Crusoe to expand, launch women’s innerware

Men’s innerwear brand Crusoe from Jagannath Textile is on an expansion spree. By the end of 2011, they plan to be in about 10 EBOs, each of about 1,000 sq. ft. area and in at least 10,000 counters. As of now they cater to about 2,000 outlets and in three to

four months plan to open EBOs in Coimbatore and Kolkata. They are also in the process of entering large formats. Their target is to have a pan-India presence shortly.

Crusoe offers boxer shorts, vests and briefs in three ranges: Base, Nxt and Xtreme. Each segment further has eight variants ranging from woven, knitted and printed briefs, and vests. Xtreme, the top-end range has designs inspired from various adventure related activities like surfing, skateboarding, sky diving, mountain etc, making it unique in the category of innerwear. This is the first time something like this has been attempted by a brand in this category. Abhishek Tibrewal, Chief Marketing Officer, Crusoe says, “We spent considerable time understanding the likes and dislikes of the youth both in terms of their aspirations and choice in fashion. The name Crusoe is synonymous with adventure. As a brand Crusoe identifies with that ‘true inside’ and therefore the brand proposition is ‘Innerwear for the Inner self.”

 Made of finest combed cotton yarn, the products have breathable fabrics and are skin friendly. Each garment is carefully constructed to follow the body contours for optimal comfort. Attention to detail like seamless elasticated spandex waist bands which do not cut into the skin. “We follow superior technology so one can adopt any kind of process, dyes, etc. Our process is eco-friendly and the product is skin-friendly. We use high quality dyes and are now planning processes like anti-bacterial treatment. Our factory is in Coimbatore and we make 16,000 pieces a day,” explains Tibrewal.

The brand also plans to add shorts and track pants to its product portfolio. What’s more, they also seek to foray into the women’s innerwear category. Their current turnover is Rs 15 crores and for next year they are aiming for a turnover of around Rs 45 crores. “We will cater to the market’s requirements with different designs and styles. In terms of brand strategy we want to own the adventure space. We are already taking steps in that direction and hope to consolidate our position and strengthen our presence in the market. We believe this will give us the differentiating edge,” concludes Tibrewal.