Sagar Malviya, The Economic Times Mumbai, 19 January 2016 Fabindia Overseas has crossed Rs 1,000-crore sales mark to become the largest retail apparel brand in the country, significantly ahead of nearest rivals Zara and Levi's India. During 2014-15, the ethnic wear firm posted a 12% rise in consolidated sales at Rs 1,148 crore with 36% increase in profit before exceptional items at Rs 112 crore. Its domestic business grew 25% to touch Rs 767 crore ahead of largest fast-fashion brand Zara that clocked sales of Rs 720 crore during the same period. "Customers are moving to one of two responses…
Retailers seem to be fighting a losing battle against the growth of ecommerce, and it is only the nature of the shopping activity, especially for fashion – interactive, social, and immersive as it is – that has kept many retailers relevant and in business. However, the defensive stance is changing, and now they’re using technology to get the customers back into the store. Forward-thinking retailers are reimagining trial rooms, stores, business processes and entire business models. It’s not a physical versus virtual approach but an approach that integrates both sides. The idea is to create a more immersive experience than…
Richa Maheshwari, The Economic Times Bengaluru, 14 January 2016 Amazon is running a pilot programme on delivering packages in India's biggest cities over distances of 3-5 km — by bicycle. It was debuted in Mumbai last month and has been expanded to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi and Chennai. The programme is set to be extended to more cities. "Being conscious of the environment we live in, reducing carbon footprint is the need of the hour," said Samuel Thomas, director, transportation, Amazon India. "We have taken this eco-friendly step by introducing bicycle deliveries, which also helps delivery associates with easier access in…
Shambhavi Anand & Varun Jain, The Economic Times New Delhi, 6 January 2016 Discount sale on winterwear has started in the middle of the season, as an unusually warm winter has hurt demand, forcing top brands to tweak their strategies. Industry experts estimate India's annual winter wear market at around $2.3 billion (Rs 15,300 crore). This year, sales are around 15% below the expected level because of a mild winter in the North, said two of them. Brands such as Woodland and Marks & Spencer, which are high on winter wear, started selling winter wear in October, a month earlier…
Devina Sengupta & Jochelle Mendonca, The Economic Times Mumbai, 16 December 2015 Consumers could have a say in the watch or even car produced by the Tata Group as its companies strengthen social media and digital platforms by crowd sourcing ideas. Titan, which sells watches and spectacles, will be among the first to start asking consumers for detailed inputs in the next few months. The plan may be replicated across consumer-facing units such as Trent and Tata Motors. Such companies use listening tools based on social media feeds to manage brand and reputation, said a data analytics partner at one…
Geopolitical friction has again sparked renewed concerns over inflation and rising input costs for FMCG companies as @itmeansjustice @whysnavi write. @devangshu commented.
