Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail expand retail footprint with 150 new stores

Store expansion is a key focus area for Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail. Some 150 stores will be opened in this quarter alone. The company has a network of 2,999 stores in India, along with 6,200 point of sales in department stores across the country. Strong demand during the wedding season in October and November followed by severe winter in parts of north India helped the company report strong sales, particularly of suits, winter wear and jackets. Winter this time, in the north, was both early and severe. The company invested in marketing and promotional activities that helped draw more shoppers to its stores in what has otherwise been a weak consumer demand scenario.

The company's Madura Garments’ segment that comprises lifestyle and fast fashion brands such as Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England, Forever 21, among others, reported 14 per cent year-on-year growth in revenue.

Pantaloons, its large format fashion stores, reported a 13 per cent rise in revenue in the December quarter. Initiatives in the apparel business are driven around product and supply chain. So Pantaloons’ profitability journey has been about improving and enhancing brand perception, and working on the retail experience. This helped improve consumer basket, increase the average selling price, and reduced the markdowns offered by the brand.