Kerala-based jeweller Malabar Gold is set to become a national brand as it is in the process of adding 30 stores in different cities as well as in the Gulf region. The company, which is also launching jewellery brands for children and men, hopes to increase increase footfalls in its stores and cash in on impulse buying.

At present, Malabar Gold operates 39 large format stores in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and the Gulf region. The new stores coming up in the next six months will cover all metro cities and cities such as Pune, Ahmedabad and Visakhapatnam.

Under its Dubai company, Malabar Investments, it will add 11 stores in Qatar, Bahrain, Muscat, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to the existing 12.

The total investment on the new stores is estimated to be Rs 450 crore, which will be partly funded by Malabar Gold and the partner company of each store. Malabar Gold has a unique business structure under which each store is registered as a separate company and run under a 50:50 partnership between the parent company and the franchisee.

“However, it cannot be termed as a typical franchising model as the investment and revenue is shared between the two entities and training, recruitment and marketing is done by the parent company. Malabar Gold itself is a combined venture of several resident and non-resident Indian shareholders,” said MP Ahmad, chairman of Malabar Group of companies.

The group, which includes Malabar Gold, Dubai-based Malabar Investments and the wholesale division Malabar Jewellery, clocked a turnover of about Rs 3,000 crore last financial year.

“We are launching kids jewellery under the brand name ‘Starlet’ and will soon come out with two more brands — for men and the mass market. Usually, kids contribute only 5-10 per cent to revenue and the contribution from men’s segment is even less. We are focusing on these segments through our ads to increase footfalls. The increased footfalls will account for more impulse buying in other segments,” he said.

The moulded kids jewellery has Italian designs and motifs of colourful cartoon characters, making them attractive for gifting purchase.