26 August 2022, Mumbai

Homegrown retail footwear brand Khadim India expects gross margins to improve by 100-150 basis points by the end of this fiscal, backed by the company’s drive towards premiumization of offerings and cost rationalization measures.

For the quarter ended June 30, 2022, the company’s overall gross margin stood at 41.3 percent, a Y-o-Y increase of 596 bps while retail gross margins improved from 50.6 percent to 54.1 percent.

The company hopes to touch the pre-COVID level sales in volume terms by the end of the current financial year. In value terms, it is at par with the pre-pandemic levels, she said.

In the wake of the change in GST rates on footwear and the increasing prices of raw materials, Khadim had taken some price hikes. Nearly 80 percent of the company’s products are priced below Rs1,000 where the GST has been increased to 12 percent from the previous slab of 5 percent.

The company also expects turnover to increase by around 33 percent to Rs800 crore by the end of the current fiscal from Rs600 crore during FY22

Khadim India also plans to add 70-80 stores every year across the country. A majority of these would be on the franchisee model as the company plans to follow an asset-light approach. Currently, 220 of its total 800 stores are company-owned while the rest are franchisees.

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23 August 2022, Mumbai

Sports brand Puma India has partnered with popular Indian singer Harrdy Sandhu. The partnership facilitates Sandy’s engagement with the brand’s large base of customers and the creation of exclusive content poised to further cement the brand’s market leadership position in India.

Through this partnership, Sandhu will also endorse the brand’s footwear, apparel, and accessories including select collections.

Sandhu rose to fame with songs such as BijleeBijlee, KyaBaat Aye, Naah and Backbone. The track BijleeBijlee earned a colossal 395 million+ views. In 2021, the singer-actor was seen in the Bollywood sports drama ‘83’’, essaying the role of legendary cricketer Madan Lal.

Sandhu is a former cricketer and played in the U-19 Cricket World Cup India team as a fast bowler in 2004. He is also an avid dancer and a fitness enthusiast.

Puma and Sandhu have a long-term friendship. In 2021, he launched the brand’s experiential store at Cyber Hub in Delhi-NCR as a celebrity guest. The store launch was also attended by PUMA brand ambassadors MC Mary Kom, Rupinder Pal Singh, and Washington Sundar.

Puma has often used the medium of music to connect with its audience. In 2019, the brand associated with Indian rapper DIVINE of “Gully Boy” fame to extend a message of support to Virat Kohli ahead of the cricket season with an anthem for fans called #SockThem.

Globally, the brand is currently associated with DuaLipa and retails a collaborative collection with her.

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20 August 2022, Mumbai

A children-focused footwear brand, Plaeto has expanded its global operations by foraying into the UAE market.

For this, the Bengaluru-based company has partnered with Threads, UAE’s premier and largest retailer for school uniforms, shoes, and accessories.

Recently, it raised Rs 40 crore in Series A funding round led by Florintree Advisors, a Mumbai based financial institution and other marquee investors in the D2C space.

Ravi Kallayil, cofounder and CEO, Plaeto, footwear brand said, “We will be catering to all the key regions across the Emirates through the Threads stores as well as their online store."

Further, the company plans to explore retail and distribution partnerships in UAE and other Middle East markets for its range of shoes for children aged 5-15 years.

Launched in 2021, the brand's founding team consists of erstwhile top executives from Niike, Adidas, and Apple. Last year, Plaeto announced Rahul Dravid, Team India cricket coach, as their brand ambassador and strategic advisor.

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22 August 2022, Mumbai

Lingerie and atlesiure brand under Nykaa Fashion, Nykd by Nukaalaunched its first flagship store in New Delhi’s Rajouri Garden.

The store features the brand’s products across innerwear, sleepwear, athleisure, and loungewear. It will focus on immersive, engaging, and tech-led shopping experiences.

This expansion will allow more consumers to see, touch and experience the brand’s wide range,says Preeti Gupta, Business Head, Nykd by Nykaa, Gloot&Kica.

The store is spread across nearly 2,000 sqft and will offer personalised fitting sessions to help consumers choose the product best suited for their body type.

In the first quarter of FY23, Nykaa’X net profit jumped by 42 per cent to Rs 5 crore as total income climbed 41 per cent to Rs 1,157 crore from the year-ago period.

Mumbai-based FSN E-Commerce Ventures, the parent entity of Nykaa, said its total income grew 18 per cent sequentially, while profit declined by 25 per cent Q-o-Q.

16 August 2022, Mumbai:

Driven by renowned designer duo Monica Shah and Karishma Swali’s commitment to being leather-free, couture bridal and luxury fashion label Jade has joined PETA India-approved vegan program to label its vegan items.

PETA India introduces animal-friendly styles in collaboration with designers and brands in the fashion industry. Its collaboration with Jade aims to give consumers the gift of mindful luxury. The brand has embraced the epochal ahimsic Gandhian values of mindfulness, compassion, and respect for all life forms,” says Monica Shah, Fashion Designer.

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A celebrity favourite label, over the years Jade’s designs have been adorned by stars including Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Lady Superstar Nayanthara, ShibaniDandekar, VaniKapoor, Sonali Bendre and Tara Sutaria, etc. Known for creating exquisite, handcrafted garments, Jade now offers options free from silk, leather, wool, and other animal-derived materials.

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The designer duo launched Made for Love, a collection of premium accessories, that bring the brand’s vision for cruelty-free luxury while toasting the values of veganism and mindfulness to life.

In collaboration with PETA, the collection designed for men and women includes footwear adorned with Italian satin and Japanese crystals and bags crafted with silver, denim, and gold-plated enamel.

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22 August 2022, Mumbai

Fashion resale brand Iconic India has opened new store featuring clothing and accessories by Indian and international brands including Gant, Elle, Vero Moda, and Ben Sherman, etc in Bathinda, Punjab.

The store also houses products by True Religion, Antony Morato, Bugatti, Kendall + Kylie, Lindbergh, and Blue Giraffe among others. The outlet caters to men, women, and children.

ApoorvaSen, Chief Business Officer, Iconic India, says,Bathinda being a centre of trade and an evolving suburb of Punjab attracts a lot of footfall. The brand is excited to explore the response of people from the suburbs in Punjab considering that most Iconic brands like Gant and True Religion have been very successful in other cities of the state.

Iconic launched in 2013 with its first store in New Delhi which housed eight brands. The business now resells clothing and accessories from over 160 Indian and international brands with the aim of offering, “a luxurious and contemporary shopping experience to people across India.

12 August 2022, Mumbai:

India’s largest retailer Reliance Retail launched its first store Avantra by Trends in Kochi.

Located at Oberon Mall, Edapally, Avantra by Trends spans 5,000 sqft, and redefines contemporary Indian women’s shopping experience through impeccable store ambiance, innovative and flexible retail experience between assisted service and self-service, saree drape styling station, complementing product categories, and a holistic set of blouse stitching, saree finishing, tailoring services and more.

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‘Avantra by Trends’ part of Reliance Retail is a novel concept designed exclusively for the contemporary Indian woman in the age group of 25-40 years, which values tradition, culture & heritage and celebrates everything that’s “Indian” and “Ethnic”.

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Home to a colorful bouquet of varied textile crafts & finest ethnic-wear brands with a commitment to the best of fashion, quality, and pricing integrity, “Avantra by Trends” is a holistic experiential store and a one-stop destination for women’s ethnic wear with a wide range of complementing product categories that include Sarees from across the country, Blouses, Jewelry, Ready to stitch, Lehengas, Accessories and offers convenient In-store tailoring services.

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