Currently operating 14 brands and approximately 280-290 stores, Apparel Group plans to add 500 more stores in India, notes Nilesh Ved, Owner and Chairman, AppCorp Holding.
With a presence in 14 countries and 2,300 stores worldwide, Ved has identified securing prime real estate as a major challenge, particularly in India. Good locations are hard to come by and securing the right space is critical for growth, he adds.
Unlike Dubai, where malls see a mix of 4.2 million residents and 18 million tourists, Indian consumers are more predictable. Consumer preferences vary by city, which helps us tailor offerings more effectively, Ved notes. He cites a stark contrast in per-square-foot sales for Skechers, which performs better in Dubai Mall than in India’s Time Square.
Apparel Group is doubling down on omnichannel strategies, with a mix of online, offline, and marketplace presence. The group also plans to use quick commerce selectively for a limited range of SKUs.
Discussing Apparel Group’s joint venture with Nykaa in Dubai, Ved affirms, the group has opened two stores in the city with six more in the pipeline, along with a dedicated app for the Gulf region, he adds.
In Saudi Arabia, Apparel Group already operates 700 stores and plans to add 300 more this year. In Dubai, the scale is even larger—Dubai Mall alone attracts over 111 million visitors annually.
