lounge each has been launched in Gurgaon, Mumbai and Bangalore for customers to get a touch and feel of Canon products. "Entry is by invitation only. The lounges provide a comprehensive display of Canon's vast range of offerings and display over 101 consumer imaging products for consumers to simply look, feel and experience without the compulsion on buying," Konishi said. Special photography workshops and other customer engagement programmes are being held in these lounges, he added. Speaking about Canon's green initiatives, Konishi said it "takes pride in not only bringing quality products to the market but also contributes to minimising environmental burden through effective application of environmental technologies". "Canon focusses on the development of resource-conserving products that are smaller, lighter and easy to recycle. In India, Canon takes responsibility to dispose of end of life Canon products and other e-waste by sending such waste to government approved recycling agency," Konishi added