Archies Ltd Company Summary

Promoted by Anil Moolchandani and Jagdish Moolchandani, Archies Ltd., formerly known as Archies Greetings and Gifts (AGGL) is engaged in manufacturing and trading of a wide range of cards, stationery and gifts items under the brand name Archies. The company was into this business since 1979 and has grown quite well over the years.The company has also ongoing technical collaboration with American Greetings Corp. of the USA, a fortune 500 company and also the world largest publicity owned manufacturer and distributor of greeting cards, for designs and artwork, which are chosen and supplied by the collaborated in accordance with taste and then produce and sold here under the brand name Paper Rose.The company has also entered into a technical collaboration with Gibson Greetings Inc., USA, the world oldest greeting card company and ranked third in the world, for production and marketing of their designs in India, which are sold under the brand name Fine Expressions.AGGL has a large distribution network, comprising of a retail chain of franchies known as Archies Gallery and Archies-The card shop which together number over 250. It also exports goods to Muscat, Saudi Arabia, Srilanka, Nepal, Bhutan and UK and has opened its galleries there. In addition the company has diversified into toys and gift items and has also ventured into audio music industry. AGGL is also planning to get into perfumes business.During 1999-2000, the Company issued bonus shares in the ratio of one share for every share held. In May 2000, in order to pat the unexplored market of e-greetings and e-commerce, the company incorporated Archies Online.com Ltd a wholly owned subsidiary. It had acquired 6,20,000 equity shares of Archies Online.com Ltd,taking the percentage of stake hold by Archies ltd to 99.84%.The Company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Feelings - a popular retail chain of greeting cards and gifts and gujarat. Presently there are 25 such stores selling multi-brand products. Now these stores will sell only Archies range of products and will be renamed as Archies Feelings. Recently, it has tied-up with CRY, the number one charitable organisation working for the upliftment of the deprived children, for printing and distributing CRY greeting cards and stationery products for this season.The name of the company was changed to Archies Ltd following the approval from shareholders. During 2002-03 the company entered into agreement with ICC for exclusive merchandising rights in India for Greeting Cards,Posters,Mugs,Crayons etc. It also launched a value added service called Express Wishes in association with Blazeflash couriers Pvt Ltd to enable its customer to send greetings cards throughout India by courier. Archies discontinued its perfume division based on its financial performance and had enter into an agreement with a third party on non-exclusive basis to grant a license a to use Archies Perfume on royalty basis.The Company embarked on a retail expansion plan to gear up the back end by opening 115 stores during the year 2005. It opened 22 new stores all over India during 2006-07. It launched a new chain of retail stores under the brand name STUPID CUPID during 2007. As on 31st March 2007, the Company held 99.99% of equity capital of Archies Online. Com Ltd. and it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Archies Limited effective from 28th December 2006.The Company opened 31 retail stores during the year 2008, and further opened 21 retail stores during 2009. The wholly owned Subsidiary company M/s Archies Online.Com Ltd. got amalgamated with the Company during January, 2009. Again, it opened 48 retail stores in 2010 and 44 retail stores in 2012.During 2013, it opened 35 retail stores, opened 22 retail stores in 2015. As on 31st March 2020 the numbers of company owned/ managed stores were 197. Further, 7 retail stores opened during 2022 and as on 31st March 2022 the numbers of company owned/ managed stores were 122. It opened 9 retail stores in 2023 and as on 31st March 2023 the numbers of company owned/managed stores were 101.