Turtle: Races ahead with its strong menswear brand

Turtle the brand that was launched in 1993 inspired by the absence of affordable menswear brand in cities and the growing demand in the textile sector, is now on a fast forward growth spree. What started as a small unit with a production

capacity of just 20 shirts a day is today recognized as a complete menswear brand pan India. And it has already achieved a turnover of more than Rs 86 crores so far. “We are targeting a turnover of Rs 200 crores by this fiscal,” says Amit Ladsaria, Director, Turtle.

The brand has already made its presence felt in 550 cities across India. It has 52 exclusive Turtle stores and Turtle merchandise retailed through 1,600 MBOs across India. It has also entered the Middle Eastern market and is sold in Dubai, Kuwait and Bahrain. As Ladsaria puts it, “With constantly changing global fashion trends, Turtle has established itself as an honest brand that gives value for money to its customers.”

Talking about the brand’s success mantra, Ladsaria, says, “We are a complete menswear brand with wide range of apparel and accessories. We constantly aim at improvising our products by adding innovative styles and design elements with complementing color palettes to be at par with the changing global fashion trends.”

The latest winter collection by Turtle is an extension of last year’s retro theme. Marino wool, cotton and acrylic are the dominant materials used in pullovers, while regular cotton, techno fabrics and checks have been used for jackets and windcheaters. The collection also comprises of suit jackets and is suitable for any occasion whether formal, casual or party-wear. “Last year, our winter wear collections comprised of a wide range of apparel to suit the myriad moods of the party season. The response was overwhelming. This year, with new themes and designs we are optimistic about better response,” Ladsaria opines.

Turtle has been able to deal well with the imposition of excise duty, due to advance buying of stocks and by increasing volume per design. Retail prices have been adjusted to match the expenses. The brand was able to manage it by increasing product prices by just 10 per cent. Talking about how FDI in retail will create great opportunities in the Indian apparel market, Ladsaria says, “We firmly believe that investment from more up-market players in the multi-brand retail sector would aid demand growth and create a healthy playing field, which would benefit smaller players as well.”

Ladsaria is upbeat about the current market situation. “The reasons are quite a few and somewhat evident. Our positioning as a brand that offers excellent value for money has worked. We have not wavered from this for the past 18 years. The introduction of excise duty this fiscal has forced a strategy re-think for many discount brands. All these factors have contributed to a healthy growth for us this year,” Ladsaria concludes on a positive note.