New Beginning: Era plans to add 100 MBOs this year

Occasion wear is a huge market in India these days. People splurge for different occasions, and if it’s a wedding, then price tags don’t matter much. Brand Era has been catering to this group of shoppers who love to splurge. The brand’s ethnic wear is much in demand and Era continues to innovate to meet customer needs. With popularity, the brand now plans to add at least 100 MBOs this year.

In the ethnic wear category, summer is an extended wedding season. Era’s kurtis are a value for money. They even have kurtis in denims so as to make them more wearable and western. The ethnic collection of Era is inspired by the ‘Moods of Peacock’. It’s as cheerful and colourful as the peacock dancing in the first rains. As for fabrics, many types of silks, and this time taffeta fabric have been added. For kids’ wear, colours are bright and fabrics such as net, taffeta, georgette and brocade have been used. As Nikhil Furia, Partner, Era, says, “Comfort is the main motto for kids’ wear. We are not much into cottons other than in kurtis.”

<> Era is known for its gowns which are indo-western in style. The idea is to make a product that can be worn both for birthdays and weddings. The brand believes with rising cost of clothes it makes sense to offer something which can be used for multiple purposes. As Furia says “When a consumer buys a product worth Rs 4,000-5,000, he will try to understand how many times it can be worn. Accordingly, he will purchase. That’s why Era is conscious of what it makes and ensures the product is multipurpose.”

Ethnics and its myriad challenges

The ethnic wear market is huge. Today, the casual wear segment has been taken over by big malls and online channels, so, it becomes difficult to sell in MBOs. “It’s not easy to know which particular fashion is governing the category. It takes time to get traction in the market for one’s brand as fashion changes fast and it is difficult to adopt to change. For example, during Eid palazzos were in demand, before Eid there was no market for anarkalis, everybody was looking for straight cuts. Post Eid, palazzos disappeared and only prints were in fashion. And now there are no prints at all, so the market is tricky. Managing inventory is the biggest challenge in the ethnic wear industry,” he explains.

Era has about 700 MBOs on a pan-India basis. The company is gradually expanding its retail footprint and is already in the overseas market, with a presence in the UK. In domestic market, the company is planning to enter Assam and other Northeastern states as well as Uttar Pradesh. They want to strengthen their presence in these states. However, there are no immediate plans for setting up EBOs.