7th September 2021, Mumbai:

E-commerce firms such as Amazon and Flipkart are adding new facilities ahead of the upcoming festive season.

Amazon India is increasing its storage capacity by 40 per cent over the last year. With this expansion, Amazon will have more than 43 million cubic feet of storage capacity, across 15 States, supporting around 850,000 sellers across India. The expansion is in line with Amazon India’s continued efforts to heavily invest in the country and create tens of thousands of direct and indirect work opportunities. Amazon India’s overall fulfillment network will be spread across a floor area of more than 10 million square feet. This is more than the land size of 125 football fields, housing millions of products from notebooks to dishwashers.

Flipkart is adding new facilities ahead of the upcoming festive season. Its new fulfilment centers will help create deeper capabilities to support thousands of sellers, MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises), small farmers to cater to the growing customer demand. They would also create more employment opportunities while enabling faster deliveries for consumers.

Flipkart recently strengthened its supply chain network in Karnataka with the addition of three new facilities ahead of the upcoming festive season. These new facilities will serve sellers of large appliances, furniture, mobiles, apparel and electronics and are located in Kolar, Hubli and Anekal. The facilities are helping more than 10,500 sellers. The expansion will further contribute to the state economy and create additional 14,000 direct and indirect job opportunities, as the sellers get national market access for their products.

Recently, Flipkart also strengthened its tech-enabled supply chain network in Maharashtra with the addition of four new fulfilment and sortation centres to support local sellers from the state and cater to the growing demand for e-commerce. The new facilities located in Bhiwandi and Nagpur are helping create over 4,000 direct and indirect jobs. Apart from growing customer demand, this expansion comes on the back of a growing seller count from the state which rose by 30 per cent in the last year.

TOP 5:

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• CITI, SIMA hail TN state government decision to remove 1% AMC Cess on cotton, cotton waste
• Bewakoof.com announces Peppy Pink as color of month
• The government intends to expand the IFLADP incentive programme to include leather items and footwear

6th September 2021, Mumbai:

E-commerce platform Meesho has introduced a 10-day company-wide break and a ‘Reset & Recharge’ policy to promote employee well-being. From November 4 to 14, Meesho has directed all employees to completely unplug from their work in order to care for their health and general wellbeing, reports Fashion Network.

The move is aimed at prioritizing employees’ mental health during the current pandemic times. The new policy is designed to spark a wider conversation about the importance of mental health support in the Indian corporate sphere.

Based out of Bengaluru, Meesho retails a wide range of brands in categories including men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, jewellery, and accessories. The business launched a groceries segment during the pandemic to cater to customer needs and operate within lockdown regulations.

It also raised $300 million (Rs 2,191 crore) in a new round of funding led by SoftBank Vision Fund, giving the marketplace a valuation of $2.1 billion.

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• MP (India) has a lot of room to expand in the Textile industry: Shivraj Singh,CM (M.P.)
• Telangana (India) has requested a one-billion-dollar grant from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Warangal Textile Park

Watch YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnQ6v9wBHyOlRPSDgJMsJaA

8th September 2021, Mumbai:

Year 2020 proved to be a revolutionary for Indian e-commerce industry. With most physical stores remaining closed due to the pandemic, consumers shifted to online shopping. This not only transformed the way brands operated and grew their business but also altered consumers’ shopping behavior.

Even now, consumers hesitate to return to in-store shopping completely; especially those in Tier II and III cities. They prefer the e-commerce retail that offers an opportunity to shop as per convenience.

As per a Business Insider report, India is one of the most notable e-commerce markets globally. It has the world’s second largest internet base with around 480 million internet users. Of these, 90 million are online shoppers, estimates management consultancy RedSeer. It projects, Indian shoppers from small towns and cities will contribute $150 billion to e-commerce GMV until 2030.

Another survey by The Trade Desk and YouGov highlights, around 82 per cent consumers shopped online at least once a month over the past six months. Titled ‘The Festive Season Pulse 2021’, the study says, 91 per cent consumers plan to shop online during the upcoming festive season, of which 60 per cent plan to explore new brands.

New campaigns, discounts an attraction

This boost in consumer sentiment will encourage, e-commerce players to launch new festive campaigns and discount schemes. Online fashion retailer Myntra for example will organize the ‘Big Fashion Festival’ during the 30-day period leading up to the festive season. This will be followed by the Myntra Diwali Sale that will focus exclusively on ethnic wear. The sale will also focus on several celebrity-led digital campaigns with Rajkummar Rao, Sanya Malhotra and Farhan Akhtar. Ayyappan Rajagopal, Chief Business Officer, Myntra says, they expect this festive season to be bigger than last year with more customers using online channels for purchases. The platform expects demand from all markets including metros, Tier I, II, III cities to rise and will look to double its customer base during this period.

E-commerce platforms also plan to incorporate new technologies and marketing initiatives to offer customized and personalized products to consumers. They will increase the use of social commerce by launching new D2C fashion platforms like Bewakoof.com. For example, Bewakoof plans to launch a 360-degree campaign in October for upcoming festive season. It also plans to launch a new gamification-led loyalty program offering new and exclusive products for members. Their plans include capitalizing on the demand for winter wear with more investments and increasing marketing budget for the season to 15 per cent.

Personalized products to narrow sales gap

E-retail platform OLX plans to narrow the gap between its pre and post-COVID sales offering more personalized shopping experiences. It has already digitized the entire process of online retailing, including verification of all premium items. Similarly Amazon plans to enhance its range by launching new products across home & kitchen, fashion & beauty, appliances and smartphones, grocery categories. With more shoppers shifting to online, the e-commerce industry is on a robust growth trajectory.

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• The Botanical Survey of India has digitized its entire textile collection
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• Big Day! Cabinet approves ₹10,683 crore PLI scheme for textile sector
• PLI for (MMF) Manmade fibre, Technical Textile:Awaiting Cabinet approval today

Watch YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnQ6v9wBHyOlRPSDgJMsJaA

7th September 2021, Mumbai:

Footfalls at V-Mart Retail stores have reached 80-90 per cent of pre-COVID levels, says Anand Agarwal, Chief Financial Officer. Agarwal believes, consumer sentiment has become more indulgent as a lot of occasion buying is happening against last year’s need-based buying.

In August, V-Mart witnessed growing demand for fashion, occasion-led apparel amongst its consumers. The company recently acquired 74 stores from Arvind. Through these stores it aims to integrate the entire store chain system, get consumer confidence back and identify areas to once again turn this brand into a profitable venture. In the long term, it aims to bring the brand on par with the the operating profit levels of V-Mart.

V-Mart also plans to expand operations across India with special focus on South India. The retailer owns, operates, and franchises a chain of family lifestyle stores in India. It operates medium sized hypermarket format retail stores that sell clothes, accessories, and footwear for men, women, and kids, cosmetics, luggage, toys, and games, and food, non-food, and staple items.

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• Urbanic 'E-commerce Brand' reports strong sales on first day of listing on Myntra
• Reliance Retail to set up new store chain in 'Ethnic wear & Saree space'
• CITI, SIMA hail TN state government decision to remove 1% AMC Cess on cotton, cotton waste
• Bewakoof.com announces Peppy Pink as color of month
• The government intends to expand the IFLADP incentive programme to include leather items and footwear

Watch YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnQ6v9wBHyOlRPSDgJMsJaA

6th September 2021, Mumbai:

“The pandemic has given us an opportunity to work on our shortcomings and create specialty products for both niche and value-focused customers,” opines Alok Jain, Vice President, Cloak and Dagger, the new sub-brand from Monte Carlo Fashions.

The brand has just launched a new range of long coats and cardigans for women and jackets for men. Most garments are made from cotton rich poly fabrics that not only retain their original sheen and drape but are also durable.

Revolutionizing the branded garments segment

Cloak and Dagger mostly targets customers in the middle and lower middle income groups. The brand revolutionizes the branded garments segment by offering clothes starting from as low as Rs 399. The product line encompasses all categories including T-shirts, lowers, bermudas, etc for summer and sweatshirts, tracksuits, jackets, long coats, sweaters or cardigans for winters. “We make everything to satisfy the needs of our consumers,” affirms Jain.

After strengthening its position and making a mark in the men’s category, Cloak and Dagger is now making a splash in the women’s apparel category. It has added several new segments besides launching a new accessories range offering caps, mufflers etc. Launched with a vision to create a niche market focusing on the economy class, Cloak and Dagger has spread its wings across the nation. The brand has 70 distributors who handle marketing operations pan India.

Caution, the key to future growth

“These days, middles class consumers wish to buy well known brands at realistic prices. People have become extremely cautious while spending money as the threat of third COVID-wave continues to loom,” explains Jain. Therefore, brands need to focus on customer’s needs, inventory management and distribution activities, he cautions. They cannot ignore the buying potential of customers in smaller cities.

Despite COVID-led uncertainties, Jain expects the upcoming season to be good for the fashion industry as companies are making limited stocks. Yet, a lot depends on the timing and duration of third wave, he says, advising brands to be cautious and focus on limited inventory, pruned retailer list and strong financial distributors.

Beating COVID blues with retail expansion

A pan-India brand, Cloak and Dagger mainly focuses on the Northern and Eastern markets including Delhi, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Assam. It is slowly spreading its wings in Western India as well. Currently, present in over 500 direct and 1,000 indirect MBOs, the brand also plans to set up EBOs in future. Expansion plans include tapping Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh markets. The brand has also tapped the South India market by appointing distributors. Its retail operations are mainly controlled by distributors though the brand also has an online presence.

In future, Cloak and Dagger aims to add new product categories in men’s and women’s segment. It also plans to introduce a rejuvenated version of its classic collection by adding hairy yarns to it.

TOP 5:

• Reliance Retail poised to foray into saree, ethnic wear stores
• Hari Krishna Agarwal has been appointed as the new MD of Grasim Industries
• A Delhi court has ordered the company to stop using Gucci's mark on their products and to pay damages
• MP (India) has a lot of room to expand in the Textile industry: Shivraj Singh,CM (M.P.)
• Telangana (India) has requested a one-billion-dollar grant from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Warangal Textile Park

Watch YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnQ6v9wBHyOlRPSDgJMsJaA

7th September 2021, Mumbai:

Multi-brand e-commerce platform Ikkivi has launched a size inclusivity campaign with a group of influencers. The campaign aims to create awareness amongst consumers and offer people across the world an opportunity to buy sustainably made clothes in a range of sizes.

Aimng to be 100 per cent size inclusive by June 2022, Ikkivi currently retails clothing by eco-friendly and sustainable women’s wear brands including Kanelle, The Summer House, etc. Its new size-inclusion campaign promises to provide garments in sizes 2XS to 5XL with no added cost for larger sizes. For this campaign, Ikkivi spoke with six women from all over the world who are challenging the fashion business in influential ways and trailblazing powerful conversations on the subject, showcasing the urgency to look into contemporary models and issues that impact us at grassroots levels, says Nivi Murthy, Founder.

TOP 5:

• Urbanic 'E-commerce Brand' reports strong sales on first day of listing on Myntra
• Reliance Retail to set up new store chain in 'Ethnic wear & Saree space'
• CITI, SIMA hail TN state government decision to remove 1% AMC Cess on cotton, cotton waste
• Bewakoof.com announces Peppy Pink as color of month
• The government intends to expand the IFLADP incentive programme to include leather items and footwear

Watch YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnQ6v9wBHyOlRPSDgJMsJaA

6th September 2021, Mumbai:

A recent report by market researcher Kantar accuses Indian consumers of being profit oriented and ignoring their environmental commitments. Titled ‘The Asia Sustainability Foundational Study,’ the report surveys 10,000 consumers in nine countries and over 1,000 big Indian cities.

It reveals, though 77 per cent of respondents are willing to invest in sustainable companies, their intentions rarely translate into actions. Around 84 per cent focus only on financial gains rather than saving the planet from environmental hazards. The report terms this phenomenon as the ‘value-action gap’.

Consumers abstain from spending on abstract causes

Samit Sinha, Managing Partner, Alchemist Brand Consulting, elaborates on this phenomenon by highlighting the purchases of most Indian consumers are price-driven. They do not prefer spending on distant and abstract causes. They are unlikely to shift their manufacturing strategies unless policies are made to make sustainability affordable. However, Sanjay Sarma, Founder, SSARMA Consults, a boutique branding and communications advisory believes a law making sustainability mandatory would invite more resistance from brands. To make sustainability more affordable, brands needs to change the way they look at both. They also need to invite more conversations on this topic, adds Sarma.

Incorporating sustainability into brand consciousness

Though fashion and lifestyle brands start their sustainability journey with good intent, they eventually compromise on their values as economic considerations and market forces take precedence, adds Sarma

Brands therefore, need to change their thinking patterns and incorporate sustainability into their consciousness. The onus to create awareness and promote sustainability lies on them, adds Shishir Goenka, a Mumbai-based exporter of organic cotton clothing, who launched a sustainable brand called Do U Speak Green? for the domestic market in 2009. However, the brand didn’t survive for long as the market was not yet ready for sustainable clothing. Hence, large fashion brands need to up their sustainability quotient and increase contributions towards climate-control.

TOP 5:

• Reliance Retail poised to foray into saree, ethnic wear stores
• Hari Krishna Agarwal has been appointed as the new MD of Grasim Industries
• A Delhi court has ordered the company to stop using Gucci's mark on their products and to pay damages
• MP (India) has a lot of room to expand in the Textile industry: Shivraj Singh,CM (M.P.)
• Telangana (India) has requested a one-billion-dollar grant from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Warangal Textile Park

Watch YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnQ6v9wBHyOlRPSDgJMsJaA