Riding high on a recovering Indian economy, Ruff the popular brand for kids is now looking to spread its retail footprint across the country and increasing its export base. “The rising Indian economy has put us ahead of others. The past few years
have seen a rapid growth in every aspect of our economy,” says Sohail Patca, Director, D S Corporation, the makers of Ruff. The brand is now looking at expanding exports and opening more EBOs along with expansion in LFS. As Patca says, “We have 10 EBOs and their sizes range from 2,000 to 10,000 sq. ft. We are going to open one more store in Mumbai by September 2011 and have plans to add another four to five stores in the next two to three years. We have a presence in about 400 MBOs pan-India.” The brand is present in Shoppers Stop, Central, Globus and major retail chains like Chunmun, Standard Max, Kapsons and Ritu Wears. “We are going along with these large format stores in the cities they are expanding in,” he adds.
According to Patca the share of brands in the kids wear market in India is around 10 per cent and Ruff is aiming for a bigger share. It caters to boys in the 0 to 16 years age group and target’s the middle and upper middle class who is looking for fashion along with quality fabric. “Our brand is inspired by the diversity of youth culture. Being street smart is the key word and all our garments speak of the same. Everything revolves round denim. Funky detailing, cool prints, bright colors and adding the right accessories like belts, caps, bags and cool badges are all you need to make a kid look cool,” explains Patca.
Talking about the color palette for the season, Patca says, the usual cheerful bright colors work as they accent the season’s harmonious and subdued mood. In addition to all-time favorites like zesty reds, yellows and blues, a touch of florescence is seen in all these shades. Gold, glam and bling are back this season, especially on prints and embroideries. Also, they have experimented with new colors like violet, cobalt and a touch of green here and there for detailing. “The colors for the bottom-wear have got dirtier but on bright shades like mustard brick-red, olives and military green,” adds Patca.
“Kids wear is a very competitive. We have to deliver something new every time and have to be on our toes. But in spite of reaching a certain stage we still have to give something new everytime and only innovativeness has kept us growing,” concludes Patca.
