A part of MD Retail, ‘Soch’ is a well-known women’s ethnic wear brand in India. With its first exclusive store launched in 2005 in Bengaluru, the chain presently operates 41 outlets spread across key cities like Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Mysore, Mumbai, Pune etc. When Soch started off, the designer ethnic wear for women was considered a niche market. In a short span of eight years, the concept has generated a large customer base among urban women. It has redefined the traditional Indian clothing by giving it a modern touch that appeals to contemporary women. Its ethnic fashion collections, created by own team of designers, mainly consists of products categories as in sarees, chudidar sets, kurtis and unstitched salwar suits made from an assortment of high quality hand-picked fabrics sourced from different parts of the country. Soch has tied up with some of the best manufacturers to ensure the quality of products retailed at its outlets. Since its offerings are reasonably priced, the brand clicks with a wider audience.
Positioned as one stop destination for Indian traditional women wear, Soch outlets are ideally located at high streets and premium malls. They boast vast range of clothing with fresh stock added on regular and frequent basis. Besides width of selection, the stores are known for high customer service standards and personalised service. Fee home delivery, alterations and tailoring service are also offered. In the last few years, consumer trends, particularly in fashion segment, have gone a sea change. These days, consumers are well versed in latest fashion and are much more opinionated. Also, as the market is flooded with domestic and international fashion brands, they are spoilt for choice. Amidst intense competition from other brands in ethnic segment and western wear category, Soch has banked upon its understanding of retail business and changing fashion trends. It has also leveraged from the rise of purchasing power among women in India. To ensure high recall among its target group, the brand relies on total 360-degree exposure. Vinay Chatlani, COO, Soch, informs, “We believe that to succeed in the retail market, retailers should have a complete 360 degree exposure. We have our own in-house marketing team that focuses on developing various marketing to increase footfalls in our outlets.” As such, its stores witness high average per sq. ft. sales along with high rate of repeat customers.
Quality, variety and pricing coupled with effective marketing have already placed Soch among top five ethnic wear brands in India. Now, the brand is looking to increase its share and achieve a stronger market position in ethnic segment. As per Chatlani, “We at Soch are extremely excited about the further expansion of our brand. In the next five years, we plan to expand our store network in existing markets besides entering new regions. Having launched own e-store recently, we also expect to increase our online sales.” Importantly, the brand is eyeing international markets as well, he reveals.
