Says managing director Rajendra Mudaliar, ``The objective is to encourage people to touch and feel the product in the store and then order it online if a particular colour or size is not available in the shop.''

The first such concept store is being unveiled in Delhi on Tuesday (February 1). With an investment of about Rs 3 crore for each such store, the company has plans to open another three stores in Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta within the next two years. Apart from this, the company also has plans to upgrade its existing exclusive outlets and develop web corners in each. The investment - another Rs 1 crore in each. As of now, the company has 16 exclusive outlets across the country.

According to ColorPlus director Kailash M Bhatia: ``By integrating the two, we are actually servicing the customer better. In case a particular offering is not present in the physical store, a customer does not have to come back to the store to collect it after a few days. Instead, just order online right there and get it at his doorstep in three days.''

The company has tied up with a US-based company for securitisation, whereby credit card verification is done online. The logistics and back-end work is being taken care of by Satyam. But why would a person want to come to the store and order instead of the comfort of his living room? Mudaliar argues: ``He saves on internet time, for in the store it is free. Plus, he has the option to touch and feel the product before he buys it.''

With all this and more, the company is anticipating a turnover of Rs 36 crore in 1999-2000. The company has in the past, besides introducing a new pre-washed category of casual wear garments, also been instrumental in popularising khakis and chinos, besides introducing wrinkle free cotton trousers.

Keeping stains away

In yet another innovation, ColorPlus has launched stain-free range of men's wear in the country. The new range is 100 per cent cotton, no stain, no wrinkle menswear priced at Rs 1450-Rs 1575 for shirts and Rs 1791-Rs 1840 for trousers. The fabric claims to roll off stains like oil, grease, tea, coffee and other liquids. The residual stains can be washed off very easily with mild soap.

For distribution purposes, the company is using the existing retail network of 70 outlets, including 16 exclusive and remaining multi-brand outlets. The company has also made provision to include stain-free garments on its web-store www.colorplusonline.com.

To promote the latest offering, the company has put together a budget of Rs 50 lakh. Created by Bangalore-based Rubicon advertising agency, the campaigns will include print and hoardings. The print campaigns will be featured in leading dailies and business magazines. Says Mudaliar: ``Since we target corporate executives, it makes sense for us to be in these magazines.'' Outdoor media like hoardings are being used in Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Coimbatore to create awareness about the product.

The advertising campaign has for the first time moved beyond the product itself. The new campaign - Cheers shows a white stain-free shirt alongside a red wine glass which topples over. The wine does not soil the shirt, revealing the stain-free nature. The company is also looking at visual merchandising as an important part of promotions at points of purchase along with details about the product to explain the concept of stain-free. It is also using a direct mailing exercise, sending mailers to more than 50,000 existing customers.