Vivek Goyal eventually saw his dream come true with the launch of his brand zink london in kolkata. This young entrepreneur describes Zink London as a ‘dream closet’ of merchandise that a woman would want to add to her collection.
A self-confessed workaholic, Vivek Goyal, Director, Zinc London has gathered a repertoire of knowledge and wisdom from his father. It was his innate creative flare and penchant for fabric, sensual silhouette, natural tones and luxury that brought Zink London to India. An out-of- the-box thinker, Goyal has been a globetrotter and has drawn inspiration from the well-regarded and influential cities in the world of fashion. He has been associated with the lifestyle segment over a decade and especially with ‘fashion leather bags’. Obviously, the next natural step for him was to foray into ready-to-wear fashion apparel. His vision for the store was to create a retail space that looks and feels like the streets of London. Goyal shares more about the store with Images Business of Fashion.
How did you come up with Zinc London?
In India, we saw a gap in the market for western womenswear garments. Fashion in this segment is still at its nascent stage, but it is a fast growing market. To bridge this gap and to utilise this opportunity, we wanted to bring international styles to India at affordable prices, and hence the concept of Zink London.
What is the USP of Zink London?
We are a fast fashion brand. Strategically, we have a minimum of five new styles hitting the floor every single week. As a result, the women have newer options every week to buy from. Next, each of our products is unique; there is no repetition of styles once a style is sold out. Also, we are known for the rainbow of colours that we use and offer. Each print is developed keeping international fashion in mind. Finally, our silhouettes are very easy and comfortable to wear. Women can wear our clothes to work and also continue for a casual social evening.
What are your views on fashion brands in India?
Fashion brands in India are evolving fast but they are focusing or are still influenced by tunic styles. The fashion brands in India are still quite orthodox in their approach to fashion. Fashion brands are reluctant to take a risk in creating differently and offering the women something new. Moreover, the Indian fashion retail for mass market is primarily dominated by MBOs. I feel, brands like Gap, Next, Zara, etc. in India are yet to evolve. Fashion retail in India has huge potential but probably there is no one to take the risk.
Tell us about your business module.
We launched Zink London in India with Shoppers Stop in September 2012. Initially, we were given two shop-in-shop spaces to do the business, as everyone thought that our brand would not sell in India, while we believed that there was huge vacuum in ladies fashion. It did not take much time for things to turn around and today we are a national brand retailed at all Shoppers Stop stores. We have also tied up with Central and Pantaloons; and online partners like Jabong and Myntra. Our aim is to be present at all the major MBOs and LFSs by the end of 2015. In addition, we are looking at opening 50 stand-alone stores over the next three years.
Tell us about the size and location of your stores. How does the location of a store help in generating business?
We operate about 100 concessions across India in Shoppers Stop, Pantaloons and Central, including online sales through Jabong and Myntra. We opened our fi rst EBOs in April 2014, at Forum Courtyard in Kolkata. The stand-alone store is spread across 400 sq.ft.
We selected Kolkata as the first city because our concession business in Kolkata has been phenomenal. Kolkata is generally considered backward in fashion compared to other cities but the potential that this city has is unbelievable. Moreover, Forum Courtyard is a female-centric mall. The customers are mature and serious shoppers. The conversion at Forum Courtyard for Zink London is over 90 percent.
What is your brand positioning and who are your target customers?
Zink London is being positioned as a brand offering international and world-class styling at an affordable range. The collection we offer is the kind you would spot in places like London, Paris or New York but by paying a fraction of the price.These are for the smart Indian women who want to feel good.
What are the investments and return in the business so far?
We have invested over Rs. 10 crore in the business. Currently, we are using and re-investing the profits for business growth. As far as performance and business are concerned, the founders are all very happy with the brand’s accomplishments.
You have also been very creative with the interior of your store. Was it a desperate attempt to do so?
No, it was not a desperate attempt at all. We wanted to bring the experience of shopping on the streets of London to our stores, and the theme has been inspired by that the same idea. There are very few conceptual stores in India. It is an innovative design with the changing rooms styled like London telephone booths and London street signs.
Tell us about your marketing and promotional strategy.
For us, the focus is to ensure that our customers are delighted by our products. If they are happy, they will come back to us; and if they are not, we will lose clients in spite of our best promotional stuff. As one of the most important strategies, our attempt is to be present everywhere, so that there is a strong brand recall among the customers.
