17 January 2023, Mumbai

At the outset the outlook for wearables in India remains strong in the current year with users from Tier II and III cities becoming attracted to it. In Q1 FY’22 India’s wearable shipments grew 20.1 percent Y-o-Y to 13.9 million units and rest of the quarters growth too is expected to remain healthy due to continuing push from brands as a catalyst and scenario looks very bright on the back of demand tailwind.

Pull and push

The performance-linked incentive scheme is encouraging key players in the sector to venture into local manufacturing and launch ‘Made in India’ products, further lowering their selling price, adds Joshi.

Consumers are being encouraged to spend more on wearables through aggressive discounts, new features, and a strong push from brands and channel partners, says Anisha Dumbre, Senior Market Analyst, Client Devices, IDC India.

What is sellinThe growth was driven by increasing acceptance of earwear devices and upgrades to watches from wrist bands, both recording their highest annual shipments in 2022.

Prognosis

In 2023, the Indian wearable market is expected to migrate to more sophisticated devices with enhanced audio experience being the central theme for all vendors, say most of the trade observers as the high cost associated with wearable watches is not much of a challenge anymore.

But unqualified products been dumped in India is one concern flag raised by trade watchers & experts as this is both capex and working capital investment intensive and illegal imports are not going to take us any where.

Surprise element

The usage of digital technology, no prediction could have worked for long in the past in terms of shifting the business environment throughout the supply chain for an industry as fragmented as fashion where product cycles have also decreased dramatically, from months to days and where unit economics is pretty critical given 'Competitive Landscape'.

The truth is that no customer will pay more for factory-sourced items tomorrow than they did yesterday so the USP of success is going to be smart features and cutting edge product simple as this.

Use cases of smart wearables

Rather than incorporating electronic gadgets into accessories such as watches or spectacles, the next step is to incorporate them into the clothing itself. As a result, the user will not need to carry an additional accessory and will be able to wear smart device features right on their clothing.

Designers and manufacturers have been attempting to affix these gadgets to the cloth directly and already early movers are making best out of it.

Bits of Good

And India needs to replicate China like spirit and eco-system to make a big success out of this emerging category for a country of youthful demographics. We have climbed up in ease of doing business and, is helping global & Indian investors as these small things help maths adding up to sew a success story.

Now India has a strong manufacturing heritage to prove the point and the innovation led R&D in some of the companies is driving the future traction to create an intrigue around these lifestyle products and continued evolution of emerging technologies is the vanguard of this category.

There is a case for wearable devices help solve issues plaguing the fitness conscious Indians. Product! Product! Product; The trend we are witnessing today is that it is not really naive to argue anymore that remote monitoring powered by wearables can be of great help to effectively & meaningfully monitor health parameters and, relay these vital stats to doctors/physicians Or healthcare providers over the cloud thus timely get expert advice & prescription as in preventive cure and treatment and, this is the change we are seeing today.

Latest Textile Events

 12 January 2023, Mumbai

Monte Carlo’s revenues grew 12 percent during the third quarter.

Despite the higher raw material prices, the company has strategically tackled the volatility by optimising the product mix, passing on the costs to consumers and rationalising overheads. The quarterly sales have been the best for the company on the back of substantial brand equity among consumers, the latest fashion products and superior quality aided by solid end-of-season sales and the encouraging festive season across India.

During the quarter, the woollen knitted apparel maker continued with its strategy of strengthening its retail presence in India by opening 13 new exclusive brand outlets, out of which seven were opened in the northern region, two in the central region and four in the eastern region. With this, the total number of exclusive brand outlets has reached approximately 347 across 20 states and four union territories. Most of the company’s net revenue from franchises, exclusive outlets and multi-brand outlets are sold on pre-order or outright, inventory risk is minimised, consequently helping it remain insulated from hazard sales in the branded apparel business.

The stock closed at Rs 699, up four percent on the NSE. Technically, it has formed a long bullish candle which resembles a bullish engulfing kind of pattern formation on the daily charts, with healthy volumes.

Latest Textile Events

 05 January 2023, Mumbai

Madame opened 18 new stores in states like Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Assam in 2022.

The women’s fashion brand plans to continue its retail expansion to cater to the untapped market segment by opening new stores in 2023 with a focus on Tier II and III cities across India.

Since Indians love fashion, and people living in Tier II and III cities are equally aware of global fashion trends and are looking for brands to offer them western fashion options at affordable prices, Madame wants to cater to this segment as a commitment to fulfil the fashion needs of modern Indian women across the country.

The brand’s sales grew by 25 percent during the October-December quarter and it expects a strong end to the financial year on the back of its retail expansion.

Madame was created in 1993 to meet the fashion needs of progressive and modern Indian women. In keeping with this vision, Madame’s fashion keeps up with the latest trends and is also easy on the pocket.The brand manufactures its clothing in Ludhiana and currently has over 150 exclusive brand outlets across the country as well as a presence in over 700 multi-brand stores and e-commerce platforms.

Latest Textile News

 17 January 2023, Mumbai

Rangriti’s new line features an array of festive sets. The collection features ethnic sets in jewel and muted tones as well as classic shades of maroon and black. Coin and bead embellishments add a bohemian flair and numerous ensembles come in heavyweight fabrics for the colder months.

Array

The collection also features palazzo pants, straight-cut suits, lehengas, indie tops, slim-fit pants, dresses, jackets, and coats, among other garments. Rangriti, a women’s ethnic wear brand, was launched by Biba as a value-focused subsidiary in 2015 with the aim of offering traditional styles at affordable prices.

Extensive footprint

The brand has exclusive brand outlets across India and operates in a large number of Tier II and III cities.

In recent times, with India’s online retail boom, changing lifestyles, and rapid urbanization, the ethnic market has seen tremendous growth. Much of the market is unorganized. The increased demand for ethnic wear is not only attributed to festivals and special occasions but also the increased demand for fusion wear.

Emerging category

The women’s ethnic wear category is expected to remain the fastest-growing category in the next five to ten years. The trend will be more toward fashion consciousness and there will be a greater demand for high quality, fashionable and affordable fashion.

Latest Textile Events

 12 January 2023, Mumbai

Puma has opened a store in Faridabad. This adds to the brand’s presence in the Delhi National Capital Region.

The sportswear brand’s new store measures 5,159 square feet and houses clothing, footwear, and accessories. The store opened its doors with a 60 per cent offer on select items to celebrate the launch.

Puma has witnessed strong growth in India and gone on to become the number one sports brand in terms of sales over the last few years through its association with actors, singers, and sportspersons. India is a strategic market for Puma. A combination of global strength and local execution has accelerated the brand’s momentum in the country. Puma expects India’s growing young population and increasing interest in fitness and sports to set it up for success in the future. There’s a lot of traction on sportswear now with women and younger consumers and sportswear is becoming a lifestyle statement.

The brand has localised the product portfolio and does channel specific pricing. Anushka Sharma is Puma’s brand ambassador for the Indian market. She will endorse the brand’s footwear, apparel and accessories including select collections through numerous activities and brand campaigns throughout the year. The brand celebrates women who embrace individuality, fashion, sports and fitness.

Latest Textile Events

 04 January 2023, Mumbai

Spykar aims to be the second largest denim brand in India.

This homegrown denim wear brand has carved out a special place for itself in the country and is giving a tough competition to international brands. Spykar has a very unique place in India. It is probably the only brand that offers denim as fashion while other brands project themselves as classic denim.

In 2023 Spykar will focus on content marketing and creating on-ground IPs to attract audiences. Spykar is one of the largest offline denim players with a significant presence as far as retail stores are concerned. The brand speaks to audiences who are younger through digital and to the existing audience who have experienced Spykar first-hand through retail outlets. The brand will be doing a lot of affiliate marketing besides social media and will go a little stronger and more bullish on creating on-ground properties and IPs for the brand. The 360-degree campaign will be built around certain properties the brand can associate with. There will be a lot of on-ground events happening and digital and social media will also be important.

Spykar also has an intimate wear brand Underjeans.

Latest Textile News

13 January 2023, Mumbai

Forever 21 has opened a store in Nagaland, which happens to have a fashion feel.

The store has women’s wear, men’s wear, collections for party wear, casual wear, dinner or lunch dates, accessories and footwear.The opening of the store saw a considerable turn out of people, both men and women, eager to try out the first collections available there. With this the brand has a total of five stores in the northeast region. But this new store has the best facade among all the other northeastern states including an LED screen outside to display offers when available. Offers will be provided in the store every alternate month.

Forever 21 is an American fast-fashion giant. It is heavily favoured by young people across the globe for its affordable pricing and trendy styles. In 2016, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail acquired the rights to the India network of Forever 21.

The brand currently has over 30 stores across India. Since then the company has changed its image and collection to keep up with changing trends. So it will be opening and expanding more stores in the future. Forever 21 has tied up with other international brands such as Hello Kitty to collaborate on specific collections.

Latest Textile Events

 07 January 2023, Mumbai

Uptownie plans to take the phygital (physical and digital expansion) route for future growth in the Indian market.

The women’s wear fashion brand aims to be present in over 500 stores across the country and expand its online presence by collaborating with social media influencers to connect with its target audience. Its vision for 2023 is to continue to grow aggressively on its own website and push its physical presence to over 500 stores across the country. The brand is currently onboarding more than ten stores a week. The larger goal is to become a one-stop shop for women looking for western and indo-western wear at an affordable and accessible price point.

In the past quarter, Uptownie has successfully improved the conversion rate, average order value and session’s rate and launched a successful capsule collection with Riya Jain, who is a top tier influencer. The coming year will bring several more collaborations both in the indo-western and western segments and the brand hopes to engage Gen Z consumers through content that is constantly relevant to them.

Uptownie is currently present at over 15 retail outlets across the country and retails through its website along with e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, among many others.

Latest Textile News

13 January 2023, Mumbai

Biba has opened a store in Gurgaon.

The store which retails the brand’s full range of stitched and unstitched garmentshas a spacious interior and features a dedicated section for the brand’s Easy Stitch fabric sets as well as sections for occasion wear and casual wear and accessories.

Biba is an ethnic wear and lifestyle retailer. New launches by Biba include its Weddings by Biba line designed for the upcoming spring wedding season. The collection is made with Liva Fluid Fabric, a natural origin textile designed to be sustainable. Along with classic kurtas in bright hues, the collection also offers more fusion and casual style ensembles such as jumpsuits and maxi-dresses.The brand has also launched a new footwear line featuring juttis and sandals designed to be suitable for wedding wear ensembles.

The women’s ethnic wear brand has a massive store expansion program. Of these stores 40 per cent would be flagship stores, around 3000sqft to 5000 sqft in size. These stores would have a different experience for customers. The trial rooms, for instance, would have special lighting techniques that allow customers to see how a dress would look in the afternoon or in the evening. About 20 per cent of the brand’s stores are franchise-owned.

Latest Textile Events

 06 January 2023, Mumbai

Style Up has opened in Ahmedabad. Style Up from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail is a fashion brand offering affordable on-trend apparel and accessories.

This is the company’s first store in Gujarat. Style Up is currently growing all over India, especially in Tier II and Tier III cities where there is a greater need for reasonably priced, high-quality clothing. The Style Up line aims at meet the needs of fashion-conscious people of all ages by offering quality pieces at affordable prices.

Products include footwear, handbags and apparel in both western and fusion designs. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are home to the bulk of Style Up’s retail outlets (with a total of five in Uttar Pradesh and six in Bihar). The average Style Up store is between 6,000sqft and 8,000 sqft and the company operates in more than 16 locations across India. This fits in with the firm’s strategy of reaching a wider audience than just the buyers of the brands it currently represents.

In addition to Style Up, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail has a range of brands such as Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Peter England along with the fast fashion store brand Pantaloons.

Latest Textile News

 03 January 2023, Mumbai

Fashion brand FOReT has won an award from PETA for its line of wallets. FOReT received the award for its attention to cutting-edge innovation and sustainability in fashion.

The brand’s line of wallets is made from genuine cork fabric sourced from Portugal, giving customers an eco-friendly vegan alternative.People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) awards honor and celebrate cruelty-free fashion including clothing, accessories, jewellery and more.

FOReT is India’s first brand to have launched jewellery and handbags from cork, a plant-based material. Much like FOReT’s line of wallets, the brand’s other product offerings like jewellery, bags and laptop bags are also eco-conscious and made from mindful materials that are earth-friendly and cruelty-free.

Cork is the vegan-friendly brand’s primary material as it’s not only sustainable, cruelty-free and vegan, but also has great longevity and is light-weight. FOReT also uses other materials like handmade porcelain ceramic beads, stainless steel and gold plated on brass.

The brand also supports as many as more than 250 artisans, including rural women and artisans globally. Brands and retailers and apparel and footwear companies want to be seen as embracing veganism and as declaring products free from animal-derived materials or ingredients. But sourcing vegan fashion products goes further than simply bypassing wool, leather and natural silk as raw materials. Retailers must also take care to guard against the use of a number of dyes, glues and chemicals that are derived from animals.

Latest Textile News