Hi-fashion casual menswear brand Blumerq plans to add 270 retail points in tier 1 and 2 cities across India. Out of the 270, 10 will be EBOs while 260 will be multi-brand outlets. The planned expansion will follow both the franchise and COCO model. Blumerq is also planning to soon launch accessories like leather belts, wallets, wrist bands, etc. apart from having its own e-commerce platform. The menswear brand aims to double its turnover from Rs 50 million to Rs 100 million this fiscal.
Sharing details on the expansion plans of the brand, L Joseph Muthayian, CEO, Blumerq, said: ” We plan to open 2 EBOs each in Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh along with 40 MBOs each in Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Rajasthan; and 30 each in Orissa and Maharashtra for this fiscal.” An individual Blumerq store draws and investment of Rs 20 lakh. The franchise stores will be all based on SOR model as in the existing ones with store sizes varying from 300sq.ft. to 800 sq.ft.
“We are looking for 300-800 sq.ft. stores on high streets or malls. As we work on SOR model on a flat commission basis, the franchisees will bear the interiors and running cost,” he added.
Considering the increasing importance of being present in a mall, Blumerq is also looking for locations in shopping centres across India focussing on 18-35 year men. High street locations are yet another thing the brand is looking at.
Blumerq currently has 15 EBOs, 300 MBOs and is present on 10 online retail websites including Jabong, HomeShop18, Crosscreek, Flipkart and Yebhi. It has stores in Bihar, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, and Gujarat.
Out all its categories, including Tees, Shirts, Denim, Polos, Chinos, and Shorts, Casual Trousers (Chinos) and T-shirts are quite popular. Last fiscal, T-Shirts contributed 29 percent to overall sales, followed by 27 percent from Casual Shirts, 18 percent from Denim, 11 percent from Chinos, and 15 percent from polos.
Shirts at Blumerq are priced between Rs 1,099 and Rs 1,699 while T-shirts fall in the range of Rs 399 and Rs 899. Polos are available for Rs 599 to Rs 1,199; Denims Rs 1099 to Rs 1899, and Casual trousers from Rs 1,099 to Rs 1,699.
“Our highest sales come from Andhra Pradesh, which is a 30 percent share overall (both EBOs and MBOs). Apart from this, Blumerq’s EBOs in Maharashtra (Nagpur, Amravati and Khandala) also contribute 15 percent to the total sales,” Muthayian stated.
According to him, the brand focusses on demand-based expansion strategies. Having received a good response to its casual trousers range, Blumerq is expanding the category with new merchandise using fabrics like canvas, cotton, etc.
He further opines that Mumbai and Delhi market are comparatively crowded by international brands due to which Blumerq did not enter these cities. However, the brand is now in the process of test launch in these cities along with other metros.
Talking about the latest fashion trends in men’s casual wear, Muthayian pointed out that with men becoming more fashion and brand conscious, casual wear is no more restricted to resort or weekend wear but has entered the mainstream of workwear or office casuals. “The Indian consumer now prefers to use casualwear interchangeably on different occasions. The latest in fashion are vibrant colours and tapered to slim fits be it shirts or the bottoms. Prints are a big come back. Colour-sprayed effects and overdye effects are also the key elements this season,” he said.
Commenting on the rapid pace of store count expansion, he mentioned that going by the statistics, menswear market is the fastest growing apparel segment in the country. It is expected to grow by 11 percent reaching Rs 10,320 billion by 2020. The positive response from the country has made the brand confident of expanding its store count at such a fast pace.
