Crusoe to launch boys’ and women’s innerwear

After formally launching brand Crusoe in 2010, with a redesigned logo and ad campaign, the company now plans to introduce boys and women’s range. Also on its agenda, is achieving 100 percent growth in the next two years. “Our turnover is Rs 30

crores. This year, we hope to do Rs 60 crores. For the next two years, we hope for a 100 percent growth. By then we should touch a turnover of Rs 250 crores,” says a confident Abhishek Tibrewal, Chief Marketing Officer, Jagannath Textile Company.

The company is also looking at building a strong retail network across India especially in smaller towns.

Boy’s and women’s innerwear on the launchpad

“In the innerwear category, brands discuss quality, comfort, but we are the only ones to bring up adventure. In the first years, we had 15 styles, then we added 10 more,” explains Tibrewal. The brand will add another 15 styles this year, apart from adding socks and T-shirts for men. Plans are also on to launch boys’ range with two briefs and one vest and women’s innerwear. “We haven’t thought of the name but it will be XXX from Crusoe. We will target women 20 to 30 years of age. We will have T-shirts and the like. The MRPs will be from Rs 200 to Rs 2,000. We will have separate distributors. We will have innerwear, active wear, relaxed wear, lounge wear. Knits will be our core,” adds Tibrewal.

Crusoe uses skin-friendly dyes. In fact, its range of printed boxers and 24 shades of plain boxers are very popular. “Boxers contribute 25 percent of our turnover,” says Tibrewal, adding, “We have tied up with MTV Roadies and have 10 styles in there. It’s a separate line of briefs, vests and boxers. The designs and colours are from them and we do the manufacturing. That was a two-year deal and we have extended it for another two years. We will have more licensee associations, co-branded products with international brands.”

Growing store network

The brand enjoys a pan India presence. “In 2009, we did a soft launch in Bangalore, Mangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai and added Mumbai later. We launched our products through the conventional distributor network. Now, we are in large formats like Central and are looking at Shoppers Stop. The brand is also retailed online. We have two EBOs in Coimbatore, one in Kolkata, one in Mumbai. One is opening in Cochin. Next year, we may add 30 more EBOs. Right now, all our five EBOs are company-owned. The next five EBOs will also be company-owned. After that we will have franchisees,” says Tibrewal, giving a peek on their store expansion plans.

The company has 58 distributors in India and the range is with 5,000 MBOs. After establishing its presence in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Kolhapur and Nasik in Maharashtra, the company is now exploring Tier III and IV cities like Aurangabad, Shirdi and Ahmednagar. In Tamil Nadu, it is available in Chennai and Coimbatore and plans to enter Madurai.