Premium denim made its foray into the Indian market as Italian fashion label Replay tied up with India?s biggest retail network, Pantaloon to launch the label in the country. ?We are a premium-end brand looking to initially create a brand presence for ourselves in India,? says Brian Kreel, head of business development, Replay. ?We have been looking at the market since 2005, and while it is undoubtedly an exciting market, the challenge was to find the right partner. While Replay will provide product and marketing support, the rest of the India operations will be handled by Pantaloon through a specially formed unit within the company.
For Pantaloons, it is a new segment to get into. ?We will have a new team to create a brand synthesis with other brands, says Rakesh Biyani, director, Pantaloon Retail India, ahead of the store launch in Delhi. The retail giant has already brought brands like Speedo and Wilson to India. ?We will invest $6-8 million over the next three years in the brand, of which about 12 per cent will be spent on promotions,? he adds. Replay has already launched two stand alone stores in supermarkets ? Ambience Mall in Gurgaon and Select Citywalk in Delhi, besides three corner stores in Pantaloon?s high end retail chain, Central. ?The fit apt with Central and the corner stores will situated within the stores,? adds Biyani.
?We are scouting around for a location of a flagship store, and are looking at South Extension in Delhi and Linking Road in Mumbai,? reveals Kreel. Also looking after that Chennai, Bangalore and Chandigarh.
Internationally the brand is present in 50 countries, though 90 per cent of its sales for this 25-year-old brand still come from Europe. ?India is a strategic market for us, and we are also looking to expand our operations in other Asian nations, especially China, Japan, South Korea, Hongkong, Thailand and Vietnam,? says Kreel. He estimate that it will take a year for the brand to ?communicate itself? in India. The brand, whose entry level price points range from Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000, already has manufacturing units in India, but none that sell directly in the country.
?Our brand relies heavily on the washes and the lived in look, which is decided by our 30-member international design team in Asolo, north of Venice.? All products are routed through these centres in Italy.
Replay will retail both men?s and women?s lines, though with a collection size of about a 1,000 pieces per season, it is unlikely that all stores will stock the entire collection. ?Each store will determine its product selection based on local needs,? explains Kreel.
And yes, as the brand did in Japan, its presence here may well lead to adaptations, especially in sizes and fits, something Replay is ready for.