New Delhi, Oct 25: Madura Garments, a division of the Rs 220-crore Madura Coats Ltd, is chalking out a new retailing strategy for its readymade menswear brands Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England, Byford and its recent offering San Frisco. In a new initiative, Madura Garments is going to float a chain of franchisee outlets--branded Mega Store--which will bring together all its brands under one roof. The chain of Mega Stores will be in addition to Madura's existing exclusive outlets. The company also sells its products through multibrand outlets.Madura has already opened four Mega Stores in Mumbai, Pune and Chennai early this month. According to George Zacharias, president, Madura Garments, plans are afoot to open about 15-20 similar outlets in the country's top six metros.
Adds M Vasanth Kumar, general manager-marketing, Madura Garments: ``We felt the need of showcasing the brands under one roof without diluting the brand image of each brand.'' Each outlet will be spread over an area of about 3,500 sq ft, and each brand in the outlet will have a dedicated space of about 500 sq ft to itself. The strategy behind the move is to position Mega Store as a`total menswear showroom' and address that consumer segment which is looking for a wider choice and shifts his brand preference. ``We want the consumer to shift to a Madura brand instead of any other competitive brand,'' says Kumar. ``Exclusive showrooms are addressing the consumer segment which is already predecided about the brand. But consumers, today, are looking for more choice, more range,'' says Zacharias.
Besides increasing its presence, Madura is also investing in terms of technology in retailing. The company has recently invested Rs 1 crore in a new software called Auto Replenishment System (ARS) which allows it to monitor and replenish its stocks in its exclusive stores across the country from Bangalore. The software has been installed in almost 90 per cent of its showrooms.
Outdoors to be launched soon
Close on the heels of the launch of its mid-priced trouser brand San Frisco, and casual shirt brand elements under the mother brand Peter England, Madura Garments is going to launch another readymade menswear brand -- Outdoors. A sub-brand of Allen Solly, Outdoors will be a casual range of T-shirts, Bermudas and others.
The quick launches of brands from Madura Garments forms part of the company's strategy to launch three new brands every eight months in the next two years. The company, which invests significantly on brand building, plans to spend about Rs 5 crore on advertising on San Frisco brand of trousers in the first year of its launch.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.