Re-feel launches its own brand-Sprint

Kolkata

March 7th, 2008

Kolkata-based Re-feel Cartridge Engineering has recently launched its own
brand under the name of Sprint, which consists of products including
environment-friendly green compatible inkjet and laser toner cartridges that
will cater to all leading printer manufacturing brands like HP, Canon, Epson,
Samsung, along with Sprint range of premium printing photo papers. Re-feel will
market Sprint range of products through both its franchisee stores as well as
channel partners, and is currently looking for suitable partners all across
East.

Re-feel as a company was launched in September last year and was followed by
its two-franchisee stores in Kolkata. According to Alkesh Agarwal, CEO, Re-feel,
the company had dedicated the first three months of the launch to streamline and
consolidate its process and study the market. Once successful, Re-feel plans to
undergo a rapid expansion drive in East as well as rest of India. The company
will soon be coming out with two more Re-feel Green Stores in Kolkata followed
by stores in Orissa, Jharkhand, Siliguri, and also in other regions. Apart from
that, it is opening six Re-feel Points, which are the collection centers across
Bengal. The company has recently opened one mega flagship store in Guwahati,
which is spread in 600sq ft area and Re-feel Points in Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and
Jorhat. "The mega store is Guwahati is one of the biggest for any refilled
cartridge stores which are normally of 200sq ft," said Agarwal.

Re-feel is also planning to open one warehouse in Mumbai soon, which will
cater to the entire markets of West, South and Central India. "As part of
our extensive marketing and publicity strategy, we are also participating in big
events like Re India Expo, Franchisee Opportunity expo, to explore new business
areas and opportunities as well as for the branding of Re-feel and Sprint,"
informed Agarwal. "Participating in these fairs will help us in attracting
potential investors looking for new ventures to sign up as our franchisees as
well as create awareness about Re-feel and Sprint. This will further help us in
our plan of geographical expansion beyond East," he added.

From April onwards, the company is planning to open two stores per month in
the next quarter and after that, double the count across India. "We are
extremely serious about the underlying potential of re-used products. Unlike
India, refilling is a huge industry in the advance countries. But in India, this
is an untapped and unorganized area. Through our studies we have found that
refilling has a huge potential in India, and we are very keen to take this to a
new height," he said. Re-feel has already become member of the first
refilling association of India- Cartridge Recycle and Traders Association of
India, which was formed recently in Mumbai. "We are now planning to extend
its wing and open its eastern India chapter," informed Agarwal.
"Unfortunately, since this trade is totally unorganized here, it will be a
big challenge for us to take the local refillers into confidence. But if we are
successful in doing so, it will benefit the trade and everyone associated with
it," he said.