Triumph to focus on new styles, retail expansion

With a market share of over 30 per cent, Triumph the well-known international lingerie brand -- is now the undisputed market leader in the Indian market. While 2009 set the cash registers ringing for the company as most of their competitors

quit the country thanks to the recession, this year has also been a success so far with a focused concentration on an expansion in retail. The company follows a retail strategy of various EBO models, which includes around eight flagship stores in big metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bangalore which is opening soon. There is also a toned down format called exclusive partner stores -- around 20 in total and meant for Tier II-III cities -- which are also doing well. Besides these, the company also concentrates on building its brand presence in MBO’s and large formats. The company’s current sales ratio is around 45 per cent in MBOs and 40 per cent in department stores and the rest comes from EBOs. In 2011 they want to push up the number of flagship stores from 8 to 20.

The brand is targeted at the upwardly mobile working women in the age-group 20 to 45 years. The company’s Color Me Pretty campaign which interviewed more than 1,500 women on prices, styles, materials, colors in lingerie has resulted in a unique collection of bras and briefs which are doing well on the racks. In fact, as a part of its brand-building exercise, the company will have its third popular Triumph show in Mumbai in January 2011 with the theme ‘Color Me Pretty’. The show will also feature a limited edition of Swarovski studded lingerie.

“In terms of volume we are No. 3 or 4 but in value terms we are No. 1. In lingerie we are the undisputed market leader in premium segment. We have a share of over 30 per cent. Enamor has a share of 25 per cent. Lovable has a share of 10 per cent. Amante has reached between 2 and 3 per cent within a relatively short time. Then you have a brand like Jockey in the mass range,” says Thorsten Allenstein, Managing Director India and Sri Lanka, Triumph Intl. (India). “Consumers want us to focus on price points between Rs 500 and Rs 1,500. All our new styles are in this price range. We are in 120 countries and the biggest lingerie brand and manufacturer in the world. As regards our production process, a brief is simple to make with about five to six steps in production. I can enhance my capacity to crores of pieces. But the most complicated bra in my collection has about 43 working steps. In the time it takes to make one bra I can make 20 briefs,” he adds.

The company has an export-oriented unit, from where around 50 per cent of their production is exported mainly to European countries. Earlier perceived to be a premium brand, Triumph now caters to the mid-segment market, having fine-tuned their collection as per consumer feedback. It is also concentrating on its cotton range which is much in demand in India due to humid weather conditions. With more than 150 styles in their collection Triumph has a pan-India presence in around 60 cities with further rapid plans of expansion.