UFO: The new entrant with big plans

Aimed exclusively at kids between 4 to 14 years, Creative Kidswear’s new brand UFO, which literally means ‘Under Fourteen Only’ is planning to add infant wear, toys and accessories to its portfolio. The brand aims to reach a turnover

of Rs one to two crores by October 2012. Talking about the brand’s inception, Abhishek Agarwal, Director, Creative Kidswear says, “We are primarily garment exporters. We manufacture a lot for American children’s wear brands. Gradually, we wanted to get into the domestic market, so we launched UFO four months back.”

As of now the company has set up a 1,200 sq. ft. EBO in Bangalore with plans of launching another one soon in the same city. As Agarwal explains, “We will have more exclusive outlets in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. Apart from EBOs, we are also looking at expanding through MBOs and large format stores. Currently, we are looking for MBOs in Punjab and the south.”

UFO’s product portfolio is segregated in two groups, one for children aged 4 to 9 and the other for kids between 10 to 14 years. The collection consists of tops and bottoms in denim and non-denim fabric. “We are primarily a casual wear brand. So we don’t have anything like party wear. In denim, we introduce several wash effects.” Elaborating on the brand’s mascot Oodle, Agarwal says, “In our flash lines, we have T-shirts with this mascot. The T-shirts are priced at Rs 199-Rs 299 or as giveaways. In our stores, we try to do a lot of activities with Oodle. We have Oodle as a superman, as a treasure hunter with one eye covered, as a cop, a footballer and so on.”

Commenting on the competitive scenario in kids’ apparel market, Agarwal states, “A lot of regional and unorganized brands are in the junior segment are drawn by the fact that parents are ready to spend on children. But the market is big enough for all players to survive. In future, there will be consolidation and amalgamation. The branded segment in children’s wear is in its early stages. A lot of international players are waiting to enter. And bigger brands are looking for big business partners. Before they come in, we have to get our act together; our distribution channel is in place etc. So competition would make us adapt to international standards, do justice to the fabric we buy, be fair to our consumers.” Agarwal points out that Tier I is a huge market while Tier II is an opportunity market, where if you enter first and establish yourself, there’s a huge potential to grow. Indeed rising incomes is fueling growth in the segment as people are becoming more brand conscious,” Agarwal concludes on a positive note.