'Sportswear is much more mainstream than earlier'

20 Jul '18

2 min read

The business of sportswear has evolved at a fast pace over the years. From being a niche sector meant for the upwardly mobile, sportswear has a mass appeal now and is much more mainstream than it was earlier, according to the head of Alcis Sports, an Indian performance wear brand. There is a massive surge in demand for quality sportswear across India.

Alcis Sports is a brand that has been formed to tap into the emerging athleisure segment in the country as more and more Indians are getting health- and fitness-conscious, said Roshan Baid, MD of the company, while speaking to Fibre2Fashion.

“The availability of products catering to this segment is only at the extreme ends of the spectrum-either expensive and high on quality or affordable, but low on quality. It is this fact that propelled us to launch Alcis Sports. For the fitness conscious Indian, we wanted to be the viable alternative that offers world class quality backed by the best of apparel technology, yet at a price point that isn't a deterrent,” stated Baid.

Alcis Sports initially started as an online-only presence because of the scalability that the online channel offers so that it could launch and expand quickly. Post its initial success in the online model, it has been aggressive on the offline front as well and now has presence in almost all large format retail outlets.

“This year we have opened four retail stores, first one being opened at Kochi and then Guwahati, Mumbai and the recent one in Delhi. As you can see, we have been taking a step-by-step approach of increasing our footprint and sales channels. I don't agree that a consumer is not looking for our exclusive outlet, because the traction and response we have seen in our own outlets tells a different story,” he added.

The sportswear manufacturer is also committed to being a green company. The idea for its Wonder Tee and Wonder Polo range was born from the growing need of making environment-friendly products. The company is looking to grow the R-PET apparel category by 4-5 times by 2020 by creating awareness among people. (KD)

Click here to read the complete interview.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India

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