They have set a target of touching Rs 100 crores in 2011. And even though the brand is lagging behind a bit because of a slack in the market, Vasari, the ethnic wear brand for men and women, is confident, that by August ’11, it will manage to
reach its goal. As Mahesh Chand Mohnani, Director, Vasari India says, “The marketing strategies adopted by us now have never been done before. These include: weekend schemes, happy hours on special days, road shows, special attractions/discounts on special days, etc.” Meanwhile, the brand is coming up with a new line, which would carter to the occasional wear needs for the middle income group and corporate wear for men which would include shirts, trousers, suits and even international fabrics and customized tailoring. Also on the anvil is an expansion plan in the franchisee format along with a full fledge re-entry in the wholesale business. The brand plans to come up with small format stores in cities like Pune, Kolkata, Bhubneshwar, Hyderabad, etc.
Aimed at the 28 to 45 year old upwardly mobile customer, Vasari has a varied product range. From sherwanis, jodhpuris, kurta suits, dhoti kurtas, Indo-westerns and accessories for men to formal wear. It also offers customized tailoring for customers. For the women Vasari has a range of lehengas, saris, suits, Indo-westerns gowns and fabric sets. For the forthcoming festive season, it is offering a fresh, vibrant yet cozy collection. The color palette has been inspired from the rainbow and fantasy creatures like the unicorns and elves. Although the basics are the same, the embroidery has been given a modern twist. The cuts have been evolved keeping in mind the comfort and style statement of a person.
Like most other brands Vasari too is focusing on small cities for expansion. “There are ways we are establishing ourselves in this segment. We are more into MBO formats and shop-in-shops in smaller towns. Although the brand visibility is ensured, it is done at a very nominal investment. There are a few projects in the pipeline which would increase our share in the market segment of smaller towns,” says Mohnani. Indeed, the brand does have EBOs in Tier II-III cities like are Agra, Jaipur and Jalandhar. In the MBO format or departmental store format, they are present in Jammu, Hyderabad, Chennai, Gaziabad, Dehradun, Lucknow, etc. Mohnani informs they have 13 company owned outlets, eight in big cities and five in smaller cities. Then, there are about 75 MBO’s and two LFS where they are currently present. “We are also present under the brand name ROD & Vasari in leading men’s wear stores across the country.” The brand plans to explore new markets in cities like Hyderabad, Pune, Chandigarh, Delhi, Bhubneshwar, Kolkata within India. And UAE, UK and the US abroad.
