FRDC worked with Global firm Gensler to create Color Plus's new pilot stores. The first set of pilot stores opened in Chennai and Bangalore last month. The store design is start of a new chapter in Indian retail design, where currently 'blingy' and 'be loud' is considered as beautiful. Understated and artistically sophisticated Color Plus stores appeal to its target customers.
Hetal Kotak
It will provide ‘a sense of space and freedom’ to customers
ColorPlus Fashions Ltd., a subsidiary of Raymond, has gone in for a quiet re-jig of its retail and product strategy in the wake of a subtle shift in the dress sense of the Indian man.
It will provide ‘a sense of space and freedom’ to customers
ColorPlus Fashions Ltd., a subsidiary of Raymond, has gone in for a quiet re-jig of its retail and product strategy in the wake of a subtle shift in the dress sense of the Indian man.
According
to Hetal Kotak, Chief Operating Officer of ColorPlus, Indians are
increasingly becoming health and fitness-conscious. The modern global
Indian, who has been exposed to international tastes and trends, thanks
to the spread of Internet culture and increased travelling overseas, is
also playing the ‘influencer’ role, and sets the agenda for the elder
members of the family. The growth of the entrepreneurial class and the
loosening of dress codes in India Inc, too, have brought about a
paradigm shift in the dress culture of Indian men.
These
have, according to Mr. Kotak, triggered a move towards tailored-fit
wears. The Rs.200-crore ColorPlus has indeed seen the demand for
tailored-fit wears go up considerably in the recent past. So much so,
around 45 per cent of its revenue now comes from the sale of
tailored-fits. Not long ago tailored-fits were contributing to just
around 15 per cent of the company’s sales.
Asserting
the ‘classic and yet contemporary’ undertone of brand ColorPlus, Mr.
Kotak said, “Colour, comfort and craftsmanship” remained the core design
philosophy of the company. Besides the tailored-fit, it had in its
portfolio classic and sports fits as well. Roughly around 10 per cent of
its sales came from sports fits, a new addition. Category-wise, 80 per
cent the revenue came from smart casuals, he said. Smart formals and
sports wears contributed 10 per cent each to the sales, he added. “The
personality of our brand is smart casual,” he said. “We don’t follow
every fashion fad. The ability to say ‘no’ to fads is a critical
challenge,” he pointed out. “ColorPlus got into tailored-fits a few
seasons ago. But it has gained momentum in the last six months,” he
added. “The 30 to 45 age group is the core belly of the brand,” he said.
Fielding
a range of questions, Mr. Kotak said ColorPlus was going in for a new
retail identity. A pilot was on at its store here, he added. ColorPlus
would test the concept in each zone, he said. The national roll-out
would happen once the pilots were tested for efficacy, he added. “This
retail identity is a response to India’s evolving dressing and fashion
trends. The store helps customers select a look and not just a product.
Products will be the key focus of the new retail identity,” he said. All
props at the store were yarn and product-based and not just plain
architectural elements, he added. The new retail identity would provide
“a sense of space and freedom” to customers.
Comments