Buoyed by the success of its first two properties, supermarket chain C3 is unveiling its third ? and largest ? city address. A 15,000-sq-ft branch is set to open on August 15 on the ground floor of Gariahat Mall.

A Rs 15-crore turnover in the past year prompted C3?s expansion plans, and the Calcutta-based company is now looking at 20,000-sq-ft stores on the Bypass and in Rajarhat, as well as smaller convenience stores across the city and beyond.

This is in addition to its 7,800-sq-ft debut venture on Lee Road, which opened on January 1, 2004, and its 10,000-sq-ft successor at City Centre, now a year old.

It is also planning to spread its wings further through the state, as well as eastern India. ?We are looking at 25-30 stores across the East by 2007,? revealed Rohan Ghosh, director, C3. Cities like Siliguri, Durgapur, Asansol and the Northeast all have the potential, he added.

The rural market too ? with a different format ? has exciting prospects. There is proof of this in the ?large cross-section? of people visiting the city stores, extending well beyond the urban elite, stressed Ghosh.

The Gariahat store will offer a ?more extensive? selection than the Lee Road and City Centre branches, though the product mix would be roughly similar.

?Some people have been sceptical about the south Calcutta response, but our research has shown that residents feel the need for a supermarket,? observed Ghosh.

Gariahat Market occupies a different niche, which should not interfere with the new-age option, he added.

So far, basket size (amount purchased per customer) might be larger at Lee Road, but Salt Lake has been bigger in terms of overall performance, with greater footfalls adding up to bigger numbers.

The City Centre market has also introduced, for the first time in Calcutta, low-alcohol content beverages on its shelves. Wine and beer ? both domestic and imported ? and Bacardi Breezers are its current offerings.

When the larger stores come up (the south Bypass store isn?t expected before 2006-7 and Rajarhat after that), there may be more space devoted to household products, where the margins are higher, explains Ghosh. For now, however, emphasis is on grocery.

With its convenience stores, the company plans on smaller outlets that will offer a more limited range of products.