Allen Solly is betting big on jeans and sportswear. “The brand has been growing at a CAGR of nearly 30 percent over the last several years and stands poised to hit the Rs. 1,000 crore (@ Retail) turnover in FY2017 across all its brands,” Sooraj Bhatt, COO, Allen Solly, tolds indiaretailing in an exclusive interview.
Elaborating upon the rationale behind the strategy, Bhatt said, “In about 2013-14, Allen Solly saw a huge opportunity in jeans and sportswear. And so consequently, in 2014 January Solly Jeans Company was launched and this brand has scaled up rapidly.”
“Solly Sport was launched as a tennis-inspired sport lifestyle brand, typically led by the polo tee as its lead core line. To meet multiple goals of cementing the association, to give the Solly Sport consumers an upscale and a value-added differential experience, a strategic and exclusive tie-up with the most prestigious tennis event in the world — Wimbledon was inked. This exclusive licensee partnership with Wimbledon made available the lifestyle apparel and non-apparel lines to Indian consumers,” he added.
“We launched Wimbledon in stores in February 2015 with our Spring Summer’15 range. The launch windows were done in the Wimbledon theme. Our TVC will be launching on July 1st. However, as EOSS also will be kicking off, we will launch the Wimbledon line in select stores again. Also, the Autumn Winter’15 Launch will again be with the Wimbledon plus Solly Sport concept. It is a different concept altogether. The launch in-stores will be on August 15th,” Anuraag Singhal, Visual Merchandiser, Allen Solly, disclosed. “The line was designed in collaboration with the leading French design firm – Groupe Carlin International to bring cutting-edge on and off court tennis fashion to the Indian consumer. The Wimbledon line through its partnership offers Indian consumers a chance to experience the essence of The Championships and is being distributed in more than 200 Allen Solly stores today. Today, the process of building Solly Jeans Company’s exclusive store chain has also taken off. The first two stores have opened in Phoenix Market City shopping centres in Pune and Brigade Road, Bangalore,” Bhatt informed.
Allen Solly, the fourth brand of Madura Fashion and Lifestyle, was launched in 1993. Back in the nineties, Allen Solly was a classical marketing case. Creating a new market based on a latent need, Allen Solly positioned itself as a relaxed formals brand. The first iconic Friday Dressing ad was released in 1995. Then in 2001 Allen Solly launched extension into womenswear and this has since become quite well entrenched. By 2013, the brand entered the juniors’ apparel business as well.
Read the full article on Allen Solly’s journey in the July issue of Images Business of Fashion. Now on stands.
Must Read
