John Miller looks at clocking in Rs 200 crores in FY16

John Miller’s philosophy is clear. It targets the corporate executives and offers a complete ensemble. As such it has become popular with young men who look for comfort and affordability office wear. During the last three to four weeks of Spring-Summer 2016, the brand has done 25 per cent like for like growth. Also, it closed at Rs 175 crores and now, it is aiming for Rs 200 crores.

Formal shirts give way to semi formal

Moditha Tripathi, Chief Brand Manager says “Today, formals are becoming semi formal. So, John Miller has semi formal ranges. It is targeted at the ambitious young corporate executive who is in a hurry to reach the top. Also, the brand has introduced linen formal shirts, though the fabric is normally associated with casuals. For casuals trends they have formal shirts like prints. These are aimed at making formal shirts trendy. Then there are premium cotton shirts. Slim fit is in and the brand also has ultra slim fit.” Earlier, the formal look was in the corporate world. But today, people are experimenting and even though some companies have dress codes, they are few in number. It is no longer about having a white shirt and a black tie. It is about giving a specific touch to formal shirts like detailing, something more stylized and not so much worked upon. So that it doesn’t look like a boring formal shirt.

Says Tripathi explains, “We offer the complete corporate ensemble. We have shirts, trousers, suits, blazers. We have an interview blazer. We have specialty trousers like super crease. These trousers are in odd sizes to give the perfect fit.”

Hanging out with Hangout

Since the casual market is growing much faster than formal, the company has launched a sub-brand called ‘Hangout’. This has neat casuals. It is not rugged, distressed or worn out. These can be worn on Fridays and weekends. Hangout caters to the same target group as John Miller. Hangout production is totally outsourced.

John Miller has a total of 375 touchpoints. Soon this will be pushed up to 400. It has a good franchise base in Tier II and III cities. It has 40 EBOs of these 25 are their own and the rest are franchisees. The company makes 8-10 lakh pieces a season which is six months period. John Miller sells on Amazon and other websites. Now it is looking at expanding.

Says Tripathi, “We offer the best products at best prices on any channel. Consumers look for best product value, not discounts. E-commerce has changed the perception of the consumer. They want discounts online and offline though this isn’t true of all consumers. But I wonder how long portals can continue with heavy discounts. Discounts are for the short run. I see discounts as a war between sites, which are aggressively liquidating or capturing the market.”