Black Panther: To add shoes and more to its range

After facing disappointments due to a slowdown, sportswear brand Black Panther eyes bouncing back this Diwali season. With the introduction of its hyper collections recently, it expects to grow by 50 per cent in the next two seasons

adding shoes, swimming caps and goggles to its portfolio. “We are working on our hyper collection, the economy line. We are hoping for a good Diwali this season as the market is now picking up. Targeting people between the age group of 14-40, we hope to be among the top Indian sportswear brands in India,” said Sakshi Juneja, Business Development Manager, Black Panther. “By year-end we will have products for children as well. We have a range of yoga pants and will have shoes next year,” Juneja adds.

Driven by the brand theme of ‘Seriously Sporty’, Black Panther manufactures cotton sports apparel like T-shirts, track suits, jogging bottoms, athletic vests, cricket wear and accessories like wristbands, headbands and athletic supporters. In the coming days, it plans to add a lot more categories like shoes, yoga pants and sports equipment like rackets, tennis balls and etc. Last season, it had introduced active junior range for boys aged between 5-13 years, whereas this summer, it has come up with active junior swimwear range for both boys & girls.

Established in 1981, Black Panther operates through one plant located in Mumbai and produces about 50,000 garments a month. Black Panther operates six EBO’s out of which three are company-owned. Having its presence in about 200 large formats like Shoppers Stop, Globus, Reliance and HyperCity, the brand is also available in 1,500 MBOs across India. “This financial year we will add 10 more stores. These stores will be mainly in Tier II and III cities. As of now, we have signed up with four franchisees and will be opening store in July in Barnala. By mid-July, we look at opening stores in Sonipat and Kharghar,” Juneja informs. Juneja believes the brand first perfectly with the aspirations of Tier II, III consumers. “For a brand like us Tier II and II are the best. That is the reason we have a store in Kalyan and three stores in Indore. It is not that the people in smaller towns do not have money… they are a bit conservative when it comes to spending. Their knowledge about brands is growing and that is why our next store will be coming up at Ujjain and Pune.”

The company exports its merchandise to the UAE under the Black Panther label. In Dubai alone it is available in 30 to 40 counters. As for expansion plans, the brand wishes to reach the north, Northeast in the next couple of years and add up to 200 MBOs to its retail network.