O-Live to venture into South Africa and US markets

Maitree Exports best known for their denim brand O-Live is chalking out plans to test international waters. They will soon be opening exclusive brand outlets for O-Live in South Africa and California. As Anil Bhardwaj, Director, Maitree Exports, says “Initially, we plan to open 10 exclusive stores

in east Africa this year. These will be in cities like Arusha, Dar-e-Salaam among others. We already have an office in Arusha and are exporting our brand there. The O-Live stores would be exclusive with a partnership of some local people. In six months all 10 stores will come up. These will be about 500 to 600 sq. ft. each.” That’s not all the company also has plans to launch the brand in California. This will happen in the next six to seven months. Bhardwaj adds, “We are in the process of registering the brand. We are in talks with designers in the US and will open a small EBO in California and then distribute to MBOs through vendors.”

In fact, this is not the first time O-Live is venturing into the US market. Bhardwaj says they had a partnership in the US five to six year back. “We had an office in New York. But because of the recession, we closed down and stopped exporting.  But now the economy is reviving, so we will start again.” 

Within India, the company’s retail strategy differs from state-to-state. In some states it is done through distributors while in others they reach out to the retailers directly. “We are in more than a 1,000 MBOs across India. We don’t have an exclusive store as of now but in the next two months we plan to start opening exclusive brand outlets for O-Live. We wish to open 10 to 20 stores. Initially, five to six stores will come up in Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana. These stores will be around 300 sq. ft. All these stores will be franchisees. The franchisee investment for these stores will vary from place to place.”

Equipped with the most advanced machinery and armed with an unparalleled professional expertise to deliver quality, the company makes 15,000 to 20,000 pieces a month. Bhardwaj says, “Presently, we are manufacturing denims and shirts for both men and women. Soon we will start T-shirts, women’s tops to complete our product portfolio. The T-shirts should be launched in the next six months. Initially, we will start with 8 to 10 styles.” The brand also plans to add accessories and is going to launch perfumes and belts this year.

Last year, the company had a turnover of Rs 7 crores and in 2010-11 they expect a turnover of around Rs 15 crores. “We aspire to be a Rs 100 crores brand in the next five years,” concludes Bhardwaj.