Inside Fashion Vol.19 No.5

VOL 19 NO. 5

Relaxed FDI norms

An attempt to rewrite India’s retail story RAYMOND COVER_September_2019.indd 2-3

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M.P.Unit MUMBAI UNIT

P R I NC I P A L A SSOC I A T E

Confederation of Indian Textile Industry

CONFERENCE 2019 DHAKA Fibres • Yarns • Fabrics • Textile Machinery & Technology • Chemicals • Dyes • Softwares • Garments • Brands & Fashion

December 17-18, 2019, Radisson Blu, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Conference n CEO Conclaves n Expo/Showcase n B2B Meetings n Factory Visits

BANGLADESH: VISION 2022

GEARING UP FOR NEW GENERATI N TEXTILES Bangladesh, the hotspot for global growth, for the first time ever, holds a two day global conference and forum for interactions and discussions of potential partnerships between gathering of over 500 decision makers as buyers and sellers along the supply chain.

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS WHAT’S NEXT FOR BANGLADESH: ROADMAP FOR GROWTH BANGLADESH READY FOR NEW GENERATION TEXTILES: SYNTHETICS FIBRES, YARNS & SUPPLY CHAIN BUSINESS OF BRANDS: CHANGING DYNAMICS OF SOURCING NEW PRODUCTS: ATHLEISURE, ACTIVEWEAR & SPORTSWEAR DENIMS & JEANSWEAR: THE PREMIUM PRODUCT BECOMES THE FOCUS WORLD OF COTTON & BEYOND: FIBRE, YARNS & SUPPLY CHAIN TECHNOLOGY UPGRADATION: TEXTILE 4.0 & APPAREL 4.0 SUSTAINABILITY: THE ROLE OF RAW MATERIAL AND DYES, CHEMICALS COMPLIANCE: BEST & FAIR PRACTICES ALONG THE SUPPLY CHAIN

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FASHION SCOPE

Ritu Kumar to new launch new festive collection in Bhubaneswar

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oted designer Ritu Kumar’s new festive collection will be launched in Bhubaneswar on September 17 at a first-of-its-kind fashion event.

The collection will offer printed kurtas and decadent pre-draped

Contents

saris in earthy tones. These will be available in different shades of burgundy and sap greens. Most of these attires have been stitched from woven jacquards, cotton, Chanderi, and silk treated with traditional vegetable dyes.

They also feature embroideries from Kutch and Kashmiri Jamaawar. Kumar has also used metallic threads with mukaish, aari and kamdani details.

Amalgamating the old-world charm with modern day influences, the collection will also offer jumpsuits and tunics with asymmetric hemlines.

Besides these attractive attires, fashionistas attending the event will get to learn about the fashion tales about Asia’s rich textile heritage at its city store in Master Canteen area. For this the designer has collaborated with city-based fashion bloggers, Luma and Lisha Rath.

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VOL.19 NO. 3

FASHION & LIFESTYLE BRAND WATCH BRAND RETAIL COLLECTIONS COVER STORY IF EXCLUSIVE IF INSIGHT E-TAIL FASHION POST REVIEW INTERACTION PREVIEW REVIEW BUSINESS NEWS INDUSTRY BYTES MEDIA QUOTES

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FaSHiON & liFeSTyle transformational spirit that is important for the growth of internal and external stake holders of the brand. The company has reworked its offerings by introducing products targeting the younger population. Presently, Relaxo’s key brands include Relaxo, Sparx, Flite, Bahamas and School Mate, in which Sparx and Bahamas are youth oriented brands. The company has nine manufacturing units and has a presence in 30 countries. Since 2006 Relaxo has been catering to international markets.

Moreschi ties up with Metro Shoes

SoftBank invests in Lenskart

talian footwear company Moreschi has entered into a strategic partnership with Metro Shoes to sell its products at the latter’s outlets across the country. With this partnership, Moreschi’s range of footwear, wallets and belts for men and women at a price range of Rs 39,990 ($583) to 49,990 will be housed at Metro Shoes outlets in India.

Thrilled with this association, Metro

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Shoes looks forward to the response the brand receives in India. Founded by Mario Moreschi in 1946, the brand produces classic shoes in Italy that celebrate genuine and contemporary design. Metro Shoes is part of Metro Brands and was founded in 1947. The business currently has over 206 stores in around 100 Indian cities and retails in the value section of the market.

Relaxo Footwear plans new plant

Relaxo Footwear is adding to capacity by setting up a new plant. As of now, the capacity is 7.50 lakh pairs a day. It will go up by a lakh pairs a day. The plant will come up in three years. The total investment required for installation of the plant is Rs 90 crores. The funds will be met through internal accruals.

Relaxo was founded in 1976. The company began as a small enterprise and was officially incorporated in 1984 and further went into public listing in 1995. Based in New Delhi, Relaxo has gone in for new brand identity by changing its logo. The change has helped it connect with youth customers. With this rebranding exercise, Relaxo aims at building successful business relationships and infusing a youthful and

Lenskart is close to securing a new round of investment from SoftBank. This will allow the eyewear business to greatly increase its valuation and expand globally. Lenskart, which opened its first store in 2014, has 500 stores in India and aims at reaching a total of 650 stores by March 2020. Lenskart is among a group of specialised web retailers that have grown to adopt an omnichannel strategy.

Lenskart recently entered Singapore and the plan is to open 50 or 60 stores over the next three years in the island city, before expanding to markets such as the Philippines, Taiwan and the Middle East. Lenskart’s strategy to scale up manufacturing has allowed the company to double its production cycle, ensure faster inventory turnarounds and offer a greater array of products through entering new product categories. It has also helped the company control pricing of products, critical in an underserved and fragmented market that’s dominated by offline players. Its rapid offline rollout has helped in brand building.

The company is spending big on its technology stack, particularly artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities.

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BraND WATCH

Reebok signs on Varun Dhawan as brand’s new face

Expo to be held on August 06, 2019 in the city. Sponsored and presented by Liva, the event will have a fashion show presented by using fabrics from Liva and a lounge where the collections by the brand’s partners will be showcased for the first time.

LIVA’s aim is to reimagine the heritage that saree has and combine it with the attributes of Liva fabric to suit needs of contemporary women. arun Dhawan is the new brand ambassador for Reebok. The sports and fitness brand will collaborate with the actor to launch its biggest campaign in India called Sole Fury with which it expects to make deeper inroads into the country’s fitness market.

Reebok has been investing heavily in its marketing activities in India. Reebok offers footwear, apparel, and accessories for various fitness activities. It currently has over 200 stores in the country and also sells through its website and other e-commerce platforms.

Reebok is attempting at refreshing its image and winning over critical young audiences like Gen Z and millennials. From its Stranger Things sneakers to its’ 90s

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Arvind to focus on power brands

Arvind Fashions, which sells apparel brands including Arrow, Nautica, Gap and US Polo, plans to focus on the power brands to boost growth and consolidate business as consumerfocused companies struggle with slowing demand. The company plans to shut down its loss-making stores of its value fashion retail brand Unlimited.

Unlimited, Arvind’s value retail format brand with over 100 stores, is making losses due to a large number of under-performing outlets in

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themed collections and campaigns, Reebok is still trying to find a footing with younger consumers. Its global campaign launched in March is a break from the athletic apparel maker’s typically sports- and performancefocused messaging. The campaign touched across digital, social and traditional media integrations. Reebok’s prior digital strategy was seen as too focused on moodiness and hyper masculinity. Growth and sales have become a bigger priority versus traditional branding and creative ideas. Reebok has in recent years had to grapple with a surge in athletic apparel and athleisure competition.

The company has accordingly diversified its offerings to keep up with the category.

It has for example introduced a maternity collection for new and expecting mothers.

North India. The brand plans to focus on South India and regions of Maharashtra to achieve break-even by FY20. Unlimited, which has private brands like Excalibur and Ruggers for men and women’s brands Karigiri, Cherokee, competes with Westside, Pantaloons, Max and FBB. Going forward, Arvind plans to focus on innerwear through US Polo, kids’ wear through US Polo Kids, Tommy Hilfiger, GAP and The Children’s Place (TCP).

The Bengaluru-headquartered company, which holds the brands and retailing businesses of the $1.7-billion denim giant Arvind, has put exclusive outlet expansion of all other labels, except Calvin Klein, on hold.

Going forward, the company, which was demerged from Arvind earlier this year, will focus on categories such as inner wear, kids’ wear and beauty to drive growth.

LIVA to foray into the sari category

LIVA from Aditya Birla Group, plans to now foray into the sari category by participating in India’s largest sari event, Kolkata Fashion

Jodhpur inspires Nicobar’s latest collections, opens new store in Gurgaon

Nicobar’s latest collection is inspired by Jodhpur. Men’s wear features round-collared shirts, jackets, and waistcoats as well as kurtas in a range of blue hues with subtle checks and floral prints. The brand’s women’s wear offerings are also inspired by Jodhpur with more eclectic textiles such as polka dot print cotton and causal stripes.

This fashion and lifestyle brand retails clothing, fragrances, bedding, jewelry, accessories, homeware, tableware, and shoes. Nicobar’s new Gurugram store features a modern interior where industrial elements mix with more rustic natural wood. The space includes a courtyard style area to showcase the brand’s homeware and an open-plan area for its clothing lines. Nicobar is focusing on physical space to create a very holistic experience, where the mood is of relaxation and wanderlust. Importance is given to creating a sensory experience for customers.

The brand has stores in seven Indian cities as well as a multi-brand store presence and a dedicated e-commerce store. Nicobar is a design studio so a lot of focus is on design of products. It already has stores in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore apart from pop-up entities at Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur. Nicobar actively engages with the larger design community to test and strengthen its offering.

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BraND WATCH

Dutee Chand to endorse Puma

printer Dutee Chand has been signed in as a brand ambassador for Puma.

The sprinter won India’s first gold at the World University Games last month. The endorsement is for two years and will see Chand lend her name to a range of custommade sportswear from the firm. She will feature in advertising for Puma. She is also the first from the LGBTQ community in India to bag a significant endorsement. Puma is helping Chand with her training needs to qualify for next year’s Tokyo Olympics.

India is expected to become one of Puma’s top five markets by 2020. The women’s segment is a key element of its strategy.

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Mahesh Babu launches apparel brand Humbl

South Indian actor Mahesh Babu has launched his clothing brand on Spoyl. Named Humbl, the brand is inspired by the larger than life persona of the actor, who is known for his values of simplicity and humility. It is being projected as an affordable menswear brand and will cater to all ages. The values of simplicity and humility form the core of the brand’s mission statement. Humbl will be sold online exclusively on the Spoyl app and plans to enter the offline market by this year end.

Puma will be making big investments in the country to maintain its leadership position in the Indian sportswear market. Last year, Puma added 30 stores and the expansion would continue this year too. Puma currently has 365 stores in 125 cities across India.

It also sells online through its own website and other leading e-commerce platforms.

Globally there has been a huge momentum for the brand, which is making strong progress in the sports performance and sport style categories. While other companies flaunt performance and technology, Puma focuses on style that makes its products attractive to the casual dresser.

Right from the branding to the micro-level, Spoyl relied deeply on Mahesh’s personality to build a product that’s truly reflective of his star power and his down-to-earth off-screen personality. Spoyl is India’s largest fashion influencer-led online shopping destination. An in-house fashion expert team handpicks trendy styles from India’s top-selling brands and these are further curated by the most famous fashion influencers to help shoppers make an informed purchase decision. The app brings in a wide range of hot-selling styles across the world — from tops, dresses, jumpsuits, kurtis, jeans, T-shirts, and more at up to 60 per cent off.

Spoyl follows a standard marketplace revenue model, where it takes a certain percentage of the transaction value to feed logistics and operational expenses plus the margins.

Spykar steps up reliance on solar power

Spykar aims at increasing its dependency on solar power to 60 per cent. Right now, the denim brand relies on solar power for 30 per cent of its energy requirements. Spykar’s production facility currently boasts of zero fossil fuel use. The brand has been conscious of its production techniques and the impact it generates on the environment. The entire range of Spykar denims are made with 90 per cent recycled water. A special treatment plant

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has been installed which treats water in the facility which is later reused in the production process. It also ensures no contaminated water is released into water bodies.

Spykar’s processes have been designed with a vision to minimize climatic impact and lead the way for sustainable development. New age laser treatment for intricate patterns eliminates chemical footprint. Ozone technology leads to 50 per cent reduction in water and chemical use. Cloud technology uses mist formed by inducing high pressured air into the water creating nanobubbles, thereby covering a larger surface area in minimal water. Drying is done through infra red rays to ensure fossil fuels are conserved. A water recycling process using ultra filtration and reverse osmosis ensures 90 per cent water is recycled.

OCM emerges a top brand in premium wool fabrics

Beginning as a carpet manufacturer, OCM has become one of India’s largest fabric manufacturers, offering premium quality pure wool and wool-blended fabrics. It also manufactures a range of fabrics, from mass premium to high end fabrics, for shirts, trousers, jackets, suits and other wool-based accessories. The products are available in different high-end materials as well such as 100 per cent wool, wool-polyester blends, premium polyester-viscose blends, giza cottons etc. It has more than 5000 SKUs every season with products like flannels offering more than 100 colors.

OCM services customers through a network of over 1,500 MBOs and 70 wholesalers.

OCM is currently one of the biggest brands in the fabric industry of the country. It has the capacity to produce eight million meters of fabric every year. Its factory unit is spread across almost 37 acres.

In 2018, the company’s demand grew 20 per cent and in 2019 business is expected to grow further by 25 per cent. OCM is a market leader in niche premium categories, such as flannels and tweeds, and even the trending Nehru-Modi jackets. Along with the domestic market, the company still continues to render its services to defense establishments, corporates and several customers across the globe.

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brand Retail

Bombay Dyeing to set up 100 stores by 2020

ombay Dyeing & Manufacturing Company, which recently forayed into the apparel sector with the launch of its menswear brand ‘Cezari’, has planned massive expansion. The company will set up 100 franchise stores across India as it eyes revenues of Rs 500 crore by 2020.

These stores will house the Cezari brand alongwith the company’s home textile products.

The company currently has 27 companyowned stores, 3000 multi-brand stores and over 400 franchise stores across India besides all the major e-commerce platforms. The company witnessed a 129 percent rise in net profit to Rs 28 crore for

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Decathlon opens biggest store at DLF Mall of India

the first quarter ended June 2019 as against a net loss of Rs 94 crore it had posted in June 2018.

The company’s revenue for the AprilJune period grew by 64 percent to Rs 649 crore as compared to Rs 397 crore it had reported during the corresponding quarter of last fiscal. The polyester segment contributed Rs 341 crore to the company’s overall revenue while that from retail and textile was at Rs 57 crore.

Bombay Dyeing’s earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) also witnessed a huge rise to Rs158 crore in June 2019, up 636 percent from Rs 21 crore in reported June 2018.

reality golf, simulator zone or skating rink.

With the new store, Decathlon aims to boost up the buying experience, through its dedicated activity and community zones for fitness and sports enthusiasts. The store doesn’t just offer a superior experience of interiors and activities but also banks on digital services such as selfcheckout counter scan and pay app for billing to improve the buying experience.

Superdry opens in Assam

French sports frontrunner Decathlon, which has found a growing audience in India in recent years, has further expanded its presence in the National Capital Region by opening its biggest store the DLF Mall of India. The new retail cum experience outlet spreads across 3,000 sq ft engaged more than a thousand Noida residents in activities such as Zumba, Flash Mob, Hula Hoop, Football Freestyle, Rep wars, Basketball shootouts and more during the grand launch event.

The store has dedicated sections for women, men, children and teenagers, and is primed to fulfill the multifarious needs of a raging fitness enthusiast. A dedicated space for fitness aficionados add another dimension to this outlet, while the community space provides customers an opportunity to practice their favorite fitness activities- be it augmented

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UK-based brand Superdry is looking to widen its reach in India audience. New stores and increased product lines are two ways the brand is working towards this. The brand opened its first store in the Northeast in Assam.

Superdry first entered India in 2012 through a partnership and distribution agreement with Reliance Brands. The brand now has over 40 stores in the country. From technical gear to workout essentials, the brand has everything from active wear, athleisure to sportswear.

There are pieces engineered to enhance performance and aid- goal focused activity.

Fashion-led items are made with sports fabrics but designed more to turn heads. Geometry and pop grid structures are complemented with layered mesh weaves. The highly technical performance range is created with a distinct attitude featuring compression fits and engineered ventilation designs.

The UK-based clothing brand’s store in Assam has been decorated in the style of the brand’s other international outlets with a classic vintage theme and the brand’s signature fixtures. Cage-like boxes and iron rod racks sit throughout the store to give a rustic look.

The fitness market in India offers immense scope. Millennials are increasingly buying clothing characterized by durability and utility.

This shift has led to a surge of interest in brands offering innovative designs, new functionality and practical fashion.

Spykar widens its retail reach

Denim brand Spykar promises fashion lovers a one-stop shop. It offers trend-setting denims, trousers, tees, shirts, jackets and accessories like belts, wallets, socks, flip flops and much more. Spykar’s collection can match the best for world class style.

Spykar has 240 outlets in the country across 140 towns including one just opened in Himachal Pradesh. Spykar is in more than 700 multibrand outlets and another 400 large format touch points. Spykar aims to add 30 to 40 standalone outlets each year and have a presence in 200 towns in the next two or three years. Its ad campaign #BeExtraa promotes the new range of athleisure denims called GYMJNS. Besides rolling out its first television commercial, the brand has used digital to drive the message home. On the back of high visibility created through the use of high impact properties, Spykar aims at expanding rapidly, using 11 news channels to air the new TVC. The aim is to look at creating opportunities such as through roll out of the new range to promote the main brand ideologies. The brand’s marketing spend for the campaign #BeExtraa is about Rs 6.5 crores. The aim is to clock net sales of Rs 875 crores in fiscal ’20.

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brand Retail

Mumuso to set up 300 stores by 2022

opular global fashion and lifestyle brand Mumuso is planning to expand in the Indian market by setting up 300 stores by 2022. The brand will invest around Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1.2 crore in setting up companyowned and franchise stores across different parts of the country.

Mumuso is a one-stop destination for accessories, stationery, small electronics, and lifestyle items, which are available at affordable prices. The brand has a strong

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Diesel revamping its EBO look across many countries including India

Diesel is revamping its monobrand stores.

The Italian denim label is revising the way its stores look and operate. The new concept will be deployed by the end of the year in 15 Diesel

presence in more than 30 countries. It recently launched an EBO in Bhubaneswar in Orissa.

The newly launched Mumuso fashion store offers products falling under health, beauty, fashion, home accessories, apparel accessories, and digital products.

Mumuso marketing experts have revealed that the high growth of the retail industry has prompted the fashion brand to set up its stores in different corners of the world.

rapidly, social media use increases and online sales keep booming, a store’s operating life is now approximately four years and continues to shorten.

For example, in Paris, Diesel has decided to close down a store but open two new stores before the end of the year. In France, Diesel currently operates 84 direct retail outlets, between monobrand stores and department store concessions.

Uniqlo plans India launch in October

stores, both new and renovated, in Europe, the US, Japan, China and India. The interior design of the stores will be ultra-dynamic and adaptable. Back-end operations have also been redesigned, with stock levels based on omni-channel requirements. The main features of this new approach are flexibility and the ability to modify more easily the way products are displayed in-store, depending on demand, trends and other signals. Greater transparency is now in full view. The high energy, customised shop fronts have been designed in collaborations with local street artists.

Retail concepts are changing. Previously, a store’s planned obsolescence occurred between six and eight years after opening. As consumer requirements and demand change

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Uniqlo will open its first store in India this October. The Japanese fashion brand, which opened in 1984, is one of the world’s most recognized and successful clothing companies with a presence in 22 markets across Europe, the US, and Asia. It has about 2,200 stores across the world.

One distinctive element of Uniqlo’s designs is that it doesn’t conform to any trend.

Uniqlo is always checking, researching and studying trends: what’s happening, what’s continuing, what’s going down. It believes people should have their individuality and its design philosophy is how it can provide

support in creating that individuality with its clothes. In a lot of cases, the designs work for all. That means, even if the brand comes to a completely new market like India, where there are different cultures and visions, there is no pressure on the brand.

Uniqlo’s range is called LifeWear. Eschewing nomenclatures such as formal wear and casual wear, Uniqlo has promoted LifeWear as a philosophy that aims to offer consumers of all ages simple but impeccably designed clothing, based on the needs of everyone’s daily lifestyles. The concept encompasses several categories of clothing— from the brand’s knits and linens to the technologically-driven thermal innerwear and clothing designed to block UV radiation, as well as Uniqlo U, a collection which incorporates innovative materials in everyday basics. Ahead of its India launch, Uniqlo hosted a preview of its range of LifeWear in Delhi recently.

Fabindia opens 10th Northeast store

Fabindia has opened a store in the Northeast that deals in garments, jewelry, organic foods and personal care products. This is the brand’s 10th store in the region.

Fabindia is India’s largest private platform for products that are made from traditional techniques, skills and hand-based processes.

It believes in giving employment to craftsmen where they can do their work in their own environment. Ethnic fashion is a major segment in the total fashion sales of Fabindia. Besides apparels, Fabindia has home furnishings, furniture, gifts, jewelry, organic food and personal care products. The brand has a total of 301 stores spread across the country, of which 230 are owned by the company.

Fabindia is emphasizing on e-commerce and will expand its omni-channel capability to all its stores from just 100 now. Online sales as of now account for less than five per cent of its total sales.

There are three categories for Fabindia’s food products - green logo, blue logo and yellow logo. Products with a green logo are fully certified organic while blue logo products are in conversion, which means that the farmer uses purely organic techniques and has registered to comply with set standards.

Yellow logos are products acquired from small farmers who use organic techniques but are not registered to comply with set standards.

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brand Retail

ABFRL to open new stores

ditya Birla Fashion & Retail plans to open several new stores under its Madura and Pantaloons brands. Under the Madura brand, the company will open 400 new stores, while under its Pantaloons brand it will open around 70 more stores.

The company posted a considerable surge

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Toonz Retail expands presence in Rajasthan

The fastest homegrown kid’s retail chain, Toonz Retail, recently expanded its presence in Rajasthan by launching its first store in Bhilwara. This is the 7th store of Toonz Retail in Rajasthan. Successfully operating over 100 stores spread across 64 cities in 16 states, Toonz Retail reportedly offers a wide range of products for all needs and occasion of kids from 0-12 years of age.

Spread across 1,100 sq ft, the new store in Bhilwara will offer a range of exciting kids’ products including fashion, baby care, nursery and toys amongst others.

Fast fashion brands to open offline stores in India

in its FY20 Q1 results. It is largely based in the urban areas of India with its premium brands covering almost entire India.

The company’s marketing spends have been growing since last year and it plans to continue to investing more capital in its initiatives.

Several fast fashion brands are planning to open offline stores in India. These include Trent, the retail arm of Tata Group, which plans to build its own fast fashion franchise that speedily deposits runway styles into everyday wardrobes.

The brand plans to open 40 outlets of its flagship Westside chain every year and hundreds of its mass market Zudio stores, where nothing costs more than $15, across India. In addition to slashing prices by half, the brand plans to shortlist a trend spotted on Instagram or an international runway into a limited run in select stores for 12 days. If the product is received well, it will be further developed into a full run over the course of 60 days. To dial down this turnaround time, the brand plans to deploy Zara-inspired tricks such as holding fabric stock itself, the chairman further divulged.

Bestseller India, which currently commands Vero Moda, Jack & Jones, ONLY, etc is slated to launch fast fashion label, Produkt as an affordable proposition for young millennials.

The label offers urban-inspired streetwear and day-to-night dressing, with future plans for turning the global menswear brand into a unisex offering in the country.

Reliance Group, has proposed plans for bringing celebrity-favourite jewellery label, Tiffany & Co. as well as Tory Burch to India.

Slated to open shop at Jio World Centre Mall, Mumbai in April 2020, the new entrants will further beef up the business conglomerate’s hefty portfolio that is headlined by luxury names such as Armani, Hugo Boss and Brooks Brothers, among others.

The new launch will mark the New Yorkbased jewellery label’s second attempt to enter the Indian market, having previously tried the franchise model at Oberoi Hotel, Mumbai.

Soch Apparels charts mega expansion plan

Ethnic wear retailer Soch Apparels plans to expand its presence in the apparel market. The

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brand plans to open 20 stores across India this year. A majority of these will come up in South India. The apparel retail also aims to generate Rs 500 crore by FY 20.

Initially, known as a pure ethnic player, Soch, today has transformed into a designer brand that retails fusion products such as tunics, palazzos, fusion suits and stoles, apart from traditional staples such as salwar kameez, kurtis and saris. The brand plans to double its touch points in next few years. A crucial part of this expansion will be targeted in South India and tier II and III cities. At present, the brand operates 130 outlets across 45 cities in India.

Of them, 84 stores are located in South India.

In the Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, it has 17 outlets with Hyderabad alone accounting for seven outlets.

Uniqlo to set up three stores in Delhi-NCR region

Japanese global apparel retailer Uniqlo plans to foray into the Indian market by opening three stores in Delhi-NCR. Of these, the first store will be spread across 35,000 sq ft at the Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj. The second will be located at the DLF Place Saket, and the third at DLF CyberHub in Gurugram.

The company’s announcement to start operations in India comes after the country allowed 100 per cent FDI in single brand retail, although foreign retailers still need to source 30 per cent of their products from local suppliers, preferably medium and small enterprises. In 2006, the government had allowed 51 per cent FDI in single brand retail. In January 2018, 100 per cent FDI was permitted for foreign players in single brand retail trade to set up own shops in India without government approval.

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brand Retail

Walmart tops retail rankings almart is India’s top retail company, says Euromonitor.

Next on the list is retail giant Amazon.

Indian homegrown companies Future Group and Reliance Retail are in the next two places. The India list also includes One97 Communications that runs Paytm Mall, Avenue Supermarkets that operates DMart stores. While Alibaba tops the overall ranking of 100 top retailers in Asia, Future Group is ranked at 78 and Reliance Retail at 86 on the Asiawide ranking.

Walmart’s ranking at top of the India’s table is based solely on Flipkart and it does not take into account Walmart’s wholesale business in India as the study is only for business-to-consumer retail businesses.

US company Walmart acquired Flipkart in 2018 for $16 billion. Future Group and Reliance Retail figure high since many urban households are adopting more modern lifestyles, especially in big cities such as Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune,

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Shoppers Stop to open at Udaipur

Delhi and Hyderabad. Future Group is reasonably strong in all the categories it’s in — food, fashion and home. Its first aim is to retain market share in the organised food and grocery market. Reliance Retail operates 10,644 retail stores in over 6,700 cities covering an area of over 23 million sq ft and 516 petro retail outlets.

handbags, shoes, jewellery, fragrances, cosmetics, health and beauty products, home furnishing and décor. Spread over the ground floor and upper ground floor measuring a total carpet area of 20,331 sq ft, Shoppers Stop at Urban Square is expected to be operational by 2021. It is expected to be one of the biggest attractions of the upcoming Urban Square.

Mumuso opens in Bhubaneswar

Shoppers Stop will open at Mall Urban Square, Udaipur. Urban Square is an upcoming integrated hospitality, retail and family entertainment destination at Udaipur. The project has been conceived as a catalyst to enhance commerce, infrastructure and hospitality standards of the historic city of Udaipur. At 1.8 million sq. ft. this is a mixed-use project being developed in two phases, with an all under one roof mall and multiplex with lifestyle, retail, a food court, a state of the art multiplex, an adrenaline-driving gaming zone and a bowling alley and many more entertainment options for the entire family. The mall will offer more than a lakh styles and exclusive brands to choose from, aimed at shoppers, travellers, office goers and food lovers.

Shoppers Stop, one of India’s largest chain of department stores, has 83 stores across 38 cities in India, with clothing, accessories,

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Korean lifestyle brand, Mumuso has opened a store in Bhubaneswar. The plan is to launch more outlets pan India in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Goa, Jaipur, Indore, Surat and so on.

These would be a blend of both companyowned and franchise stores. The brand will invest between Rs 80 lakhs to Rs 1.2 crores in setting the stores. The company looks to have 300-odd stores by mid-2022 along with entering the e-commerce market. Mumuso is

also looking at sourcing from Indian companies especially apparels and small leather products.

Mumuso is a fashion and lifestyle brand with a presence in over 30 countries across the world. It has product categories across health and beauty, fashion accessories, apparel accessories, digital products and more. The South Korean lifestyle brand entered the Indian market in September 2018 with stores in Kolkata and Mumbai. Mumuso adheres to the principle of selling products with reliable quality and affordable price, strives to improve the upper limit of the taste and price ratio and provides well-designed products, continuously optimizing the supply chain service system to reduce the cost, creating a relaxing and lighthearted shopping experience for consumers.

Mumuso is striving toward a new retail format model that is customer-oriented, data-driven and design-oriented.

Speedo opens another store in Pune

Speedo has opened a store in Pune, its third in the city. With this launch, the brand has 28 outlets across India. These stores are present in Mumbai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chandigarh and Goa. This brand offers swimwear equipment. The aim is to elevate swimming as a fitness method to rival other popular fitness activities and provide access to the most comprehensive and best selection of fitness swimwear and equipment to improve swimming technique.

The brand’s heritage of innovation derives from its leadership in competitive swimming, where more Olympic gold medals have been won in Speedo than any other brand. Using the pioneering technology created for the planet’s top swimmers, Speedo brings performance, comfort, and style to all who enter the water, whether racing for a record finish, swimming laps for better health, or making memories at the beach. Its performance collection includes competition and training suits that remain the number one choice of the world’s fastest swimmers. Its fitness and active recreation collections feature men’s and women’s swimwear, men’s water shorts, and kids’ swimwear in fashion forward styles that are designed to perform. Speedo’s expanded range consists of footwear, packs, aquatic fitness, and swim training equipment. The water shoe in particular is good looking, very comfortable and has a little bit of arch support.

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A Product by

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info@pragatifashions.com

+ 91 9820117585

www.zola.in

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Brand Retail

Max Fashion aims to reach 500 stores by 2022

ach of the these stores will be spread over 10,000 sq ft to 14,000 sq ft. Right now there are some 300 stores in over Indian 100 cities. The brand hopes to sell 100 million units of apparel this fiscal and wants to be India’s first billion-dollar brand by 2022. The brand offers global trendy products at affordable prices.

Thirty per cent of Max Fashion’s revenue accrues from Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. Max has an omni-channel model where the customer can look at the products offline at the store and buy online and vice versa. In case when the

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Superdry to open more outlets across India

customer visits the store and their size is not available then they can place an order for the clothing online and get it delivered to their doorstep or collect from the store.

Across the country and in all the metro markets Max is in the top three.

The brand will soon be on Amazon Fashion India with over 5,000 styles. This will be a dedicated Max store on Amazon Fashion India. Max Fashion started its digital transformation journey 18 months ago and has crossed 13 million app downloads. Digital sales contribute to under five per cent of its revenue.

fragrance and toiletries to become ten per cent of its revenue from India. In the first phase, the new personal-care and fragrance category will be available at only selected Superdry flagship stores in Tier I cities. Developed for the masstige market, the products will shortly be distributed through major department stores and specialist beauty retailers across the country.

Superdry entered the country in 2012 under a long-term exclusive distribution agreement with Reliance Brands, a part of Reliance Retail.

Nappa Dori plans more outlets

Superdry aims to open 65 exclusive outlets in India over the next two years. As of now, the premium British fashion brand has 35 stores and has launched fragrances, body sprays and body + hair washes--which are its global products-- in the country.

At least 10 SuperdrySport standalone stores have been planned for the coming year. Superdry has been clocking double-digit growth for the past three years organically, and inorganically it has been clipping at 30 per cent to 40 per cent year on year. An online store will open soon. The brand is aggressively pushing its e-commerce play to improve its reach especially in remote areas with a target of clocking a minimum of 20 per cent revenue through online channels. The brand expects

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Nappa Dori, based in New Delhi, plans two more locations in India. As of now it is in six locations across New Delhi and Mumbai. A nine year old artisanal leather brand, Nappa Dori literally translated means leather and thread. It combines Indian traditional craftsmanship with

contemporary design. Nappa Dori has opened an outlet in the UK, with a second planned, and will in the next calendar year expand into Europe and the US as well.

The brand is one of India’s bridge-to-luxury options, catering to shopperswho are keen to invest in leather accessories at a fraction of the cost of high-end foreign products. It offers colorful trunks and luxurious leather satchel and messenger bags. Canvas bags come with leather trimmings. The brand also makes accessories, stationery, and small travel goods. While expats were the first to embrace the products and prices, Indians are slowly coming around. The customer base is now 40 per cent local.

The brand applied its minimalist, wanderlustinspiring design ethos to a collection of pouches for an airline that features vintage city scenes from London, Paris, and Doha.

The kits are given to business and first class passengers flying on short and medium-haul flights around the world.

Woodland uses free form store design

When it comes to store design, Woodland uses a free-form layout. This helps the customer relax and feel at home. The environment helps in building sales because the time spent in each section is higher.

Also, the brand’s VM strategy is planned in such a way as to empower customers. The idea is to make the customer visit the shop repeatedly and involve them in the process as much as possible since the engagement and inspiration availed to shoppers will impact buying decisions positively.

Woodland’s strategy in Tier II and III markets has worked. The brand did the initial market research to understand the buying behavior and sentiments of customers and found that people in small towns have the mindset of buying quality products instead of shopping frequently for cheaper products.

And the brand tailored its range accordingly.

Woodland entered the Indian market in 1992.

It is basically a rugged, outdoor leather shoe brand. Nearly 95 per cent of Woodland’s 600odd company-owned and -operated stores are now profitable. The brand is also present in 5000 multi-retail outlets across the country.

About 20 per cent of its business comes from exports and the plan is to further raise export volumes by 30 per cent in the coming years to consolidate sales.

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COLLECTIONS

Virat Kohli to launch men’s innerwear range

Monte Carlo Fashions to expand product range

ndian cricket captain Virat Kohli will launch a new men’s innerwear range under his ‘one8’ brand in association with Artimas Fashions, a subsidiary of Lux Industries.

One of the highest-paid sports celebrity in the country, Kohli has a Rs 110-crore deal with German sports and athleisure brand Puma for one8-branded apparel, footwear and accessories. Some of the other products for which one8 has signed licensing agreements are fragrances, packaged water, flavoured and vitamin waters, and energy drinks.

One8 will initially launch two ranges

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Madura Fashion to have 12 collections annually

under ‘Edge’ and ‘Game’, which include innerwear varieties and socks in the premium category. The company will invest Rs 15-20 crore in the next three years on one8 Innerwear. Of this, 20 per cent will be for capex and rest for working capital and brand-building.

The products will initially be sold online.

By next quarter the company aims to start physical retail. It plans to tap 15 thousand retailers in the top 70-80 cities in the next 12-14 months after which it plans to take the brand international in the coming years.

growth of 25 per cent. Madura’s business segment consists of brands like Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England, Forever 21 and People.

Monte Carlo plans to expand its product range to cater to all seasons. The brand currently has over 253 exclusive brand outlets, over 2,500 multi-brand outlets, and 321 national chain stores. It also sells online through e-commerce firms like Flipkart, Amazon, Jabong, Myntra, and Kapsons.

Monte Carlo Fashions reported a net loss of Rs 6 crore for the first quarter ended June 2019 as compared to a net profit of Rs 6.25 crore it had reported during the corresponding period of last fiscal. The company’s revenue also dropped by 26 percent for the April-June quarter to Rs 60 crore as against Rs 81 crore it had reported in June 2018.

Earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) was down by 92 percent at Rs 0.26 crore in June 2019 from Rs 16 crore it had posted in the corresponding quarter of the last fiscal year.

POPxo unveils new T-shirts collection

Fila launches new range at its Mumbai store

Madura Fashion and Lifestyle will produce 12 collections a year. This means significantly less lead time and a much faster play in the market. So far collections have been twice a year, wherein orders were taken twice a year from wholesale partners, own retail channels and the merchandise produced accordingly.

The company realised the importance of being more nimble in the market, being able to respond faster to changes. This means a lot of investments are being done internally on digital platforms and so on. The move is also expected to benefit buyers as they no longer have to commit to purchases eight to ten months in advance and can place orders on a monthly basis.

Madura Fashion and Lifestyle is a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail. The brand will move to the new schedule in the coming three months. The company will continue to build its portfolio in casual wear, women’s fast fashion and super premium segments to complement its existing strong portfolio. All of Aditya Birla’s major brands have a well charted growth path. Madura has recorded a ebitda

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Fila launched its new line “Fila Explore” with a pop-up event at its Mumbai store to celebrate the brightly coloured and vintage inspired collection.

The collection is made of 140 pieces and divided into four categories, Canyon, Elements, Mountains, and Woods. With utilitarian pockets and zip-off trousers, the collection mixes vintage inspirations with functionality. The collection is available in India at Fila’s Flora Fountain store as well as its store in Sector 17, Chandigarh. The line features clothing, shoes, and accessories in bright rainbow colours paired together in 90s hip-hop style combinations and designed for trekking in nature.

The brand held similar events across its stores in New York, Toyko, Beijing, Guangzhou, Santorini, and Los Angeles to launch the new product line. Fila has invested heavily in the Indian market and its most recent store opening in the country was in Chennai’s Palladium Mall.

POPxo has launched a new range of T-shirts inspired by the content that goes viral on POPxo channels. Offering 34 designs in high-quality fabric and flattering fits, the launch comprises three ranges. Operating on a fast-fashion model with frequent drops and successful sell-throughs, the new collection upholds the content-commerce model.

The millennial range is perfect for women who seek versatility in their everyday fashion choices and are keen to give voice to their thought with on-point slogans. The Bollywoodinspired range comprises T-shirts with popular Bollywood dialogues and a PowerPuff Girls range with the tiny superheroes offering a splash of nostalgia and a dash of superpower.

Starting at Rs 649, all the designs are available at POPxo shops in sizes S to XL in four fits such as the oh-so-breezy boxy fit, cropped style, boyfriend fit and fail-safe regular fit. The varieties of fits have been designed keeping in mind that no two sizes or body types are the same.

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COLLECTIONS

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Louis Philippe launches Permapress, a new line for men ouis Philippe has launched a line of clothing for men. Permapress features a clean and minimal aesthetic in slim silhouettes and classic colors. Key pieces from the collection feature shirts constructed with high quality two ply cotton fabrics with patented finishing. For suits and blazers, premium poly/wool fabrics with stretch add on flair and functionality along with a natural comfort for all weather.

Exclusive features include utility pockets which enhance the craftsmanship.

Permapress is a celebration of reimagined, pioneering designs and is rooted in functionality, versatility and style. Made from 100 per cent premium cotton, the wrinklefree Permapress collection is crafted to be extremely lightweight. The collection has excellent water and oil repellent properties and is engineered for all day comfort.

Permapress is a celebration of all that Louis Philippe stands for: design, craftsmanship, innovation, functionality and performance.

With clean and refined aesthetics, the range of clothing comes with functionalities which leave a lasting impression.

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Clovia to launch new athleisure and maternity wear ranges

Purple Panda Fashions owned lingerie brand Clovia plans to diversify its product portfolio with the addition of athleisure range in the coming months. It will also be launching maternity wear later this year. The brand recently launched its new monsoon loungewear collection. Clovia’s monsoon loungewear will comprise of pajama sets, top & shorts, night suits, and short nighties. With the launch of the new collection, Clovia is hoping to boost its sales during the monsoon season during which most brands usually witness slow sales.

The monsoon collection will be available on Clovia’s website and retail stores across the country. Clovia currently has around 15 exclusive stores and also available in around 250 multi-brand outlets and shop-in-shops.

The company had posted revenue of Rs 52 crore ($7.5 million) for the fiscal year 2017-18 with a net loss of Rs 9 crore. It will be opening another 15 exclusive brand outlets this year coupled with an additional 200 touch points in multi-brand outlets and shop-in-shops.

Shantanu and Nikhil design for Van Heusen

Shantanu and Nikhil have created a formal collection for Van Heusen.

Inspired by Indian and Moroccan aesthetics, the designers have created an array of madeto-measure men’s suits with both traditional and western silhouettes. Tailoring is kept slimline as the collection is aimed at a millennial audience. The color palette features deep blues and aubergine with some traditional prints in the mix. One standout traditional

wear piece is an ivory bandhgala jacket that features metallic brocade and a classic high collar. The western wear suits are also striking with military-esque armbands and clean lines.

Shantanu and Nikhil was founded in 2000 by the brothers Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra and comprises three lines, a couture line, a drape line, and an accessories line. The brand has also recently launched its Raj Kumari collection based on the narrative of a modern day, millennial heroine. Featuring women’s occasion wear, the capsule collection reflects how the designers see millennials today. The brand has flagship stores in several metros including in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad.

Van Heusen brings fashion-forward power dressing to today’s multi-faceted professional.

Catering to men and women, Van Heusen represents sophisticated elegance that reflects today’s expression of style. With powerpacked details and fine fabrics, Van Heusen has successfully defined the way women and men dress for the corporate world.

Louis Philippe which defines class, elegance, and status is a purveyor of fine clothing for the discerning gentleman. The brand was introduced in India in 1989 and three decades later the brand logo, the crest, is prized for its craftsmanship and attention to detail.

unique and eclectic sense of style, who isn’t afraid to experiment or break the rules of conventional dressing for any occasion, someone who is well-travelled, yet rooted at the same time and appreciates art and handcrafted luxury. This in turn pushes the brand to experiment with newer, off-beat palettes, find interesting ways to blend modern and traditional aesthetics, and create pieces that are opulent and one-of-a-kind, but never restrictive.

Silhouettes span from demure to playful to sensuous. Intricate lace and sparkling embroideries add a touch of fragility with a modern edge. Colors are lilac, red, indigo, aegean blue, black, silver, violet, white, pink, classic indigo, glitzy gold, noir black and more.

Geometric motifs make the outfit sharp and give it an edge.

Unique bridal designs from Jade

Jade by Monica and Karishma makes style statement with its non-conformist bridal designs every season. The brand founded in 2008 is inspired by the heady rush of emotions that engulf the bride during the greatest day of her life.

The collection has an outfit for every occasion— from sangeet to the cocktail party to the wedding reception. It offers a stunning interplay of floral patterns and geometric textures, and a heady contrast of colors. It is for someone with a very

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COver STOry

Relaxed FDI norms: An attempt to rewrite India’s retail story The compulsion of first opening brick-and-mortar stores was a dissuading factor for many single/independent brands and retailers wanting to enter the booming Indian retail market. Independent brands, and companies with just one brand refrained from entering India due to the high cost of commercial real estate.

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hough coming a little late, the government’s recent norms relaxing the FDI rules for single brand retailers are nevertheless welcome reforms. Of particular significance is the Centre’s plan to relax the mandatory 30 per cent local sourcing norm, considered as one of the major stumbling blocks for multinational companies to enter India’s retail market.

Companies such as Ikea and H&M began sourcing from India much before they set up domestic operations. However, these brands did not get credit for the products they sourced due to the existing norms. For instance, if they sourced goods worth $ 100 million and the value these goods increased to $110 million in the first year, only their incremental purchases worth $10 million were considered as a part of local sourcing. However, the new rules will allow these companies to treat the entire $110 million as the value of goods sourced from India.

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• The new norms allow multinational companies sufficient time to adjust to local conditions • These brands can now operate through an online-only model for two years before making big-ticket investments in real estate • This will lead to creation of jobs in logistics, digital payments, customer care, training and product skilling.

• The rules have received a mixed response from Indian retailers Also, as per the earlier rule, it was mandatory for single-brand retailers with more than 51 per cent share owned by MNCs, to purchase 30 per cent of their goods from local manufacturing companies yearly. Now, they can make these purchases over a period of five years. Thus, for the first three years, they need not purchase anything from local manufacturers. They could start purchasing in fourth year and complete it in the fifth year.

This will allow foreign retailers some transition time, allowing them to adjust to local conditions and make financial adjustments.

Enabling global brands to expand their footprint in India The compulsion of first opening brick-andmortar stores was a dissuading factor for many single/independent brands and retailers wanting to enter the booming Indian retail

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Cover Story

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The decision to allow them to operate onlineonly model now opens the doors for almost all global retailers who have been upbeat about India’s consumption story despite the slowdown. market. Independent brands, and companies with just one brand refrained from entering India due to the high cost of commercial real estate in high streets or shopping malls.

The decision to allow them to operate online-only model now opens the doors for almost all global retailers who have been upbeat about India’s consumption story despite the slowdown. It allows brands such as IKEA, H&M, Uniqlo and Puma to expand their footprint in India and bolster the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

These brands can now operate through an online-only model for a reasonable twoyear window before having to make big-ticket investments in real estate, either on their own or through a local partner depending on the ground realities. Not only will these brands now not have to spend huge amounts as capital expenditure, the online-first model will also boost the Digital India initiative. Globaa brands like H&M, Zara and Gap, which have been operating in the country with Indian partners, now do not need home-grown partners to sell online.

The two-year window is good enough to test waters first and then open brick-and-mortar outlets on their own or with a local partner depending on the consumer response to a particular brand and its scope of business.

The change in regulations has opened up the market for everyone to test the waters before making large-scale investments.

In 2018, apparel retailer H&M launched its online sales in India, three years after it opened its first store in the country. More recently, the fast fashion label, which entered India through

100 per cent foreign direct investment, tied up with online retailer Myntra to sell its clothes, shoes and accessories on a third-party marketplace.

Earlier this month, IKEA, the world’s largest furniture retailer, began online sales in Mumbai even before it opened its store in India’s financial hub, which would be its second in the country. This is in line with IKEA’s global plans where it is pushing sales using e-commerce and even opening small stores with limited inventory, besides building its signature large format stores.

The new norms also eliminate the need for a local partner for global retailers to enter India. Earlier brands like Zara, H&M, and GAP operated in India in partnerships with local retailers for understanding of the Indian market dynamics as they were bound to open physical stores. However, they will not need to do that to operate the online-only model.

The government believes that this will lead to creation of jobs in logistics, digital payments, customer care, training and product skilling.

A mixed response from local players Although the government move been appreciated by global retailers, it has received mixed responses from the players in the Indian

apparel industry. Rahul Mehta, President, Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI), Rahul Mehta, believes the new rules will provide greater flexibility to global fashion brands. This will help to improve the retail landscape of India, increase investments, and eventually employment in the country. The eased rules will provide greater liberty to brands to source globally depending mainly on the cost competitiveness. This might result in brands limiting their sourcing requirement to only 30 per cent in blocks of five years from India, including sourcing for exports. It is important that these sourcing clauses are very closely monitored to ensure that sourcing from India is continuously increasing, so as to be in sync with the Make in India drive of the government.”

Raja M Shanmugham, President, Tirupur Exporters Association believes that the move would work against the welfare of the local manufacturers as it would threaten the presence of local manufacturers; While Sanjay K Jain, Chairman, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry believes that it would help them to expand their markets.

On its part, the government is taking adequate steps to attract companies to try the Indian market for size. Now, it’s up to the brands to find their niche space in the market.

Earlier this month, IKEA, the world’s largest furniture retailer, began online sales in Mumbai even before it opened its store in India’s financial hub, which would be its second in the country.

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IF EXCLUSIVE

Raymond on a growth trajectory with innovative strategies

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autam Singhania, Chairman, Raymond knows how to identify a real gem. His move of hiring, the then 44-year old Sanjay Behl as the Chief Executive Officer of Raymond in 2013, proved to be masterstroke that helped turn Raymond into a more professionally-run organisation.

Behl deals with textiles, apparel, garments, retail and FMCG segments in the company. His management team is board-managed instead of being promoter managed which allows his team members to present their ideas before a wider audience and get a better feedback.

Expanding export markets for more profits In the last two years, Raymond has opened new offices in New York and London. The brand now plans to focus on exports to three markets including North America, Europe and Japan. These exports currently contribute to only 15 per cent of the company’s revenue. They are however,

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likely to grow faster in the future.

The rise in these exports will play a key role in generating profits for Raymond, especially as the FMCG industry is currently witnessing a slowdown.

However, the company core businesses are likely to register a dip in their EBITDA margins and slow growth in the future.

This is compelling Singhania to keep a close watch on its non-core business as they promise stronger growth.

Hiring smart people to deal with slowdown To deal with a slowdown, Singhania aims to hire smart people which would enable him to spend more time incubating the realty business and now wants to hand it over to professionals and move onto the “next thing”. He also wants to work in education. The motor sports enthusiast was recently elected to the World Motor Sports Council of the FIA. For now, Singhania’s track involves securing legacy plays, while learning the new games in town.

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IF EXCLUSIVE

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Jockey India aims for steady growth with new launches

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n order to make retail partners and clients aware of its range of outwear, menswear brand Jockey India, participated in the recent GMWA Fair for the first time. “Platforms like these help us meet not only retailers and distributors but also end-consumers,” explained Ritesh Kumar, Sr RSM. The brand, which recently launched New York designer innerwear range for men, is also focusing on kidswear and planning to launch more products in the segment in future.

Catering to all segments The brand also offers women’s innerwear and launched the Ms Jockey range of women’s innerwear quite recently. “This is for young girls in the age group 13 to 19 years. We offer all types of innerwear: padded, non-padded, sports bras, etc. Nothing is more important to us than our consumers which reflect in the Indian sensibilities that our range reflects,” notes Kumar.

In outwear, the brand offers shorts, T-shirts, jackets, gymwear, hoodies etc, for both men and women. “We offer pajamas, nightwear, shorts,

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tees, sleep wear, normal wear, etc. Nightwear is a big category for us as is kids wear. Our innerwear range has a great recall value. However, people are not much aware of our outerwear which is also quite large,” adds Kumar.

Capturing the innerwear market in India Jockey India caters to a large section of customers in the innerwear category.

The brand offers something for everyone irrespective of their class and gender. “We offer both a youth centric and a fashion range.

Besides, we treat our premium customers with an international range,” adds Kumar.

As far as target audience is concerned, Jockey India aims to capture the entire Indian market, especially in the innerwear segment.

“All classes, be it the middle, upper middle or the premium class, will contribute to the growth of our business in future,” adds Kumar. Jockey India also sells more socks than the top three sports brands combined together.”

Kumar points out, the current market is challenging as a lot of new brands are entering in. However, it does not matter much to Jockey because they offer complete value for money to consumers. “The market has had its ups and downs, but unlike other brands, we did not have to struggle to establish ourselves. In future too, we plan to grow steadily and consistently.”

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IF EXCLUSIVE

Forever 21 woos young customers with a new back-to-school collection

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ith the consultation of our in- house fashion gurus, and after analyzing global trends, we have assembled a fashion bible for our customers,” says the spokesperson of the brand about its new ‘back-to-school’ collection. “The collection offers a wide range of apparels, footwear and accessories tailored to meet school and college requirements without compromising on style and panache,” he explains. The major features of this collection are: Denims: As retro styles are making a comeback, Forever 21 experiments with different shades and styles of denim through this collection. “We offer a wide range of denims including wide-leg medium washed jeans and high-waisted skinny jeans,” notes the spokesperson.

Long shrugs: Since layering never goes out of style, be it summer, winter or monsoon, Forever 21 offers a large range of shrugs in different prints and colors. “Our personal favorites are the multi-colored striped shrugs available in vibrant block colors. These add the perfect amount of depth and dimension to any look.”

T-shirts: Forever 21 views T-shirts as a super hero in disguise. “A good printed tee can

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uplift your entire back to school look. Just pair a quirky graphical tee with comfy denims or overalls, and you are ready to rock,” observes the spokesperson.

Oversized handbags: Besides, T-shirts and jeans, the collection also offers handbags for all needs and occasions. One can opt for a transparent handbag with a utility pouch to store

makeup, accessories or pocket size note book.

Scarf: “Ditch your hair tie for a floral printed scraf,” says the spokesperson as the brand also offers signature printed scarves as a part of this collection. “Tie these scarves in a single knot around your money to achieve a retro look or make the most of them by throwing them over your neck and tying it on your satchel,” he adds.

Dressing up the fashion conscious women California-based fast fashion brand Forever 21 entered the India in 2010 and has grown considerably since then. The brand has stores in all major cities, and has already become a brand of choice for many fashion conscious women. In July 2016, it sold exclusive online and offline rights to its network to Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail (ABFRL). “This partnership between Forever 21 and ABFRL has created the largest integrated branded fashion player in India that also has a strong foothold in the women’s wear segment,” he adds In India, Forever 21 offers clothes and accessories for men, women and girls. In June 2014, the brand launched an exclusive website to meet the growing demand for trendy street wear and subtle contemporary pieces. It now reaches out to customers in over 300 towns and cities of the country.

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Mohinee from Mafatlal eyes revenue of Rs 250 crore in five years

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ur product is developed in such a way that it caters to the requirements of both the premium and mid segments of the market,” says Gaurav Gupta, Vice-President (Marketing & Sales), Mafatlal Industries, the company recently launched a new range of fabrics called ‘Mohinee.’ The fabric’s USP is that it is eco-friendly and has breathable properties. Mafatlal now plans to introduce the multi fiber concept that will offer new generation fibers like modal, viscose, Tencel, linen, flax, bamberg, etc.

Mohinee has lined up an array of products comprising dress and blouse materials. “These fabrics will be sold through conventional two tier distribution network across India as currently there is no over the counter fabric brand available across India for women’s wear,” adds Gupta. In fact, Mohinee is the umbrella brand for complete women’s wear solutions from Mafatlal and Shalini is a product under Mohinee.

Offering best quality certified fabrics Makers of best quality apparel fabrics since 1905, Mafatlal Industries offers the widest range with certifications like OEKO-

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TEX Quality Certification, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001-2015 certifications, GOTS and OCS Certifications. “We leverage our core competencies to produce world class fabrics for the B2C business,” adds Gupta.

Mafatlal has an integrated mill in Gujarat, equipped the state-of-art technology. “This unit caters to the standards of our international customers such as Marks & Spencers, Next, Jack & Jones, Zara, Talbots, Ann Taylor, etc,” adds Gupta.

Ample opportunities in women’s wear Elaborating on the current market scenario for women’s wear, Gupta says, “The segment offers ample opportunities to grow. The current market size is estimated at around Rs 11,000 crore in fabric form. Of this, almost 95 per cent is in unorganised segment.” Gupta says they are focusing on value added items which have a niche in market always. Mafatlal is working with its technical partner Liva an Aditya Birla brand which is working on liquid fabrics and “We are also partnering them to provide complete solutions for comfort properties in our fabrics,” he observes. “We aim to be the most preferred women’s wear brand at mid and premium price points and capture around 5 per cent of the market share,” Gupta states further.

Keeping these plans in mind, Mafatlal has set a growth target for brand Mohinee in the coming years. As Gupta reveals, “We hope to reach Rs 250 crore business in the next 5-7 years.”

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Beat London’s menswear range for value-seeking consumers

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arlier offering summer wear only, Beat London recently launched its Autumn/Winter 2019 collection.

“This collection offers the complete men’s range including sweatshirts, sweat T-shirts, hoodies, etc,” notes Parish Chayal, ASM of the brand. A new brand from Pepe Jeans, Beat London was formed with an aim to serve the value for money seeking consumer.

“As brands like Pepe London do not fit well into the business structure of small retailers due to their high prices, we found a perfect solution for them through Beat London. The brand has been created to be retailed through MBOs,” adds Chayal.

Targeting the unorganised market Terming it as an attempt to capture the unorganised market also, Chayal reveals that his brand is quite active in this market and tries to create customer relations through MBOs, LFSs and other distribution channels.

“We offer stripes, printed, checks, plain, half sleeved and denim shirts, etc,” adds Chayal.

The quality of Beat London’s collection is sync with pricing. Anybody may think that the product is sold low because of reduced standard of quality parameters but that is not the case with Beat London. “You will see the

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real reflection of Pepe Jeans in our collection.

There is hardly any difference in both the products,” he explains.

Connecting with the best retailers The brand’s growth chart till date has been very robust. Though sales and distribution were slow initially, the brand is increasing its efforts to capture maximum market share by connecting with the best retailers in the country. As Chayal informs, “Last season, we did business worth Rs 70 lakh in Madhya Pradesh and Mumbai. This year we aim to generate Rs 1 crore.”

Currently involved in designing menswear only, Beat London has no plans to foray into the women’s wear segment. “No doubt, there are more opportunities in women’s wear. However, the segment is also more competitive,” adds Chayal further noting that the segment has different sensibilities and local brands are very active in this space.

Expanding its reach Retailing through major MBOs across India, Beat London also has a presence in some large formats like Reliance Trends. “However, we are not available online as it does not serve our purpose,” says Chayal. The brand has many plans for its future. It will introduce new designs and extend product categories. The brand has already targeted small towns for its expansion.

“Now, we are targeting distributors who have a good hold on the market,” adds Chayal.

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Ethnic brand Yufta aims high with a five-fold growth this year

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rand’s Yufta’s A/W 19 collection incorporates gold prints on bottoms. “This is a new innovation not yet been explored by anyone,” says Ravi Khandelwal, Co-Founder of the brand.

The collection offers two ranges: morning dresses and evening dresses. “The range of morning dresses is comfortable, light and subtle as women today seek stylish clothes with a hint of subtleness,” adds Khandelwal.

Having joined Myntra recently, Yufta has in less than a year become the second highest

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seller from Jaipur from the segment. “There are around 20 brands from Jaipur on Myntra and we have come from 18th spot to the second within a year. We chose Myntra because this is the only genuine marketplace dealing in B2B,” notes Khandelwal.

Product and retail expansion on the cards Besides Myntra, Yufta is concentrating on other retail channels such as Udaan. “This humongous platform helps us to fill the gap in the Indian B2B space,” adds Khandelwal.

Yufta, available both online and offline, plans to enter new MBOs in future. It also plans to expand its product base besides increasing retail footprint. As Khandewal reveals, “We currently have 600 plus designs in our catalogue. Though we don’t do bottoms separately, we offer palazzo sets along with kurtis and duppata which makes it a three piece suit. We aim to grow fivefold this year and may also set up a few EBOs.”

The Indian advantage in ethnic wear A global export hub, Jaipur has now evolved into a domestic hub for women’s ethnic wear. As Khandenwal reveals, “the city currently has over 1,500 factories for manufacturing women’s ethnic wear. Brands from the city are the leading participants in the several notable exhibitions such as the CMAI National Garments Fair.” He believes, ethnic wear is a vast category with thousands of shades, silhouettes and varieties in designs and textures. “The traditional feel that these garments give can’t be brought by anyone except Indians. As ethnic wear is largely handmade largely, machines are useless in this segment, so China can’t even imagine replacing us in the segment.”

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Athleisure rides high as demand from the generation next grows

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ith more people heading towards fitness centres, gym-appropriate clothes are gaining popularity,” says Sanjay Dawar, Director, Bodycare Creations. To leverage this potential, the brand recently launched a new athleisure range that offers everything from track pants to capries, pajamas, tees to shorts.

Another leading brand, Dollar Industries launched two new athleisure ranges: Big Boss and Force NXT. “These are designed with the perfect combination of agility and cool design.

They cater to the generation next and include active wear for kids,” states Vinod Kumar Gupta, Managing Director of the brand.

Meanwhile, Brand Macho Hint’s new casual wear collection comprises tracks, joggers, shorts and bermudas. “We also plan to launch a new collection of innerwear (gym vests & muscle tees, briefs, boxers & trunks) catering to the mid premium category,” adds Sandeep Sakseria, Director, Macho Hint.

Fabric and style innovations Athleisure brands in India constantly invest in new fabrics, designs and styles. A

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prime example of this is Macho Hint which offers effortless style through its bold and progressive designs. The brand’s collections are imbued with a wide range of fabrics like cotton, blends, modal, pima & spandex. “They boast of various functional features such as moisture management system, ultra-softness, flexi stretch & quick dry, which enable them to leave an indelible mark in the age of fashion,” Seksaria observes.

Offering a wide range of new designs, styles and cuts, Dollar always stays a step ahead of competitors. Its new athleisure collection introduces cuffs in its track pants which gives them a more agile look. “We have used a combination of high combination of high grade combed cotton and elastane with various color options such as brown, olive, mélange and some darker shades like black, blue, etc in this collection. This makes it trendier than any other in its class,” adds Gupta.

Dollar has also introduced various types of prints such as solid, dot, stripes, etc besides adding an embroidered logo in its range for more comfort and style. “We have always been keen towards quality and are committed to give our customers the ultimate comfort,” affirms Gupta.

Athleisure brands are also adopting innovative fabrics in their collection. For instance, Dollar uses different combination of fabrics and linen for its athleisure collection. “Our key fabrics include single jersey, fleece, terry, Lycra, single jersey with Lycra and more,” adds Gupta. The collection of Bodycare Creation is a mix of cotton spandex, cotton polyester and 100 per cent polyester fabrics.

The right time to invest It is important for brands to study the trends in this segment before finalising their range.

“This enables us to design our range to offer the best quality at a compelling price,” adds Dawar Claiming his brand’s sourcing strategies to be the best in the segment, he proudly claims, “a customer buying a Bodyactive product need not worry about the quality and comfort of the product.”

Expected to continue growing at CAGR 12 per cent, athleisure sales in India is expected to touch approximately Rs 54,000 crore by 2020. The limited number of prominent players in the segment offers immense scope for growth as Dawar states, “It is the right time to explore this segment now.”

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Bright outlook for Indian fashion as brands adopt new growth strategies

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artly due to the limited purchasing power of consumers and the Lok Sabha elections that disturbed the business flow, apparel retail in the summer season failed to meet expectations of many brands/retailers.

“However, with elections over, money flow from the government is expected to increase leading to a rise in purchasing power for the upcoming autumn/winter season,” notes Sanjay K Jain, Managing Director, TT Ltd. The brand recently signed Indian wrestler, Bajrang Punia as its new brand ambassador.

“We wanted a ‘real hero’ unlike other brands who opt for film actors. Punia has won the Asian Games and World Championship and is one of best prospects for an Olympic Gold Medal,” adds Jain.

Sandeep Sakseria, Director, Macho Hint, says, “As the needs of the Rs 30,000- crore fashion industry keep changing, brands/ manufacturers continue to invest in product expansion and other growth strategies.” On its part, Macho Hint aims to reach revenue of Rs 1,500 crore by 2019. “Around 10 per cent of this revenue will be generated through modern

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trade and e-commerce,” adds Sakeseria.

Changing demands, high inflation pose challenges Despite a bright outlook for future, the apparel industry continues to face many challenges.

One of the biggest ones is the lack of trained workforce. Increasing mass media penetration and growing disposable income is making Indian consumers more demanding and adaptable to change in fashion. “It has become challenging for retailers and manufacturers to keep up with shifting shopping demands and cater to customers’ evolving preferences,” points out Kuntal Raj Jain, Director, Duke Fashions India.

The high rate of inflation also forces customers to defer purchases till the end of season sale. These sales prove to be a golden opportunity for retailers as it clears old stocks besides making room for new arrivals. “They help customers get their desired clothes at discounted rates besides helping retailers increase footfalls in a short span,” adds Jain.

Waiting for European approval Though Indian brands yearn to explore new designs, they wait for the European consumers

to accept these designs first before launching them in the Indian market. “We are always one season or a fashion trend behind the rest of the world,” notes Akshat Chug, Managing Director, Swiss Military whose designs are also inspired by the European culture. The brand’s Autumn/ Winter range covers different colours and fabrics. “We play around with different prints and designs. Its intricate design details add a wow factor to the entire collection,” adds Chug.

Brands adopt discounting strategies To deal with these challenges, some brands are resorting to discounting strategies. A case in point is Dollar Industries which offers an extra 5 per cent discount on the normal discount percentage. This increases the entire discount percentage to 15 per cent.

“Moreover, if our products are sold from other e-commerce portals such as Myntra, Flipkart and more, these 3rd party e-commerce portals give their own discount on products. This helps in further augmenting our sales,” adds Jain.

With these strategies and the market expected to reach $124 billion by 2020, the overall outlook for the Indian fashion industry is definitely bright.

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Brands explore new strategies to make the most of omnichannel retail

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hough six out of ten consumers use at least one digital channel for their shopping of apparels and garments, retailers still value the importance of physical stores. This is leading to the adoption of a combination of physical stores with digital channels to provide customers with wider choice. A recent Apparel Omnichannel Survey of more than 3,000 US shoppers notes, an average omnichannel shopper shops 70 per cent more often than an offline-only shopper and spends over 34 per cent more than an offline-only shopper. The survey reveals that over 60 per cent shoppers now use digital channels either for research or transaction purposes. This share is projected to grow three times more than that of physical store sales.

Personalisation drives sales across channels The survey says, personalisation is the key driver for sales across both online and offline channels. It offers brands an opportunity to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Customers adopting multi shopping channels experiment more with new technologies and engagement models.

To keep pace with growing demand for innovation, brands are improving their degree and pace of experimentation. Reformation, a direct-to-consumer brand known for sustainable sourcing and manufacturing, delivers new products quickly in response to customer insights and feedback while Revolve Clothing, a digital-first company, creates a full-circle loop based on its proximity to the consumer.

There retailers also investing in new models to engage with the customer. Stitch Fix offers a virtual stylist and subscription service, while Rent the Runway is building an ever-more comprehensive rental service, expanding to new product categories. The retail framework of these retailers focuses on five primary factors—assortment, service, experience,

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price, and convenience: Experience: Rather than relying exclusively on owned transaction and thirdparty-syndicated data to get a view on a customer, these retailers are now transforming their brick-and-mortar stores into datacollection opportunities which offers a complete view of their customers. They are also exploring the practical elements of experience, such as product reviews to increase confidence in the purchase, being able to reserve items to try on in stores, and the purchase channel meeting expectations consistently, Elements of these experiences also include offering interactive and engaging ways to navigate products and discovering new offerings.

Service: Among all factors available to brands and retailers to compete, service has the most room to differentiate and the ability to delight omnichannel shoppers. Research indicates that out of ten, seven shoppers purchase a clothing item from a company that provides excellent service. Retailers are

therefore, leveraging virtual stylists and chat bots to provide gain information about their specific customers.

Assortment: Rather than creating an inventory on the basis of historical planograms, leading companies are investing in advanced analytics and web scraping to forecast trends.

They are doing fast tests and trials with customers to see what sells before committing to space on a shelf or floor. Tailoring the assortment to a retailer or to a channel allows retailers to break shoppers’ ability to price reference online and enables price variation by channel.

Price: Regardless of which channel they prefer to shop, customers tend to opt for products that are rightly priced and offer better experience. They are even willing to pay more for a better experience, which can include the ability to charge different prices offline and online or across different channels if the experience is sufficiently differentiated.

Convenience: Another factor that drives customers to engage in more purchases is the convenience of seamlessly switching between online and offline channels, flexible delivery options, and location of store. Consistently, companies that engaged in omnichannel retail are designing differentiated experiences across these five factors to strengthen their relationship with their customers.

Earlier, shoppers patronised the dressmakers and tailors who understood their tastes and preferences. They expect the same kind of personal touch today. Only those retailers who are able to translate their customers’ needs and expectations into carefully crafted channel strategies will emerge as winners.

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Kidswear to evolve with a well-structured approach

idswear is evolving into an independent segment with brands adopting cool and vibrant designs in their collections. “Brands are following the right trends and carefully choosing their color combinations,” says Sohail Patca, Director, Ruff. The brand adorns its street smart garments with funky detailing, cool prints and bright colors inspired by the diversity of the Indian youth culture. “Just adding the right accessories like belts, caps, bags and cool badges to these clothes makes our consumers ready to Rock-n-Roll,” adds Patca.

Fascination for personal style leads to innovative themes Increasingly fascinated by the idea of a personal style, brands are adopting innovative themes for their collections. A case in point is Tantra, whose new collection is inspired by the current events happening in the country “Aptly titled as India, our collection incorporates all these events in our t-shirt designs,” notes Ranjiv Ramchandani, Director.

Adopting a similar theme, Ruff prints thoughtful slogans on its kids’ clothing. “These slogans dwell on the various issues faced by kids today and deal with matters close to their heart,” explains Patca.

The brand has also developed textile prints especially for kids. “We offer denims of the right Oz with skin-friendly embroidered prints on them. Our fittings and patterns make our kids as smart as any other kid in the global arena,” adds Patca.

On the other hand, Toonz Retail’s new A/W’19 collection focuses on creating a comfortable party ensemble. “Colorful, vibrant and energetic, the collection offers various style options as per occasion.

Its garments, though heavy on style are lighter on the body,” states Sharad Venkta, Managing Director & CEO.

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Comfort scores high in kidswear Venkta says, winter wear is not just about beating the cold nowadays. “It’s the season to socialise and calls for a higher style quotient,” he says. The brand’s new winter collection includes multiple layering on warm and light weight fabrics that offer a rich look, and a comfortable feel. “We have transformed our silhouettes into more comfortable and easy to wear garments,” adds Venkta. The brand’s range is also embellished with 3D elements with extensive use of embroidery badges. It has also introduced stretch corduroys keeping comfort in minds.

Brand Tantra is experimenting with fluorescent inks, and fabric count and compositions.“Licensing is a key to success in this segment as superheroes and Disney characters call the shots in design. However, licensing only makes sense if all other

parameters are in place,” adds Ramchandani.

Earthy colors with warm fabrics The palette for kidswear this season includes a lot of earthy, dark, and warm colors that resonate with the season. Toonz Retail has used a lot of red, black, bright pinks and dazzling blue in its designs. “Our designs are built upon corduroys, fleece, faux fur

detailing, high density twills, brushed fabrics for sweatshirts and pullovers, quilted materials for intricate designs, etc,” notes Venkta. On its part, Ruff has added a touch of florescence in all shades in its new collection. “This makes garments more funky and attractive, “Patca observes. The brand is also experimenting with new colors like violet, cobalt and a touch of green here-n-there for detailing.

Every kidswear brand promises to introduce innovations in fabric. “Cotton is eternal and perennial favorite fabric for kidswear,” says Ramchandani. However, a lot of blended fabrics are also being used to keep the garments light and enable them to retain their warmness. “Laces and schifflis are being used to add a rich feel of a festivity, with plush fabrics like satin/silk and georgette coming into play,” adds Venkta. The brand has also introduced stretch corduroys keeping the comfort of kids

in minds.

The kidswear segment is expected to remain lucrative in the coming years.

However, to penetrate deeper into the market, brands need to adopt a cautious approach.

Managing a diverse product portfolio in kidswear segment requires a well-structured approach which can adapt with the ever changing Indian retail scenario.

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Harmonizing retail the new way to balance offline-online sales

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ver the last few years, India’s retail industry has revolutionised at a breakneck pace with digital disruptions redefining the sector with its cutting edge technologies. Gone are the days when the local kirana stores or the roadside clothes shops were considered the ultimate shopping destination. The rise of online shopping portals over the past decade has altered the retail sector to such an extent that major ecommerce giants are fighting tooth and nail with brick and mortar stores for their share of profit.

Competition between both online and offline stores is warming up with growth in both running parallel to each other. While offline retail market is expected to cross the $1 trillion mark by 2020, the Indian e-commerce market is expected to generate over $100 billion by then. This tremendous growth in e-commerce has made it necessary for traditional offline stores to adopt new shopping practices.

Internet, smartphones, growing middle class spurs growth Increased internet penetrationalongwith an ever-proliferating usage of smartphones andsmooth digital payment solutions have changed the concept of shopping in India with digital channels enabling consumers to research, survey products, discern, analyse reviews and then buy goods online.

Other factors that are contributing to the increase of digital shoppers in India include growing young population and burgeoning middle class who prefer the comfort of easy

shopping these channels provide.

Though online shopping offers many benefits, there are some downsides as well.

One of its major limitations includes the costs borne by branding and marketing departments which are ultimately passed on to customers.

Retailers harmonise online and offline stores To deal with the situation, retailers are adopting a ‘Harmonized Retail’ approach that includes amalgamating their online and physical stores. Many retailers are adopting

this approach. Significant example includes the acquisition of Whole Foods by Amazon two years ago.

Over these last two years, Whole Foods has metamorphosisedfrom corporate to the individual store level. Besides, online branding on Amazon Prime, the company has also expanded its online operations. As customers today seekunique shopping experience, retailers need to elevate the entire retail business to fulfill their dynamic needs and preferences rather than segregating physical stores from the online platforms.

Visual Merchandising evolves through high street brands

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uno Rosa, Creative Head of Visual Merchandising, & E-Commerce Styling Manager, Vero Moda India says, visual merchandising has been evolving majorly through high street fashion brands operating in markets like Mexico, India, and Latin America. These markets continue to exemplify one of the best-in-class merchandising and these fashion brands introduce daily fashion at all levels and make it accessible to all the consumers. Thinking local with a global approach has been pretty much the success of visual merchandising nowadays.

Visual Merchandising has also been successful because it offers greater access

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and exposure to new designs. This information is easily accessible with all arts such as fashion, architecture or design, linked together. This

helps retailers to ensure that their standards and brand presentations are taken into account across all business channels.

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Menswear becomes smart with new design and color trends

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arian Park, Fashion Editor, WGSN sets out key trends for menswear for the season. As per Park trends are full of contradictions. While tailoring is slouchy, streetwear is refined. The continuous adoption of new trends is creating a smart and casual menswear that is not only versatile but also of utmost value to consumers.

The key menswear prints, colors and products for S/S 2020 include: Focus on emotional colors: Colors for S/S 2020 collection of menswear are shifting from the millennial pink and fluorescent green towards a botanical garden green for garments with a raw or unfinished appearance or organic textures. Along with this, a richer “heated pink” shade is gaining prominence as it blends well for cut-and-sew tops as an “easygoing addition for laid back denim looks.”

The overall color palette is light and bright.

As bright yellow shade brightens an usually pale summer utility jacket, lilac is emerging as a complementary color to denim blues, yellow and tobacco.

Tie-dye prints emerge most preferred Tie-dye print is emerging as the most preferred print for all events ranging from catwalks to street style. The print will continue to evolve as it offers brands an opportunity to

explore sustainable dye ingredients that add a strong selling point. For those retailers who have exploited the tie-dye prints to their full extends painterly prints prove to be a viable alternative. However, for S/S 2020 Park says the importance of the print is amplified by the growing prep trend, particularly colorful table cloth checks.

Styles in vogue Cargo pants, which increased by 25 per cent during the S/S 2019, is picking up

traction for next spring, mainly as it aligns with several overarching themes influencing men’s fashion. These pants can be fashioned with premium structured materials or with bold pockets and volume.

Demand for light and practical outerwear is on the upswing. The boxy jacket is being considered to be a viable alternative to streetwear’s bomber jacket. It’s simple and practical shape is easy to style for casual looks. The anorak also continues to have commercial success, as consumers understand it as a practical and stylish investment. The piece can look formal with traditional checks, or festival-ready in semisheer fabrication. Here, Park noted, brands have an opportunity to tell a sustainable story through the use of recycled polyester.

The resort shirt is gaining popularity due to its relaxed silhouette. The shirt is well-patterned with contrast colors. The volume T-Shirt with boxy sleeves also lives on, thanks in part to its ability to work alongside other “generously cut” items like relaxed jeans. Polos and rugby shirts are also important, Park said, serving as a baseline for the emerging prep trend.

As tailored clothes are making a comeback against readymade clothes, young consumers are warming up to the idea of summer occasion wear, especially styles designed for a casual end use. This is resulting in a relaxed approach to structure with slouchier leg and blazer options.

Natural dyes, organic materials help brands achieve sustainability goals

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he fashion world is becoming organic with both big and small-scale fashion retailers, such as H&M, Wills Lifestyle, W and Akira Ming, opting for organic materials, natural dyes and designs to minimise wastage. For example, in February 2019, ITC owned fashion retailer WLS (formerly Wills Lifestyle) announced that henceforth all its garments will be made of natural fabrics and will be fully biodegradable.

Even their threads, buttons and labels will consist of purely natural elements.

Use of ‘green’ fabrics TCNS Clothing Co owned apparel brand W launched a ‘Yolo’ collection made from environment-friendly fabrics. Similarly, fast fashion brand H&M, has vowed to use cotton from only sustainable sources by 2020 besides shifting to recycled and other sustainably

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sourced materials by 2030. The brand currently sells sustainable clothing through the “Conscious” line made from Tencel blends, recycled polyester and sustainably-sourced cotton voile and linen blends. It is committed to become climate positive by 2040 for its entire value chain.

Reinventing manufacturing process However, the industry cannot achieve its goal sustainability just by using organic fabrics. It also needs to adopt ethical manufacturing process. For this, slow fashion

brands need to use vegetable dyes instead of chemical dyes and water-based binders instead of petroleum binders for printing on cloth. They also need to innovate with clothes design. Organic fabrics are not as elastic like factory-produced material and hence, provide more space for innovations in designs. Divya Ahluwalia, Founder of fashion label Akira Ming which sells clothing made of khadi and silk with wooden, mother of pearl or coconut shell buttons on Etsy.com, reveals designing these garments not only leads to minimal wastage but also boosts recycling.

As fast fashion brands continue to fuel consumption among growing markets such as India, excess inventory and garment disposal by consumers pose a serious problem. To deal with this, brands need to formalise sustainability efforts through globally accepted policies and regulation. Only then can we truly hope for a sustainable future.

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Indian retail moving from e-commerce to S-commerce

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etail trends in India keep changing continuously.

A new trend reshaping the future of commerce is S-commerce.

This trend amalgamates the use of social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram with e-commerce platforms. In India, social media platforms and online product/ service reviews strongly influence the purchase decisions of millennials as around 28 per cent of them buy their products based on the recommendations on social media platforms. India currently has nearly 200 million active social media users which is expected to grow to around 370 million by 2022.

On an average, millennials spend around 17 hours online every week – with major activities being social networking, streaming music and videos and omni-channel shopping. Their major areas of interest include categories such as fashion, consumer healthcare, baby products, food and beverage industry, financial services, beauty, personal care and women care.

Studying customer shopping patterns for leveraging S-commerce Two categories that are most in demand on

social media platforms include cosmetics and beauty productsfollowed by food, beverages and grocery. India is emerging as the topmost user of social networking platforms for the sale of goods and services. To leverage the growth potential of these platforms, brands need to upgrade their marketing strategies and offer customized products.

Retailers should study the shopping patterns of their consumers and also their online behavior while leveraging advanced data

and predictive analytics. This will help them to provide their customers with a customised and personalized shopping experience. To avail its full potential, brands need to tapScommerce in its initial stages. They need to reorient their marketing plans by focusing on the factors that drive their customers’ choices and preferences. This would enable them to tracktheir customer’s responses to their campaigns besides addressing their feedback and grievances.

Fashion retailers record a dip in sales for second consecutive quarter

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ts slowdown for some of the biggest fashion retailers in India as retail giants like Pantaloons, Brand Factory, Shoppers Stop, Central and V-Mart reported less than 7 per cent same store sales growth (SSG) during the first quarter of FY 2019-20. In Q1, SSG was lower than the 9 per cent reported in Q4 of last financial year. Sector experts attribute this decline in two straight quarters to a sustained market slowdown. However, they believe though sales have declined over the last few months, it will definitely recover in the upcoming festive season. To capitalise on this growth potential, retailers have introduced several new schemes. Future Group, for instance, has launched its Independence Day sales across all formats. The group hopes customers will benefit from these schemes and discounts.

season. These include Shoppers Stop, whose business largely depends on such festivals and special occasions. For the upcoming season, they plan to re-launch celebrity collections such as Rheson, promoted by Sonam and Rhea Kapoor. Rajiv Suri, Managing Director and CEO believes these launches will help retailers attract consumers back to stores.

He hopes private brands start registering an

improvement in business from Autumn/Winter (October-December) 2019 season.

Having acquired ethnic labels such as Jaypore and Shantanu & Nikhil last month, Aditya Birla Fashion is now investing in the new brands. The company, which aims to expand its presence in the men’s and women’s ethnic wear segment, will also add exclusive stores of these two brands in the next few months.

New launches to attract consumers back to stores Other brands too have lined up key launches coinciding with the upcoming festive

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E-tail ShopClues to expand online sales and retail network

The e-commerce platform ShopClues will use its tie up with the Japanese-themed value lifestyle brand Miniso for to increase its sales and expand into the Tier III and IV locations.

ShopClues will now sell Miniso products on its multi-brand e-commerce platform following a partnership between the two businesses.

ShopClues will retail products from five of Miniso’s product categories including bags and luggage, beauty, fragrances, homeware, and kitchenware.

As a brand, ShopClues has always been focused on partnering with the right aggregators to give our customers an expansive and diverse product range at affordable prices.

Its core strength lies in serving value-seeking customers from metros and far-flung parts of the country. This association with Miniso is in sync with its brand strategy to ensure that everybody across the country has access to products that are affordable and stylish.

Miniso also partnered Snapdeal last month for online sales. By partnering ShopClues, Miniso is increasingly following an omni-channel approach in India. Miniso considers India among the top five contributors to its global revenue. The brand currently has 110 stores across India and plans to open another 60 stores this year.

Lifestyle partners with Flipkart to boost online sales

Fashion retailer Lifestyle has entered into a strategic partnership with e-commerce major Flipkart to bolster sales from online channels and reach new customers in Tier II cities and beyond. As a part of this partnership, Lifestyle’s range of apparel, including its 11 private labels like Melange, Ginger and Forca, will be available on Flipkart and Myntra platforms.

The partnership will increase the contribution of online sales in Lifestyle to 15 per cent in the next 4-5 years. Besides, it will allow the brand to reach new customers in tier II cities and beyond. Its teams will work closely with those at Flipkart around consumer insights. This will help it to determine locations with high demand and expanding its retail presence.

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Amazon acquires stake in Future Retail

mazon will buy an indirect minority stake in Future Retail, ahead of an option to buy all or part of the promoters’ holding in the company after three years.

The retail giant will buy a 49 per cent stake in Future Coupons, a promoter group company of Future Retail. The promoter group owns 47.02 per cent in Future Retail.

The promoters have also agreed to certain share transfer restrictions on their shares in the company for the same tenure, including restrictions to not transfer shares to specified persons, a right of first offer in favor of Amazon, all of which are subject to mutually agreed exceptions such as liquidity allowances and affiliate transfers.

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Flipkart’s acquistion impacts Walmart’s operating profits

The inclusion of Flipkart in its portfolio has led to a 30 per cent decline in the operating profits of Walmart in the second quarter ended July of financial year 2020. The company’s net sales in international markets declined by 1.1 per cent to $29.1 billion even as the Bentonville-based retail giant reported strong numbers in its home market US. This is the second continuous quarter for Walmart where its international earnings declined due Flipkart’s acquisition. In the first quarter, operating profits had declined 38 per cent to $790 millionr. After the $16-billion acquisition for a 77 per cent stake in Flipkart, this is the first full financial year where the Bengaluru-based online retailer has been added in its earnings review.

For the first time since the acquisition last year in May, Walmart is expected to incur a loss of $0.60 a share, which translates into a total loss of $1.8 billion for its financial year ending on January 31, 2020. The world’s largest retailer also lowered its guidance for net international sales growth (see graphic) to a range of 3-4 per cent against the earlier estimate of 5 per cent, even though it indicated

Amazon was earlier interested in acquiring a stake in Future Retail, which runs more than 1,600 stores across food, grocery and general merchandise. After foreign ownership rules were amended, it took the route of a stake sale through Future Coupons so as to adhere to the rules.

Future Retail controls about a third of India’s organised food and grocery market through the Big Bazaar and Nilgiris supermarket chains. Physical stores account for more than 90 per cent of all retail sales in India. While early online retail models focused on quick wins in smart phones and apparel, attention is moving to grocery.

that operating profit is expected to improve.

Amazon India increases seller base to over five lakhs

Amazon India has crossed the five lakh seller mark five years after entering Indian market. One of the main driving forces behind the business’ recent seller increase is Indiafirst initiatives designed to get businesses from non-metro locations to retail their goods online.

The e-commerce company intends to continue to encourage sellers to join its Amazon Global Selling Programme.

More than 80 per cent of its global sellers are from Tier II and III cities, particularly from manufacturing zones like Surat, Ludhiana and Lucknow. The company intends to work closely with the Indian government to create a stable policy for foreign direct investment in e-commerce and that it remains optimistic about its India business despite a recent increase in international losses. Amazon has tied up with the national railway for a pilot programme and its onboarding of rural businesses is line with the government’s ‘Make in India’ campaign.

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E-tail

Flipkart revamps seller onboarding lipkart has revamped its seller onboarding process to ease the firsttime e-commerce experience for medium and small businesses. These changes will make it easier for small sellers, who may not have prior digital expertise, to list their products on the platform and access Flipkart’s pan-India base of over 150 million customers. The e-tailer has also added regional teams in Tier II cities and beyond to help sellers sign onto the platform.

These regional teams, based in cities such as Lucknow, Coimbatore and Jaipur, cater to sellers in over 4,300 pin codes. By revamping the onboarding process, and simplifying the number of steps, Flipkart hopes to make it easier for any seller, no matter the size, to list on the platform and get started from day one.

Currently, e-commerce accounts for less than three per cent of India’s overall

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India Circus now on Myntra

India Circus is on Myntra now. This means the entire range of the brand’s wall arts, home décor, fashion products, dining, utilities, cushion covers, bed runners, bath linen and accessories, floor coverings, multi-utility storages, décor accents, décor plates, and décor lighting is on the popular e-commerce platform.

In addition, India Circus has its own e-commerce website along with an offline presence in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

India Circus was launched in 2012. It appeared at a time when the market was yet to be flooded by similar brands that revolved around unusual design ideas. Vibrant, colorful, and Indian is what best describes India Circus.

It has four categories of design — quirky and classic, poetic landscapes and a rupee design.

The more expensive the product, the more elegant the design. Customers are from 20 to 65 years of age. This is a brand that sells products designed and produced in house and nothing else. Since designs keep changing, the brand produces only 100 to 200 pieces of a design. Eighty per cent of India Circus’ sales come in through the online channel. India Circus also designs several hotel interiors, which accords with the customised side of its business. In 2018, India Circus was acquired

by Godrej with a 100 per cent stake.

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Amazon focuses on third party sellers

retail industry. There are roughly 60 million medium and small enterprises in India, many of whom are restricted to their local markets due to difficulties in accessing resources. Bringing more of such smaller businesses online is seen as generating employment and investment and in turn meaningfully contributing toward the country’s socio-economic development.

Flipkart has been aggressively investing in expanding its supply chain and payments business over the last 12 months.

Snapdeal cuts losses by 71 per cent fiscal 2018-19

Snapdeal has cut its losses by 71 per cent this financial year. The e-commerce marketplace’s consolidated revenues grew 73 per cent in the 12-month period. Revenue from operations grew 87 per cent with a significant reduction in the cost base.

This year Snapdeal continued its focus on driving growth a lean and capital-efficient foundation in its business. The company achieved a significant milestone when it reached cash break-even in the month of June 2018 and also made the highest ever net revenue in October 2018. Each and every order is fulfilled on Snapdeal is by independent, third-party seller partners. In the last two years, Snapdeal has sharpened its focus on the needs of the value-conscious buyers in India.

More than 80 per cent of its users come from small towns and cities of India. Snapdeal now has more than 5,00,000 registered sellers, who have more than 200 million listings on the marketplace. The doubling of Snapdeal orders in the last one year is actually a two-fold increase in the business of the seller partners on its platform, the majority of whom are small businesses.

The market of nearly 400 million potential buyers in the small towns and cities of India is the fastest-growing segment in Indian e-commerce.

Amazon India has reduced its dependence on vendors in which it owns a stake. The e-tailer is now focusing on around a dozen mid-sized, third-party sellers who drive 30 per cent to 33 per cent of its sales in India, up from about 20 per cent earlier.

Unlike in the US, the transition of small sellers independently moving large volumes while maintaining good shopping experience is yet to happen in India and that is why Amazon wants to rely on a few large merchants. The overall volume of sales by these sellers has gone up in the range of six per cent to ten per cent in the recent past as Amazon-backed sellers have tried to curtail their volumes to comply with FDI rules.

India has barred e-tailers from holding stakes in seller entities. Amazon in India has also stopped paying a loyalty bonus to brands who were exclusively selling on Amazon India.

New FDI regulations do not allow an e-tailer to ask brands to sell exclusively on one platform.

The Amazon marketplace is the largest marketplace in India with over 5,00,000 sellers offering products to customers all over India.

Its vision is to enable every motivated seller anywhere in India to reach customers across India and every country in the world.

Retailer Koovs poised to grow in 2020 despite drop in sales

Fashion retailer Koovs is on a growth track in 2020, despite a decline in sales over the last 12 months. The London-listed firm posted net sales of £7.5 million in 2019, declining from £9.6 million in the previous years, while revenue was flat at £6.4 million. The online retailer, which offers western fashion for Indian consumers, says its recovery at the end of last financial year has continued, with gross order value up 104 per cent in the first quarter.

Koovs also increased its trading margin to 18 per cent, and has seen web traffic grow to 75.9 million. Earlier this year the Aim-listed firm secured an investment deal with Future Lifestyle Fashions (FLFL), a subsidiary of India’s largest retail group.

The deal will see FLFL inject £10.5 million into the company, marking an average price of 15p per share.

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E-tail Amazon looks for stake in Reliance Retail

Amazon is looking to buy a 26 per cent stake in Reliance Retail.

Reliance Retail, India’s biggest brick-andmortar retailer, operates 10,644 retail stores in over 6,700 cities covering an area of over 23 million sq ft and 516 petro retail outlets. The company continues to make major strides in its retail and digital services businesses led by a focus on growth markets with offerings in the right product segments and a compelling value proposition. The retail business further strengthened its own brand portfolio with the launch of SnacTac brand of food items during the quarter. Reliance Retail opened 135 Digital/Jio stores during the period. With 8,157 Digital/Jio stores, Reliance Retail has further consolidated its leadership in consumer electronics retailing and enjoys a first-mover advantage in many cities. The company’s digital services business continues to transform the mobility market in India.

Amazon started operations in the country in June 2013. The e-commerce giant is also planning a foray into the burgeoning online food delivery business in India. In a bid to expand its footprint, Amazon also moved into the daily essentials category in 2016, which involves selling fast-moving consumer goods like washing powder and biscuits. Consumables and fashion would probably settle down as its largest categories.

Shopping on Chinese websites may attract tax

Indian consumers who buy from Chinese e-commerce platforms like Shein etc may have to pay tax. The tax may be a blend of GST and customs duty and would be levied on buyers at the payment stage. The aim is to crack down on the purchase of such goods and curb illegal imports. Chinese e-commerce platforms ship goods ordered by Indians, claiming they are gifts. They misuse a rule that exempts gifts with a value of less than Rs 5,000 from customs duty.

What’s undecided is whether to impose one blended tax or separate taxes for various

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FirstCry launches fulfillment centre at EZDubai

irstCry, India’s largest specialist e-commerce store for baby and kids products and a parenting community platform, has launched its facility in EZDubai, Dubai South Logistics District’s e-commerce zone. The store is setting up a fulfillment centre at the free zone to enable the online shopping company to deliver goods faster to its customers across the country.

FirstCry is the latest addition to the host of companies benefitting from the ready-tooperate fulfillment centres in Dubai South, reducing the setup time to start operations by three months. The company will take advantage of its proximity to Al Maktoum

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categories of products. A flat rate for all product categories may create problems.

Payment gateways may be brought on board the scheme and when the consumer pays the money IGST and customs duty will be included in the price.

At one time, about 2,00,000 Chinese products were shipped to India every day compared with about a million a day delivered

by Indian online retailers. The numbers from China started to go down after the crackdown began in January. Courier shipments worth Rs 1,00,000 or less to Mumbai airport fell 55 per cent in the first quarter of 2019. Mumbai received 50,713 shipments in March, down from 1,13,101 in December.

International Airport to manage shipments coming from overseas and provide customers with wider choices of products for babies and kids.

EZDubai is a 920,000 sq. mt. purposebuilt e-commerce zone recently launched

by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, designed to attract the world’s leading e-commerce companies and benefit from the sophisticated logistics facilities and business solutions provided by Dubai South to multinationals, small and medium enterprises.

consumer reach and base. The brand aims to provide highly stylized fashion at affordable prices across 100 per cent pin codes, thereby transforming how India shops for fashion.

Max Fashion is India’s most loved fashion brand for millennial and young families– because of its core focus on providing “Fast Fashion at amazingly low prices”. To pursue its vision of democratising fashion, the brand always strives to make fashion accessible to maximum customers across India. Its partnership with Amazon Fashion will help it to make fashion more accessible to India.

Max Fashion now available on Amazon Fashion India Platform

Starting from August 1, 2019, Max Fashion, India’s most loved value fashion brand for men, women and kids, is available on Amazon Fashion India Platform. The Max store on Amazon Fashion has launched latest selection of seasonal fashion and trends from their autumn ’19 collection. The launch of Max Fashion on Amazon Fashion in India is an attempt by the company to improve its

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Fashion Post

Rina Dhaka designs maternity wear

conversation starter. Fashion brands are now adopting alternative fiber resources to create their products.

Designer Ritu Kumar launches homeware range

ina Dhaka has designed an exclusive, customized maternity line for Apollo Cradle. This is aimed at expectant and new mothers, who are looking for a ready-towear range that they can easily slip into and be comfortable in all day long.

The line combines functionality and fashion and comfort and features everyday essentials in soft, luxurious feeling, sustainable fabric and knits, offering expectant and new mothers a style that’s classy, comfortable and effortlessly feminine. The classic style has features like hand tacking, embroidery, kimono sleeves, cowl necks and belt in classy, vintage hues such as creams, baby pink

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Abraham and Thakore design kurtas with viscose

Abraham and Thakore are launching a kurta collection created with sustainable viscose fiber. The green fiber ingredient -- Lenzing

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and black and white.

The feeding tunics, feeding cathes and jackets are not only functional and stylish, but are unique in that they move away from the stretch materials that most maternity clothing come in. Sustainable, organic and breathable fabrics such as the Liva yarn, soft cottons, linen and khadi provide young mothers the much needed day-long comfort during this phase, without having to compromise on looking chic and trendy.

Rina Dhaka is a celebrity designer.

Apollo Cradle is a maternity care chain. The new maternity line is available at all Apollo Cradle centers across cities and will soon be launched online.

Ecovero -- has been used by the designer duo for a garment range for both men and women.

The viscose fiber is manufactured only from certified and controlled wood sources and produced with significantly lower emissions and water than generic viscose.

Each Abraham and Thakore collection continues the exploration of a quiet and modern design voice while simultaneously drawing on the rich traditional vocabulary of Indian design and craft. The design label was established in 1992 by David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore.

The brand was initially launched with a handmade collection of scarves and kimonos.

The label is known to craft contemporary yet non-conforming fashion that lasts seasons.

The design sensibility is low key, with a strong respect for material, form and craft and creating fashion and textiles rooted in an Indian identity yet with a contemporary and international take.

In a consumer world of mass-produced fast fashion, Abraham and Thakore reiterate the belief that real luxury lies in specially crafted product in limited numbers of high quality.

Sustainable fashion has moved beyond a

Designer Ritu Kumar has launched a new range for homeware known as Ritu Kumar Home that offers products like bed linen, wallpaper, tableware, cushions, and candles, all inspired by the rich textiles Kumar uses in her apparel.

The range was launched on the brand’s Instagram account. It is also available offline in New Delhi and Hyderabad stores.

The collection, available on the brand’s e-commerce store, ships in India only.

Kumar will participate in the upcoming Vogue Wedding Show that will be held from August 02-04, 2019 at the Taj Hotel in New Delhi. She will present a collection inspired by the Silk Road at the event. The designer, who recently launched her eponymous brand, currently has 90 stores in India besides an international presence.

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Fashion Post Nimrat Kahlon launches first bridal collection

Chandigarh-based designer Nimrat Kahlon launched her first bridal collection at an event with actress Sara Gurpal who also stars in the brand’s new campaign, ‘Royal Bridal,’ filmed in Rajasthan. Kahlon also recently released a short film to promote her latest collection. The film places Kahlon’s opulent bridal collection in a regal setting and hints at its influences and also features jewellery by Om Jewellers.

The collection features saris and lehengas designed for brides and their entourages in a wide array of hues and textiles. Nimrat Kahlon also runs the women’s ready-towear brand Dhaagey Creations which retails kurtas, dupattas, and saris among other ethnic wear classics. The brand’s flagship store is located in Chandigarh.

Designer Parikshaat Wadhwani launches women’s label Peeke

Designer Parikshaat Wadhwani has launched a women’s clothing label called Peeke. The first collection for autumn/ winter 2019 features a wide selection of kurtas, lehengas, and gowns.

The varied color palette is drawn together by the gold embroidery that features throughout the collection and the simple yet deliberate tailoring. Textiles such as silk, organza, and georgette also add movement to the garments.

The aesthetic is a millennial take on traditional wear designed for a young and vibrant customer base. To reflect its target audience, the brand has launched on Instagram.

Peeke reflects the designer’s own nickname.

Quirky, fun and nonchalant, Wadhwani has turned his hand to design after working in fashion PR for five years. He has been an entrepreneur, collaborated on a ten-piece collection with exclusive menswear fashion label Bo Square, styled for a theatrical production and has been an image consultant. For him outfits are just a layer of the persona. His personal style has a lot to do with how he feels on a particular day.

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House of Masaba collaborates with Puma for new footwear collection

esigner Masaba Gupta, known for her numerous collaborations through her brand House of Masaba, has joined forces with Puma to create two designs for the sportswear brand’s classic Cali Sneaker.

Gupta has created one shoe inspired by the fight against anxiety and one inspired by identity as she aims to send a strong message to India’s millennials.

Gupta has covered the minimalistic Cali Sneaker with her signature bright prints and whimsical illustrations. The AntiAnxiety sneaker features illustrations that

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He loves buying watches and shoes. Also, he is obsessed with how his hair looks. It has to be perfect because his mood generally depends on how great his hair is.

Designer Bibhu Mohapatra to promote Odisha weaving and craft traditions

reflect the thoughts of an anxious mind and bright colours reflecting chaos. Inspiring messages also feature on the sneaker. The Identity sneaker encourages millennials to break free of the boundaries they and society set for themselves with illustrations of locks being opened.

House of Masaba has taken part in numerous collaborations ranging from makeup with Nykaa to a clothing collection with the TV series Game of Thrones. Gupta’s brand is expanding offline across India and also runs a dedicated e-commerce store.

be sold with a booklet detailing the history and other information about the weave or the textile.

Mohapatra will also launch his label in India soon, which will made for Indian women and be in sync with his craft and design aesthetics.

The label will also involve the Odisha weavers.

More importantly, it will take into account the country’s value-for-money culture.

Odisha-born and New York-based designer Bibhu Mohapatra has been in conversation with Odisha’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for setting up an institute to promote the state’s weaving and craft traditions. The institute would not just bring the weavers and craftsmen under one roof, but to also foster a cultural exchange programme under which artists and artisans from other parts of India and the world can train and imbibe the state’s traditions.

Mohapatra also plans to launch a project through which the narratives of the artisans will reach the customers buying the saris or the textiles. For this, the designer will offer two designs to each weaver household and the artisans will have work on them in interesting ways. On a sari’s pallu or the corner of the pieces of home furnishing, they will weave their names so that they do not remain nameless, faceless artisans.

Each of these saris or home furnishings will

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Review

69th National Garment Fair: Exhibitors, participant share positive notes

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ndia’s largest apparel trade show, the National Garment Fair took place from July 15 to 18, 2019 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, NSE Complex, Goregaon (East).

Organised by the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) the three day fair was inaugurated by Rahul Mehta, President, CMAI. Almost 1,062 brands were showcased by 882 exhibitors at the fair spread over approx. 7,00,000 sq. ft, covering all halls at the

payment of duty into India. In the absence of any rules of origin, Bangladesh manufacturers are importing duty free fabrics from China, converting them into garments, and exporting them to India. Thereby, virtually providing duty free access to Indian markets for Chinese fabrics,” he said.

Garment imports from Bangladesh has been grown at 82 per cent over last year, and 161 per cent over 2016-17to reach $365 million.

“If this continues, our forecast is it will grow

more. This fair attracts people from all around the country. People get to know about us and we get to interact with a lot of visitors. CMAI has no match as far as this fair is concerned.

We wish them more growth and expansion in coming years. Buyers are really genuine and this appeals to us as a brand.”

Women’s wear brand Fashion Queen’s director Haresh Nishar has been attending the fair for the last five years. “The fair helps a lot and we have been here for the last five years.

Bombay Exhibition Centre.

Around 50,000 retailers and trade visitors from all over the country attended as leading brands in men’s wear, women’s wear, kid’s wear and accessories exhibited their latest and upcoming collections. Business networking sessions between exhibitors, agents and distributors were also organized at the fair.

The garment fair was brought by Udaan this time which is India’s leading B2B e-commerce platform, having the largest distribution network for retailers, wholesalers, brands and manufacturers across multiple categories.

Udaan’s marketplace services include credit, logistics, marketing and sales support to buyers and sellers on its platform, facilitating efficient and convenient transactions across the country. Through a seamless process, it enables buyers to select a product, place an order with sellers who pack it and dispatch it through Udaan’s logistics network.

faster and garment imports from Bangladesh will touch $3.6 billion by 2024-25. Ironically, garment export from India to Bangladesh is subject to a net duty of almost 125 per cent,” he said. CMAI has urged the government to take immediate steps, and if this growth is allowed to continue, the industry will lose 10 lakh jobs by 2025.

All is good except the high cost structure and long timings of the day. If both are addressed, the fair will ease a lot of pressure on stall owners. The CMAI committee does not require any validation from anyone as far as the fair is concerned. It’s the best everyone knows,” he says.

Romil Poddar, Director, Poddar International has been participating for the last five years. The brand deals in women’s plus size clothing. “We attend both winter and summer fairs. So far we have attended 20 fairs and never been disappointed. The exposure is immense and covers all costs and expenditure. This time it is not up to expectations but we are still happy and look forward to our next association,” says Poddar.

Parish Chayal from Beat London, Pepe Jeans’ economy brand explained, it’s been a great experience for the last three years since they have been participating in the fair. “Since we wish to expand in the economy segment, this platform is helping us move forward. We have got new agents and exporters this time in the fair thanks to CMAI.” Meanwhile, after successfully training nearly 43,000 workmen in the last three years, CMAI has been again asked by the Ministry of Textiles to actively participate in the SAMARTH scheme. It is likely to train another 30,000 workmen in the next three years.

Unrestricted imports from Bangladesh an issue Mehta, in his inaugural speech said, the biggest problem facing domestic garment manufacturers today, is unrestricted duty free imports from Bangladesh, and the back door entry of Chinese fabrics through Bangladesh.

“India has an FTA with Bangladesh, whereby garments can be exported without any

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Visitors, exhibitors happy with business The fair was appreciated by participants a lot. As Ravi Khandelwal, Co-founder, Yufta, a women’s wear brand offering kurtis, a regular participant said, “The fair is epic in all respects. It’s incomparable in size, scale and footfalls. We have been attending both winter and summer fairs for the last few years. Our presence here has always been helpful in terms of branding and publicity. Moreover, we get to meet new people from the industry as also old ones. Also, we get to know about the market trends and our standing in the fashion world. The platform is exceptional and we look forward to continue our association with it.”

Rakesh Savaz from Jeanious Junior, a kids wear brand from Mumbai observed, “Being a part of the fair, organised on a pan India basis certainly helps a brand aiming for country-wide footprint. We are doing exceptionally well in the states we are present in and want to grow

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‘NGF has grown in stature over the years,’ says Rahul Mehta NGF: Evolving over the years

Rahul Mehta President, CMAI

“Ten years ago, readymade garments were available only at large stores which made it easier for agents to interact with retailers. The number of retailers was also limited with only one retailer per city.

Today, readymade garments are available in remote towns with a single street housing over 10 dealers”

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he 69th edition of National Garment Fair, held from July 15 to 18, 2019, at the Bombay Exhibition Center, Mumbai hosted over 1,000 exhibitors representing around 1,100 brands. “This was a huge growth from the first NGF which had only 17 participants,” says Rahul Mehta, President, CMAI-organiser of the fair. Terming this entire journey as a fascinating one, Mehta recalls, “Earlier, brands didn’t go to the market for selling their products. They considered it below their dignity to participate in an exhibition like this to seek customers. However, the younger generation realises the importance of reaching out to their customers as an integral part of brand building.”

Increasing competition among brands has pushed up the number of participants at NGF. As Mehta notes, “Ten years ago, readymade garments were available only at large stores which made it easier for agents to interact with retailers. The number of retailers was also limited with only one retailer per city. Today, readymade garments are available in remote towns with a single street housing over 10 dealers.” This makes reaching out to every customer difficult in terms of expense and logistics.

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With growing popularity, the CMAI took a significant decision to move the fair from a hotel to an open ground. Mehta points out, “The fair has grown in stature and size. There was a time when we couldn’t fill even one hall at NSC. Now, we occupy every available inch of the exhibition complex.” For convenience, the halls are categorised on the basis of the products displayed: men’s wear, women’s wear, children’s wear et al.

Aesthetics was also one of the main focus of this year’s edition. As Mehta informs, “earlier stalls would outdo each other with their ostentatious displays. Now, we provide a uniform outer display. We also imposed restrictions like no carpentry, no nails and hammers.”

Another significant addition is the hosting of two or three lounges at every hall with a GPS-led stall locator. “We also set up a few cafeterias for exhibitors and visitors,” adds Mehta.

Earlier, only small manufacturers participated in the National Garment Fair. Now, CMAI has persuaded large brands to participate as well.

“However, their booking cycle begins only three months earlier. So, the fair doesn’t really lead any additional business for them,” reveals Mehta. But large brands use the fair as a branding platform to showcase their products which attracts a lot of attention. What’s more, they also organise fashion shows in various halls.

Two large corporates viz, Bestseller and Levi’s participated this year. Bestseller launched new products and Levi’s launched its latest offering ‘Denison’. “When brands/

retailers like Bestseller launch a new brand, they cater to an important segment,”adds Mehta.

Growing significance of online channels Mehta believes that online channels are preferred for disposal of stocks. “Online registration is growing,” he says further adding “Last year, we saw 10,000 online registrations. This year, the number is likely to increase to 12,000 or 15,000. According to him, online channel helps manage crowd and prevents visitors from waiting in line for hours for registration.

Talking about current market scenario, Mehta says, “Markets are sluggish owing to continuous discounts by brands. Imports from Bangladesh are resulting in a loss of nearly 10 lakh new jobs every year.” concludes Mehta.

“Earlier, brands didn’t go to the market for selling products. They considered it below their dignity to participate in an exhibition like this to seek customers.

However, the younger generation, realises the importance of reaching out to customers, integral to brand building.”

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Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics to tap Chinese luxury market’s potential

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round 10.2 million of China’s luxury consumers account for more than half of the country’s total luxury spending. At the peak of their career and earnings, this generation of Chinese consumers spend to show off their success, and to demonstrate individualism within their populous urban landscape. There are now many higher income consumers in China who love traditional, European haute couture.

Also, there are Chinese designers who want to create a Chinese brand with the same quality of materials and design as these European brands.

To tap this growing potential of the Chinese consumers Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the SubCouncil of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Centre will organise the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel

Fabrics – Autumn Edition 2019 from September 25-27, 2019 at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai. The fair will be held concurrently with Yarn Expo Autumn, CHIC and PH in halls 4.1 and 5.1.

Some of finest wool suppliers on display The Salon Europe zone at Intertextle

Shanghai Apparel Fabrics will gather a comprehensive range of over 140 exhibitors from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK, etc.

One of the main attractions of the SalonEurope, the Premium Wool Zone will feature some of the world’s finest wool suppliers from Europe, as well as other countries and

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regions. It will host over 20 suppliers from France, Italy, Hong Kong, Peru and the UK. Its line-up of globally renowned exhibitors include Abraham Moon & Sons (UK); Dino Filarte (Italy) and Harrisons of Edinburgh (UK); Taylor & Lodge (UK)

New design studios in focus The Verve for Design product will feature over 25 design studios, in the Verve for Design product zone. Of these, six studios will be featured for the first time. These include: • Found Design Studio (UK) • Fusion (Denmark) • Les Dessines (France) • Owens and Kim (UK) • Soge Studio (USA) • Tek Desen (Turkey) Jane Han Zhang, Creative Director of longtime exhibitors Fairbairn & Wolf Studio from the UK, explained, “The demand for original prints in China is huge because the market is always looking for something different. A lot of design studios exclusively exhibit at Intertextile. This is a big event on the calendar for lots of our customers.”

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Yarn Expo Autumn’19 to see 30 pc increase in exhibitors

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xhibitors in the Fancy Yarn Zone of the Yarn Expo Autumn 2019 will increase by 30 per cent from previous year and feature 118 exhibitors. The expo will also launch a new display area, Fancy Yarn Vision, within the zone. Fancy Yarn Vision will be open throughout the three days of the fair, from September 25-27, 2019 and feature advanced technologies and products from Chinese and overseas exhibitors. The zone has been gathering momentum in recent editions, as the fair is recognised for its all-encompassing range of yarn and fibre products, from natural to synthetic.

Debut of Fancy Yarn Vision display area (booth No. A02), supports growing demand for fancy yarn. With irregularities introduced during spinning, fancy yarn products add value in the form of color, texture and function, making it suitable for creating stand-out fashion and other finished textile products. The display area will offer exhibitors a platform to display their latest collections to a wider audience, while interested buyers can then streamline their sourcing trip by heading directly to individual booths.

The increase in fancy yarn exhibitors further

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reflects the fair’s commitment to meeting a variety of sourcing needs. Innovative yarns are a key way for industry players to spin and weave their way into the market for high performance. Sourcing options for innovative fancy yarn are now better than ever, due to increased growth in fancy yarn trade between Europe and Asia, which has opened up a vast new market that encourages competitive innovation. As Asia’s leading yarn and fibre trading platform, Yarn Expo has become a

key event for exhibitors to reveal their latest technology. More functional innovation can be found from highlighted Korean exhibitors: Yarn Expo is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT. Yarn Expo Autumn 2019 will be held in Hall 8.2 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), concurrently with the 25th Autumn Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, as well as CHIC and PH Value.

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Weaves 2019 to host seperate zone for textile machinery

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he second edition of South India’s premier textile fair – Weaves will provide worldclass facilities to its exhibitors to showcase their unique products besides enhancing their market reach. To be held from November 27-.30, 2019 at Erode in Tamil Nadu, the fair will be organised by Texvalley in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The event will also be supported by leading textile councils/associations in India such as PDEXCIL, AEPC, SIMA, SRTEPC, HEPC, ITF, TEA, CMAI, TEXPROCIL, RAI, Textile Committee, Textile Skill Sector Council.

A wide variety on display It will showcase a variety of textile products including greige fabrics, processed & finished fabrics, yarn dyed woven fabrics, garments, home textiles, khadi products, ethnic wears, sustainable products, etc. The show will also

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host a separate zone for textile machinery, allied equipment and accessories for various segments like weaving, home textile and garment.

The last edition of the expo received an overwhelming response from over 100 top brands and buying houses.

Over 7,000 professionals from the industry visited the expo which held over 550 meetings with international buyers/buying houses, and an international fashion show.

Adding a personal touch to the event One of the participants Ravi Kumar, General Manager, Paramount Textiles Mills said, “Though I have attended many fairs across India and also abroad, this fair adds a personal touch to everything. The courteousness of people of Erode is especially satisfying. Last year, the organisers had made wonderful arrangements for the visitors which helped them to achieve a significant amount of

business. This year, we are focusing on a considerable year-on-year growth through an increase in the number of exporters, buyers, buying agencies attending the event.

Attracting domestic and international buyers The first integrated textile market in South India, Texvalley was established under the Comprehensive Powerloom Cluster Development Scheme, an initiative by Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India and supported

by Govt. of Tamil Nadu. This is the largest wholesale marketplace for textiles in the Erode region and acts as the gateway to the weavers to showcase their products and skills to potential buyers in the domestic and global markets. The market also helps these weavers by preparing them for the potential markets, demanding alternate fibres and fashions, mitigating trade risks and guiding them to become future-ready.

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Innovative lingerie solutions at Interfiliere Shanghai 2019

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he 15th edition of Interfiliere Shanghai will be launched from September 26-27, 2019 at the Shanghai Exhibition Center in Shanghai. This autumn edition will bring together various professionals from the lingerie, swimwear and sportswear supply chain who will explore a wide range of offerings by Asian and overseas suppliers, from must-have essentials of the season to new innovations and sustainable solutions as well as the possibility of flexible MOQ.

Trend Forum & Prototype Fashion Show Concepts Paris in collaboration with its suppliers will unveil the Spring/ Summer 2021 collection that will showcase latest products from across the globe through prototype fashion shows.

The Green Village In response to the environmental and ethical issues in the industry, Eurovet presents the Green Village that will publicise the importance of being “Green”, and showcase both existing sustainable solutions and those proposed by the exhibitors.

Asia Young Label Awards Following its successful debut in Shanghai in 2018, the Young Label Awards encourages upcoming young designers from Asia Pacific, to explore their dreams fearlessly. Brands from the swim, lingerie and activewear categories compete to win a free booth at Unique by Mode City.

The Essence Over the past years, China has evolved significantly from being the world’s factory to becoming the fastest developing consumer market in the world. The country is witnessing a new class of consumers, who are being encouraged by their growing incomes, new media and technologies. Chinese brands are embracing their own culture besides opening up to a wider and international stage. The Essence curated by Eurovet offers an opportunity to these Chinese brands to speak their own languages and unique stories.

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THIS IS HAPPENING 26.27TH SEPTEMBER 2019

1000 YAN’AN ROAD, SHANGHAI

LINGERIE X SWIM X SPORT

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Review

4th Gartex Texprocess proved to be a true business-oriented platform

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one-stop selling and sourcing platform, the fourth edition of Gartex Texprocess was held from August 10-12, 2019 in New Delhi. The show brought together 180 exhibitors from four countries and 10,390 trade professionals from 290 cities and six countries under one roof.

Its multiple zones and business segments brought together stakeholders of the textile and garment industry for cross-sector, creative and collaborative interactions.

Focus on smart textiles The dedicated segments at Gartex Texprocess India ensured dynamic synergy on the show floor besides highlighting the latest tech-advancements and trends that the textiles and apparel industry is moving towards. They focused on smart and recycled fabrics, sustainable alternatives, advances in digital textiles, elegant embroideries and trims.

Circular fashion at the centre of Denim Talks Forum The event also held the second edition of Denim Talks forum which focused on bringing the denim industry in line with circular fashion.

The one-day forum, held in New Delhi,

being recycled today. We need to have brands that talk about the impact of fashion.

Ravikant Prakash, Design Head- India, Arvind, “While trends definitely dominate choices, consumers today also want to see a story – where has the garment come from, what processes has it undergone, how has the brand integrated sustainability and so on. Denim is one fabric where reusing makes it more beautiful and that’s a trend that will stay on.”

Garmenting & Apparel Machinery Zone The Garmenting & Apparel Machinery zone covered futuristic technologies that enables manufacturers to experiment with product designs. Vinod Krishnamurthy, CEO, Fortune Colours& Prints shared, “The idea was to indigenously build machines in India and come with more innovations.”

enabled fashion and industry leaders to share insights, experiences and global perspectives to keep the Indian denim industry on top of the game, sustainable and globally competitive.

It also unveiled a denim industry report by its Knowledge Partner - Wazir Advisors who revealed that the industry expects denim consumption to double in the next years.

“India’s denim fabric exports have increased at a CAGR of 5 per cent in last six years to reach US$ 410 million. Bangladesh over the last decade has been the biggest market for Indian denim fabric with a over 50 per cent of India’s share,“ the report highlighted.

Speakers at the forum delved deeper into the concept of sustainable denim and its potential in India. Kriti Tula, Co-Founder & Creative Director, Doodlage, said, “Though fashion is a US$3 trillion industry, only 2 per cent of it is

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Embroidery, Fabrics and Trims Zone On the other hand, the Fabrics and Trims Zone, brought to light latest and exclusive

fabrics, textile trims and embellishments that will define the 2019 trends of the industry. Anu Dogra & Rajesh Lakhanpal, Founders, Madura Coats, noted “Like any other year, this edition has been fantastic too. Gartex Texprocess India is one of the largest platforms we have in India and attracts a lot of manufacturers. So for us, this is the biggest marketing platform that exists.”

Digitex Show With individualism and customisation emerging as one of the strongest trends globally, the Digitex Zone was packed with inquiries for machines for digital textile printing, screen printing, t-shirt printing, transfer printing, digital textile printing chemicals and innovations in inks. From the big-guns like HP, Colorjet India and Mimaki India to innovative brands like A.T. Inks and Epson India, this zone paved the way for digital textile transformation.

A one-stop selling and sourcing platform, Gartex Texprocess thus lived up to its promise of a truly business-oriented platform for India. The show, with its high quality visitors and decision makers, proved to be a highly successful event.

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Business news ABFRL to acquire 51 per cent stake in Shantanu & Nikhil’s brand

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail will acquire a 51 percent stake in Indian fashion designers duo Shantanu & Nikhil’s apparel firm Finesse International Design. Finesse International Design is primarily engaged in the business of bespoke occasion and ceremonial contemporary apparel for men and women under the brand name ‘Shantanu & Nikhil’.

The acquisition will be executed through a combination of primary equity infusion and secondary share purchase by way of signing of share subscription and purchase agreement and shareholders’ agreement with Finesse and its shareholders. . The cost of acquisition subject to closing adjustments is Rs 60 crore including towards the subscription amount to be infused in Finesse. This partnership will further deepen ABFRL’s presence in this important and fast-growing segment and strengthen our leadership position in the overall branded apparel market.

Inde Loom expects revenue to grow by five times

Hyderabad-based start-up Inde Loom is expecting its revenue to grow by five times

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ABFRL buys TG Apparel and Décor ditya Birla Fashion and Retail has bought TG Apparel and Décor. The acquisition of TG Apparel, along with the recently announced buying of Jaypore, will strengthen Aditya Birla’s presence in ethnic apparel and accessories.

The acquisitions will help Aditya Birla strengthen its presence in the ethnic category. Owing to a high number of festivities and marriages in the country every year, demand for such products is fairly steady. And the inclusion of new product lines such as jewelry, home, textile and art in Aditya Birla’s portfolio will help it reach out to a new set of customers.

TG Apparel is a B2C entity which retails ethnic fashion, both online and offline. Jaypore is a business-to-business online-cum-offline retailer. It sells curated collections of apparel, jewelry, gift items, home textiles and craft articles from

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to Rs 2 crore ($2,91,690) during the current financial year as compared to Rs 40 lac it had reported during the last fiscal. The brand has been growing at 30 percent month on month in revenues and sales. It is further looking to strengthen its presence in the country by increasing its customer base pan India.

Inde Loom specialises in handloom saris and works directly with artisans and weavers across India to give them a platform to showcase and sell their creations. The one-year-old start-up is growing with 30 percent month on month in revenues and sales. With a user base of around 10,000, it currently receives five to six online orders per day. Since inception, it has generated revenue of Rs 40 lakh and is Rs 2 crore in the current fiscal.”

Founded in 2018, Inde Loom sells both online and offline through its own website and online marketplace Etsy. Offline, it sells via homebased resellers, rack spaces in boutiques, and display pop-ups at trunk shows.

different parts of India. A part of the Aditya Birla Group, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail is India’s first billion-dollar pure-play fashion powerhouse with an elegant bouquet of leading fashion brands and retail formats.

The company has 2,714 brand stores across 750 cities in the country. It is present across 18,000 multi-brand outlets and 5000 point of sales in department stores across India. It has a repertoire of leading brands such as Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Peter England.

and adapt to the changes that consumer expectations and the retail industry have both undergone.

Pepe Jeans is in the forefront of international denim-led fashion with every collection season on season. This has been possible because of the brand’s commitment to create strong fashion-led collections, the hottest multimedia marketing campaigns and the most exciting retail environments while remaining sincere to the Pepe Jeans DNA and in particular to its roots in London’s Portobello Road from where the brand originated. Pepe Jeans is at its core a denim brand. Owing to its versatility, stylishness and comfort factor and the extensive choices which are available in fabric, colors, fits, finishes and functionality, denim is a high growth category for the brand.

Pepe Jeans refinances debt

Pepe Jeans has signed a refinancing agreement for its syndicated loan with 14 financial entities. Shareholders of the company also approved a capital increase to reinforce the solvency of the group and the financial capacity required to execute the growth plans of its different brands.

The operation will give the Spanish fashion group flexibility and allow it to focus on its business plan, initiated in this fiscal year, to consolidate the growth of its brands in its main markets, implement its digitisation plan

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Business news

ITC restructuring apparel business to boost revenue TC is eyeing an eight-fold jump in revenue.

The jump in turnover is expected to be driven by entry into newer categories and leadership in existing ones. The company is also in the process of restructuring its apparel business. Earlier this year, the company sold its apparel brand John Players to Reliance. It is investing in startups in the personal care segments.

Also ITC Wills Lifestyle is now known as WLS. This indicates a return to nature. From fabrics to threads, buttons, and labels, every garment from WLS will consist of purely natural elements. All garments will be made of cotton, linen, silk or woolen materials and will be fully biodegradable. Each collection will offer a variety of garments to select from for men and women looking for original, well-made apparel that tells the story of their Indian identities in a confident yet understated manner. The intention is to buck

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Shoppers Stop Q1 EBITDA up 15 per cent

Shoppers Stop quarterly ebitda has risen 15.4 per cent. Like-to-like sales are up 5.2 per cent. Its personal shopper service, the first-ofits-kind in India, is gaining rapid momentum as customers embrace the shopping experiences.

This differentiated service has propelled a record number of new first citizen member enrollments. This is the country’s longest running and most coveted loyalty program and was launched in 1994 and today contributes 82 per cent of the sales revenue. <p> The group continues to build on its strong platform of celebrating women with its exciting campaigns, product assortment and constantly innovating on its beauty offerings including launching India’s first truly luxury beauty concept store, Arcelia. It will continue to invest in its private brands, design studio, sampling units and testing labs that are now operational and expects to see a positive impact in its collection range from the coming seasons. The company has accelerated its journey towards a digital transformation for speed and higher agility and is focused on investing in digitization, innovating with new retail formats, renovating existing stores and expanding footprint to enrich the shopping experience for customers. The country’s economic growth has slowed down in overall consumption, impacting primarily agriculture, retail and manufacturing.

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Rise in V2 Retail’s quarterly income

the trend toward disposable garments, fast fashion and relentless consumerism and in favor of timeless, high-quality and multiseasonal apparel.

The brand has also got itself a new logo, Tattva. The logo can be interpreted to represent the progress of a bird, the stability of trees and mountains, the purity of 100 per cent cotton, and the life-sustaining power of water.

Mothercare UK sales down 23 per cent

Mothercare UK sales have fallen 23.2 per cent this quarter. While the decline in like-forlike sales has slowed, they were still down 3.2 per cent as promotional markdowns grew.

The brand is restructuring and rebuilding a sustainable business. The immediate priority is to complete the transformation of business with a near-term focus on evolving and optimising the ownership, structure and model for its UK retail operations as an independent franchise.

But the medium-term outlook for the UK market will continue to be uncertain and volatile, accompanied by fragile consumer confidence.

Gross margin improvements in the UK are expected to take longer to materialise than previously anticipated. Full-year pre-tax profit is expected to be similar to last year’s, which means it should remain loss-making. The company now has only 79 physical shops in the UK, down from 134 a year ago.

Total sales for the company, including those by franchise partners abroad, have fallen 9.2 per cent. International retail sales are down 4.5 per cent on a currency-neutral basis and down 2.1 per cent on a reported basis, despite an almost six per cent increase in selling space.

Growth in the key markets of India, Indonesia and Russia has been offset by a retail sales decline in the Middle East.

V2 Retail’s total income was Rs 202.50 crores during the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs165.55 crores during the period ended March 31, 2019. Net profit was Rs 11.44 crores for the period ended June 30, 2019, as against Rs 4.20 crores for the period ended March 31, 2019. EPS was Rs 3.36 for the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 1.23 for the period ended March 31, 2019.

Total income was Rs 202.50 crores during the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 188.54 crores during the period ended June 30, 2018. Net profit was Rs 11.44 crores for the period ended June 30, 2019, as against Rs 11.22 crores for the period ended June 30, 2018. EPS was Rs 3.36 for the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 3.26 for the period ended June 30, 2018.

V2 Retail, formerly known as Vishal Retail, expects to increase its market share to 24 per cent by 2020. V2 Retail was incorporated in 2001 and launched a series of hyper markets such as Vishal Megamart. It presently operates in Tier II and III cities, with a chain of 38 V2 Retail stores spread in 13 states.

ABFRL acquires 100 per cent stake in Indian crafts based ethnic wear brand

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail acquired 100 per cent stake in Indian crafts based ethnic wear brand ‘Jaypore’ and plans to scale up the predominantly online business through the offline route. The company also forged strategic partnership with celebrity designers ‘Shantanu & Nikhil’ through acquisition of 51 per cent stake in the business and endeavors to grow the existing couture business, along with starting a pret line to make the brand accessible to wider set of consumers. With strong brands, diversified portfolio, resilience business model and exceptional execution capabilities, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. remains optimistic about its growth and profitability outlook for future.

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail reported an 8 per cent increase in revenue from Rs. 1,914 crore to Rs. 2,065 crore in its quarter ended 30th June 2019. The retailer’s EBITDA grew by 28 per cent from Rs. 122 crore last year to Rs. 156 crore this year. It’s Profit After Tax (PAT) for the quarter on a comparable basis was 602 per cent higher at Rs. 39 crore.

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Business news

Page Industries to double capacity age Industries plans to double its manufacturing capacity in India in the next five years. Its current installed capacity is 260 million pieces. Currently, the company’s manufacturing units cover 2.4 million sq. ft, which includes 14 locations in Karnataka and one location in Tamil Nadu. The company is setting up a greenfield manufacturing factory in Anantpur, where menswear production will run. The company will also set up a new unit at Mysore for manufacturing and raw material warehousing.

With a workforce of 20,000, manufacturing operations are spread over 15 locations including Bangalore, Mysore and Tirupur.

The company has a distribution network of over 50,000 retail outlets in 1,800 towns.

Page Industries was set up in India in 1994 for manufacturing, distribution and marketing of Jockey products. About 70 per cent of Jockey’s innerwear products are for men and the remaining 30 per cent are for

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Liberty Shoes’ Q1 income up, touches over Rs 168 cr

Liberty Shoes’ total income was Rs 168.25 crores during the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 143.99 crores during the period ended March 31, 2019. Net profit was Rs 2.36 crores for the period ended June 30, 2019, as against Rs 1.34 crores for the period ended March 31, 2019. EPS was Rs 1.39 for the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 0.79 for the period ended March 31, 2019.

Total income was Rs 168.25 crores during the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 146.34 crores during the period ended June 30, 2018. Net profit was Rs 2.36 crores for the period ended June 30, 2019, as against Rs 2.26 crores for the period ended June 30, 2018. EPS was Rs 1.39 for the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 1.33 for the period ended June 30, 2018.

Liberty Shoes currently has a total of 400 flagship stores across India and is present in

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12 months earlier. The company’s wholesale business grew reported revenues by 3 per cent, reflecting growth in all the regions.

FLF to raise funds from Aion

women. Page has had a phenomenal rise in the stock market in the last 10 years.

Besides India, Page is one of the biggest licensees in the world for innerwear maker Jockey, with exclusive license of the brand in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, UAE, Oman and Qatar. Page is also the exclusive Indian licensee of swimwear brand Speedo.

over 5000 multi-brand outlets and also retails from its own e-commerce store. Liberty Shoes will add 50 new stores across the country by 2020. These new stores will open mainly in about 250 Tier II and III cities.

Global sales of Levi Strauss grows 12 per cent

Global sales of Levi Strauss Asia grew by 12 per cent in Q2 with strong performance across both wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels. The denim-led lifestyle-fashion retailer achieved 9-per-cent growth on a constant-currency basis. However, its secondquarter income declined by $49 million, largely due to $29 million in costs relating to the company’s IPO. Its gross profit for the second quarter rose by 4 per cent to $700 million.

The region’s operating income grew by 4 per cent on a reported basis and 15 per cent on a constant-currency basis, reflecting higher revenues partially offset by a decline in gross margin and higher direct-to-consumer costs.

Globally, sales by the company’s direct-toconsumer business grew by 9 per cent in the second quarter, primarily due to performance and expansion of the retail network and e-commerce growth. The company had 78 more company-operated stores at the end of the second quarter of this year than it did

Future Lifestyle Fashion will raise funds from Aion Capital Partners through preferential allotment of shares. Future Lifestyle Fashion, a part of the Future Group, owns department store formats including Central and Brand Factory. Future Lifestyle grew 27 per cent last fiscal. The firm also runs nearly 30 brands including Indigo Nation and Lee Cooper through 339 stores across 7.2 million square feet of retail space. Aion is an India-focused fund jointly promoted by US private equity fund Apollo Global Management and local fund ICICI Venture Fund Management.

While the Future Group generates its biggest chunk from food and grocery retailing, apparel and lifestyle segment is a higher margin business for them. The company aims at being the country’s biggest clothing retailer by volume and the group sold about 30 crore garments last year. The company aims at increasing its market share by about 500 basis points in India’s lifestyle fashion market.

Power brands are margin accretive as they gain scale and garner operating leverage.

Investee brands, on the other hand, provide an opportunity for stake sale. On account of having an integrated model, Future Lifestyle is a much better bet than other retailers. Aion had also invested in the Future Group’s family holding companies late last year.

Blackstone invests in Future Lifestyle Fashions

Blackstone has infused capital in Future Lifestyle Fashions. The primary investment will be through a combination of equity and structured debt that will fund the capital expansion of the deep-discount retail format Brand Factory. The structured credit line will be for five years with a fixed coupon while the equity upside is expected to accrue through Blackstone’s stake in Future Lifestyle’s operating company.

Blackstone is the world’s largest private equity firm. Blackstone also runs one of the largest real-estate focused funds in the world and is the largest owner of office space in India.

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Business news

V-Mart retail to invest Rs 115 crore in India hile expanding its retail footprint financial year, V-Mart retail ready set to invest Rs 115 crore and hire 2,000 people in addition to the 7,000 people already employed at the company. The fashion and lifestyle retailer, currently present in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, is planning to open 60 more stores, bringing the store count up to 275.

The new stores will be set up in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and northeastern states, besides markets like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. In 201819, V-Mart Retail had posted a revenue of Rs. 1,433.75 crore. The brand will invest around Rs. 1.5 crore per store (on average)

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Kewal Kiran’s income dips in Q1 of this fiscal

Kewal Kiran Clothing’s total income was Rs 111.97 crores during the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 139.99 crores during the period ended March 31, 2019. Net profit was Rs 14.14 crores for the period ended June 30, 2019, as against Rs 20.12 crores for the period ended March 31, 2019. EPS was Rs 11.47 for the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 16.33 for the period ended March 31, 2019.

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TCNS Clothing is known for its brands W, Aurelia, and Wishful. These witnessed a growth of 12 per cent, 25 per cent, and 38 per cent respectively during the quarter. W and Aurelia added five stores each. Wishful added one store. TCNS closed the quarter with an overall store count of 552 for all its three brands. W is a premium fusion wear brand catering to the aspirations of the modern Indian woman.

Aurelia is contemporary Indian wear targeted at a wider age group and fashion sensibility.

It’s a mix of great design, great quality, and great fit at economy pricing. W has a cleaner, international feel while Aurelia reflects a contemporary Indian feel.

TCNS is looking to further strengthen its retail presence in India and add around 70 to 80 stores during the current fiscal year. TCNS generates 90 per cent of its sales from its stores while the remaining ten per cent comes from online channels.

Fall in TT Ltd’s income

and additionally invest around Rs. 25 crore in warehouses and training of staff, etc.

The investment would primarily come from internal accruals and some from debts from financial institutions.

Total income was Rs 111.97 crores during the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 109.19 crores during the period ended June 30, 2018. Net profit was Rs 14.14 crores for the period ended June 30, 2019, as against Rs 13.91 crores for the period ended June 30, 2018. EPS was Rs 11.47 for the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs11.29 for the period ended June 30, 2018.

Kewal Kiran has a presence in 25 states and 209 cities across India. The plan is to reach a store count of 500 in the next five years out of which 75 will be the medium size stores.

Currently it has 336 retail stores spread across India. Denims, shirts, trousers, T- shirts, shorts, chinos, jackets, and accessories are the product categories offered by the company.

TT’s total income was Rs 106.97 crores during the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 173 crores during the period ended March 31, 2019. Net profit was Rs 0.37 crores for the period ended June 30, 2019, as against Rs 0.84 crores for the period ended March 31, 2019. EPS was Rs 0.18 for the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 0.39 for the period ended March 31, 2019.

Total income was Rs 106.97 crores during the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 117.98 crores during the period ended June 30, 2018. Net profit was Rs 0.37 crores for the period ended June 30, 2019, as against Rs 0.58 crores for the period ended June 30, 2018. EPS was Rs 0.18 for the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 0.27 for the period ended June 30, 2018.

TT has a strong presence in the innerwear segment in north and east India through its flagship TT brand. It also exports yarn and fabric to 65-odd countries. The company has shifted focus from spinning to branded garments especially inner wear and casual wear. Going forward TT’s garment business is expected to grow by 30 to 40 per cent.

TCNS Q1 sales up 18 per cent

TCNS Clothing Company’s sales for the first quarter jumped 18 per cent. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation surged 95 per cent. Women’s apparel maker

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Industry Bytes Commerce Ministry to finalise national e-commerce policy

he commerce ministry is currently in the process of finalising the national e-commerce policy and multinational firms have raised concerns over certain provisions of the draft policy. The draft policy proposes

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to set up a legal and technological framework for restrictions on cross-border data flow and also laid out conditions for businesses regarding collection or processing of sensitive data locally and storing it abroad

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-- which is a cause for concern among major players in the market.

The new Indian norms on foreign direct investment (FDI), which came into effect on February 1, prohibit e-tailers from selling products of companies in which they have stakes, despite both Amazon and Walmart seeking a six-month delay in their implementation.

As per the new norms, online marketplaces such as Flipkart and Amazon have been barred from selling products of companies where they hold stakes and the government has also banned exclusive marketing arrangements that could influence product prices. These changes have a direct impact on, for instance, the US giant Walmart, which recently acquired a 77 per cent majority stake in the Indian e-retail major Flipkart.

Amazon has been forced to remove an array of products from its India website in order to comply with the new regulations.

Turms appoints Sartaj Mehta new chief product officer

Internetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first apparel brand Turms has appointed Sartaj Mehta, a former top executive at Pepe Jeans London with over 20 years of experience, as its new chief product officer. Mehta, who has in the past worked with brands including Benetton group, Allen Solly, ColorPlus, Wills Lifestyle, Zovi and John Players, will lead design and supply chain.

Sartaj has been instrumental in setting and scaling up brands, as well as building youth, ladies and kids wear categories. As Turms rapidly expands its product range and presence, Sartaj will play a pivotal role in its growth journey. Founded in December 2016, Turms offers apparel with special properties like stain repellent, odor resistant, cooling and wicking by applying its proprietary nanotechnology during the production process.

Its merchandise range includes jeans, t-shirts, shirts and track pants for men and t-shirts and leggings for women.

Earlier this year, the company roped in Murali Sastry, CEO - IITB-Monash Research Academy, Sanjay Modi, former MD, APAC & Middle East, at Monster.com and Sridhar Viswanathan, Managing Partner, Silver Cruste as advisors.

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“About one-third of our catalogue is already on video.

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Every year, The Big Billion Days marks the beginning of India’s festive season and every year we set out to deliver the best possible experience for our consumers and our lakhs of sellers.

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CEO, Reliance Brands

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