Natalia to open 80 garment outlets in India
By Venkatachari Jagannathan | 06 Jun 2002
Over a five-year time frame, SM Apparels intends to have 80 outlets and garner 10 per cent of the Rs 1,200-crore ladies western wear market.
Two years ago SM Apparels entered the premium range ladies western garment market formal, semi-formal, casual and occasional wear with its Natalia brand, when many in the industry feared to look at the segment due to the varying sizes of Indian women. Further, Indian wears like salwar kameez coming out in different shades gave Indian women a feeling of exclusivity that is not possible in western wear.
Currently, the company retails the brand through exclusive outlets in Bangalore, Bhubaneshwar, Chennai and Coimbatore and also through multi-brand stores.
Says Natalia vice-president G Shankaranarayanan: Our plan is to consolidate and expand by making our presence felt to the upwardly mobile customers in B- and C-class cities apart from increasing our market share in A-class cities. Natalia is catering to the niche segment where there are not many competitors who could provide the right Indian fits and the wide range of sizes that Natalia provides.
The brand is now targeted at Indian women in the age group of 18-to-40 years and is focussed on the upwardly mobile class. The garments have been designed using the latest fabric trends in feel and colour, making them comfortable and elegant to wear.