After successfully functioning through shop-in-shop mode in Europe, including Spain, Portugal, and Greece, brand Vinegar has opened its first retail store in Mumbai at Khar, Linking Road. Spread over an area of 5,000 sq.ft., the outlet stocks a range of casual, office, and evening wear along with a pret line for women.
Speaking on the occasion, Varsha Bhawnani, Brand Owner (who had previously shut two stores in India, in order to launch a haute couture line), said: “In my opinion, it is hardest to break through the high street fashion segment. Therefore, we wanted to go at its head first. We do hope to get into haute couture at a later stage, but only once we have mastered the space we are currently into.” Talking more on the USP of the brand, Bhawnani added that the cut, fit, colour, and fabric will make Vinegar stand out in the Indian apparel market.
Catering to the 20-40 age bracket, Vinegar plans to house shoes, bags, and accessories soon. Throwing more light on expansion plans, Bhawnani stressed, “We will be opening a store in Bangalore in the second week of June, 2012. Vinegar will also have stores in cities like Pune, Chandigarh, and Delhi soon. At Vinegar, we recognise the importance of tier II markets and so, once we move onto the second phase, we will look at stores in cities like Nagpur and Ahmedabad. In Asia, we are exploring possibilities in Singapore and Dubai.”
According to the company officials, the brand expects a turnover of Rs 20 crore from the flagship store in Mumbai by the end of this financial year. The merchandise at the store is priced between Rs 600 and 8,000.
Vinegar also plans to launch a premier range of merchandise that will be priced between Rs 8,000 and 20 000.
-Tista Sengupta
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