The Chennai-based Oceanic Edibles International Ltd, one of the leading shrimp hatcheries in the country, has planned to enter retailing with a chain of food retailing stores under the Fish ‘n’ Fresh brand name.

The first outlet will open on April 20 at Anna Nagar in Chennai. Spread across 4,800 square feet, the store will retail meat, vegetables, dry groceries, homecare products and all variants of seafood. The company will supply shrimps from its own farms, whereas fish and meat will be sourced from other suppliers.

Announcing the plans, Joseb Raj, chairman and managing director of the group, said: “We plan to open at least 30 outlets in Chennai before the end of this fiscal, and will expand to other geographies including tier II cities later. Four of the first five outlets will each cover an area of around 5,000 to 6,000 square feet.”

The company has already identified five sites in Chennai.