Come April, Les Femme, the recently launched womenswear brand of Koutons, will open its first exclusive outlet in the NCR. The month will also see the launch of Koutons Junior exclusive outlet in the same region.
“We are planning to open exclusive outlets for Koutons Junior and Les Femme by April this year,” Balvinder Singh Ahluwalia, president, sales and marketing, Koutons Retail, told Indiaretailing.
The company is initially focusing on the northern part of the country. “We are identifying and freezing spaces in the NCR. After that, we will plan for a pan-India presence,” Ahluwalia informed.
Earlier, Indiaretailing had reported that the company is soliciting franchise enquiries for the upcoming brands, which will be retailed through their respective exclusive outlets.
Ahluwalia denied having any plans to venture into tier II and III cities. “These brands are made for the metros and will not be successful elsewhere,” he said.
When quizzed about the competition, Ahluwalia said, “In the kidswear segment, we see competition from big players like Gini & Jony and Lilliput, while Les Femme will compete with majors like Mango, Excalibur and Proline.”
Denying media reports on the brand’s entry in the Middle East, Ahluwalia said, “ Though we have not taken any initiative as yet, we are open to proposals from that side.”
– Satrajit Sen
