Marc Cain eyes retail expansion in major metros

With plans to expand its footprint to other metros like Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai in the next 2-3 years, Marc Cain has set aside Rs 25-30 crores for the endeavor. “For all the upcoming stores, we plan to implement the

same concept which is at par with the international stores of Marc Cain. This will enable customers to easily recognize the store,” explains Punit Agarwal, Promoter of Marc Cain India.

Marc Cain's plans to expand its footprint in India

Marc Cain is a German high end luxury brand for women’s clothing. The collection consists of apparel, accessories and footwear ranging between Rs 5,000 to Rs 40,000. The brand sets the highest standards for design, quality, materials, latest production techniques and correct fit. The innovative spirit and distinctiveness of Marc Cain’s product lines are based on the German production facility.

There are two sub labels: Marc Cain Collections and Marc Cain Sports. Marc Cain Collection is the company’s key label and it combines sensuous silhouettes with cool, glamorous details, reflecting the spirit of the times with its own style and classiness. Marc Cain Sports on the other hand stands for casual and leisure wear. The label combines modern design with functionality and body consciousness.

“The company has definitely made some progress by opening three stores in India,” says Agarwal, adding, “But the journey has not been an easy one. It was indeed challenging with India going through a recession in the year 2008-09. The retail scenario was grim and business was not doing that well for us. However, with conditions improving towards 2011, we managed to open two stores. These are standalone located in the heart of the city where there are maximum footfalls.”

Designs and merchandise

Elaborating on the brand’s offerings, Agarwal says, “We do not customize our products as it is sourced directly from the parent company in Germany. The innovative spirit and distinctiveness of Marc Cain’s products are based on international fashion standards. However, we do keep in mind the latest fashion trends, the weather, location etc which suits the Indian market.”
Marc Cain caters to all aspects of fashion, “We have different themes every year and they comprise of various designs and styles. The materials used for our outfits differ from the season and comprise of cotton, linen, nappa, silk crepes for summer and luxurious cord, silk satin and velvet, wool etc in winter,” adds Agarwal.

The new Fall/Winter 2013 season sets the tone with contrasting materials and patterns, as well as new volumes, unusual colour harmonies and creative, structured surfaces. This season marks the perfection of the brand’s new look.

On a concluding note, Agarwal says Marc Cain is in sync with the growth strategy in India. “The company has a well-placed plan which it is working towards and we see a 200 percent growth from our stores. The business is already profitable at the store level. The targeted turnover from all the stores in the current fiscal would be approximately Rs 25 crores,” he sums up.