Inside Fashion Vol.19 No.7

VOL 19 NO. 7

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FASHION SCOPE

Contents

New Delhi hosts Northeast

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VOL.19 NO. 7

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

orth East Festival took place in New Delhi, November 8 to 10, 2019. It featured over 100 craft stalls showcasing handloom textile products from the region. An evening runway show saw designers take to the stage to present collections that mixed northeast heritage crafts with a modern, wearable aesthetic.

A fashion show highlighted the region’s design talent and designers including Bambi Kevichasa showcased their latest collections on the runway. Bambi Kevichasa presented handloom textiles in neutral tones and relaxed silhouettes. Red fringing details, borders, and a dash of maroon added dimension to the collection. Models wore sculptural headdresses and simple sandals as a modern take on northeast heritage. Impulse Empower showcased its designs at the fashion show as well as a range of accessories and home furnishings. The brand employs women from rural areas in the northeast as part of its work to fight against human trafficking and showcased a collection featuring bright green tailored jackets with ethnic motifs.

Other participating designers included Jennu Doyom, Tokila Sinruwng, Maxwell Yangoijam, Adityam Saikia, Bidyut Bikash Bhagawati, and Mehzabin Ershad. The event also featured a live music festival and other entertainment.

The event’s sponsors included Incredible India, Indian Oil, CBTC, and the Tea Board India.

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FASHION & LIFESTYLE has grown by double digits. The company is incentivising customers who choose to bring their own shopping bags. Recycled rubber is used as outsoles for sports footwear. A zero discharge system has been deployed at manufacturing facilities. Worn shoes from customers are accepted. Over 25,000 pairs of shoes have been collected under this initiative.

Danish footwear brand Ecco forays in India with store in NCR

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cco, the D a n i s h footwear brand has opened an exclusive brand outlet in Gurugram. This is the footwear brand’s first outlet in India.

The plan is to open 20 stores in the country in three years. Ecco also plans to launch a dedicated Indian e-commerce store in the first quarter of next year. The brand has so far retailed only through multi-brand outlets in India.

Ecco targets the premium segment. Hence the decision to start with a small footprint to focus first on brand building so that the Indian consumer understands the brand’s narrative as to why the premium price it charges is justified.

Ecco, launched in 1963, owns its entire value chain including manufacturing and wholesale units. The brand had planned to set up a production unit in India before

Bata to add 500 stores in 3 years

Bata will add 500 stores in the next five years. These will be mainly in smaller markets like Tier II, III and IV cities and will be through

Filatex India to foray into the home textiles market

it first entered the market in 2005 but then decided to bring in shoes from its China manufacturing centre. Its specialisation is in combining fine craftsmanship with cutting edge technology to produce footwear, which has wide versatility to serve a range of occasions. Even formal shoes are embedded with features such as anatomical comfort, softness, cushioning, rebound that are associated with sneakers.

Outsoles are injected into the leather shoe mould ensuring a stronger bond between the sole and the upper that makes the shoe softer and flexible.

the franchise model.

This is the largest retailer and manufacturer of footwear in India. Bata has a pan-India retail presence with 1,415 stores. Over the last two years, Bata has reinvigorated its portfolio to offer more contemporary fashion and casual styles for the younger generation.

The footwear manufacturer and retailer has laid extensive emphasis on product innovation followed by a revised retail proposition in line with the global imagery and premiumization of the brand. Apart from marketing and sales initiatives driving the topline, cost-saving measures have yielded results in improving the bottom line and leveraging economies of scale. Innovative campaigns have helped sustain profitable growth across categories.

Stores have been upgraded to provide a world class shopping experience. E-commerce

Filatex India., a manufacturer of polyester and polypropylene multifilament yarn and polyester chips, after nearly competing a Rs 850 crore expansion, is now planning to foray into the home textiles segment, where margins are better than in the commodity business.

The company operates two plants, located at Dahej in Gujarat and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, a union territory. It plans to start the home textile business early next year. The firm is now examining whether it would set up the manufacturing unit in Maharashtra which offers sops to attract new businesses. With this, its capacity will increase from 3.28 lakh MT per annum to 3.9 lakh MT.

DFU PUBLICATIONS Editor-in Chief & Publisher & CEO - Sanjay Chawla

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Editorial Asst. - Ranjit Kaur Correspondent - Ajay Kumar Goswami Prerna Sharma Sales Team

- Sagar Sardar Makrand Deshpandey Reena Prajapati

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Production & Admn. - Dinesh Poojary Graphic Designer

- Sanjeev D. Sonavane

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INDIA ENTRY

Kenneth Cole opens new store in Mumbai

also serving as easy grounds for international socks companies to grab hold of growth opportunities.

Victoria’s Secret opens first store in Mumbai

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enneth Cole recently opened its new store in Malad, Mumbai. The store was officially launched by Bollywood Actor Pulkit Samrat and Bollywood Actress Kriti Kharbanda. The event was graced by fashion experts, business personalities, influencers, and Mumbai’s very own social glitterati.

Spread over 1200 square feet, the new store promises a graceful dose of retail therapy, a seamless assortment of lifestyle products, interactive decor, minimalistic design, and vibrant interiors. Luxuriously merchandised, the store will sell men’s and women’s apparel, footwear, handbags, accessories, perfumes, laptop bags, and luggage. The products will be priced from Rs 3,000 to Rs 20,000.

Announcing the launch, Ujjval Saraf, Managing Director, Brandzstorm India Marketing says, “For over three decades Kenneth Cole brand has defined the standard of global fashion with its distinctive

UK socks brand Trusox comes to India

UK-based sports brand Trusox has launched its products in India. The socks, priced at Rs 3500 a pair, will be available on sale at Amazon and the brand’s website. The company will also explore tie-ups with sports retail stores. Trusox expects 20 per cent of its

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New York style and classic designs. The new store will provide irresistible shopping experience giving customers access to a wide choice of Kenneth Cole New York products under one roof” In 2018, the Kenneth Cole brand signed a ten-year licensing agreement with Brandzstorm India Marketing. Pursuant to the license terms Brandzstorm India will design, manufacture, distribute and retail Kenneth Cole products in India and other select countries across the SAARC region such as Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

Brandzstorm is also a leading licensee and partner for premium fashion brands in India including Giordano, Swiss Eagle, Pierre Cardin, Superdry, Cross, Nautica, Kenneth Cole, Lamborghini, Fjord, Nuband, ELLE, and Furla. Currently, the company operates and markets in segments of watches, apparel, bags, fashion accessories, travel gear, and eyewear.

revenues to come from India in the next two years. Internationally, the company sells out of around 1000 stores. It sells around 800 pairs a day globally.

The performance gear market in India has been growing at 12 per cent year-on-year. The vendor landscape of the global socks market is highly competitive owing to the presence of a large number of domestic, regional, as well as global entities. In a number of developing and less developed countries, such as Asia Pacific, Latin America and Africa, the market features a largely unorganized structure with a number of domestic players that tap growth opportunities through their economical products. The thriving e-commerce sector in these regions is providing an easy way in for international brands to target a large consumer base. The rising numbers of supermarkets and hypermarkets in emerging economies are

Lingerie and beauty retailer Victoria’s Secret has launched its first store at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in, Mumbai in partnership with Mumbai Duty Free. The store houses a range of best-selling and newly launched beauty products, sleepwear, apparel, and accessories. Additionally, the store will also offer functional accessories like cosmetic cases, bags, luggage, keychains, and passport covers.

The Mumbai store has proven popular with customers since its launch and the brand is expecting strong in-store sales in the coming months. It is operated by Flemingo Travel Retail which operates around 17 stores at the airport.

Japanese brand Usupso to expand retail presence in India

Japanese lifestyle brand Usupso plans to expand its retail presence across India by opening new stores. The brand currently has 19 stores in India and plans to open another 81 in the coming year to reach a store count of 100. The new stores will be a mix of both company-owned model and franchise partner.

Usupso is targeting Tier II, III cities for opening stores as it sees a huge scope of growth and development in these cities.

Usupso recently opened five stores in the Northeast India. Apart from the Northeast, the brand has stores in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mysore, Mangalore, Kochi, Jargon, Jaipur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, and Indore.

To widen its product offerings to the Indian customers, Usupso has started sourcing products from The Man Company and Colour Cosmetics brands. The brand is also exploring partnerships with e-commerce firms and plans to sell online by launching its website.

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BRAND WATCH

Arvind exits unprofitable brands

n the second quarter, Arvind Fashions continued to make progress on its stated goal of exiting non-strategic emerging brands, reducing exposure to long paymentcycle customers and aligning primary sales more closely with secondary sales.

Its board has approved the issue of equity shares up to Rs 300 crores on a rights issue basis to meet its general corporate purposes including capital expenditure and working capital requirements and reducing the levels of borrowing. Brand exits will be completed in the third quarter.

But Arvind Fashions incurred losses in the second quarter. Financial results were also impacted by the ongoing consumption slowdown in the country. Revenue from

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Aakar Intimates expands brand portfolio Delhi-based innerwear company Aakar

operations in the second quarter stood at Rs 1,119.45 crores as compared to Rs 1,209.05 crores in the year-ago period.

During 2019-20, the company will continue to focus on working capital efficiency through disciplined efforts around debtors’ control, secondary sales alignment, reduction in inventory and closure of unviable brands and retail stores.

It continues to remain optimistic about the future of its business as it has taken the necessary actions to make the company future ready with right capabilities and fit for profitable growth. Though the external environment continues to remain volatile, the company remains optimistic about its future given its inherent strengths.

loungewear, intimate wear, nightwear, and beachwear. The brand’s mission is to create a lifestyle by making customers accept and understand the importance of intimate apparel as a wardrobe necessity. It intends to revolutionise and recreate the perspective of modern intimate wear and put an end to the myth that they are meant only for lounging. .

Aakar Intimates was founded by Aayuushi Agarwal and Anushka Agarwal. The brand also sells online through its website.

Diana Penty is the face of Forever New Diana Penty has been named as the new brand ambassador for Forever New- an

Intimates has expanded its brand portfolio with the launch of its new private label brand ‘Erotissch’ in the Indian market.

With the launch of its new brand, Aakar plans to strengthen its foothold in the country’s intimate wear market. The new brand will be sold exclusively on Reliance’s e-commerce platform Ajio.

Erotissch’s product portfolio will include

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Australian fashion clothing and accessories brand.

Penty will endorse the brand’s new autumn/ winter ‘19 collection inspired by old Hollywood glamour that features deep plums, shimmering fabrics and deep jeweled tones. With this association, the brand hopes to create greater awareness among its customer base and build brand saliency.

The brand now trades over 250 stores in ten countries. Forever New expects sales in India to jump 50 per cent from last year. This brand which came to India in 2008 targets women aged between 18 and 35 years. It designs clothes that suit an Indian woman’s body type and that are long lasting. In India, it is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 16 per cent, retailing through 70 doors across 36 cities which includes exclusive as well as multibrand outlets such as Shoppers Stop. The plan is to add four more cities this year and ten more stores in the next two years. The strategy is to focus on the top ten cities and grow the market there. The brand’s core business is dresses, which comprise 40 per cent of its revenue, followed by tops and accessories.

Fabindia’s IPL association gives it good visibility

Fabindia gained a lot from its partnership with the Indian Premier League this year. For a brand that has never advertised on television before this association with a big-ticket event aired on Star’s sports channels, across eight languages, proved to be a fine first move. As style partner for the season of cricket, Fabindia styled more than 100 cricket experts in over 1000 designs from their menswear collection as they discussed the game on air. This activity not only gave them 229 hours of brand exposure but also a 96 per cent increase in sponsorship awareness.

Post-IPL, Fabindia had an increase in footfalls and conversions in the men’s wear range. The brand recorded a growth of 40 per cent to 50 per cent over the same period last year. The activity also helped the brand gain a 22 per cent uplift in Google searches. FabIndia is a powerful brand but this partnership helped raised awareness of its men’s occasion wear.

While sponsorships like these might come out as a costly proposition, the return on investment has been spectacular for Fabindia, which got widespread popularity among the masses with strategic placement of brand visibility during the game.

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BRAND WATCH

Ethnic wear fuels Aditya Birla Fashion’s business

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ditya Birla Fashion is planning to build a multi-crore business from its new acquisitions in the ethnic wear segment.

The lifestyle retailer acquired 100 per cent stake in Jaypore and TG Apparel and has also entered into a strategic partnership with designers Shantanu and Nikhil. Jaypore is a business-to-business online-cumoffline retailer. Launched in 2012, Jaypore currently has two stores and largely sells women’s clothing and accessories online.

This means curated collections of apparel, jewelry, gift items, home textiles and craft articles. Aditya Birla is working on launching a more affordable range of clothing under the Shantanu and Nikhil brand. TG is a business-

Flipkart ropes in Bollywood’s hit pair Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor for campaign

Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor will be seen on Flipkart Fashion’s India Ka Fashion Capital campaign. Leveraging their fashion icon status, the two stars encourage India’s large and growing base of internet users to overcome their shopping hesitancy and fashion inhibitions through the newest offerings and trendiest selections on Flipkart Fashion.

Flipkart Fashion launched the India Ka Fashion Capital campaign almost two years ago. The fourth edition of the campaign builds on the previous three and aims at establishing Flipkart Fashion as the go-tofashion destination for all shoppers across the country. This edition built around the theme Don’t Stress, Karo Impress addresses the

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to-consumer online-cum-offline retailer of ethnic fashion clothing and accessories.

In India, ethnic wear is the single biggest category in the women’s wear segment with a share of 71 per cent despite global fashion brands pushing their Westernised clothing in the market. Indian wear, initially largely restricted to the older age segment, has also found acceptance among younger consumers as companies widen their portfolio to sell fusion clothing instead of just ethnic, worn during special occasions.

Department store chains have expanded their private label range and started offering contemporary styling in the ethnic space, fuelling growth.

Preeti Jatia’s brand Fayon Kids has reached great heights over its 15 years journey of dedication and hard work. It is a premium children’s wear brand incepted in 2006 which customises clothes for newborns to teens. The brand uses lining and threads made of cotton to make its garments. It pays a keen attention to each child’s body structure and their age to customize the garment according to the need. Fayon’s specialty lies in the unique accessories that complement every outfit. The brand designs for occasions like birthdays, weddings, festivals, theme parties, etc.

Fayon has been seen showcasing its collections at a kid’s fashion show in Texas, USA. The brand aims to make every child feel self-confident and comfortable.

Raisin tie-ups with Project Eve Raisin, a renowned fusion-fashion brand, has tied up with Project Eve, to expand its store network across India. The brand will now be present in metro cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

The stores under the banner Project Eve will offer impeccable experience through itselegant ambience, in-store salon, café, personal stylist, lounge area along with acurated collection in apparel and beauty.Raisin customers can now shop the latest collection Khizan, designed

stressors that many consumers face around online shopping for their fashion needs. The campaign will go live on television and digital platforms for a period of over five weeks until December 15. Consumers can also expect a plethora of curated digital content. From short videos talking about the benefits of shopping on Flipkart Fashion to a host of social media challenges, consumers can expect to see Kapoor and Bhatt in various engaging and interactive formats.

In addition to the two celebs, Flipkart Fashion will also collaborate with top fashion influencers across the country. These influencers through their content formats will educate consumers to overcome any stressors and make the right purchase decisions.

Kidswear brands Fayon collaborates with global stores Fayon has collaborated with esteemed stores like Carma, Ashni, Aza, etc across the world to expand operations. The brand is an established name in India and now aims to make a mark globally.

exclusively for forthcoming festive season at different Raisin stores within Project Eve. Aimed at a lifetime association, Raisin hopes to add newer SIS stores together with Project Eve and make shopping a tranquil experience for its customers. Through this association, the brand aims to provide unique designs and comfort quality to the new age woman of India.

“We look forward to a long-lasting, mutually benefiting association with Project Eve,” says Vikash Pacheriwal, Co-founder of the brand.

As a contemporary retail brand, Raisin’s perspective to associate with Project Eve is tolaunch along with large format stores.

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YO U TH

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C LUB

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BRAND WATCH

Manyavar signs Ranveer Singh as the new brand ambassador

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anveer Singh has been roped in as the brand ambassador for Manyavar.

The actor will endorse the brand’s latest festive season collection ahead of Diwali and will also feature in commercials spread across television, digital, and social media.

Men’s ethnic wear brand Manyavar currently has over 500 stores that include over 50 flagship stores and 12 international stores. It also sells through its website and other fashion e-commerce platforms.

Manyavar caters to the debonair man who proudly flaunts his desi avatar. India’s leading celebration wear brand offers an exceptional range of traditional outfits and accessories for men for weddings, party wear and clothes for other special events.

Some of the country’s finest fashion designers and artisans have been brought together to create the products at Manyavar.

Factors like dead stock lower than four per cent, unique merchandise ownership, no end of season sales contribute to a high conversion rate and in turn a high stock turnover. Strengths lie in single order deliveries. Products are designed keeping in mind the vast variety of festivals and occasions in the country. Manyavar is now available in 204 cities and three countries.

Mohey is an ethnic wear brand for women,

Puma launches new campaign featuring sports industry stalwarts

Delhi-based innerwear company Aakar Intimates has expanded its brand portfolio with the launch of its new private label brand ‘Erotissch’ in the Indian market. With the launch of its new brand, Aakar plans to strengthen its foothold in the country’s intimate wear market.

The new brand will be sold exclusively on Reliance’s e-commerce platform Ajio.

Erotissch’s product portfolio will include loungewear, intimate wear, nightwear, and beachwear. The brand’s mission is to create a lifestyle by making customers accept and understand the importance of intimate apparel as a wardrobe necessity. It intends to revolutionise and recreate the perspective of modern intimate wear and put an end to the myth that they are meant only for lounging. .

Aakar Intimates was founded by Aayuushi Agarwal and Anushka Agarwal. The brand also sells online through its website.

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Reebok launches new ad campaign

where each piece of ghaghra, gown, sari, suit, celebration jewelry and accessory is handpicked for its distinct signature of celebration.

KPR Mills launches sustainable innerwear and athleisure collections KPR Mills has launched a sustainable innerwear and athleisure ranges under its newly launched brand ‘Faso’ in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana markets.

These stylish innerwear and athleisure products are made up of 100 per cent organic cotton to provide ultra soft comfort, which also naturally makes it skin-friendly. These products are available in three varieties—comfort, style and supreme, featuring bright trendy colors.

These sustainable innerwear products are manufactured using micro nylon elastic and due care is taken from fiber to finished products using in-house state-of-the-art technology and process facilities across the value chain.

The company’s major strength is the vertically integrated operations where they have end-to-end in-house manufacturing facilities for yarn, fabrics, processing, printing, embroidery and garment. This helped them to produce 100 per cent superfine combed organic cotton products that are skin-friendly and breathable.

Leading sports and lifestyle brand Reebok has launched its latest campaign ‘She Got Ree’ featuring Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif. The new campaign will be launched on digital, social and traditional media platforms.

The fully integrated campaign is anchored by a one-minute short film entitled ‘She Got Ree’, which sees Kaif along with a group of women, perform in a free-spirited routine that’s a combination of running, spinning, flexing, dancing and boxing. Through this campaign the brand hopes to inspire women to find their own expression of fitness.

Reebok, which offers footwear, apparel, and accessories for various fitness activities, currently has over 200 stores in the country.

Trusox names cricketer Rohit Sharma as new brand ambassador

Global sports brand, Trusox has roped in cricketer Rohit Sharma as its brand ambassador for the Indian market. The company, a brainchild of a former US soccer player James Cherneski, is a premium socks brand, usually worn by sportspeople.

Trusox that sells at about 1000 stores globally will be initially launched through its own portal as well as Amazon. The company has seen a rise in sports being played across levels in the country as well as increase in performance gear as a pivotal support function to help athletes. At present, over 45 per cent of the English Premier League footballers use the brand.

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BRAND RETAIL

Personnel shoppers make up a good chunk of Shoppers Stop sales

Manvir Singh and Jackichand Singh who also shared their football tips and tricks with the audience.

Spanning 860 sq. ft, the exclusive store has been developed with a new concept design that creates a balance with the highly technical aspects of the brand’s products with natural warm finishes, features and materials to create a powerful brand experience.

The store immerses consumers in a world where both the mind and body are stimulated and offers a wide variety of running, training and SportStyle inspired shoes and apparels for men and women.

Fabindia to open 10 new experience centers

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hoppers Stop gets 15 per cent of its sales from personal shoppers. The retailer provides shoppers with a great personal shopping experience. The starting point was to have a personal shopping service and the customer affinity to this has helped. Shoppers Stop has set up a design studio and testing labs, which have shrunk the time between design to shop floor. The merchandise has been improved in terms of on-trend and the quality of its private brands. The studio was ready a few months ago and collections will start coming in from spring/ summer 20. Currently, Shoppers Stop is

ABFRL brand opens first store in Northeast

working with 40 designers.

A renovation program is going on hand in hand with a store opening program.

Shoppers Stop believes in keeping the chain modern. The chain has the largest legacy, being one of the oldest retailers in India. That is why each year Shoppers Stop spends on the opening of new stores and also on the renovation of others. Along with that it regularly spends on technology updates. A new store format has been launched, according to which a store in a metro will be somewhere between 40,000 sq ft to 60,000 sq.ft. There will be a big emphasis on beauty and children.

straight, original straight.

For women, the collection focuses on the ‘curvy’ fit jeans that are made to take the shape of one’s curves seamlessly. The denims are available in 3 fits across 6 washes – curvy high-rise jegging, curvy super high-rise jegging, curvy highest rise jegging, offering something for everyone. The women’s range also offers corduroy jackets, jumpsuits & skirts.

Asics expands retail footprint The popular denim brand of ABFRL, American Eagle, recently launched its first store in the Northeast region in Guwahati.

The store offers a full assortment of the American Eagle’s Fall 2019 collection with a distinctive focus on its Back To School campaign. The collection is centered around the concept of “Homecoming” and features categories such as grunge, feminine patterns, new prep and vintage-inspired pieces.

The men’s range includes an interesting selection of hoodies, allovers, updated sweatpants and athletic joggers. The range is available in a variety of fits – skinny, slim, slim

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Japanese sport performance brand Asics, expanded its retail footprint by launching a new concept store in Goa. The store strengthens the brand’s presence in India. Located in the largest mall in Goa ‘Mall De Goa’, the store was inaugurated by FC Goa and Indian Football national team players – Brandon Fernandes,

Apparel, lifestyle, and accessories brand Fabindia aims to open around 10 more experience centers during the current financial year with an investment of approximately Rs 30 crore. The brand recently opened a new experience centre in Mumbai taking its total experience center count across India to 25.

The new Fabindia experience center houses the brand’s full selection of men’s, women’s, and children’s wear, accessories, and homeware items and adds a number of large spaces dedicated to interactive activities.

A café, children’s play and learning area, and a garment alteration service are all part of the brand’s move to increase customer footfall in stores through offline-exclusive features.

Besides increasing its total of interactive, large-scale stores, Fabindia is holding a large number of events at its existing experience centers to build a community around the establishments. On November 3, Fabindia will hold a free Impasto Painting workshop at its experience centre in Kolkata.

The brand reported a 25 per cent to 30 per cent increase in its sales fuelled by the launches of its new experience centers. The concept is especially focused towards its millennial customers. Fabindia also reported a net profit of Rs 116 crore on revenue of Rs 1,148 crore in the 2019 financial year.

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BRAND RETAIL

Shoppers Stop to open concept stores this fiscal

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hoppers Stop plans to open around 50 concept stores this financial year.

Out of the 50 stores, 40 will be in the beauty segment and 10 will be department stores. The new stores will have high-end brands along with the company’s privatelabel brands as it looks to cater to a wider audience to boost sales and improve margins. Shoppers Stop has been opening concept stores according to the affluence index of the cities. Shoppers Stop will still house brands at entry-level price points through private brands. Over the last couple of years, private brands have helped the company notch good growth and revenues

Kehiaa expands retail network Luxury women’s wear brand Kehiaa has expanded its retail network and launched at a number of international multi-brand boutiques including in Hong Kong, Dubai, and Indonesia.

Kehiaa has swiftly expanded online and offline retail presence and sped up pace this festive season. Its most recent launch was online on the multi-brand Indian fashion retailer Aza on October 29 At the end of last month, Kehiaa launched at Collage in Dubai with its festive collection. The brand also launched at The Rack by Kachins in Dubai the same week. The brand launched its winter/ festive collection in Jakarta, Indonesia, at the multi-brand boutique La Rosh on October 23. The day before, on October 22, the brand launched the collection at the luxury boutique Sanskrit in Hong Kong.

Earlier in the festive season, Kehiaa also took part in the Dhoom Dham Wedding Show at the Taj Krishna in Hyderabad on October

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and 12 per cent of the company’s overall sales comes through private brands.

For Shoppers Stop the festive season was rather muted but it hopes to get to midsingle-digit same-store sales growth by the end of the year. Shoppers Stop currently has 85 department stores and 123 beauty stores across India. Shoppers Stop is opening premium outlets across the top metros to draw millennial shoppers seeking the latest in fashion. The chain has been working on two new store formats over the last few months and is upgrading existing stores. The chain also runs home furnishing stores under Home Stop.

19. The brand also launched online on Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop earlier in the month. It soon plans to launch its website.

Indian Terrain launches 177th EBO, seventh in Mumbai

Leading menswear brand, Indian Terrain has launched its 177th EBO in the country. Located in Linking Road, Mumbai this is the brand’s seventh EBO in Mumbai. It offers a wide collection in men’s apparels and accessories.

The new store is spread over a retail space of 600 sq. ft. and offers the most fashionable apparel and accessories, making it a shoppers’ paradise. According to the company, the store’s world-class design and ample retail space ensures an uncluttered, luxuriant, and cosmopolitan shopping environment.

Speaking at the launch, Charath Narsimhan,

Managing Director, Indian Terrain Fashions said, “The launch of our new store in Mumbai is testimony to the enduring and successful relationship with our customers from the time we opened our first store in city. The new store will cater as a convenient fashion destination for our customers. We are positive that this new store holds great potential and will surpass expectations with its premium design and feel.”

The store will also offer exciting promotions in celebration of the festival of lights, Diwali.

Indian Terrain is one of India’s leading men’s and boys wear brand offering a complete range of casual wear and sportswear. Having opened its first store in September 2000, the company was listed in 2011, following a demerger from its parent company. Men’s wear includes shirts, trousers, t-shirts, shorts, sweaters, jackets, and denims. In September 2015, the company introduced a brand called “Indian Terrain BOY aimed at boys 4 to 16 years offering shirts, T-shirts, trousers, shorts, winter-wear and denims. With a turnover of over Rs 900 crore, the company today retails across the country through over 1000 MBOs, over 400 LFS, and 160 EBOs, and is also available through key e-commerce platforms as well.

Levi Strauss sees business in small towns across India Levi Strauss is expanding its retail presence in small towns of India. This has been prompted by the realization that consumer behavior, consumption and aspirations in Tier II, III and IV markets are similar to those in Tier I and the top 20 cities. What attracts the brand to small towns is the large number of millennials.

Apart from this, the company is strengthening its base in metros and Tier I cities by building larger stores. Levi’s premium assortments and collaborations would cater to metro markets.

Besides, the company is registering a good growth in the women’s segment and expects this trend to continue. For Levi’s India is definitely among the top ten markets globally and from the volume point of view is among the top five markets.

The premium denim brand, which has been present in the country for 25 years, has a network of over 450 retail stores and most of them are operated by its franchise partners. With a mixed omni channel retail presence the company is witnessing two to three times higher growth rate from online sales channels, which from a low base are attracting a new set of customers. Levi’s assortment takes care of all kind of consumers, entry, mid and premium levels.

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BRAND RETAIL

Uniqlo to open in Gurgaon

niqlo will open its second store in India this month and this will be in Gurgaon.

The 12,200 sq ft store will introduce a brand new shopping experience for customers with its thoughtful designs, high-quality and functional products.

The Japanese apparel retailer offers high functional and high quality apparel called Life Wear. This is inspired by life’s needs and provides thoughtful and timeless clothing available in a variety of colors and styles for people of all ages. The clothing comes from the Japanese values of simplicity, quality and longevity and is for men, women, children and babies. Uniqlo also has Ultra-Light Down and Heat Tech garments as well as products

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Max Fashion opens new store in Pune

Max Fashion’s new store in Pune is spread over 11,700 sq. ft. It offers a wide range of fashion merchandise, spacious trial rooms, state-of-the-art digital interface and a more convenient billing process design, thus, ensuring a wholesome and effortless shopping experience for its customers.

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featuring premium fabrics, including denim, extra fine merino, cashmere and more.

Uniqlo works actively across product segments and in many cases creates new categories. For example, winter thermal wear. Though the category exists, many people do not wear winter thermals because they are uncomfortable. So Uniqlo created a category of thin layered thermal wear which has been a big hit worldwide.

The Japanese apparel retailer has just entered India with a store in New Delhi. The plan is to make Uniqlo accessible across India. For the next six months the focus will be on understanding the Indian market better, including taste, color, pricing, size.

Max Fashion is expanding its retail footprint across India. It has 25 stores in Bangalore and 36 for the Karnataka region. Max is looking to double its turnover in the next four years. New stores will be opened in Tier I and II cities. In the next four years, it would operate 400 stores in 120 cities. It invests around five crores to open a store, of which Rs 2.5 crores is on capex and the rest is working capital.

The value fast fashion brand was launched in the UAE in May 2004 and now has a presence in the Middle East, India, and Africa.

The company is also evaluating omni channel retail and is currently piloting the endless aisle system by integrating its store inventory with warehouse inventory. If a particular size of dress is not at a particular store at the time, and is available at inventory, it would be delivered at the customer’s house the next day.

Mievic to set up 100 stores by 2020 Mievic has joined hands with Mievic Lifestyle to set up 100 operational stores across the country by 2020. The company recently set up three stores in Delhi.

Mievic offers more than 1,000 SKU’s across

10 categories with a product price range between Rs 59 to Rs 2,500. Mievic’s USP is inspired by the Northern European Design Concept, and its products are designed, keeping in mind the current fashion trends, simplicity of use, aesthetic appeal, and value for money.

The company plans to sell products across multiple categories including toys, home décor, bags, and fashion accessories, fashion Jewellery, hair accessories, footwear and wearables, seasonal products, cosmetics and personal care, office stationery, tech & gadgets. It aims to become one of the most admired lifestyle fashion brands worldwide with innovation, leadership, and customer satisfaction as keystone values.

Speedo to open three more stores this year

Speedo’s journey is rich in history and innovation. In the formative years, an average store size would be around 600 sq ft. Considering the shifting needs of the consumer and their expectations, along with the evolution of retail as an industry, Speedo is in the process of opening three more stores this year. Omni channel retail will be in focus in future. It is through an extensive form of research that Speedo develops the store designs. The very same design is then percolated across the globe down to all its global stores which includes India as well. Speedo goes through retail design upgradation once in three years, This enables Speedo to narrate the brand story, educate customers on the collection and ultimately enable them to be immersed with the brand and its design.

The brand has 45 exclusive stores in 13 key cities across India. These include Mumbai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Cochin and Jaipur. The plan is to open three more exclusive stores in the remaining months of 2019.

Swimwear brand Speedo is present in over 170 countries all around the world.

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COLLECTIONS

Retailers launch new Frozen collection

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antaloon has launched a special Frozen collection for toddler and junior girls which includes printed joggers, leggings, sweatshirts and sweater dresses with interactive prints, fancy sequins and appliques and footwear featuring the film’s characters. Its new range for toddler and junior girls captures the movie’s essence and allows the little ones flaunt their favorite character merchandise.

The Walt Disney Co India has roped in 67 sponsors for its upcoming animated musical

Asics offers collections anticipating consumer tastes

Asics combines innovation and fashion and keeps the brand ahead of the ever-changing consumer tastes.

The brand launched in India in 2015 and is present in 20 cities. Asics has partnered Indian athletes, presenting them with shoes that support them in achieving their goals while improving its offerings for the Indian consumer. Asics has 41 stores in the country and out of these there are four concept stores, in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Goa. The exclusive stores are meant to introduce

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fantasy Frozen. These sponsors include a wide range of brands like toy retailer Hamleys, fashion brands Max and Reliance Trends, clothing chain Pantaloons and e-commerce company Flipkart. Like Pantaloon, toy and board game company Hasbro plans to introduce a range of dolls and playsets inspired by the two protagonists, Elsa and Anna while multinational conglomerate ITC has already launched a line of stationery products -- notebooks, geometry boxes and colouring sets based on the movie.

consumers to highly technical aspects of the brand’s products to create a powerful brand experience. The stores immerse consumers in a world where both the mind and the body are stimulated and offer a wide variety of running and training shoes and apparels for men and women. Asics will have more concept stores across the country by next year. The aim is to be the leader in the sportswear market in India for an aspirational audience that is willing to invest in high quality products. The focus will be on communicating this differentiation to the local audience in a language they understand.

The sportswear market is not just restricted to pure fitness wear. There has been a shift in the Indian fashion scenario toward comfortable yet stylish clothing.

Cantabil launches A/W’19 collection

Cantabil Retail India, a focused apparel brand engaged in designing, manufacturing, branding and retailing of apparels launched its Autumn/Winter ’19 collection. The kids wear range is inspired by a bright and colorful theme and is comfortable, easy to wear and wash. The range offers T-shirts, shirts, jeans, trousers, jackets, sweaters, sweatshirts, tops, dresses, capris, jeggings, tees for boys and animal prints, Schiffli embroidery, minimal floral prints and lurex checks for girls.

The women’s collection features stripes, prints, flannel checks, knitted & corduroy bottom and dresses. The color palette is bold including bottle green, red, mustered teal, rust, dusty pink and black.

Men’s collection comprises of over-dyed and tinted jeans and casual checks saturated in winter colors. The collection also offers a wide range of formal and casual blazers, party wear, formal suits & waistcoats to choose from.

Cantabil, at present, has 280 stores in 16 states and plans to open another 75 more this year primarily in the Tier III markets. The company clocked in a revenue of Rs 290 crore in the financial year 2018-19 is aiming to grow over 30 percent to reach Rs 390 crore in this fiscal.

H&M to launch festive collections pan India

As is evident from its latest report, Fast fashion retailer H&M plans to launch Indiaspecific festive collections across its stores in India. This is an attempt on part of the brand to localise its offerings, in line with Uniqlo’s decision to launch a kurta collection.

Earlier this year, H&M had announced to expand its operations across the country with plans to open new stores in Nagpur, Kochi, Jalandhar and Dehradun. These stores will open in the next few months.

According to the data sourced from Veratech Intelligence, H&M’s annual profit has increased by 29 per cent to Rs. 45 crore from its India operations. Its total revenue has risen by 39 per cent to Rs. 1,236 crore.

Hennes & Mauritz AB, the parent group of the 72-year-old core brand, H&M also plans to expand its portfolio of offerings by selling external brands and products in a test run at a global level.

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COLLECTIONS of this Festive Collection to make this season stylish and colourful for everyone – These ranges are known as Mystical Bloom, Banaras Tales and Sinduri.

Max has seen a rapid growth since its inception. In 2006, the brand forayed into retail in the Indian subcontinent opening its first store in Indore. Today, it has a presence in more than 100 cities that consistently deliver international fashion trends at amazingly affordable prices.

Today, Max Fashion stores are located across the country and serve over 100 million satisfied customers every year. The brand, which pursues a strategy of “Any time – Anywhere”, has launched a digital app for online shopping. The app has successfully managed to garner a net base of 6.7 million users in recent times. The brand is also equipped with industry features like click and collects at nearest store, ship and return from the store, etc.

Max Fashion offers colorful winter wear

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ax Fashion’s winter wear collection comprises fresh and vibrant colors.

The new collection is a perfect choice for all fashionistas who are looking to style themselves this winter season.

From work to having a casual day out to traveling to a new city, Max Fashion assures the finest dressing for an on-themove lifestyle. Max Fashion launches an all-new stylish and vibrant range of sweaters, coats, reversible puffer jackets and other winter essentials, designed for warmth. Whether it’s a casual gettogether, or an year-end party, Max has something for everyone and for every occasion. Women have biker jackets, puffer jackets, reversible jackets, printed sweater tops, denim jackets, hoodies and cosy sleepwear. Men have sweaters, travel jackets, reversible jackets, biker jackets and street hoodies. Children have sweaters, joggers, puffer, biker and gillet jackets.

Max Fashion offers a wide range of the latest merchandise, spacious trial rooms, state-of-the-art digital interface and a more convenient billing process design, thus, ensuring a wholesome and effortless shopping experience for its customers.

Max Fashion is expanding its retail footprint

across India. It has 25 stores in Bangalore and 36 for the Karnataka region. Max is looking to double its turnover in the next four years. New stores will be opened in Tier I and II cities.

Van Heusen launches airport range

Van Heusen has launched an uniquely engineered line for the contemporary man.

Crafted from new-age blends of ultrastretchable fabric, the airport collection is lightweight, wrinkle free and allows an ease of movement that makes travelling seamlessly comfortable which resonates with the fast paced lifestyle of consumers today. The collection consists of pieces which enhance the functionality of men’s wear. The collection boasts of knitted trousers and blazers in a color palette of modern blues, dusty olives, corals and neutrals. The bi-stretch suit is equipped with an auto-flex waist band, an elbow stretch and a gripper for unrestricted movement. The airport collection defines the dynamic achievers, the modern man with a curated personal sense of style, which is confident, precise, classy and complements his busy lifestyle. The distinct construction within the pieces of this line is what defines incomparable and unique tailoring. The line exudes a powerful amalgamation of performance-infused style and dynamic comfort. With this collection formal wear is no longer deemed restrictive and monotonous.

The aesthetically fresh designs render innovation and functionality to the wardrobe of a man proposing to conquer everyday styling while staying sharp and active.

Van Heusen is India’s premium men’s wear brand from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail.

Max Fashion launches new festive collection Max Fashion, India’s leading fashion brand, recently unveiled its new festive collection.

The collection was launched the brand’s new store in Sambalpur. This store happens to be the brand’s 8th store in Orissa and 303rd store nationally.

Max revealed three extraordinary ranges

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COVER STORY

Diwali beats expectations for retailers Festive sales this year was not as bad as expected as initial sale figures reveal retailers managed to woo consumers despite a dip in overall consumption across India. While big retailers fared better, both online and offline sales were positive this festive season.

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espite a slowdown and a dip in overall consumption across sectors, festive season this year did not pass by with its share of sparkle and shine. While the auto sector was forced to shed lakhs of jobs and became a major drag on the Indian economy in just a few months and a credit scarcity and less money in circulation forced less spending during Diwali, etailers made a whooping $3 billion (over Rs 21,000 crore) in just the first six days of festive sales this year. Based on this number, the year-on-year growth for etailers, led by Flipkart and Amazon, was 30 per cent, reveals a study by consulting firm RedSeer.

Another study by Capillary Technologies showed physical stores were the preferred shopping channels for consumers during the festive season with physical outlets registering a 7 per cent increase in footfalls over last year same period. The study and its findings are a result of the data collected during Diwali

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• Etailers made over Rs 21,000 crore in just the first six days of festive sales this year • Year-on-year growth for etailers, led by Flipkart and Amazon, was 30 per cent, says RedSeer • Capillary Technologies study revealed physical stores were the preferred shopping channels during the festive season • Physical outlets registering a 7 per cent increase in footfalls over last year during the same period • Footwear industry saw 4 per cent rise in sales this year • Fashion and apparel saw enhanced spending of 7 per cent 2019, compared to Diwali 2018, from 62,000 consumers across stores in India.

Online marketplaces register strong sales E-commerce industry grew 76 per cent and the real winners were online marketplaces like

Flipkart and Amazon who lured customers with discounted products, lucrative EMIs and payment options. The average order value for Flipkart stood at Rs 1,976 as against Rs 1,461 for Amazon. The Walmart-owned marketplace led with a 64 per cent share of the combined gross sales while Amazon fared higher on net

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COVER STORY “During Diwali, etailers made a whooping $3 billion (over Rs 21,000 crore) in just the first six days of festive sales this year. Based on this number, the year-onyear growth for etailers, led by Flipkart and Amazon, was 30 per cent, reported consulting firm RedSeer.” promoter score (NPS) which measures the loyalty of customers to a company.

However, the gross sales, or gross merchandise value (GMV) of these marketplaces dropped by 14 per cent. They had hoped to record $5 billion in sales collectively during the festival period. Over 88 per cent of Amazon’s new customers were located in small towns. A majority of them opted for fashion category followed by smartphone and large appliances.

Both companies are neck and neck in the metros, with Amazon leading by a percentage point. Amazon fared better on account of availability of product selection, convenience and affordability while Flipkart’s surge in sales could be credited to affordability constructs and engagement via video and Hindi language content.

Physical stores saw higher footfalls A majority of large retailers said festive sales over the month helped improve the overall mood, albeit an evident shade of gloominess across some segments. The same, however, cannot be said for small retailers who continued their poor run.

Meanwhile, the Capillary Technologies study highlighted shoppers at top metros preferred to invest in new clothes and jewellery, with an increase in average bill value this festival season. The survey revealed that while the bill value had increased, the number of items purchased had reduced. This indicated that while a consumer might have spent more on their purchase, the actual number of items purchased were less.

Jewellery brands witnessed about 3 per cent decrease in the number of shoppers this year but overall sales were 12 per cent more compared to last year. The study further said the footwear industry witnessed a 4 per cent rise in sales this year whereas fashion and apparel saw enhanced spending of 7 per cent.

As per Aneesh Reddy, CEO, and co-founder Capillary Technologies “The 2019 festive shopping study breaks the supposition that offline businesses are reporting lesser traffic in the age of e-commerce. The study highlights the preference of customers to shop offline during the festival season, particularly in categories such as jewellery and ethnic wear.”

This was seconded by top retailers. For example, Future Group which runs chains such as Big Bazaar, Central and Brand Factory saw higher sales at Central. Kishore Biyani, Founder, Future Group says, “Fashion did really well with Central exceeding our expectations.” Similarly, Puma India managing director Abhishek Ganguly pointed out Diwali was possible recovery in retail considering traffic in malls was better than in August and early September despite record sales by

“As per Capillary Technolgies study there was a high single-digit growth on a liketo-like basis compared to last year Diwali period. There was no slowdown in apparel sales. Also, growth was largely driven by an increase in average billing size while the walk-ins were similar to last year.”

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ecommerce marketplaces. While footfalls were similar to last year, sales rose as the average shopping basket was bigger, some retailers said.

“There was a high single-digit growth on a like-to-like basis compared to last year Diwali period. We have not seen slowdown in apparel sales yet. Also, growth was largely driven by an increase in average billing size while the walk-ins were similar to last year,” said Vasanth Kumar, MD, Lifestyle International, the country’s biggest department store. Arvind Fashions which retails brands like Gap, Arrow, Tommy Hilfiger and US Polo Assn saw Diwali sales grow over 9 per cent while the overall festive season growth stood at 5-6 per cent.

Retail to remain buoyant in the long term Meanwhile Crisil predicts growth in offline retail will overshadow online retail due to the new FDI policy. This policy is likely to force a number of large multi-brand e-commerce platforms to change their business models which could cause their revenues to dip.

However, despite this projected dip, the long term trajectory for online retail remains strong.

Increasing internet penetration and growing household expenditure on consumption will continue the sector’s growth.

Reddy says, the key takeaway from the Capillary Technologies study is for retail brands is to strengthen their consumer loyalty programs and prioritize consumer retention.

“Competition these days has increased, leaving shoppers spoilt for choice. By adopting latest technology innovation, retail brands can offer personalized service to their consumers, which will not just aid in customer retention but also go a long way in ensuring repeat purchase,” he sums up.

“A majority of large retailers said festive sales over the month helped improve the overall mood, albeit an evident shade of gloominess across some segments. The same, however, cannot be said for small retailers who continued their poor run.”

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IF EXCLUSIVE

Pepe Jeans’ new kids collection celebrates the brand’s iconic heritage

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he A/W ’19 kids’ wear from Pepe Jeans London celebrates the iconic heritage of the brand through its archive logos and motifs. “The collection offers a colourful mix of knits and puffa jackets, plaid shirts and hoodies, zip-up tops and folksyfun pieces for the girls,” says Neha Shah, Assistant General Manager-Marketing of the brand. “The outerwear staples tap into a retro charm ensuring that Pepe Jeans London kids are always warm,” she explains. The collection caters to children 4 to 12 years of age and consists of classic casuals and fashion denims.

High quality designs at right price points Pepe Jeans London’s strength is its high quality and good design products that are introduced at the right price points and are accessible across key offline and online mediums. “Our target audience includes fashion conscious kids and parents who are not afraid to loosen their purse strings for quality products and latest trends,” adds Shah. The brand forayed into the kidswear after 16 successful years in the Indian market.

It realised the potential of children’s fashion and introduced clothing for children in the age group 4 to 12 years. “This collection had more patterns and saturated colors, whereas our collection for older children was a bit more

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reminiscent of their adult fashion counterparts,” adds Shah.

Pepe Jeans has expanded its kidswear business across the country. Today, the brand’s kidswear is available across 74 brand stores nationally, as well as at popular large format outlets such as Lifestyle, Shoppers Stop and Central. Pepe Jeans Kidswear is also available on Amazon India, Flipkart, Myntra and Jabong.

Market booms as brands reorganise marketing strategies “Kids have the ability to influence the buying decisions of parents and exert significant

buying power,” says Shah. “Their purchase decisions are often influenced by their favorite TV characters or celebrities, movies, TV serials, friends, etc,” she adds. The kids wear industry is definitely blooming with brand reorganising their marketing strategies and merchandising around this. Brands are also innovating with natural, hygienic and flexible fabrics to suit their comfort.

High commitment, strategies to help tap kids’ denim market Shah believes, the kids’ denim wear market offers several positive opportunities, but to tap it brands need to have a high-level of commitment and adopt well-formulated strategies. “Brands and retailers need to ensure better penetration beyond urban pockets and cater to the pricesensitive children’s segments in semi-urban and rural India,” she says. “Many kids’ denim brands have struggled with planning their retail expansions and thus have been forced to roll back plans or got entangled in high debt traps and unwarranted business litigations.” She says new entrants can shorten their learning curve by learning from the challenges and roadblocks faced by early entrants and existing players. “The ability of brands and retailers to address the specific requirements of children as well as their parents and to offer fashion solutions rather than mere products will be critical for their success,” she adds.

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Park Avenue Woman satisfies style and design needs through its new collection

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ccording to Sharad Walia, Brand Director, Park Avenue, “Women today emphasise more on the style and design of their clothes. They prefer readymade garments over tailored garments.” Based on these preferences, the brand recently launched its Autumn Winter 2019 collection. The collection highlights four themes with details such as their color palette, cuts, type of fabrics and occasions such as 1. Atlantic: Relaxed tailoring sits back with statement prints. Mixing floral, prints and spots in an updated nautical story adding camel, crocus and sunshine yellows to a dominant blue story.

2. Ginger Snap: Based on a pallet of gingers, corals and neutrals, the main emphasis of the story is Ginger tailoring worn back with jade ground prints, mixed scale polka dots and stripes.

3. Graphic Pop: Highlighting the importance of a black and white pallet whilst adding soft pastels and a clover pink highlight. A slick and graphic story with an emphasis on a softer 9 to 9 look and a mix of graphic pattern.

4. Opulent: A story aimed at an evening

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collection using rich fabrics and colours.

Chiffons and laces mix with jacquards and richly coloured floral prints.

Brand awareness, limited number of players fuel growth Since its inception, Park Avenue has been a core men’s brand but has organically extended its portfolio in women’s wear and has been growing at a faster pace. The brand’s bigger markets include tier 2 & tier 3 cities such as Delhi, UP, Varanasi etc. “Due to increasing brand awareness and limited players in our segment, we are witnessing a huge growth across India,” adds Walia.

Women’s formal wear market grows at 17% CAGR “Today, customers do not just aspire for the brand value but also seek value for their money,” says Walia. To cater to this demand, the brand chooses affordable fabrics that help it to cater to that particular MRP segment without compromising on the quality. “We want to deliver the best to our customers. Price hike can be controlled through efficient production and effective sourcing,” he adds.

The rise in disposable income and increasing sophistication of digital and other media is making consumers more aware and fashion conscious. As Walia observes, “though on the global level only few brands contribute to this segment, in India the market is growing at a CAGR of 17 per cent. This demand is further set to increase with women’s western / formal wear becoming one of the top growing segments in future,” adds Walia.

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IF EXCLUSIVE

Blackberrys Casuale sets a new milestone with JackPack

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lackberrys Casuale, the travel-inspired casual wear brand from Blackberrys has set another milestone by launching JackPack, India’sfirst wrinkle-resistant packable blazer that packs inside its own pouch. “Made for today’s on the move generation, Jackpack is weaved with an innovative yarn that keeps the garment totally wrinkle-resistant and easy to carry, thereby uniting fashion with flexibility,” says Ramesh Kaushik, Vice President-Brand Experience. The blazer not only denotes Blackberrys constant penchant for innovation but also its unique vision to create stylish garments for today’s generation.

Revolutionisng men’s travel wardrobe The grand launch of ‘JackPack’ blazer

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was at Blackberrys Jaipur store. Renowned cricketer Deepak Chahar, who is also the brand ambassador, was present at the event. Sharing his views Kaushik, said “This fashion innovation will revolutionise the travel wardrobe of today’s discerning men who prefer staying comfortably stylish, irrespective of the occasion.” It is a multi-utility jacket made from technically high twisted wool blend that not only helps it keep wrinkle resistant but also makes it easy to carry and pack in a small inbuilt pouch. The jacket’s cut and tailoring together with unique weaves and colors offers a clean, sharp look to the wearer. “It swiftly transforms your look from business to casual, without the having to carry extra luggage,” adds Kaushik.

In order to promote the latest offering across the country, Blackberrys Casuale has shot a video with Chahar emphasising on the core proposition – communicating the finesse,

packaging, comfort stretch and breathability of the fabric is being promoted extensively across all online brand channels. A stunning photo shoot with Chahar further exemplifies the impeccable designs and latest trends that are in store for its consumers.

Combining the nonchalant look with latest fashion trends Perfectly marrying style and comfort, Blackberrys Casuale offers an assortment of menswear for stylish men, who are also sociable, sharp and focused to succeed.

The brand curates smart-casual dressing for men with an enterprising attitude. “It perfectly combines nonchalant look with latest fashion trends that represent today’s men of discerning taste,” Kaushik says. The collection offers a variety of options like travel-inspired khakis, shirts, polos, blazers and jackets for men who are constantly on the move to seek unique experiences.

Since 1991, Blackberrys has been defining the today’s fashionable men who are ambitious, fashionforward and an inspiration to their peers. Known for its impeccable fits and design, the brand is credited with many firsts in the country including importing finest fabrics from the world, wrinkle free khakis to certified ‘whitest shirt in India’. The brand today stands as a one-stop-shop for formal, ceremonial, casual and hipster fashion wear with: Blackberrys Formal Blackberrys Casuale and Urban. Present in over 350 cities in India, the brand operates more than 260 exclusive brand outlets and 700plus multi-brand outlets, making fashion accessible to aspiring and driven men.

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Macho Hint to focus on modern trade as it expands into South India

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aving made its presence felt in the rest of India, Macho Hint- the new sub brand of Amul Macho, now plans to expand into the southern markets. The brand recently launched its new casual wear collection comprising tracks, joggers, shorts and Bermudas. “Inspired by the theme ‘Fashion bade aaram se, ‘this collection caters to the growing demand of fashionable casualwear or athleisurewear in India” says Sandeep Seksaria, Director of the brand. “It explores a wide range of fabrics with its theme driven designs based on international fashion trends,” adds Seksaria.

Stylish innerwear in trendy color combinations Alongwith this casual wear collection,

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Macho Hint also launched a new range of innerwear which comprises of vests, trunks, briefs and boxers. With stylish cuts and comfortable fits, this range is available in trendy colour combinations. “Made from a wide range of fabrics like cotton, blends, modal, pima and spandex, the collection boasts of functional features like moisture management, ultra-softness, flexi stretch and quick dry properties. Both the casual wear and innerwear collections of the brand are available at its 80,000 plus MBOs and 10,000 plus large format stores.

Fashion on demand helps curtail loss Macho Hint aims to provide affordable fashion to its customers. “We do not operate on a loss making proposition but design

according to the customer’s requirements only,” says Seksaria. According to him, the demand for clothes; especially innerwear has increased amongst consumers. “While earlier, only four pairs of inners would suffice for a whole year; now people do not invest much on inners as the collection changes every season.

They look for cost effective products with high fashion quotient,” he says.

This has resulted in the men’s innerwear market growing at 8 to 10 per cent year on year. “This year we grew by 18 per cent and aim to reach Rs 1,500 crore by 2019-end.”

The brand also plans to generate 10 per cent of its current revenue through modern trade.

“In the next five years, nearly one third of our market share will be achieved through modern trade and e-commerce,” Seksaria sums up.

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Biba eyes smaller cities as it launches a new girls collection has witnessed higher growth in recent years it still remains largely an unbranded market and products are sold mostly through unorganised retail channels. When we launched BIBA Girls there was no branded ethnic player for kids. Quick to identify this gap, we launched a kidswear range which was readily accepted,” Bindra explains. The brand was launched by Meena Bindra in 1988. Soon after its launch, it expanded its portfolio as its styles and beautiful prints received a great response from local communities, including filmstars. “The retail revolution in the country gave us the desired recognition and an opportunity to grow across the country,” he adds.

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his season is all about making your little one glow in a variety of lehenga’s, sharara, salwar kameez dupatta gowns and dresses,” says Siddhartha Bindra, Managing Director, BIBA about its new A/W ’19 collection launched by its new sub-brand brand BIBA Girls. The collection offers a colourful range of ethnic wear for 2-15 year olds. “Made from easy to wear fabrics, these

garments are available in a variety of styles and shapes,” he adds.

Exquisite fashionables for young girls Since its inception as a women’s ethnic brand, BIBA has now expanded its horizons with the launch of BIBA Girls, a devoted range for youthful divas aged 2 to 15 years. “BIBA Girls will continue to grow with many more BIBA Girls outlets being set up in future,” notes Bindra. The brand offers an exquisite range of fashionables for girls that includes, dresses for girls, lehenga sets, tops, jumpsuits, salwar suits and skirts. “From wedding wear suit to picnic wear top, we offer every style available in the market.

The salwar suit sets in this collection include Anarkalis in art silk fabric featuring gorgeous embroidery and golden thread work. The collection also offers trendy asymmetric suits for girls in eye-catching print and soothing fabric,” he adds.

Pioneers of the branded ethnic market “Although the branded kids wear segment in India

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Growth over the years Through the years, BIBA has not just grown the number of outlets but also expanded its product portfolio. The brand recently launched a BIBA jewellery and footwear section. The brand is available through 278 stores in 110 cities, apart from a presence in all major retail chains in the country like Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Pantaloons and Central. The brand also has a presence on all major online e-commerce websites like Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, etc, “Our market expansion now are in Tier II and III cities that have an extraordinary potential,” adds Bindra.

11/28/2019 11:14:04 PM

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Duke launches new sweaters and jackets collection

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uke Sweaters Jackets collection’19-20 offers a plethora of stylish options in lush fabrics, trending colors, designer patterns and prints, all inspired by the world-famous city of Europe.

Duke fashion line understands that the city, which hosts Fashion Weeks, has its own state when it comes to styling up in woolens tops, jackets like bombers, long coats, ski jackets, tweed coats, regular jackets, sports jackets, chester’s, with hood jackets, washed jackets, mix n match and sweaters like stripes, jacquards, sporty, full zippers, hooded etc. The designs of Duke Fashion hit the right chord by blending in directional trends, cool styling and great prices making it perfect for the winter season.

With an emphasis on style and warmth, the whole collection is perfect for day to night looks. Exceptional details and superior grains are brilliantly incorporated into the designs, adding on to the sensational form in creation.

Involved with a unique and creative design

process, the Sweaters & Jackets collection revolves around interesting concepts and promises to offer a global fashion statement.

The men, women, and kid’s collections have been developed in sync with the latest trends.

The unique patterns and strong tones create a modern take on a preppy classic.

“With a strong focus on fashion and style, Duke caters to the young cosmopolitan Indian offering them the season’s latest trends and catering to their ever-changing fashion needs.

We are always looking towards the product that

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can deliver a high degree of style and quality.

The target audience is today’s youth who is looking for a trendy and stylish range that is sync with international designs, fashions, and quality. Duke is a value for money brand and our mission is to make available the international designs and styles at highly reasonable prices.

We see it as our duty to provide our customers with the inspiration they need to look and feel confident. Our Sweaters and Jackets collection is also based on the same philosophy,” says Kuntal Raj Jain, Director, Duke Fashions (I).

11/28/2019 11:14:05 PM

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Desi Belle introduces new designs and colors wear as women are more fashionconscious and quickly adapt to the next fashion trend in the market.

To cater to their needs, we have to always be on our toes and introduce new trends,” says Jain.

The women’s wear segment is witnessing a steady growth of 11 per cent with the branded apparel market growing at 20 per cent and overall apparel market growing at 40 per cent worldwide. “The market offers a Rs 1 trillion opportunity for players in the segment,” Jain opines.

Fashion moves to smaller cities Fashion generally travels from metros to Tier II and III cities.

However, this gap is narrowing with new trends emerging in minimetros and small towns due to the penetration of internet and access to data. “Tier II and III cities are

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tech

thnic wear brand Desi Belle introduced fresh designs and colors in its Spring /Summer ’20 collection. “The new collection offers fusion and

luxury wear for the middle and upper classes,” notes Kewalchand P Jain, Chairman and Managing Director of Kewal Kiran Clothing that owns the brand.

Steady market growth offers multiple opportunities Desi Belle was acquired by Kewal Kiran Clothing in October 2018 from ResourceWorld Exim. Now, the plan is to introduce new designs and products in the next two quarters. “The women’s wear market is different from men’s

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witnessing an increase in demand for women’s wear, be it formal, ethnic, chic or semi-formal clothes. The North Indian market specifically has a huge demand for kurtis, tunics, salwar kameez and denim while the metros are more tilted towards dresses, kurtis and tops,” explains Jain.

Indian women’s wear market is dynamic in terms of fashion. We aim to make good strides in the next three years. Sales from Desi Belle alone are expected to reach Rs 250 crore in the next five years.

11/28/2019 11:14:11 PM

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11/28/2019 11:14:12 PM

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IF Insight

Fashion brands entering India tweek products to match local tastes

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ashion brands are making a beeline for India. But winning over customers in Asia’s third-largest economy requires a more tactful strategy than simply showing up. Brands that don’t succeed in India typically don’t match the

aesthetic preferences of most Indian shoppers.

The fashion houses that thrive in India tailor their collections to local customers, respond to the complexities in Indian wardrobes and cater to different needs throughout the country’s diverse markets. To resonate with Indian shoppers, international brands have to design collections with their style in mind. This often translates into pieces unique to the market and partnerships with homegrown designers to get a local perspective. Italian men’s wear brand Canali introduced a collection in its six Indian stores that included a bandhgala, a closed collar suit common in Indian men’s

wardrobes. In 2011, Hermès released a limited-edition sari in India. More recently, Giorgio Armani launched an exclusive Indian capsule collection of achkan jackets.

Uniqlo, which opened its first store in India, in New Delhi, this October, is selling a special collection based on the kurta. In 2016, Christian Louboutin launched a collection of shoes and accessories with Indian fashion designer Sabyasachi. The partnership mixes classic Louboutin styles like the Loubi Queen sandal and the Mary Jane bucket bag with local twists, including hand embroidery and festive colors.

Indians love luxe shopping abroad

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ndians go abroad to buy luxury brands. They feel it’s simpler, more convenient and cheaper. There’s been an over 20 per cent growth this year in travel to destinations that house outlets of designer luxury brands and offer products at heavily discounted rates such as the UK, France, Belgium and the US. Various international tourism offices have increased promotional activity to attract Indian travelers to shopping destinations and outlet malls overseas. There are various initiatives taken like additional discounts, preferential shopping hours and logistical support. The wider availability of current collections and sizing, coupled with competitive pricing, further make the international shopping experience more attractive. The UK for instance has emerged as a preferred destination for luxury watches because of favorable exchange rates and VAT. The VAT refund in the UK is 18 percent. Expensive watches don’t need proof of identification proof and can be bought under anonymity. In India, anything costing more than two lakhs

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requires a pan card identity.

La Vallée Village in France, home to brands such as Armani, Jimmy Choo, Givenchy and Versace, has been organising trade events

in India and saw visits by Indians increase 40 per cent last year. Bicester Village in the UK launched an India pop-up concept store this year, housing creations of Indian designers.

11/28/2019 11:14:13 PM

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Women’s contribution to activewear increases

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omen’s contribution to the sports brand’s sales has shot up. Brands such as Nike, Reebok, Adidas, and Puma have seen a rise in sales due to increasing participation of women in sports and other activities such as running, yoga, pilates, and Zumba.

German sportswear brand Puma reported a 10 per cent increase in its annual sales of women’s sportwear from a few years ago. The segment is growing at a rate of 30 per cent for the brand, of which women’s sports shoes are growing by 35 per cent.

Women’s running shoes now make up about 22 per cent of the sales of Japanese sportswear company Asics compared to 12 per cent a few years ag0. Earlier the company offered limited sports apparel for women but has off-late added sports bras because of rising demand.

Abhishek Ganguly, Managing Director of Puma India reveals there’s been a big change in the confidence and belief among Indian women. Today, consumers are more aware of their specific needs. Sharad Singla, Brand Marketing Director of Adidas India seconds this opinion and points out, women are opting for different footwear for marathons, leisure runs and daily runs as they have become more aware.

Women also often inspire each other and

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create group behavior. Group classes in various forms of fitness activities like aerobics, Zumba, calisthenics, yoga, pilates, dance fitness is growing phenomenally amid women.

The proportion of women in the full marathon in Mumbai and the half in Delhi has been touching the 25 per cent mark, says sports and event management company Procam.

11/28/2019 11:14:14 PM

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IF Insight

Indian streetwear finally comes out of shadows

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ndian fashion is slowly warming up to streetwear as was evident from a recent fashion show. At this show, four streetwear lablels including Six5Six Street, Biskit, Gundi Street and Mumbai-based designer Ajay Ajalal’s label showcased their unique collection which received a thunderous applause from the audience.

Designer Harsha Biswajit, who co-owns the unisex label Biskit, based his collection on the 1990s surf and skate culture of California. It also accommodates elements of Japanese street fashion, hip-hop, punk and sportswear.

The fluidity of this style allows the designers like Shruti and Harsha Biswajit to include the influences from their diasporic identity into their distinct BISKIT-style of clothing.

Their first collection also uses elements from India’s space history to build a visual narrative spanning across a series of classic silhouettes and multi-functional bags.

Streetwear becomes a new mode of communication Delhi-based designers Avni and Ambar Aneja, who co-own the Six5Six Sport and Six5Six Street labels use textual references and millennial slang to highlights things that they consider relevant. The collections include

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sheer-sleeved bomber jackets, neon green shrugs, and multi-utility and paperbag pants.

Viewing streetwear as a facilitator of

conversation and exchange of ideas, designer Ajay Ajalal’s label Jaywalking made model pose in front of mundane settings and objects which make his clothes look ordinary.

Connecting with their consumers One reason for the growing popularity of streetwear brands is they resonate not just with consumers aesthetic sensibilities but also with their political ideologies, philosophical tendencies and even their hobbies and interests.

While Biskit tries to constantly stretch its creative boundaries through creative collaborations, experimentation, and forward thinking, Aneja siblings’ brand offers conversational, colourful, wearable, aspirational yet affordable clothing for consumers who relate to the brand’s ideologies.

Street wear designers aim for the skies In future, Biskit plans to expand the idea of streetwear in India. Meanwhile, the Anejas plan to take Six5Six Street to the international market. The designers will showcase their collections at Sole DXB in Dubai later this year to represent one slice of the country’s streetwear identity.

With consumers ditching imported labels for these homegrown brands, the Indian streetwear market is ready to explode

11/28/2019 11:14:16 PM

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Officewear becomes sporty as brands incorporate more athlesiure styles

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earing traditional threepiece suits to office is passé. Today, office dressing is more about cool and comfortable sneakers as athleisure trends are slowly but surely invading workplaces. The line between sports and style continue to blur as brands take inspiration from athletic wear for everyday use. A classic example is the sportswear brand Puma which recently reintroduced its iconic sneakers like the Puma Suede. Puma also teamed up with Virat Kohli’s athleisure brand One8 to invest more in this segment.

Functionality, comfort driving athleisure growth Today’s young, millennial workforce in technology companies believe in functionality and comfort, which is reflected in what they wear to work. As a recent Morgan Stanley research reveals ‘global athleisure’ market is likely to grow to $350 billion by 2020. Technavio also predicts global athleisure market will grow by $122.66 billion at a CAGR of nearly 7 per cent owing to the growing popularity of athleisure wear among corporates in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Corporates in these countries also encourage fitness activities among employees, prompting them to sport athleisure wear at the workpace.

The category has enabled brands to capitalise on the niche between the traditional sportswear category and the casual wear category with brands like Puma, Adidas, Nike etc creating specific SKU’s to cater to this space.

being mandatory for office-going women. Thus, besides the fashion industry, athleisure trend is catching up in the footwear industry too.

Invading the Indian market Having witnessed a wave of health consciousness among its working population, athleisure trend is also catching up in Indian offices. Sportswear is turning into a wardrobe essential in most companies and is likely to soon enter the mainstream industry. For instance, sportswear brand Puma will continue to focus on its athleisure or sportstyle products in India as the brand is confident of spurring of 35 per cent growth in its sportstyle products.

The brand is recording an uptick in sale of not just of its in-line products but also limitededition collaborations.

Reinventing footwear with athleisure Alongwith the wardrobes, women are also reinventing their footwear collection. They are now protesting against specified footwear like high heels being made mandatory at workplace or formal events. Actor and freelance writer Yumi Ishikawa recently launched a new campaign in Japan to protest against high heels

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11/28/2019 11:14:16 PM

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IF Insight

Luxury goods makers positive about business despite a slowdown

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s is evident from a luxury shopping festival currently underway at the DLF Emporio Mall in New Delhi, the luxury goods sector is facing a definite chill this festive season. However, some brands continue to do well. In recent years, the luxury sector has been at the receiving end of various policy changes but it hopes to register strong sales this year. As Dinaz Madhukar, Executive Vice President of DLF’s luxury retail and hospitality vertical reveals, some of his brands are doing exceedingly well others are seeing tepid sales.

The brand hopes to get a clearer picture of the situation in the next couple of weeks.

Gayatri Ruia, Director of Phoneix Mills that runs Palladium, also expects to grow 5-6 per cent this year as consumers are still spending on luxury goods. As Statista estimates, the Indian luxury goods segment is expected to grow by a 6.6 per cent CAGR growth during 2019-23. Market research firm Euromonitor

forecasts the Indian luxury goods segment will grow at 18.1 per cent during 2019-23. It counts luxury eyewear, jewellery, leather goods, time pieces, writing instruments and consumer electronics for its estimates.

Though India is emerging as a major luxury market due to the massive expansion of Indian economy in the post-liberalisation decades, the country is yet to live up to its potential compared to China.

Slowdown in some luxury segments Luxury segments such as watches and air charters are witnessing a perceptible slowdown. As the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, a leading trade association reveals, the export of Swiss watches to India between January and August this year declined to 96.3 million Swiss Franc, or CHF (approximately Rs 685 crore), from 98.7 million CHF during the same period last year.

Air charters too are witnessing a slump as the 18 per cent GST levied on them is preventing corporate clients from chartering jets for travel. Also, the government made PAN

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card mandatory for all purchases above Rs 2 lakh. This alongwith the rise of online channels makes it difficult to arrive at an accurate picture of luxury consumption in the country.

Brands witnessing strong growth Recent reports suggest, some of luxury brands have demonstrated strong growth.

For example, Reliance Brands, reported an operating profit of Rs 378 crore in FY19, up from Rs 336 crore the previous fiscal. Similarly, Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail’s retail chain’s The Collective plans to expand through two more stores in the next 8-9 months in Pune, and one more store in Delhi. The company witnessed double-digit like-to-like growth this year. It has also expanded its network by adding brands like Ralph Lauren and Ted Baker to its kitty this year.

As ‘Global Powers of Luxury Goods 2019’ report by Deloitte had said, these companies are betting on the ‘high earners, not rich yet’ (HENRY) consumers that have a significant discretionary income and a strong chance of being wealthy in the future.

11/28/2019 11:14:17 PM

E-TAIL

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Amazon invests Rs 4,400 crore in Indian operations

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Online giants Amazon, Flipkart go neck to neck India’s top two web retailers Flipkart and Amazon clocked combined sales of Rs 31,000 crores during the festival period in October, says Red-Seer Consulting. While Flipkart led with a 64 per cent share of the combined gross sales Amazon continued to fare higher in net promoter score. Flipkart’s share in terms of gross units shipped stood at 56 per cent while Amazon’s share was 44 per cent. Better availability and variety of electronics and fashion items improved net promoter score for Amazon, while Flipkart led on the back of strong performance in smaller cities. Customer cancellations were lower on Amazon, but Flipkart’s reach and brand recall in smaller towns and cities was better.

Both companies are close to each other in the metros, with Amazon leading by a percentage point. The festive sale period helps e-tailers shore up sales as this is when consumers plan large-value purchases and are also traditionally more open to spending on new items. Online retail is wooing consumers outside the big cities. E-commerce companies are getting growth from locations where traditional retail presence doesn’t even exist.

However metro cities hold the bulk of highvalue consumers, and therefore higher margins remain a concern. Units sold increased 60 per cent over last year while the average selling price decreased by 23 per cent.

Snapdeal traffic up 60 per cent

In the last one year, Snapdeal’s traffic has grown 61 per cent on its web and mobile sites.

Over the last two years, traffic to Snapdeal’s web and mobile sites has more than tripled -from 27 million monthly visits in October 2017 to more than 87 million visits in September 2019.

Snapdeal registered 87 million visits on its

he US-based online retailer Amazon is pumping in over Rs 4,400 crore in its various units in India including marketplace and food retail to provide them more ammunition to compete against arch-rival Flipkart.

As per regulatory filings made to the Corporate Affairs Ministry, two entities - ‘Amazon Corporate Holdings’ and ‘Amazon.com.incs are investing Rs 3,400 crore in Amazon Seller Services (marketplace unit), Rs 900 crore in Amazon Pay (India) (payments arm) and Rs 172.5 crore in Amazon Retail India (food retail business).

Separate resolutions for allotment of 17.25 crore equity shares of Amazon Retail India (aggregating to Rs 172.5 crore), and 90 crore equity shares of Amazon Pay (India) (totalling Rs 900 crore) to Amazon Corporate Holdings and Amazon.com. incs Ltd were approved by the respective

platform in the month of September as the festive season began. More than 90 per cent of Snapdeal’s users come from small towns and cities. In the ongoing Diwali sales, Snapdeal’s order volumes grew 52 per cent over last Diwali and volumes doubled in more than 120 cities across the country. Consolidated revenues have grown by 73 per cent. Losses have been reduced by 71 per cent. In the last two years, Snapdeal has added over 60,000 new seller partners, who in turn have added over 50 million new listings. Snapdeal now has more than 5,00,000 registered seller-partners, who have more than 200 million listings on the marketplace.

The growing volumes on Snapdeal are built on a sound and granular understanding of the importance of value in e-commerce. Its ability to build scale along with favorable unit economics gives Snapdeal an

Flipkart’s losses increase in 2018-19 Flipkart India, the B2B arm of Walmartowned Flipkart, registered a loss of Rs 3,836.8 crore during 2018-19 as compared to Rs 2,063.8 crore registered for the financial year ended March 31, 2018. Its revenue from operations, however, increased by 42.82 per cent to Rs 30,931 crore in 2018-19 from Rs 21,657.7 crore in the previous financial year.

Flipkart, which has its holding company registered in Singapore, operates different

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boards on October 17, 2019.

Amazon and rival Flipkart have been pumping in millions of dollars across various operations like marketplace, infrastructure and supply chain management as well as marketing and promotion as they look to strengthen their position in the Indian e-commerce market.

Estimates suggest that e-commerce accounts for under 5 per cent of India’s retail market but is expected to grow manifold as more and more Indians come online to shop.

entities for various functions and provides e-commerce services through Flipkart Internet.

As per reports, the losses of Flipkart Internet increased by 40 per cent to Rs 1,624 crore for the year ending March 31, 2019. The unit

saw operating revenues expand by 51 per cent to Rs 4,234 crore in 2018-19 as against the previous fiscal.

In August last year, US-based retail giant Walmart Inc had acquired controlling stake in Flipkart’s holding company. Under the deal, Walmart had picked up about 77 per cent stake for about US$ 16 billion, giving handsome returns to investors like SoftBank that had sold their shares.

This is a significant positive development for the company and companies in the Flipkart Group.

11/28/2019 11:14:18 PM

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E-TAIL

Superdry launches an online store for Indian market

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he brand, which entered India in 2012 through a long-term distribution agreement with Reliance Brands, has been witnessing high double-digit growth. With expanding business, Superdry launched its online store for Indian customers.

The website will focus on selling a broad collection that is available across Superdry retail stores in India. Product categories will range from menswear to womenswear, along with shoes and accessories which boast an inventory of over 4500 SKUs. The website will also have a dedicated segment for the activewear category, Superdry Sport for customers who are fitness enthusiasts.

Manu Sharma, Business Head, Superdry India, says omni-channel presence is of

Myntra partners 2000 fashion brands

Myntra partners over 2000 fashion brands and lifestyle brands and services over 19,000 pin codes across the country. Myntra was founded in 2007. In 2014, the company was acquired by Flipkart. Jabong was then acquired by Myntra in 2016. The companies were operating as separate brands, but after Walmart acquired Flipkart in May 2018, the companies were merged. In November 2018, Myntra and Jabong fully integrated their functions including technology, marketing, category, revenue, finance, and creative teams. Walmart has shown increasing interest towards investing heavily in Myntra. The financial year ending March 31, 2019, was Myntra’s first year under Walmart.

Myntra plans to launch 15 offline stores for its private label products. In June, Myntra

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utmost importance for Superdry. It is not just about maintaining a digital presence but also about fulfilling a need gap for people who are unable to access the brick and mortar stores or simply wish to shop from the convenience of their couch.

The dynamics of the website is focused to suit Indian consumer demand with filters focusing on sizes to help narrow down search results and make selections. The site also provides recommendations based on search history. The e-commerce website is easy to navigate, with clean lines and pictorial representation and is built following the Superdry global website design guidelines.

The website is mobile-friendly for varied users coming from different segmentation.

launched a second offline store in Bangalore for Roadster. Further, the company has been relying heavily on its private labels to continue to dominate the fashion e-commerce industry.

Myntra also plans to broaden its horizons by focusing on Tier 2 cities with kirana stores as last-mile delivery agents. The e-commerce platform will also be introducing video content to attract more customers.

Myntra Designs engages in marketplace services, where third-party sellers sell products to customers. Myntra Jabong India is engaged in the business of selling or carrying on wholesale cash and carry or B2B trading in clothing and apparel.

India home to several online giants

India is home to several e-commerce giants that are dominating the online shopping space. Amazon started its journey as an online bookstore that gradually expanded its reach to provide a large suite of diversified products including media, furniture, food, and electronics, among others. It has taken customer experience to a dizzying level.

Flipkart is recognized as the national leader in the Indian e-commerce market. Like Amazon, it started operating by selling books and then entered other categories such as electronics, fashion, and lifestyle, mobile phones, etc. And now that it has been acquired by Walmart, it has also raised its bar of customer offerings in all aspects. Started as a daily deals platform in 2010, Snapdeal became a full-fledged online marketplace in 2011 comprising more than three lakh sellers across India. The platform offers over 30 million products across 800 diverse categories from over 1,25,000 regional, national, and international brands and retailers. Big Basket is India’s biggest online supermarket and provides a wide variety of imported and gourmet products. It not only provides farm-fresh products but ensures the farmer gets better prices.

The overwhelming internet and smartphone penetration coupled with the ever-increasing digital adoption across the country has given emerging startups a unique platform to deliver seamless shopping experiences.

Myntra to introduce new initiatives

Fashion e-tailer Myntra plans to roll out new initiatives such as stylists on call, an embedded fitness tracker Myntra Move and hyperlocal services through its acquisition, Pretre besides focusing more on bridge-to luxury, luxury and international brands Myntra will also launch hyperlocal omni-channel services that will enable it to provide same-day delivery from a local store of a brand rather than from one of its warehouses. To do this, the fashion e-tailer will use Pretr, a Mumbai-based omni-channel retail startup, which it acquired last year.

Myntra reported 155 per cent growth in revenues for the period ending March 31, 2019. Its net loss, however, has widened to Rs 539 crore — an increase of over 250 per cent over the same period last year.

11/28/2019 11:14:18 PM

FASHION POST Julie Shah opens Mumbai store

Julie Shah has opened her flagship store in Mumbai.

After a successful run with fashion stores and online sites across India and abroad, the designer took the decision to open her own store. This new destination has a rustic and lounge-like feel with warm lighting and spacious places. It is a union of urbane chic and luxury.

Her new collection is all about floral hues in shades of champagne blush, whispering blue, misty jade, yellow harvest and coral bellini.

The line has pastel shades and jewel tones.

This collection aspires to bring about the same child-like innocence and jubilation in anyone with its subtle embroidery comprising of dainty floral motifs, French knots and sparkly scatter of bugle beads. All these techniques add to the fluidity of the collection. The ethereal and flowy ensembles consist of bohemian jumpsuits, gypsy shararas, pleated gowns and overlay capes with flamboyant sleeves, corset bodies and more in georgette and crepe. Each silhouette creates a dialogue that can build a timeless conversation.

Chic, young, sexy and fresh in look and feel are some of the terms that identify with Julie Shah’s design sensibilities. Her clothes are popular with several celebrities and fashionistas.

Wendell Rodricks’ online store launches winter festive collection

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Tarun Tahiliani to showcase A/W 2019 collection at a US pop-up

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arun Tahiliani will showase his autumn/ winter 2019 collection “The Drape Series” and a selection of bridal wear at a pop-up shop in New Jersey’s The Mall. For this the designer will partner with Fashion by Rohini on November 16 in San Francisco.

Finally, the brand will travel to Los Angeles for another pop-up in partnership with Fashion by Rohini from November 21 to 23.

The Drape Series ready-to-wear

designed by Schulen Fernandes. The collection mixes a number of eco-friendly textiles such as eco-cotton with pastel hues and subtle checks.

The brand’s signature Kunbi Sari and crinkle sheer kaftans were also launched online this week along with a selection of men’s occasion wear and the brand’s “pret” collection.

Rodricks took part in the latest Lotus Makeup India Fashion Week’s finale for its spring/ summer 2020 edition alongside designers Anamika Khanna, Manish Arora, and Rajesh Pratap Singh. He Rodricks presented a collection titled ‘Zentangle’ inspired by ‘the sea and tribal elements,” the brand posted on Facebook. Rodricks launched his eponymous brand in 1989. The designer has worked to promote his home state of Goa as a fashion destination and has created the Moda Goa Museum & Research Centre to document and preserve the area’s design heritage.

collection mixes a neutral colour palette with bright jewel tones and sarees and gowns are draped to resemble Grecian statues. The collection also features a number of “concept sarees”, gowns that resemble sarees “without the hassle of draping it,” the brand posted on Facebook.

Other more classic traditional wear pieces also feature in the collection with opulent prints and embellishments.

at India Couture Week in summer.

Pankaj and Nidhi had previously launched the collection exclusively at its stores in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj and Mumbai’s Khar West district.

The brand held an installation for the collection at DLF Emporio for its launch in the capital.

National Institute of Fashion Technology graduates Pankaj and Nidhi Ahuja founded Pankaj and Nidhi in 2006. The design-duo won the International Apparel Federation Award in 2011 and retail their womenswear designs from their flagship stores as well as a number of multibrand retailers in India’s metros and online.

Azra launches new couture collection in Raipur

The newly launched e-commerce store of Designer Wendell Rodricks launched his new winter festive collection which has been

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Multi-brand boutique Azra recently launched designers Pankaj and Nidhi’s couture collection in Raipur with an in-store showcase event. The 2019 couture collection ‘Mosaiq’ features a color palette of iridescent neutral tones, romantic silhouettes, and dramatic volume created by chiffon textiles. Its mirror work resembling shattered glass adds a modern touch along with mini dresses and more traditional kurta sets provide elegant options. The collection made its runway debut

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FASHION POST

Kunal Anil Tanna launches A/W’19 Collection

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esigner Kunal Anil Tanna’s autumn/ winter collection is inspired by nostalgia.

The collection mixes traditional Indian tailoring with fusion elements and hand stitched details add a couture touch. With a color palette including deep navy, off white, and black, the collection has a day to night feel.

Kunal Anil Tanna launched his eponymous brand after graduating from the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Mumbai and working for designer Manish Malhotra. He has worked on costume design for a number of Bollywood films and designed various couture and diffusion collections. The designer has stores in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Dubai. He has used fabrics like slubbed and raw silk with a hint of chanderi for his summer collection. The textiles and details seamlessly complement each other, giving way to an exquisite composition. The colors he has worked with veer towards darker

Trunk House opens a store in Mumbai The merchandise includes luggage, business bags and travel-friendly handbags and accessories for men and women. The multi-brand store carries luggage and fashion bag brands such as Calvin Klein, DKNY, Heys, Roncato, Trussardi and Cerruti. This unique lifestyle destination guarantees a mix of intriguing products and new, innovative design while keeping functionality at its core. Trunk House aims to source lasting products, which are manufactured using the highest quality components and avant-garde manufacturing processes and practice.

With compelling experience in distribution

hues such as tones of blue, burgundy, crimson and emerald green. The Mumbaibased designer’s signature long shirt has asymmetrical cuts and layering. No matter, how intricate the motifs, he makes sure that they don’t look bizarre and the outfits remain wearable. He can draw inspirations from whatever he sees, reads and absorbs.

One of his collections, The Dark Portrait, was based on Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.

and retail of beauty, luxury, and luggage, Trunk House was conceived to address the lack of innovative and trendy travel goods.

The concept of having a multi-brand store that showcases premium travel gear under one roof is relatively new in the Indian market.

Luggage and handbag manufacturers in India include VIP, Samsonite, Safari and Wildcraft.

Soft luggage which is 85 per cent of the market is essentially a textile operation. These products can also be made very easily by small businesses because there is no technology or heavy machinery involved. The leather garment sub-sector produces 16 million pieces a year and accounts for one-tenth of exports.

Other products such as articles (wallets, handbags), industrial gloves, harness and saddlery account for a quarter of exports.

Ensemble also held a pop-up exhibition for designer Misha Lakhani at its Islamabad store from November 12-13, 2019 The popup launched Lakhani’s collection of simply tailored yet heavily embellished womenswear.

Ensemble has three boutiques in Pakistan, Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi as well as a boutique in Dubai. Zeba Husain launched the multi-brand store in 2007and her daughters Shezray Husain and Shehrnaz Husain is head of business and overseas creative director, respectively.

Delhi to host lifestyle show Inherit 2019 in December Inherit 2019 will take place in New Delhi, December 7 to 8, 2019. This fashion and lifestyle shopping exhibition will feature clothing, crafts, and design. Inherit 2019 will mix crafts showcases with retail. The event will feature a number of stalls for women’s wear, with a focus on ethnic wear. Brands including Jaikriti, Dori Exports, Mrinalini, and Kavita D will attend the fair. Textiles will also be a major feature at the shopping festival with brands including Vismaya, Veave, Alankrit, Aavaran, Shaw and Brothers, Roliana, Marm Chanderi, and Patan Patola scheduled to participate. Padma Shri and M Tayeb Khan will showcase Leheria textiles, Umar Faruk Khatri will showcase Bandhani, and Vankar Vishram Valji will showcase lac dying and artistic weaving. Homeware by brands including Sahil and Sarthak and Anantaya Décor and jewelry by brands including Tribe by Amrapali will also feature at the event. Beauty, arts and crafts, travel and food will also retail

Ensemble organises shopping exhibition in Lahore

Multi-brand boutique Ensemble held a shopping exhibition at its Lahore location on November 14 to exhibit a range of traditional wear for the winter wedding season. The event featured 18 brands including Shah Arts Shawls, Kavalier, Rozina Munib, Amna Chaudhry, Aleena & Fareena, Zuri by Zainab Fawad, Farida Hasan, Sanam Chaudhri, Wardha Saleem, AFH

by Ayesha Farook, Shehrnaz, Shamaeel Ansari, Farah Talib Aziz, Nomi Ansari, Umar Sayeed, Bunto Kazmi, Seemi Jamote, Ayesha Hashwani, and Sabyasachi Mukherjee.

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at the festival. The two-day festival presents the timeless classic and the edgy on the same platform. Meticulously curated to provide a unique shopping experience, the show brings together the country’s best master craftsmen, designers and retailers.

Inherit 2019 will be organised in collaboration with the Fashion Design Council of India, sponsored by Dabur Honey, and is produced

by Teamwork Arts.

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FASHION POST House of Masaba to showcase festive collection in Indonesia

T Neeta Lulla revamps New Delhi store Luxury womenswear designer Neeta Lulla has revamped her flagship store in New Delhi’s DLF Emporio Mall. The new look store features a bridal themed area with vintage chandeliers and a Victorian aesthetic. With a marble floor, peach quilted ceiling, and rose gold fixtures, the new store design mixes femininity with vintage grandeur.

The store reopened with the brand’s current winter/festive collection “Kanaka Extravaganza,” which includes opulent gowns and lehengas in golden and ivory hues. The brand also collaborated with jewellery label Angelz Jewellery for a millennial- themed collection of bold and modern pieces.

Neeta Lulla launched her eponymous brand in Mumbai and opened her first flagship store in 2005. She has also worked extensively as a film costume designer for three decades.

Her latest film costume project “Panipat” will be in cinemas on December 6. The designer announced on November 10 that she will be designing the costumes for the upcoming film project “Thalaivi” with Kangana Ranaut.

Payal Singhal to launch a new range of wallcoverings Womenswear designer Payal Singhal will launch a new range of designer wall coverings in collaboration withMarshalls. The collection will be launched on November 14, 2019 in Mumbai.

Payal Singhal is known for her bright and feminine floral prints and her first foray into wallcoverings with Marshalls will see her textile designs reimagined for interior decoration. The designer launched her eponymous brand in 1999 and since then the designer has become

his week, Masaba Gupta’s fashion and lifestyle brand House of Masaba will showcase its festive collection at two pop-up stores in Jakarta, Indonesia. On November 15, House of Masaba will set up shop in Jakarta’s Westin Hotel and retail its autumn/ winter collection featuring a range of festive options. The next day, the brand will hold a pop-up shop at Le Rosh Exhibition Space with the same product selection.

The events organised with Roshny Mahbubani and Poonam Sagar will be the first time the brand’s current collection launches offline in Indonesia. The popup will also feature more designs. House of Masaba uses pop-up stores to grow its brand following in a number of international locations including Singapore, Thailand, the US, UK, and Hong Kong among other locations. Although the brand’s flagship stores are all located in India, the brand retails on a number of e-commerce websites, including its own, and many of these offer international shipping. Customers attracted

known for her modern take on Indian traditional wear. Celebrating her brand’s 20th birthday this year, Singhal has taken part in a number of brand collaborations recently including with Ranavat Botanics on a beauty line, with Paio on a footwear collection, and with The Label Life on a clothing collection.

Marshalls was founded in 1975 and is based in Mumbai. The brand retails from its online store and has over 45 brick-andmortar stores across India. The brand also recently collaborated with the accessories and

homeware brand India Circus’ Krsna Mehta on a collection of vibrant wall-coverings.

Le Mill to open permanent store in New Delhi

by interactive events can therefore continue to shop the brand later online.

features an array of international luxury brands including Balenciaga, Jacquemus, Balmain, Chloé, and Celine with clothing, bags, shoes, and accessories on sale.

Le Mill launched its multi-brand store in Colaba, Mumbai, in 2011. The boutique also runs a home shopping service and retails furniture and home décor. It also participated in the Memorable Matches wedding themed trunk show that was held from October 9 to 10 at The Lodhi in New Delhi

Nila House opens new store in Jaipur Encompassing a series of open studios, collection showrooms, an archive and research library, exhibition gallery, textiles vault and artists-in-residence rooms, the Nila House centre has opened a new store and exhibition centre on Prithviraj Road in Jaipur. The store will be dedicated to textiles and artisan crafts from the region and will be supported by the Lady Bamford Charitable Trust.

The store will retail clothing, accessories, homeware, and craft items all created around Jaipur using heritage techniques. Spread across 10,608 square feet, the store is built around a central courtyard, and houses looms, block printing presses, and textile dyeing facilities.

Nila House also hosts on-site workshops, artist residencies, and research projects.

Multi-brand luxury fashion boutique Le Mill, plans to open a permanent store in New Delhi soon. The boutique recently launched a pop-up shop in New Delhi’s luxury mall The Chanakya.

The pop-up was launched on November 10 and will run until January 10, 2020. It

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Preview

Intertextile Shanghai Home, Spring Edition sets again in March 2020

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he Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles will return to the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai from 11th to 13th March 2020. Working on consistent growth in recent years, the fair is a prominent annual destination for the best-finished home textile products. The fair gathers leading high-quality suppliers from China, as well from overseas, featuring a wide range of home textile collections.

Despite ongoing trade disputes and global economic uncertainty, data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that China’s home textile industry maintained steady growth in the first eight months of 2019. The domestic sales of home textile products amounted to USD 13.4 billion in the period from January to August 2019, with a year-on-year growth rate of 4.81%.

The Chinese home textile industry is continuing to perform well against all odds.

This steady growth injects confidence in the market. Held amid the peak sourcing season of the Chinese home textile industry, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles Spring Edition is the ideal place for companies to tap into the growing Chinese market, and for buyers to source the best of the finished home textile products.

In March 2020, the Spring Edition will showcase a range of home textile products including bedding & toweling, rugs, table & kitchen linen, home textile technologies, textile design and many more. For those who want to

unlock China’s abounding trade opportunities, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition is the the place to be.

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition 2020 will be held concurrently with four other textile events: Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition, Yarn Expo Spring, CHIC and PH Value. Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Home Textile Association (CHTA).

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Preview

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Yarn Expo Spring 2020 to serve as a springboard for exhibitors and visitors

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arn Expo Spring, to be held from March 11 to 13, 2020 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, will serve as serves as a fast-developing springboard for exhibitors to attract Chinese and international buyers.

As per the World Trade Organisation, the global textile trade in the past year has experienced recorded growth since 2012, and China was among the top three largest exporters and importers of textiles. As a result, suppliers are striving to meet robust demand with innovation and eco-friendly solutions.

Yarn Expo Spring will present as an the ideal sourcing platform for the industry by attracting worldwide suppliers with the potential to explore new partnerships and markets in China and globally while offering buyers strong product diversity and updated market information.

Multiplicity of the leading fair Eco-friendly solutions and innovations across all product categories will continue to be a major trend at Yarn Expo Spring 2020, with highlighted domestic zones including natural cotton, quality wool, green linen, chemical fibre and specialty yarn. In particular, the Fancy and Specialty Yarn Zone will feature the Fancy Yarn Vision display area, which was first introduced at Yarn Expo Autumn 2019. Meanwhile, international pavilions and zones showcasing an increasing number of

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strong suppliers include India Pavilion and the Pakistan Zone.

Ravindranathan Narayanasamy, Director of the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL), organisers of India Pavilion describes the fair as a key place to do business face-to-face in China: “The visitors to Yarn Expo are very professional and match our exhibitors’ expectations. Some large Chinese importers visited our booths, and I’ve noticed this edition there are a lot of new importers who haven’t bought from India before.” He also acknowledges the increase and diversity

in visitors: “In addition to the local market, we have seen a lot more overseas buyers, from Korea, Japan, the US, a lot from Europe and some from Russia. We’re really happy with our participation in the fair as this is a global meeting point. This is definitely the best fair in China, and one of the best in the world.”

Yarn Expo Spring and the other four concurrent fairs will bring the whole textile supply chain to one ground to enable their exhibitors and visitors to strengthen business contacts and discover new opportunities in the industry together.

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Preview

4th Solapur Garment Association Fair to be held at Mumbai

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olapur Garment Manufacturers Association to organize its 4th uniform garment manufactures fair. The Textile Ministry of Maharashtra has assertively shown their trust in the association for organizing the fair this year consecutively. The association has gained a massive response by getting more than 150 brands confirmed with their participation. The 3 days Fair will be organized from 17th to 19th December 2019 at BEC, NESCO Goregaon, Mumbai.

There will be multiple exhibitors participating in the exhibition. From uniform manufacturers like work wear, corporate, industrial, institutional, hospital, and hotel wear, etc.

Garment manufacturers working on kids and men’s wear. Uniform fabrics manufacturers.

The exhibition will also have manufacturers

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presenting accessories related to school students like shoes, socks, tie & belt, school

bags, travel bags, etc. The exhibition is further going to have participation from garments machine & technology dealers. Solapur Garments Manufacturers Association has already organized road shows in India as well in countries like Mauritius, Kenya, Dubai, Bahrain, Nepal, etc for the marketing of this exhibition.

Well known fabric brands from India like Raymond, Siyaram, Valji, Sparsh, Qmax, Wocky Tocky, Skumar, Subhtex, Gangotri, PrabhuG, A.J.Textile, Swaraj, Sangam etc, have confirmed their presence at exhibition.

Simultaneously door to door invitations for retailers, dealer’s distributors for this expo has been shared all over India.

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FINANCIAL NEWS Rise in Kewal Kiran net sales

Kewal Kiran Clothing’s net sales were Rs 173.09 crores during the period ended September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 111.97 crores during the period ended June 30, 2019. Net profit was Rs 31.61 crores for the period ended September 30, 2019, as against Rs 14.14 crores for the period ended June 30, 2019. EPS was Rs 25.64 for the period ended September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 11.47 for the period ended June 30, 2019.

Net sales were Rs. 173.09 crores during the period ended September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 157 crores during the period ended September 30, 2018. Net profit was Rs 31.61 crores for the period ended September 30, 2019, as against Rs 33.56 crores for the period ended September 30, 2018. EPS was Rs 25.64 for the period ended September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs. 27.23 for the period ended September 30, 2018.

Net sales were Rs. 285.06 crores during the six month period ended September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 266.19 crores during the six months period ended September 30, 2018.

Net profit was Rs 45.74 crores for the six month period ended September 30, 2019, as against Rs 47.49 crores for the six month period ended September 30, 2018. EPS was Rs 37.12 for the six month period ended September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs. 38.53 for the six month period ended September 30, 2018.

Future Lifestyle Q2 profit down 66 per cent

Future Lifestyle Fashions’ profit fell 66.21 per cent for the second quarter. Revenue from operations rose 17.68 per cent. Expenses rose 21.86 per cent. Future Lifestyle Fashions, part of the Future Group, sets the trend for Indian lifestyle fashion business through integrating some of India’s most popular lifestyle retail destinations like Central, Brand Factory and Planet Sports and over 20 domestic and global fashion brands. The company opened one Central store during the quarter, taking the total store count to 48. It also opened three

Aditya Birla income up 14 per cent

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ditya Birla Fashion and Retail’s income rose 14.72 per cent in the second quarter. Expenses rose 15.92 per cent during the quarter. Revenues of Aditya Birla’s Madura business segment, comprising lifestyle brands Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England and fast fashion labels Forever 21 and People, among others, grew by 16.65 per cent.

Revenue from Pantaloons was up 16.22 per cent. This growth in Pantaloons revenue was driven largely by a superior product offering and intensified brand building. These initiatives helped achieve 23 per cent growth in comparable ebitda.

Aditya Birla is confident of continuing its market-leading performance on the back of a wide distribution network, high quality

Brand Factory stores, taking the total store count to 100.

With a team of talented business professionals, fashion designers and entrepreneurs the company aims to provide a perfect blend of modern and traditional fashion to the Indian customer. Future Lifestyle is India’s largest integrated fashion company with a diversified portfolio spanning 30 fashion brands such as Lee Cooper, Indigo Nation, Jealous 21, Bare and All. It retails through over 400 stores spread over six million sq ft. All is its plus-size brand. Brand Factory is the country’s largest multi-brand discount outlet channel.

Future Lifestyle Fashions also has exclusive manufacturing and marketing licenses for India for certain global brands. It has also invested in fast growing fashion brands. Its inhouse brands contribute about 40 per cent of revenue.

Reliance Retail revenue up 27 per cent Reliance Retail’s revenue grew 27 per cent during the second quarter. The company also added 337 stores in the quarter, taking its total count to 10,901 stores across 6,700 towns and cities. In terms of retail area, there was a 26 per cent growth. Reliance Retail gained from optimum customer value proposition, segmentation and a targeted strategy in the

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talent and credible leadership team. Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail has acquired a 51 per cent stake in Shantanu and Nikhil.

S&N is a New Delhi-based brand respected in the world of fashion for its bespoke creations and ceremonial couture. The joint venture will enable S&N have access to Aditya Birla’s manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and sourcing chain. The idea is to conceive, incubate and create a new brand in the Indian ethnic occasion wear space. This will be in the affordable luxury and premium segment. The idea is to contemporise and modernise Indian ethnic and traditional wear, which will extend from the mother line and make masculine silhouettes-inspired functional ready-towear and contemporary styles for women.

July-September period even as the consumer slowdown got worse.

This is the second straight quarter that Reliance Retail’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation crossed Rs 2,000 crores. Along with the telecom venture Jio, Reliance Retail contributes nearly a third of Reliance’s earnings. The plan is to take the contribution of the two businesses to 50 per cent in the next few years.

Reliance Retail, India’s largest retailer, continues to bet on small-town growth.

Reliance Retail, which began operations in 2006, is present across areas such as food and grocery, consumer electronics, fashion and lifestyle. It also has 516 petro retail outlets and 8,157 Jio sales points. In all, the company added 43 stores in food and grocery, 100 stores in consumer electronics, and 76 stores in fashion and lifestyle during the quarter. Also, Reliance Brands, which is part of Reliance Retail, has ventured to bring the American luxury jewelry retailer Tiffany to India.

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FINANCIAL NEWS

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Rise in TCNS September sales

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Rupa’s September sales rise Rupa’s net sales were Rs 290.90 crores during the period ended September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 200.30 crores during the period ended June 30, 2019. Net profit was Rs 31.97 crores for the period ended September 30, 2019, as against Rs 5.72 crores for the period ended June 30, 2019. EPS was Rs 4.02 for the period ended September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 0.72 for the period ended June 30, 2019.

Net sales were Rs 290.90 crores during the period ended September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 258.51 crores during the period ended September 30, 2018. Net profit was Rs 31.97 crores for the period ended September 30, 2019, as against Rs 24.19 crores for the period ended September 30, 2018. EPS was Rs 4.02 for the period ended

CNS Clothing’s net sales were Rs 323.49 crores during the period ended September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 281.85 crores during the period ended June 30, 2019. Net profit was Rs 17.68 crores for the period ended September 30, 2019, as against Rs 20.47 crores for the period ended June 30, 2019. EPS was Rs 2.79 for the period ended September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 3.23 for the period ended June 30, 2019.

Net sales were Rs 323.49 crores during the period ended September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 322.42 crores during the period ended September 30, 2018. Net profit was Rs 17.68 crores for the period ended September 30, 2019, as against Rs 41.22 crores for the period ended September 30, 2018. EPS was Rs 2.79 for the period ended September 30, 2019, as

September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 3.04 for the period ended September 30, 2018.

Net sales were Rs 491.20 crores during the six month period ended September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 455.89 crores during the six month period ended September 30, 2018. Net profit was Rs 37.69 crores for the six month period ended September 30, 2019, as against Rs 30.01 crores for the six month period ended September 30, 2018. EPS was Rs 4.74 for the

compared to Rs 6.48 for the period ended September 30, 2018.

Net sales were Rs 605.34 crores during the six month period ended September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 560.85 crores during the six month period ended September 30, 2018. Net profit was Rs 38.16 crores for the six month period ended September 30, 2019, as against Rs 61.68 crores for the six month period ended September 30, 2018. EPS was Rs 6.02 for the six month period ended September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 9.76 for the six month period ended September 30, 2018.

six month period ended September 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 3.77 for the six month period ended September 30, 2018.

Indian Terrain’s Q2 profits down 45 per cent

Shoppers Stop faces net loss as total income dips

or the second quarter Shoppers Stop faced a net loss. Total income was down 0.85 per cent. While the subdued economy affected like-to-like sales, the retailer increased efficiencies keeping like to like operating costs below those of last year. So Shoppers Stop was able to bring expenses down by 0.39 per cent.

The company added seven stores during the quarter of which one is a department store and six are beauty doors taking the

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total footprint to 84 department stores across 40 cities and 123 beauty doors as of now.

Shoppers Stop continues to remain debt free and in order to increase its growth momentum will open 50 stores (eight to ten department stores and 40 Beauty doors) this financial year. A renovation program is going on hand in hand with a store opening program. Shoppers Stop believes in keeping the chain modern. The chain has the largest legacy, being one of the oldest retailers in India. That is why each year Shoppers Stop spends on the opening of new stores and also on the renovation of others. Along with this it regularly spends on technology updates. A new store format has been launched, according to which a store in a metro will be somewhere between 40,000 to 60,000 sq.ft.

Indian Terrain Fashions Q2 profit declined 45 percent to Rs 4 crore ($5,58,834) as against Rs 8 crore in the same quarter last year. The company’s sales revenue also dropped 7 percent to Rs 117 crore for the quarter under review, as against Rs 126 crore it had reported in the year-ago period.

Indian Terrain’s poor numbers for the quarter were due to the overall slowdown in the Indian market coupled with a liquidity crunch. For the financial year 2018-19, Indian Terrain had posted strong results with a net profit of Rs 26 crore and sales revenue of Rs 422 crore. The company has been expanding aggressively and has plans to open around 150 new outlets across India.

Indian Terrain currently sells through more than 1,000 multi-brand outlets, 160 exclusivebrand outlets, and is also available on leading e-commerce platforms across India.

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FINANCIAL NEWS

H&M India profit up 29 per cent

as well as multibrand outlets such as Shoppers Stop. The plan is to add four more cities this year and ten more stores in the next two years. The strategy is to focus on the top ten cities and grow the market there. The brand’s core business is dresses, which comprise 40 per cent of its revenue, followed by tops and accessories. Forever New also sells through e-commerce platforms such as Nykaa, Myntra and TataCliq, along with its website. Forever New was established in 2006 and with 250 stores globally is present in 12 countries.

The Indian apparel (including footwear and accessories) market is growing at 9.5 per cent and consumers are evolving. Moreover, the branded apparel share is only 30 per cent of the overall apparel market and there’s a huge headroom for brands to grow. &M’s annual profit in India has risen 29 per cent. H&M entered India in 2015 and has 42 stores in 15 cities. H&M will enter four new cities in India this year. These are Kochi, Nagpur, Dehradun and Jalandhar. Each will have a store spread over 65,000 sq ft housing collections for women, men, teenagers, and children. This is the world’s second biggest clothing chain. The retailer stocks fast fashion items created in-house and teams up with designers for one-time collections.

The Swedish fashion retailer has expanded across India’s metros and is now targeting Tier II and III cities for growth. It currently operates 42 stores across Delhi NCR,

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M&S India revenue up 12 per cent

Marks & Spencer’s revenues from India have grown 12.3 per cent. Profit before tax increased by 16.2 per cent. The iconic British brand opened 16 new stores, including seven standalone lingerie outlets, across the country and modernised a further 14, bringing the total number of stores to 83. M&S is now open in 33 cities across India and has a presence across several different online marketplaces.

Growth this year in India comes as a result of increased local investment: including a record number of store openings in a financial year alongside ongoing price and product quality - in order to broaden the appeal of M&S

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Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Amritsar, Indore, Coimbatore, Kolkata, Mohali, Mysore, and Ahmedabad. To cater to a wider audience across India and boost sales, H&M has launched its website and partnered with fashion platform Myntra. The plan is to open 50 stores across India by 2020.

The Indian fashion retail market is expected to reach $ 103 billion by 2027. As the world’s second most-populated country, India is an attractive market for US and European brands and has attracted some of the world’s largest private labels that are banking on young consumers increasingly embracing western-style clothing.

to more customers across the country. With the collections balancing a mix of western contemporary fashion that M&S is famous for, alongside fabrics, color, quality and price points that are attractive to local customers, the business has seen strong volume uplifts through the year. For example, after shaping its denim range to local consumer tastes, the company saw significant increases in sales volumes, with total denim sales up 86 per cent year on year. The business also ran an Indian-specific marketing campaign, Rethink, the first of its kind outside the UK, in order to increase consumer awareness and drive footfall to stores.

Forever New expects 50 per cent sales jump Forever New expects sales in India to jump 50 per cent from last year.

This Australian brand which came to India in 2008 targets women aged between 18 and 35 years. It designs clothes that suit an Indian woman’s body type and that are long lasting.

In India, it is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 16 per cent, retailing through 70 doors across 36 cities which includes exclusive

Puma Q3 sales up 17 per cent

Puma’s third quarter sales rose by 17 per cent. Sales rose in double-digit in the Asia/ Pacific and the Americas and recovered in Europe, Middle East and Africa to 9.7 per cent.

Puma now expects currency-adjusted sales to rise around 15 per cent for the full year, up from a previous forecast for 13 per cent.

The German sportswear brand has been moving production out of China to countries like Vietnam, cutting the proportion of products produced in China for the US market to under 25 per cent from more than 50 per cent five years ago. This has forced Puma to lock in capacity at facilities in hubs like Vietnam earlier than usual. Tariffs mean Puma has to accept a lower US margin or raise prices. But tariffs are not the only reason for Puma’s shift.

The company has been shifting production away from China over the past couple of years because of rising labor costs. Puma expects to take a hit from US tariffs on China in the fourth quarter but still has raised its sales forecast and narrowed its profit target after a strong third quarter in all regions.

The US and China have not yet reached an agreement to de-escalate the trade war. In the light of this, more companies are pulling out of China to save themselves from unwarranted losses.

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EASTERN INDIA GARMENT

MANUFACTURERS AND EXPORTERS FEDERATION

27

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BUSINESS NEWS

E-tailers record sales worth Rs 35,000 crore this Diwali

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ajor e-commerce players in India are set to record sales worth Rs 35,000 crore (nearly $5 billion) this Diwali despite certain sectors facing severe economic gloom.

Led by Amazon and Flipkart, e-tailers in India have achieved a record $3 billion (nearly Rs 19,000 crore) of Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in the first six days of the festive sale from September 29-October 4.

Walmart-owned Flipkart and Amazon dominated 90 per cent of the market share, according to Bengaluru-based research firm RedSeer Consultancy, as the demand surged from smaller cities and towns this year -- indicating that the consumer spending has only increased in the country despite slowdown fears.

Decathlon expands Indian business Since 2013 Decathlon has expanded its business tenfold in India. The sports brand opened its first cash-and-carry format and wholesale store in 2009 in India. It got approval for single-brand retailing in 2013 and changed its business model from wholesale to retail.

Since then, the company has added more than 50 stores. The brand has emphasized on fitness and it has a lower-end price positioning and targets customers who see value-formoney as more important than brand image.

In doing so, Decathlon appeals to a wide range of age groups, and more to participants in sporting and outdoor activities, as opposed to consumers buying sportswear as a fashion statement. Decathlon controls almost every part of the operations by selling only private labels, from pricing and design to distribution, and keeps its costs and selling prices low.

Decathlon uses a combination of in-house manufacturing and outsourcing to stock its shelves. Apart from cricket merchandise, Decathlon also caters to 70 sporting disciplines.

Over the past few years, India has demonstrated an increasing appetite for non-cricket sports, such as kabaddi, soccer, volleyball, hockey and badminton. The country

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plans are targeted towards Tier II and III cities since expansion in these towns is cost effective and less competitive as not many brands are available in these markets. About 70 to 75 stores will open in the next one year. The strategy will include both company owned stores as well as asset light franchise models.

The company pays taxes in book profit under the Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) provisions of the Income Tax Act. The company will continue to pay taxes under MAT for this financial year and will get the benefit of tax cut under MAT. With the continued rapid growth of the company, it is expecting to fall under the normal tax provisions in the coming years.

Cantabil to grow by over 30 per cent in 2019 The third largest ecommerce player Snapdeal registered 87 million visits on its platform in the month of September as festive season began.In the last one year alone, Snapdeal’s traffic has grown 61 per cent on its web and mobile sites. In ongoing Diwali sales, Snapdeal’s order volumes grew by 52 per cent over last Diwali and volumes doubled in more than 120 cities across the country.

now hosts professional leagues in most of these sporting disciplines, drawing participants from across the globe

Cantabil aligns strategy with sales

To tackle the slowdown, Cantabil has completely aligned its production and procurement of materials with budgeted sales.

Cantabil is a fashion brand into designing, manufacturing, branding and retailing of apparels, offering quality products at competitive prices. The brand’s target audience is the middle class. Cantabil is an organised player and has been regularly adopting and implementing various statutory regulations with a complete set of professional mechanism.

Some of the challenges faced include: voluminous transactions, keeping pace with rapid changes in regulatory norms and GST implementations. Cantabil has a significant presence in Tier I cities and its expansion

Cantabil Retail India, one of India’s leading apparel brand engaged in designing, manufacturing, branding and retailing of apparels, aims to grow by over 30 per cent in 2019. The company clocked revenue of Rs 290 crore in the financial year 2018-19. It currently has 280 stores in 16 states and plans to open another 75 stores this year primarily in the tier III markets.

Cantabil recently launched its Autumn/ Winter’19 collection. The new collection promises quality, comfort and value for money for men, women, and children. The men’s collection comprises of over-dyed and tinted jeans and casual checks saturated in winter colors. The collection also offers a wide range of formal & casual blazers, party wear, formal suits & waistcoats to choose from.

The women’s collection features stripes, prints, flannel checks, knitted & corduroy bottom and dresses. A variety of bold colours have been used like bottle green, red, mustered teal, rust, dusty pink and black.

The kids wear range is inspired by bright & colourful theme which is comfortable, easy to wear and wash. The range offers - T-shirts, shirts, jeans, trousers, jackets, sweaters, sweatshirts, tops, dresses, capris, jeggings, tees for boys and animal prints, Schiffli embroidery, minimal floral prints and lurex checks for girls.

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BUSINESS NEWS Stores see lower footfalls during festive season

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Consumer affairs minister introduces new discount rules The consumer affairs ministry recently introduced a set of rules that will bring deep discounts, one of the biggest driving forces of the e-commerce business, under scrutiny. The Consumer Protection (e-commerce) Rules under Consumer Protection Act prohibits e-tailers from “directly or indirectly influencing the price of the goods or services” or indulge in any business practice that can influence transactional decisions of consumers.

The draft rules also specify that no e-commerce firm will falsely represent themselves as consumers or post reviews about good and services in their name or misrepresent or exaggerate the quality or the features of goods and services.

The ministry has proposed that each e-commerce entity will have to register themselves within 90 days of the notification of the rules and must ensure that the promoter or key management personnel have not been convicted of any criminal offence punishable with imprisonment in last five years by any court. Moreover, they will have to display details of the sellers including the identity of their business, legal name, principal geographic address, name of the website, e-mail address and other contact details on the website.

The proposed rules also say that the e-commerce firm will have to accept the return of goods if delivered late from the stated delivery schedule or delivery of defective, wrong or spurious products, and does not conform to the characteristics/ features advertised. It also stipulates that refund requests have to be honoured within 14 days.

Record sales at New Delhi khadi store

Khadi India’s flagship store in New Delhi is witnessing record sales. Sales have gone

ootfalls at stores in India were lower as compared to last year’s festival period.

Despite the festive season, there were several empty shelves and early store closures. Revenues for retailers were lower year-on-year.

Retailers are losing out to online sales and branded stores in popular malls.

India is witnessing a sharp slowdown due to waning consumption. Businesses had pinned their hopes on Diwali for a revival in sales. Demand in the economy is still pretty weak. India is set for another quarter of weak growth following the five per cent expansion seen in the April-June period -its slowest pace in six years. GDP data for the quarter ended September will probably show the economy grew 5.5 per cent, mainly flattered by a low base last year.

The overall market sentiment is marked

up by 10 per cent. This is commendable considering that in the khadi sector April to September is considered as a slack period.

On October 2, 2019, the store registered sales of Rs 1.28 crores in a single day beating the previous record of Rs 1.25 crores on October 13, 2018. In 2018, the store crossed a single day sales figure of over a crore four times.

Besides retail sales, the store has also created history of sorts in gift coupons sales in India. The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) introduced the gift coupons scheme in August 2016 and in a little over three years sold gift coupons worth more than Rs 89.32 crores. These coupons have been purchased by corporates, the general public and public sector units. Various design interventions have been made by KVIC in recent years.

Khadi is becoming part of the day-to-day lifestyle and culture of India. People are becoming more environment-sensitive and are opting to buy environment-friendly products.

This is one of the primary reasons why, when top brands are striving hard to keep going, khadi is continuously following the trajectory of growth.

KVIC opens khadi mall in Patna (KVIC) has opened a Khadi Mallat Gandhi Maidan in Patna to retail Khadi textiles, clothing, and handcrafted products and promote the handloom industry in Bihar. The Khadi Mall

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by a slowdown. Most retailers did not even fill their inventory ahead of the festival season, as is done traditionally. Generally, traders fill their inventory two months in advance, with a hope that sales will rise as prices then remain subdued. By and large, the economy which is going through a prolonged phase of low demand and consumption across sectors will take some more time to revive and the retail sector might have to be patient for the return of consumers and sales in good numbers.

was inaugurated by Bihar’s chief minister Nitish Kumar on November 5. The mall represents a wider initiative of the Union Government to promote Khadi textiles and handcraft products in order to increase domestic production which should lead to a decrease in imports. Increasing

handloom textile production is also designed to increase employment opportunities and promote sustainable fashion as Khadi is ecofriendly compared to machine and synthetic fibre textiles.

KVIC is expanding distribution for the Khadi India brand across India. Khadi India recently launched its products at the Statue of Unity in Nandod, Gujarat. KVIC founded by the government of India in Mumbai under the Khadi and Village Industries Act in 1956. The organisation has six zonal offices as well as regional offices in 29 states

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BUSINESS NEWS

India tightens online FDI

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ndia has tightened the rules for FDI in e-commerce. The rules pertaining to e-commerce have not allowed for foreign investment in the inventorybased model. Domestic retailers have made several complaints that e-commerce companies are misusing FDI by engaging in back door multi-brand retailing and deep discounting.

Brick-and-mortar retailers claim their businesses have been hit by predatory pricing and deep discounting by e-commerce companies and have sought a level playing field.

Traders across India say e-commerce businesses are causing a large loss in goods and services tax revenue by flouting regulations. It is alleged that some of the largest e-commerce firms operating in India are causing the exchequer a loss in revenue by levying GST on the sale price of goods instead of on the market price.

As large e-commerce businesses can offer

Amazon to obtain Future Retail Space The Amazon.com shared information with India’s antitrust body about its thought of acquisition a stake in India’s Future Retail, as per media reports. Amazon in August agreed to acquire a 49 per cent stake in a unit of India’s Future Group which owns 7.3 per cent of Future Retail, giving the US-based company a 3.58 per cent stake in the retailer which operates more than 1,500 stores in the country.

Meanwhile as per a Competition Commission notification to Amazon said “in certain overlapping segments and areas of operation of the parties, the combined market share exceeds the threshold specified in the combination regulations.” The CCI also queried on the procedure Amazon adopted to seek approval. Amazon had notified the CCI through Form I, instead of a Form II that is more onerous and is required when parties assess the combined entity will exceed a pre-defined market share threshold. The CCI sought clarification on why it chose to file a Form I, which could potentially delay approval of the deal. A Form I filing typically take two to three months compared with three to six months for a Form II. The competition watchdog has also asked Amazon more than 40 questions related to the deal and its businesses, the first source with knowledge of the matter said.

The news report also says, CCI had sent

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Page Industries to set up garment factory in Odisha

up to 80 per cent discounts, the difference in GST on the sale and retail price would be very different. So traders say if they make even a slight mistake during the course of their business, they are subject to several penalties or even prosecution, while e-commerce companies which are authorised to do only business to business activities conduct business to consumer sales, which is a violation of FDI policy.

additional queries to Amazon, calling it part of the regular deal approval process by the watchdog as it needs to assess whether there is any adverse impact on competition or not.

Amazon India reports Rs 7,000 crore loss in FY 2018-19

As per business intelligence platform Tofler, Amazon India entities reported a loss of over Rs 7,000 crore during the financial year 201819. Of these, the losses of Amazon Wholesale India, the B2B arm of the e-tailer widened to about Rs 141 crore from Rs 131.4 crore recorded in 2017-18. The company’s revenues also declined by 8 per cent to Rs 11, 250 crore.

However, the losses of Amazon Seller Services, the online marketplace arm of Amazon India, declined by 9.5 per cent to Rs 5,685 crore during the financial year 2018-19. The company’s revenues grew by 55 per cent to Rs 7,778 crore in 2018-19 over the previous fiscal.

The losses of Amazon Pay India - its payments arm also declined to Rs 1,160.8 crore in FY19 from Rs 334.20 crore in FY18, as per Tofler. However, the unit’s revenues for financial year 2018-19 more than doubled to Rs 834.5 crore over the previous fiscal. Amazon Transportation Services reported 31 per cent rise in revenues at Rs 2,079 crore, while its net loss was at Rs 27.5 crore in 2018-19.

To further strengthen its presence in the Indian market, Page Industries plans to set up a garment factory in Odisha’s Khordha with an investment of Rs 258 crore in the coming year. The company’s net profit increased by 24 percent to Rs 115 crore for the period ended September 30, 2019, as against Rs 93 crore it reported in the year-ago period. Its sales revenue for the July-September quarter rose by 11 percent to Rs 781 crore as compared to Rs.702 crore it reported in the corresponding period for the last financial year.

Page Industries had witnessed a drop in profit and revenue for the first quarter due to the slowdown in the economy, coupled with low footfalls at the company’s stores across India. In the second quarter, the company has managed to reverse the trend with strong results. It currently has around 2,500 distributors dealing with all the categories most of whom have stayed it for more than 10-20 years.

Spencer’s Retail expands capacity with new stores and acquisitions Spencer’s Retail is expanding its capacity by setting up new stores besides working on the integration process for the acquisition of Nature’s Basket, which lays the foundation for the brand’s future scalability. For the second quarter ending September 30, 2019, Spencer’s Retail reported 8 per cent growth in its revenue from operation at Rs 611.83 crore. The Kolkatabased retail chain, however, reported a net loss of Rs 15.62 crore during the period under review as compared to a net profit of Rs 1.47 crore in the same period last year.

Spencer’s performance is in line with other consumer goods makers who too have reported muted growth due to on-going slowdown in consumption. Consumer goods makers and retailers, however, have posted higher growth in profit during the July-September quarter due to cut in corporate tax rates.

At a consolidated level -- including the performance of two wholly-owned subsidiaries, Omnipresent Retail India and recently acquired Nature’s Basket– Spencer’s Retail posted a 23.5 per cent growth in revenue from operations at Rs 699.48 crore for the September quarter.

11/28/2019 11:14:50 PM

INDUSTRY BYTE Rakesh Biyani is new President of CMAI

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akesh Biyani is the new president of the Mumbai-based Clothing Manufacturers

Association of India (CMAI). Rakesh Biyani is Joint Managing Director at Future Retail

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Limited. CMAI had a long association with Rahul Mehta who is now the outgoing president.

Expressing his gratitude Rakesh Biyani says, “CMAI is the voice of the entire domestic industry and there is a tremendous scope of growth as the industry is going through a transformation at this juncture.

The idea is to create an environment where the voice of smaller manufacturers is also heard by the policymakers for the growth of the entire industry.

Talking about his experience Rahul Mehta said “It has been a tremendous journey over the last 15 years as the President of CMAI. I have been privileged to lead such a prestigious association as well as working with a very committed team. I am sure Rakesh will do even a better job. I wish him all the best”.

Besides Biyani, Babubhai Ayar of Challenge Enterprises is the new Vice President of CMAI; he takes over from Rajesh Masand.

Srishti Sawhney appointed as president and global head of Grasim Industries Wartenbergh is replacing Carlos Ortega, founder and shareholder of the Pepe Jeans Group. Most recently, she was chief merchandising officer at Calvin Klein, a role she took up just four months ago. But she spent many years at PVH, the American group behind global brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Arrow, Van Heusen, Izod, Speedo and Calvin Klein. Before being promoted to chief merchandising officer, Wartenbergh held many roles at the retail group, including group president of global licensing and strategic

initiatives at Calvin Klein. She cut her teeth in the merchandising division of Tommy Hilfiger in the Netherlands in 1999.

Pepe Jeans owns the Pepe Jeans London, Hackett and Façonnable brands and distributes Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein in Spain. The group is majority owned by L Capital Asia, a private equity unit backed by LVMH, and M1, a subsidiary of Lebanese investment firm M1 Group. Pepe Jeans has 355 stores, including 219 Pepe Jeans locations, 105 Hackett shops, 29 Tommy Hilfiger outlets, two Norton stores and 16 Façonnable sites. The company is looking at closing a number of Façonnable stores as part of a wider restructure to turn around its finances.

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media quotes THE COMPLETE GARMENT PROCESSING UNIT

“Denim, being the uniform of youth and beacon of this culture, has managed to lead the mega trend.”

Saneev Mohanty

“The company already gets over 15 per cent of its sales from online channel in India, which is higher than its global average.”

Fredrik Olsson

Managing Director, Levi’s India

Managing Director, H&M

Contact:

Bhagirath DIRECTOR Mobile: 9910522224 C-103, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase -1, New Delhi - 110020 Phone: 41612716 / 41612717 Works: Prithala Dhatir Road, Village Dhatir, Tehsil Palwal, Faridabad (Haryana) Ph: 01275 - 260078 / 79 e-mail: neelkanth_apparels@yahoo.co.in / naplc103@gmail.com website: www.neelkanthapparels.in

“Given the challenges associated with our specialty fleet, we simply must continue to rationalize those stores that don’t generate sufficient returns to warrant the investments necessary to provide our customers with a differentiated experience.”

Teri List-Stoll

“We have seen good demand and new markets are opening up. Hence the new stores will come up not just in tier 1 or tier 2 towns, but also in smaller tier 3 places.”

Kamal Khushlani

“India is a very big market and has a huge population.

Expansion is definitely a long-term vision.”

Tomohiko Sei

Chief Financial Officer, Gap

Founder and Managing Director, Mufti

CEO, India

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