Aditya Birla Fashion to increase focus on ethnic segment

Aditya Birla Fashion is planning to build a multi-crore business from its new acquisitions in the ethnic wear segment. The lifestyle retailer acquired 100 per cent stake in Jaypore and TG Apparel and has also entered into a strategic partnership with designers Shantanu and Nikhil. Jaypore is a business-to-business online-cum-offline retailer. Launched in 2012, Jaypore currently has two stores and largely sells women’s clothing and accessories online. This means curated collections of apparel, jewelry, gift items, home textiles and craft articles. Aditya Birla is working on launching a more affordable range of clothing under the Shantanu and Nikhil brand. TG is a business-to-consumer online-cum-offline retailer of ethnic fashion clothing and accessories.

In India, ethnic wear is the single biggest category in the women’s wear segment with a share of 71 per cent despite global fashion brands pushing their Westernised clothing in the market. Indian wear, initially largely restricted to the older age segment, has also found acceptance among younger consumers as companies widen their portfolio to sell fusion clothing instead of just ethnic, worn during special occasions. Department store chains have expanded their private label range and started offering contemporary styling in the ethnic space, fuelling growth.