Van Heusen to increase focus on Tier II cities

Its’ the brand that has helped make workplace more fashionable in India for the past two decades. And having marked its presence in the metros and Class I cities, Van Heusen is now looking to spread its network in Class II cities across

the country. “We have over the years seen Van Heusen gaining popularity among the target customer of Tier I cities. With over 180 stores across 70 cities in India, we are looking to expand our presence beyond larger cities. Now our focus is on Tier II cities as the growth graph and demand from these cities have gone up. Every year, we will open at least 50-60 exclusive stores throughout the country and a significant percentage of these will be in Tier-II, III cities,” says Vinay Bhopatkar, Brand Head, Madura Fashion & Lifestyle. With a turnover of Rs 900 crores as of now, Van Heusen plans to grow above the industry growth rate for the next five years riding on planned retail and product expansion.

In India, the brand’s history can be traced back to 1990, when it was a white-blue-cream wholesale brand. Today, they have 180 exclusive stores, 350 counters in large format stores and a presence in over 600 MBO's. “About 40 percent of our business comes from retail and rest from other formats,” says Bhoptkar.

From a small presence in men's ties and belts, the company’s non-apparel business has also grown and it plans to ramp up its presence in belts and ties, women's shoes and bags. “We see a good demand for these products and over the next five years expect the non-apparel business to contribute significantly to our expansion. Last year, we entered in a small way into men's footwear segment to complete the full ensemble for the professional look. The products have seen extremely good response. Buoyed by the performance, we are expanding our line as well as our presence this season,” he explains.

Van Heusen operates in India under license from Phillips Van Heusen, USA. The brand covers all aspects of an individual's clothing needs, be it corporate wear, casual wear, party wear or ceremonial wear, making it a complete lifestyle brand in the true sense.

Its sub-brand V Dot has a high fashion quotient and is aimed at the trendy young professionals who believes in working hard and partying harder. Its collection for women, called Van Heusen Woman offers accessible, classy solutions. For Spring/ Summer ’13, Van Heusen chinos have made a comeback as they continue to be the in thing even this season. “The consumer can check out our ‘Chino Cousins’ a wide range of Air Chinos, Peachinos, Linos, Jeanos and Alpha Chinos to dress up this summer. VH Woman highlights are Mint, Navy and Ivory collection. The look is black and white bold and solid modern. From V Dot we are offering a complete skinny wardrobe to make a way ahead for fashion merchandise,” asserts Bhopatkar.