Cantabil: Spreading beyond Indian shores

Cantabil the popular brand from Cantabil International launched in 2000 is rapidly moving towards its goal of becoming ‘India’s Best Fashion Brand’. When it started Cantabil offered a range of formal and semi-formal shirts and trousers for men.

Subsequently, it established its identity and expanded its portfolio to casuals and smart casuals for men, women and children. Elaborating on the brand’s success as a lifestyle label, Vijay Bansal, MD says, “Cantabil remains extremely buoyant and optimistic about the future. Our mission is to provide not only a good clothing but also a complete fashion guide which suggests what to wear, how to wear and where to wear. For that we are regularly organizing fashion campaigns at every Cantabil store across India to educate the customers.” Bansal says, the brand is the first to bring Italian fashion in the Indian market.

Cantabil is aimed at the upper middle class customer and everyone who wants premium clothing in best prices. Bansal says with the inclusion of the casual line for both men and women they have now extended their target group. They target people up to 25 years age, young professionals who want to be formal yet stylish at a price that suits their tastes and pocket. Even in the discounted category, Cantabil has created a strong foothold. As Bansal explains, “In the discounted category, most players have vanished now. In our category which is discounted category we have a share of 5 per cent share.”

The brand collection is currently available in 286 EBOs across the country. “We have a loyal customer base and work for turning visitors into potential buyers and converting them into sustained customer base. In the years ahead, we are planning to expand our network further in terms of retail space. We are likely to open more EBOs and also enter into MBOs by the end of this year. Since we have created our niche in the country, we also plan to enter the international market, starting with Nepal, where we have already launched an EBO. We also have plans to enter the UAE market through both franchise and company owned exclusive retail chains,” Bansal informs.

Cantabil is already present in the Teir II, III cities including Bahadurgarh, Sonipat and Ambala in Haryana, Aligarh, Gorakhpura and Kanpur in UP, Alwar, Jaipur, Udaipur and Bikaner in Rajasthan, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad and Ranchi in Jharkhand. Apart from this they have a presence in all most all states.

Business wise Bansal says “Cantabil Retail India (CRIL) had opened its Rs 105 crores initial public offering (IPO) for subscription at a fixed a price band of Rs 127-135 per share. With the proceeds of the IPO, they plan to set up 180 stores across the country, with the focus on the southern states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. Out of the 180 stores, a third will be company-owned and two-thirds will be franchisee-owned.”