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Retail real estate professional Karan R Pethani has joined Apparel Group India as Vice President – Real Estate. He will head the real estate vertical for the Dubai-based retail group’s India business.
Pethani announced the move on LinkedIn, calling it an exciting new chapter in his career. He has spent most of his career in retail real estate and said he wants to set new benchmarks for growth in the role.
He thanked the mentors, industry colleagues and partners who supported him over the years. He also thanked Apparel Group’s leadership for their trust and vision as the company prepares for its next phase of expansion. “Growth at this scale is never a solo effort,” he wrote.
Pethani joins at a time of rapid expansion. Apparel Group runs more than 300 stores across over 50 Indian cities and aims to reach 1,000 stores in the next three years. India now contributes about 10% of the group’s global revenue, and the company wants to raise that share to 25%. Its pipeline includes 50 Carrefour stores, 200 R&B Fashion stores, 200 more Crocs formats, 150 ALDO stores and 250 Tim Hortons cafés.
Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities such as Lucknow, Raipur, Kochi, Ranchi and Ludhiana are central to the group’s growth plans. Its Indian portfolio keeps growing and now spans brands such as Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, Charles & Keith, Cotton On, Levi’s Kids and Daiso Japan.
Pethani has nearly two decades of experience, with stints at Reliance Retail, Anarock Retail, 7-Eleven and Future Group. He will now be responsible for finding the right markets, catchments and real estate strategy for each brand and format in the group’s growing portfolio.
