Multi-brand fashion and beauty retailer Shoppers Stop has partnered with digital retail specialist Accenture to boost its online sales over numerous retail channels and transform its digital offering.

Shoppers Stop is harnessing Accenture’s knowledge and experience in real-time data and analytics across the value chain of a business to strengthen its digital platform, the business announced. As online shopping continues to grow in popularity in the fashion and beauty categories, Shoppers Stop aims to tap into this and increase its market share in the sectors and transition from a primarily brick-and-mortar business to an omnichannel business.

Venu Nair, Managing Director and CEO, Shoppers Stop says, the company aims to achieve significant profitable growth in its digital commerce revenues over the next three years.SameerAmte, Managing Director, Accenture adds, this scalable digital commerce transformation program will help Shoppers Stop respond to emerging customer needs and realize new marketplace opportunities

01 September 2021, Mumbai:

Business-to-customer fashion and lifestyle exhibition Sutraa will hold its latest editionat the Lemon Tree Premier in Patna, Bihar from September 1 to 2.

As per Fashion Network, the upcoming shopping event will feature product categories including ethnic, fusion, and traditional wear, menswear, jewellery, leather goods, home décor, gift items, linens, carpets, handicrafts, wall hangings, crystal goods, and skincare among other categories. The fair expects around 500 exhibitors and over 20,000 visitors

The majority of brands exhibiting at Sutraa will be in the mid-range and bridge-to-luxury segment of the market. Many of the exhibiting brands will hail from Bihar with others travelling from further afield. Strict health and safety precautions will be followed at the event, in line with local government regulations.

Sutraa has planned seven events this September. From September 6 to 7, Sutraa will take place at the Mayfair Lagoon Hotel in Bhubaneswar and feature a similar selection of goods with numerous gifting and apparel options for the upcoming festive season.

TOP 5:

• For an occasionwear collection, Biba collaborated with Rohit Bal
• Sutraa This September, the Indian Fashion Exhibition will return to Patna and six other locations
• Kanpur will host the first edition of the Fashionista shopping fair in September
• In the first half of this year, Bangladesh emerges as the favored destination for Indian garment consumers
• Donear Group, an Indian textile company, has acquired Mayur Fabrics and the PV Suiting distribution network

01 September 2021, Mumbai:

Driven by the values of trust, quality and excellence, Bodycare International has emerged a top player in the innerwear market. Incepted in 1992, the company today enjoys the distinction of being country's leading manufacturer and supplier of undergarments, infant wear, thermals and loungewear for the complete family. Sanjay Davar, Managing Director, expounds the company’s latest innovations, collections and future plans.

What are your new collections for the upcoming season?

For the upcoming season we cater to the needs and preferences of New Age customers. The collection blends trendy color palette with minimal detailing to boost their overall personality. Our latest collection complements varied body shapes and explores different types of silhouettes and sleeping bras. It uses soft cotton fabrics for a cooling while the light and pastel shades help infuse a sense of positivity in customers’ minds to make them feel happy. It blends basic silhouettes with the brand’s traditional working ideologies. We will also launch theme-based and seasonal collections as per requirement. Some of our collections are either directly or indirectly influenced by our competitors’ and help update our product offerings.

What are your bestsellers?

Bodycare International’s product basket includes the complete range of basic, modern and stylish bras with cut and sews, molded, PU foam cups. Our products cater to the needs of customers between 16 and 55 years. We also serve plus size customers.

What are the key fabric and color trends for the season?

This season, we have used 100 per cent cotton, cotton blends, cotton Lycra, spun Lycra, combed cotton, polyamide and also some imported fabrics. These have small floral as well as placement prints. The color palette includes light and pastel shades.

Elaborate on your retail spread.

We operate through EBOs, MBOs and large format stores in metros and semi-metros. Around 85 per cent of our sales are generated from offline stores while the remaining 15 per cent are generated though online operations and institutional sales.

What are your expansion plans?

We aim to update ourselves to customers’ evolving preferences and make our products more technical and premium. We are adapting to changing market demands and plan to add retailers, distributors, MBO and large format stores to increase our visibility, reach and availability across India. We also plan to expand into the premium lingerie segment.

TOP 5:

• For an occasionwear collection, Biba collaborated with Rohit Bal
• Sutraa This September, the Indian Fashion Exhibition will return to Patna and six other locations
• Kanpur will host the first edition of the Fashionista shopping fair in September
• In the first half of this year, Bangladesh emerges as the favored destination for Indian garment consumers
• Donear Group, an Indian textile company, has acquired Mayur Fabrics and the PV Suiting distribution network

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the Indian retail industry. Fashion retail has been the most affected with FY2021 revenues dropping almost 45per cent Y-o-Y.

Hit by the first COVOD-19 wave in March last year, most Indian fashion retailers had recovered from their losses by the fourth quarter of FY2021. They had recovered almost 90 per cent of pre-COVID sales when they were once again hit by the second wave and another lockdown.

Dropping footfalls and revenues

During the second wave, fashion retailers witnessed a sharp decline in footfalls. Their store traffic declined to 25-30 per cent of the pre-COVID levels. Most operated only 15-20 per cent of their store network during April and May 2021. Though their operational store network improved as lockdown restrictions eased in June 2021, they were compelled to operate with restricted timings. Their revenues are therefore, likely to decline by 70-75 per cent Y-o-Y in Q1 FY2022 as against their pre-COVID quarterly sales.

Revenue of these retailers are likely to decline 22 per cent during July 2021-March 2022 period despite improved pace of vaccinations. On the other hand, revenues of food and grocery (F&G) retailers are expected to grow 8-10 per cent in FY2022. Footfalls in this segment are yet to recover to pre-COVID levels. However, the high transaction sizes of these retailers are helping them adjust to the COVID-induced losses. Another segment that witnessed a faster recovery in FY2021 is the electronics retailing segment. Sales and profits in this segment are expected to reach pre-COVID levels in the next three quarters though footfalls dipped during Q1FY2022

Rent and salary negotiations to cut costs

Fashion retailers adopted several cost-saving measures in FY2021 to tide over the pandemic’s effects. These included negotiating rents and salaries and rationalizing overheads. Following the lockdown, retailers are once again invoking the force majeure clause in rental agreements and renegotiating rents for FY2022. Fashion retailers’ employee expenses declined by 20-23 per cent Y-o-Y during FY2021. These retailers are likely to be extra cautious about their marketing and other expenses in FY2022 though they are not likely to introduce any further cuts in employee expenses.

Online sales continue to grow

Most large fashion retailers raised equity during FY2021. This helped them strengthen their balance-sheets and also their capital outlay towards store additions in FY2022. Retailers also increased their online sales by 50 per cent on a Y-o-Y basis in FY2021. Omnichannel retailers, however, had to deal with many challenges including procuring large investments to upgrade their product and inventory offerings, etc. They also had to personalize consumer experiences and allow stores to handle returns and enhance packing/shipping capabilities.

Though omnichannel sales increased during FY2021, they continue to remain low at mid-high single-digit levels of the overall sales mix. This will reinforce the importance of offline retailers in FY2022, though online retailers are also likely to increase presence.

01 September 2021, Mumbai:

Expanding its international distribution network, AneethArora’s sustainable fashion and lifestyle brand Pero launched new collection ‘Mini’ for autumn/ winter 2021 in stores in Italy, Japan, and the US.

As per a Fashion Network report, the brand launched a number of pieces from this collection in multibrand boutique in New York It launched a range of dresses and jackets at Soho in New York.

The brand continues to retail from a number of boutiques in Japan. In Italy, Pero has launched its new collection at Bertinotti Lecco in Lombardia and Simona Boutique in Finale Ligure.

Pero’s new collection features bright and bold tartan textiles, embellished with delicate knot work and hand-embroidery. The collection has a colour palette of neon yellow, navy blue, and magenta and features tailored coats, loose tunics, and other brand garment staples.

Little Pero dolls are hidden inside the collection’s overcoats and also feature as tactile appliqués on loose tops. This season, Pero linked up with illustrator Richard Gomes to create a number of dolls, including oversized doll bags, based on Gomes’ drawings.

TOP 5:

• For an occasionwear collection, Biba collaborated with Rohit Bal
• Sutraa This September, the Indian Fashion Exhibition will return to Patna and six other locations
• Kanpur will host the first edition of the Fashionista shopping fair in September
• In the first half of this year, Bangladesh emerges as the favored destination for Indian garment consumers
• Donear Group, an Indian textile company, has acquired Mayur Fabrics and the PV Suiting distribution network

31th August 2021, Mumbai:

For FDCI’s India Couture Week 2021, Designer TarunTahiliani will focus on exquisite hand-craftsmanship and work with the country’s artisans. His collection for the fashion week is titled ‘Artisanal Couture’ and offers comprises sumptuous lehengas, shararas, concept saris, kurtas, choli capes, coats, skirts and more, crafted in fabrics such as organza brocade, tulle brocade, moonga silk brocade and sheer silk, tulle, novelty crinkle. Brides can also get their hands on complementing accessories, such as bags, shoes and belts to match.

The larger India Couture Week 2021 edit is a stunning set of six capsule collections each of which showcases our signature ‘India Modern’ design aesthetic. These smaller capsule collections—Chikankari, Pichwai, Rangrez, Cocktail Goddess, Pakeezagi and Bridal—have unique techniques, story and designs that appeal to the label's audience.

The bridal collection is presented in a palette of colors ranging, from traditional bridal reds to contemporary TT pastels and beiges that have been the mainstay of many of our recent collections. The ‘Pichwai’ collection this season takes inspiration from the ancient Indian lyrical paintings from Rajasthan that depict big monochromatic scenes of the Raasleela and our traditional motifs from peacocks to cows to lotuses. The‘Chikankari’ capsule is reminiscent of the tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah in Agra, whose latticed carvings and inlay work form the basis of the collection’s motifs.

TOP 5:

• 'Future Lifestyle Fashion' report Rs 325 crore net loss in Q1
• Trent Ltd appoints P Venkatesalu as new CEO and Executive Director
• Amit GT launches women’s couture collection at 'India Couture Week'
• Future Retail files new case against Amazon seeking asset sale clearance to Reliance Industries
• Donear Industries signs agreement to buy RSWM assets

02 September 2021, Mumbai:

Jashn Events is organizing a new exhibition in collaboration with India Luxury Foundation.

The show will feature some amazing FDCI designers like Rina Dhaka, Charu Parashar, Pallavi Singh, Samant Chauhan, Leena Singh etc. Other designers who will be attending the show are Labelkaaj, Posh n Polished, Luckhnovi Kurtis, ru- couture, Riwayatein by Talat, House of Decor, Begums by Rashmi, Piroke, The Hairstory, House of Avi, Glitter by Shiwani, Artociti, Ruakh ,Riwaaz and Jugni & Co. , label muslin, bhavika Couture, etc. Amashaa Masala and Bhavika Couture will be the gifting partner for the event managed by TEP. Decor will be handled by Craft o linee meanwhile Archit Arora Maahir Ahuja and Rajat popli will be behind the camera.

Manisha Gandhi and Shikha makeover will be the make-up artist of the event and will work towards beautifying the models who will walk the ramp.Ritika Kashyap and Aditi Gupta are the talented masters of ceremony. The entire show will be choreographed by Jagnoor Aneja.

PKG lifestyle news, Delhi Now Magazine and Unzoned magazine will be the media partners of the show.

Apparel manufacturer Page Industries’ net profit for the first quarter ended June 2021 declined to Rs 11 crore from Rs 40 crore had reported in the year-ago period.

The company’s revenue for the quarter rose by 76 percent to Rs 502 crore, as against Rs 285 crore in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

PIL's total expenses during the quarter rose by 43 percent at Rs 490.57 crore, as compared to Rs 343 crore during the same period last year.

Despite half of the quarter being under lockdown for most cities and states, the companyadded 1,465 MBOs and 9 EBOs during these three months. It remained focused on profitable partnerships with our distributors while continuing expansion.

The Bengaluru-based company is the exclusive licensee of American underwear brand Jockey International for manufacture, distribution, and marketing in countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, UAE, Oman, and Qatar. It is also the exclusive licensee of Speedo International for India.

27th August 2021, Mumbai:

Nehha Chandra has been appointed Head-Marketing for Ritu Kumar Brands. She will work with Amrish Kumar, CEO of the fashion and apparel brand.

Chandra has over 17 years of experience across the luxury sector. She will utilize her expertise to identify and explore marketing and digital strategies for the brand.

She has earlier worked with various global and Indian brands like Volvo Cars, Tag Heuer, Cosmopolitan, National Geographic Channel and Seventy EMG.

Over the years, Chandra has created successful strategies, processes, events and preferred relationships with celebrities, sports personalities and agencies.

This directly contributed to brand’s growth, incremental sales and PR value. Ritu Kumar is the largest and most respected designer-wear brand in India today.

Since 1969, it has developed a unique style of its own, reflecting the ancient traditions of Indian craftsmanship in a contemporary vocabulary. Kumar's understanding of ancient designs and the innovative use of traditional crafts has created a new classicism.

TOP 5:

• Afghanistan's unrest has impacted the textile business in Surat, India.
• 'More Group' with an initial investment of Rs. 150 crores, enters the clothing retail market
• GOTS certification has been accepted by Intertek
• Export demand is causing a denim downturn in the United States
• Ikea plans to establish its first "city store" in India in Mumbai

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