IMPRESSIONS from a Cross-section

The kidswear market in India is a very huge market. It is about an INR 300 billion market and it is growing at about 25% per annum. From this, the organized sector is only 5%. So, the designer kidswear market is a very small percentage of the overall kidswear market. Hence, we see that there is lot of potential for growth.

In fact, when we started, there was a void in the higher end kidswear segment. It is estimated that the kidswear market will be an INR 500 billion market in the next 2 years. Even though there are new entrants coming from overseas; there is a lot of international influx of brands, we see that there are more opportunities for competition and there is ample room to grow because the market as such is on a very nascent stage. So, there is a lot of potential –for the Indian brands and for the outside brands to come into the Indian market.

Besides, today the Indian consumers are much more aware of what they want. Most customers, at least our customers, are well travelled, discerning consumers who just want the best for their children. There is definitely a change in the mindset of the consumer. Most Indian consumers have a double income between the husband and the wife, since both of them are working, and the fact that they have lesser children is really driving the segment ahead.

The biggest challenge right now is actually the fact that real estate is very expensive in India. So, for a retail brand like ours to create a good presence, we need to have stores at frequently visited yet posh locations. Hence, that is one hindrance because this will require a huge investment. When compared to international brands and the kind of funding they have to expand, then it just becomes a hindrance for local brands to get the same kind of attraction in the market. So that’s a major factor. If the real estate market becomes a little more reasonable then we may see better growth.

 (Contd.)

While designing for kids there are a lot of things that have to be taken into consideration. Children today really do know their minds and they do influence the buying decision. We need to take into account a lot of important factors while designing for kids. Firstly, we really need to focus on the comfort and the fit since sizing is a very important factor for children. We try, as far as possible, to give adjustability in our garments, be it straps or the waist, so that the children can grow in the garment over time. We also try to give attention to other details. We try and have very high quality stitching and use fabrics that are non-abrasive and anti-allergic for children. So, as far as possible, we try and use cottons and stitch it up in a way that it does not bother the children. These kinds of details really make a difference and make the child more comfortable. These are the two key important things.

Besides, we also focus on having things which are easy for them to manage. For example we would stitch a dupatta onto the garment so that it’s easy for them to move around and at the same time they look good. We have also tried experimenting with different fabrics. We’ve used Bamboo which is really heat resistant and an anti-septic. It absorbs sweat and regulates temperature. There is a lot of innovation now within fabrics. So we try to make sure what is good for children and what they will be more comfortable in.

Moreover, we need to have something which helps us in differentiating our products from others. So for that we offer good value proposition. We try and give something which is vey design focused but at the same time we give the customers value for what they are paying along with giving them something which is very high in style.

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