The Chennai-based luggage retailer Witco has planned to reposition itself as a fashion-and-lifestyle brand by retailing apparel from leading brands.
According to the company, it will retail collections from six brands that include Arrow, Wills Lifestyle, Levi’s, ColorPlus, Indian Terrain and Zodiac.
Speaking to media at the launch of Witco’s third store in Bengaluru, VP Harris, managing director, Witco (India) Pvt. Ltd, said: “Luggage has ceased to exist for functionality alone, and aspects like colour, design, style and fashion are critical today. From being called ‘luggage experts’, we now are positioning ourselves as a premium lifestyle brand with the tagline ‘Travel in Style’.”
With 12 showrooms in Chennai and Bengaluru, Witco presently retails a range of luggage brands that includes Samsonite, Kipling, VIP, American Tourister, Antler, Crumpler and Delsey.
The company is also planning to set up around 50 stores within the next two to three years in major cities including Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai. “We will set up at least one large-format flagship store in each city with retail space of around 7,000 to 9,000 square feet,” said Harris.
To fund expansions, the company is looking for private equity investment of around Rs 40 crore.
