H&A the value family retail store chain from Alok Industries is looking at scaling up its retail presence across India in a big way in the next one year. H&A which has grown to 197 EBOs and 75 shop-in-shops within a span of four years wants
to push up the number of EBOs to 400 by April 2012. What’s more, H&A is now moving towards lifestyle retail and targeting Tier II-III cities. Northeast India is also on their radar for retail expansion. And what makes Sunil O Khandelwal, Group Chief Financial Officer, Alok Industries so confident is the way the Indian market is spreading out. As he says, “We have seen a huge demand for casuals in the men’s category in 2010. The casual Friday dressing concept is seeping in deeper in the corporate world. Spending on kid’s apparel is increasing at a phenomenal rate. And Indian consumers are becoming fashion conscious and want to spend money on the latest fashion and carry the ‘young at heart and good to look’ image.”
At the moment, H&A retails a complete range of apparels for the entire family. Their men’s T-shirts brand ‘Side FX’ ranges between Rs 399 to 599. Corresponding Denims ranges between Rs 699 to 1,199. Women’s tops and tunics are sold under the brand name ‘Editions’ and range between Rs 399 to 599. Women’s trousers and denims range between Rs 699 to 1,299. Their kids range is marketed under the brand name “Vintage Warrirors (for boys) and Vintage Angels (for girls). Then they have home furnishings, which is one of the best in India and sold under the brand name ‘Reflections’. The prices for a double bed sheet vary between Rs 899 to 1,299. H&A has also launched a range of accessories like perfumes and sunglasses to enable the customer to fulfil all his wardrobe needs in one store itself. Recently, H&A has added footwear to its range of accessories. Footwear for women range between Rs 599 to Rs 1,299 and for men’s it’s priced between Rs 999 to 1,299. Khandelwal says they are also adding new categories to their range. “Categories do keep on getting added. Women’s lingerie is something that we are keen to introduce. We are also planning to introduce embroidered name initials on formal shirts purchased from our outlets to let our customers carry their identity where ever they go.” Alok H&A is aiming for a turnover of Rs 50 crores by the end of this fiscal.
