Fashion brand Zara enters Gujarat via Surat

Surat, 22 November 2013

Virtuous Retail, India’s largest institutionally owned developer-operator of lifestyle shopping centers has announced the Gujarat debut of Inditex-owned global high-street fashion brand Zara, at its 600,000 sq.f Flagship Center VR Surat, positioning it as one of the leading fashion destinations in the entire region.

Other key shop openings include UK’s leading department store brand Marks & Spencer, global cosmetics giant MAC and luxury watch brand Omega. VR Surat is South Gujarat’s largest and only lifestyle destination.

In a staged opening, VR Surat has operationalized 85% of the total leasable area with leading department store brands Shoppers Stop and Westside, cinema chain Inox, entertainment chain SVM Bowling & Gaming, and a host of international premium brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Swarovski, Calvin Klein, FCUK, Sisley, Gant, Nautica, Izod, all of whom make their debut in South Gujarat.

Breaking the stereotype of a Tier 2 city, the emergent Surat metropolitan region with a population of 6 million, has acknowledged the arrival of VR Surat with enthusiasm – since its opening in May 2013, VR Surat has hosted 2 million visitors from across the South Gujarat region.

VR Surat’s Phase 3 opening, positioned as a Tourism Launch, is scheduled for January 2014, and will witness the arrival of several new premium and luxury brands across jewelry, home décor & furnishings, food & grocery, fashion, footwear & accessories as well as sports goods.

On this occasion, Anupam Yog, Marketing Director, Virtuous Retail said, “We are excited to have successfully delivered the first international standard lifestyle and tourist destination in Gujarat, and we are particularly pleased to have initiated our India journey via Surat, the historic port city with a glorious past and a tremendous future. We are now gearing for the opening of Virtuous Retail Centers in Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai which are nearing completion and will launch over 2014-16.”

Established in 2007, Virtuous Retail (VR) is an institutionally owned developer-operator of community oriented premium lifestyle shopping centres in India’s top cities. Virtuous Retail’s pan-India portfolio includes locations in Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Surat and Kolkata.