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Creating Benchmarks Of Execellence In Ethnic Wear

Francast Report
Francast Report Dec 03 2019 - 3 min read
Creating Benchmarks Of Execellence In Ethnic Wear
TCNS Clothing Co. has over the years stood out as one of the leaders in the ethnic wear industry. Now, the brand plans to undertake aggressive expansion to increase its store footprint. In this interview, Lalit Raghuvanshi, Vice President (Sales), TCNS Clothing, shares the brand’s franchise strategy and expansion plans

Considered one of the leading brands in the Indian ethnic wear industry, TCNS Clothing entered the fashion retail industry at a time when the industry was going through a massive revolution. In 1997, when O S Pasricha and Arvinder Singh Pasricha established this clothing brand, consumer sentiments were quickly shifting from the unorganised market to the organised and branded wear industry. Gaining an early mover’s advantage, the brand has over the years expanded its operations to more than 3,000+ points of sale across India, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and the Middle East, having a footprint of 550+ exclusive stores in 100+ cities. It has three brands in its portfolio – W for Woman launched in 2002, Wishful in 2006 and Aurelia in 2009. Excerpts from the interview:

How would you explain your aggressive growth?

One of the major factors for our growth has been the perfect fit of garments. We undertook one-of-a-kind anthropometric study in 2002 to arrive at smarter and better fits for Indian women. In fact, TCNS Clothing was the first to introduce six sizes in India as against the competition which was offering three sizes. We further introduced the seventh size in 2011.

What are your best practices for franchise management?

We operate 205 of our exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) through franchising and hence we make it a point to work closely with our franchise partners. This includes choosing the outlet location, designing the interiors, hiring and training of sales associates. Our on-ground sales team assists our franchisees with the day-to-day running of their outlets. We assist our franchisees to reach their maximum potential by harbouring a true partnership with the company, driven by the common goal of delivering a superior consumer experience that is consistent across all TCNS Clothing’s brand outlets. We look for partners who can get involved operationally and not just financially.

How do you ensure profitability for your vast franchise network?

Keeping the changing consumer aspirations in mind, TCNS Clothing has taken multiple steps to evolve and cater to the economies’ growing demand. These involve improving the product, retail look and feel of our consumer’s experience. We evaluate the brand portfolio of our stores periodically and take corrective action wherever it is required. All aspects of our franchise stores are periodically scrutinised and monitored, including product mix, efficiency of the sales team, marketing, etc. Retail sales are not dependent only on footfalls but on other parameters as well. TCNS continues to identify gaps and opportunities to improve on our operational parameters and will continue to outperform and be least impacted by external factors.

What are the brand’s expansion plans?

Given the increasing demand for Indian ethnic wear, our growth plan involves expanding our footprint. We have identified several new towns and cities within and outside India that have a lot of growth potential. We intend to open 70- 80 exclusive brand outlets every year.

 

FRANCHISE FACTS

Established: 2002

Franchising since: 2003

Total outlets: 541 (W) and 215 (Aurelia)

Investment: Rs 30-40 lakh

Area: 600-1200 sq. feet

Break-even: 3-6 months

Expansion: Pan-India

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