Trigger to tie up with shirt makers to foster business

Trigger Apparel makers of Trigger brand best known for its denims line is focusing on expanding its retail network across India. At present it has 47 EBOs and its in the process of adding 13 more. By March 2012, the brand will be present in 60 showrooms

across the country. Opines N Rajgopalan, Director Marketing, Trigger Apparel, “Trigger is now well-established across the country in all segments. Our presence is growing in all major outlets in India. We are also consolidating ourselves in retail, which is driven by our franchisee partners. Denim is a magic fabric and is growing very fast compared to our formal and casual trousers. So we would like to focus on denim. We are trying to equate Trigger with jeans.” With a target of touching Rs 100 crores turnover next year, the brand is going ahead with its plans to increase retail outlets.

Out of the 47 outlets the brand has, seven are company-owned and 40 are franchises. And of the upcoming 13 stores, most are being set up in east and south India. “Andhra Pradesh will have one or two and Tamil Nadu will have three more. Our strong market is in Orissa as far as franchise retail outlets are concerned. We have 15 outlets there and another three would be launched soon. Apart from Delhi and Kolkata where we plan to launch stores next year, we are present in all across the country,” Rajgopalan says. The brand is also present in about 1,200 MBOs and plans to add 100 more by March 2012. By next year they also plan to be in large format stores.

The brand’s focus is not fashion denim but it would like to establish itself as the best solution provider for five pocket jeans with a product more driven by processes in terms of wash, look and feel. Catering to the upper mid segment, Trigger’s collection is sold in the price range Rs 1,099 to Rs 1,699, which sometimes goes up to Rs 1,899.

What’s more in next two to three months, company plans to enter into a pact with shirt manufacturers who want to retail their product under the Trigger brand name with their retail associates. It wants to stick to menswear but wouldn’t mind designing women’s collection on a freelance basis, by paying royalty to the designers. By 2012, the brand may have a women’s category under the Trigger umbrella.

Talking about the denim industry as a whole, Rajgopalan adds, “One challenge in denim is staying committed to the brand, to the supply chain, investing into R&D and innovation. Brand owners and mill owners have to get upgraded in all categories from yarn to garmenting. The industry has to get integrated. We have to get converted from bottom-centric to brand-centric.”

India is a price sensitive market. Most of the international brands that have entered the market, cater to just 5 to 10 per cent of top sections of the society. It remains to be seen how much consumption takes place in that segment. “Consumption will drive volumes. Value-wise they (foreign brands) may be doing better than domestic brands but the frequency of purchase of such brands is very limited. I this segment, few people believe in the Indian distribution model. They will still buy overseas. But I agree such brands create space for domestic brands to emulate,” Rajgopalan concludes.