Gunning for a turnover of Rs 6-7 crore by March 2012, UV&W is looking forward to a 50 per cent growth. The company also plans to add 250 stores to its existing 900 MBOs. Talking about the company’s product range, Rajat Misra, Vice President-Marketing
and Designing of UV&W says, “Our major product line is T-shirts and thermals for boys, girls, women and men. We have also come up with cotton sweaters for men this season in some 55 styles. Our thermal range starts from Rs 450 and goes to Rs 1,000. In T-shirts, we start from Rs 729 and go up to Rs 1,200. In summer 2012, we are planning to launch innerwear line for Men in organic cotton.” The range will have some three basic styles in undergarment and four styles in vests.
Though
organic cotton takes longer time to cultivate, Misra says it is worth investing time in organic clothing, “since people are increasingly looking for green clothing. Organic apparel, according to us is the future of this industry,” adds Misra. For the innerwear range to be launched, the product pricing would be around Rs 149 for men’s brief, Rs 180 for the Y front, Rs 200 for the trunk. Vests line would be around Rs 169 for basic vests, Rs 189 for rib vests and Rs 220 for broad vests. “The new men’s innerwear range will be launched in the premium segment. We will look at spreading this product only at premium counters so if we have the retail network of 900 MBOs, then we are looking at 300-350 counters only for spreading the new range,” Misra explains. As a part of its retail expansion plans, the company will look at targeting LFS after fully exploring the MBO route and adding more production capacities.
Commenting on thermals, one of the major product categories of its portfolio, Misra says, “Our thermal wear range is organic and secondly our lightest thermal is 33 per cent heavier than the thermal products available in the market. Weight and thickness is directly proportional to the amount of heat retained by the body. Our lightest is 230 gms and we have got a variant at 280 gms. This season, we have introduced a thermal in 380 gms with Lycra that is more than double the weight of others, which is a new innovation in the market.
Misra is positive about the future of thermals industry. He says that though it is difficult to predict anything concrete for the next 2-3 years, as time changes manufacturers will come out with better and innovative products. “And there is going to be definite growth in the organic clothing segment. Technology will rapidly increase in this segment”, he elaborates.
