Indus League to open 18 new EBOs, eyes Tier-II cities

Indus League Clothing, the Future Group company, currently operating in around 100 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) across India, is planning to add another 18 to 20 new exclusive showrooms for its brands -- Daniel Hechter, Indigo Nation and Scullers. That’s not all; they have

plans to expand into Tier-II towns; the company that got a boost with the onset of consumer spending in festive season is now bullish about its growth prospects. It has restructured its marketing spend and introduced new entry-level price points for all its brands. “We have a portfolio of brands. For some brands we are looking at premium locations and for others we are targeting Tier II towns. For a brand like Jealous 21 we are looking at places with high footfalls,” says Rachana Aggarwal, CEO, Indus League Clothing. The company that opened nine stores in 2009 is now targeting cities such as Madurai and Vizag with John Miller and Indigo Nation brands.

At present John Miller is the largest brand in their portfolio. It’s primarily being retailed through all the group formats with a couple of John Miller stores. The group also plans to open two or three John Miller stores in the near future. “But the highest growth brand people are asking for is Jealous 21. It has registered a 40 per cent growth,” says Aggarwal. Daniel Hechter, the newest brand in their portfolio was launched in 2009. It’s a French lifestyle brand that sells both menswear and women’s wear. Indus League opened exclusive Daniel Hechter stores at Palladium in Mumbai and South Extension in Delhi. “All our brands are very strong in brand value and attitude and we are going to take them forward,” says Aggarwal.

Apart from EBOs, Indus League also retails through 45 Pantaloon stores and around 12 Central stores.  “A large part of the business happens within the group through our own EBOs, the group formats, Central and Brand Factory. We are also open to options like Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle as long as the commercials work out both ways,” she says.
In the last few months, Indus League has seen good growth. “We will close the year with over 12 to 15 per cent growth over last year. By March 2011, we are expecting a 25 per cent growth,” Rachna adds optimistically.