“Opportunity For Fabindia To Tap The Unstitched/Ready- To- Stitch

Fabric Market As An Add-On Business”.

FABINDIA OVERSEAS LIMITED

By

Medhavi Jain

MUM13MM11

Under the guidance of Prof. Tanmay Kandekar

Batch 2013- 2015

Master of Fashion Management

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 Department of Fashion Management Studies

National Institute of Fashion Technology

[Mumbai]

CERTIFICATE OF OWNERSHIP AND ORIGINALITY

All statistics are drawn from official, national and international sources unless otherwise indicated.

All the information in the report is verified to the best of author’s ability but does not accept
responsibility for the loss arising from decisions based upon them.

This report has been prepared for the exclusive academic use of National Institute of Fashion Technology.

All rights reserved. No part of the report may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means
without the prior permission of the authors.

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 CERTIFICATE FROM FACULTY MENTOR

This is to certify that Ms. Medhavi Jain has completed the Degree Project entitled “Opportunity For
Fabindia To Tap The Unstitched/Ready- To- Stitch Fabric Market As An Add-On Business” under my
guidance. She has been submitting the progress report on time. She is hereby allowed to participate in
the internal and external jury for Degree Project.

(_________________________)

Name of Faculty Mentor:Mr. Tanmay Kandekar

Date:13th may, 2015

Place: Mumbai.

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 DECLARATION

I, Medhavi Jain hereby declare that the Project entitled “Opportunity For Fabindia To Tap The
Unstitched/Ready- To- Stitch Fabric Market As An Add-On Business” is my original work and no part of
the project has been copied from any other reports or any other were carried by someone else and this
have been submitted for any other degree/award. However, any material taken from any other published
sources has been suitably referred and acknowledged at various places.

Name: Medhavi Jain

Roll Number: mum13mm11

Batch: Master of Fashion management,2013-2015

Centre: NIFT, Mumbai

Date:13thMay, 2015

Place:Mumbai

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am grateful to NIFT for providing me an opportunity to do research work on “Opportunity For Fabindia
To Tap The Unstitched/Ready- To- Stitch Fabric Market As An Add-On Business”. I express my whole
hearted thanks to my faculty guide Mr. Tanmay Kandekar for her encouragement and moral support in
organizing my work and giving me valuable tips for making it presentable.

I am indebted to Mrs Anuradha Kumra, Creative Head at Fabinida my industry mentor who has guided
and supervised me throughout this study. I have no words to express my gratitude to her.

I am also thankful to Mr, Sumit Arora and Mr. Shivam(former) of women Indian Category Heads
providing me the details of conducting the research from its inception.

I will be failing in my duty if I do not mention the name of my CC Ms. Lipi Choudhary and other faculty for
his help in my Degree Project

TABLE OF CONTENT

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SR.NO TOPIC PAGES
1 INTRODUCTION 1-19

1.1 COMPANY PROFILE

1.1(A) COMPANY OVERVIEW
1.1(B) BUSINESS OVERVIEW
2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 20-21

2.1 RESEARCH DESIGN

3 LITERATURE REVIEW 21-32

3.1 WOMEN’S INDIAN WEAR INDUSTRY

3.2 RTS INDUSTRY

4 COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS 33-37

5 CUSTOMER ANALYSIS 38-46
6 GAP ANALYSIS 47-50
7 MOCK RANGE 51-53
8 LEARNING 54-55
9 RECOMMENDATIONS 56

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ANNEXURE

6
CHAPTER-1

7
CHAPTER-2

8
CHAPTER-3

9
CHAPTER-4

10
CHAPTER-5

11
CHAPTER-6

12
CHAPTER-7

13
CHAPTER-8

14
CHAPTER-9

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Executive summary:

Fabindia was founded with the strong belief that there was a need for a vehicle to market

the vast and diverse craft traditions of India. Our endeavour is to provide customers with hand
crafted products which help support and encourage good craftsmanship.

My project is focused on options by which we can explore the untapped opportunities in the
Women’s Indian Department to increase the business size and products offered to the customer.
After thorough research I saw the scope for Fabindia to tap the unstitched dress material market
which is still growing at a rate of at 7.9 percent annually.

This need was felt when we went for a Pakistani exhibition and Surajkund exhibition at New
Delhi. It was astonishing to see the demand for unstitched dress material among the ladies. A lot
of consumers were witnessed shopping the same.

• In this project, I have done Research on the current unstitched/ready- to- stitch fabric
market and reason for seeing it as an opportunity for Fabindia
• Analysing strategies adopted by other brands to cater to customers demanding
unstitched or semi-stitched garments
• To understand the needs of the Fabindia customers for the unstitched/ready- to- stitch
fabric market
• Strategies to bridge the gap, if any
• Suggestion of a mock option plan

Through this project I conclude that there is a vast scope for Fabindia to venture this sub-
category and it should be launched in the top stores in limited numbers as test marketing
to see the response of the customers. We also observed a lot of stores who are into
Indian crafts already doing the same business quite well. This justifies the reason for
Fabindia to start this new sub-category of unstitched dress material.

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Company Profile:

Fabindia- Fabric of India

“Fabindia was founded with the strong belief that there was a need for a vehicle to market
the vast and diverse craft traditions of India and thereby help fulfil the need to provide and
sustain rural employment.”
“Our endeavour is to provide customers with hand crafted products which help support and
encourage good craftsmanship.”
John Bissell

The Vision

At Fabindia we celebrate India, and endeavour to bring all that we love about India to customers
around the world.

The Mission

We will harness the transformative power of a well-run business committed to profitable growth
in support of Fabindia‟s Vision.

We will strengthen and support our community of customers, designers, artisans, farmers, makers
and entrepreneurs inspired by India.

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We will give our customers products that delight them by interpreting our rich heritage and
traditional knowledge, while protecting the natural environment.

Values & Guiding Principles

To remain true to our company‟s history and our founder‟s original Vision: "In addition to making
profits, our aims are constant development of new products, a fair, equitable and helpful
relationship with our producers, and the maintenance of quality on which our reputation rests."
– John Bissell

To ensure that we delight our customers with our products and service, and always make them feel
that they are getting great value for their money.

To design, make and sell products with intrinsic worth that comes from the original designs,
knowledge, care and skill with which these are made.

To be true to our commitment and history as an ethical and trust-worthy brand promoting a stake-
holder based community model of inclusive capitalism.

To constantly share our Vision with our employees, suppliers, business associates and customers,
so that we collectively ensure that all our actions are in service of our Vision, Mission and
Guiding Principles.

Early Times
John Bissell who founded Fabindia was born in Hartford in Connecticut and was educated at
the Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts, and at Yale. He was introduced to India
by his father, who told him stories of his time in India when he was posted there during the
Second World War. John Bissell worked as a buyer for the American departmental store,
Macy‟s. In 1958, under a programme run by the Ford Foundation, he came to India to advise
the Central Cottage Industries Corporation created by the Indian government, on showcasing
Indian handlooms and handicrafts. His role was to advise on issues relating to marketing
Indian handicrafts. He was new to India and he did not know any Indian language. In spite of
these inconveniences, he travelled extensively over India and met several craftsmen. He came
across a lot of skill, among craftsmen but he also observed that they had no idea about

18
marketing their products and they were in no position to access distant urban or international
markets. He liked his experiences in India and hence kept coming back. What Bissell
discovered was a village-based industry with a profusion of skills hidden from the world.
However, they lacked the skills to market their products and access the large urban and
foreign markets.
Determined to showcase Indian handloom textiles, and providing equitable employment to
traditional artisans, and sensing an entrepreneurial venture, Bissell established Fabindia in
1960. It was also to fuse the best aspects of East & West collaboration. Initially, Fabindia
started as a wholesale export company, concentrating on the export of upholstery fabrics,
durries and rugs.
Initially his goal was to export to the US and to other western countries. With that aim in
mind, he incorporated Fabindia in 1960. The company operated from Bissell‟s residence in
the posh Golf Greens locality in New Delhi. Growth was initially slow for the company and in
1965 the company moved out of his house into a proper office. By then, Fabindia had an
annual turnover of rupees Rupees 20 lakhs. Most of this turnover was accounted for by a
single buyer and a single supplier. A. S. Khera made durries and other home furnishings in his
workshop in Panipat and most of the output was purchased by the UK based Habitat, which
was founded by a famous interior designer, Sir Terence Conran.

Retail Foray
Bissell‟s Greater Kailash shop was a success. It attracted a distinct category of customers.
But in spite of such success in its direct retail business, Fabindia remained dependent on
exporting and Habitat continued to be their single major buyer. In the early 80‟s, Fabindia
made a significant addition to its product range by adding ready to wear garments too in their
retail offerings. In an interview in 1977, Bissell said, „‟The greatest thing that happened to our
business was the move in Europe and America a few years back to the natural look - natural
textures, natural fibres - and away from things like polyester and nylon‟‟. Similarly, like in
Europe and America in India, a distinct group was emerging. Some of India‟s new young
politicians, media stars and other celebrities patronized Fabindia and were able to provide
Fabindia with nationwide exposure for its products. In spite of all that, its domestic retail
business grew slowly. It continued to focus on export business.
However as time passed Fabindia's marketing shifted from exports, to the local Indian retail
market. This was especially so from 1990s.
In 1999, on John Bissell‟s death, his son William aged 32,formally took over as the

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Managing Director of Fabindia. The Company‟s domestic expansion had been spectacular
after William took over. By 2001, Fabindia had six stores concentrated in the metro cities. By
the end of 2004, these had increased to 20, and the company was seriously considering
expanding its stores into the tier-II and tier-III, cities as well as overseas. By the end of 2007
Fabindia had 75 retail stores across India and in addition, stores in Dubai, Rome and
Guangzhou in China.

Fabindia across India

What started as an export house has today become a successful retail business presenting
Indian textiles in a variety of natural fibres, and home products including furniture, lights and
lamps, stationery, home accessories, pottery and cutlery. In 2004, food products range was
launched and in 2006, Fabindia Sana, their authentic body care products range, was launched.
Recently, it has also ventured into the jewellery segment. However, the major chunk of
Fabindia‟s product range is textile-based.
The company has continued its focus mainly on the artisans and sources its products from
over 15,000 craftsmen across India. With a strong foundation, the company has been
successful in increasing its presence all over India.

Channels of business
It has created a visibility in the international market either through its own stores or through
other retailers and boutiques and also through institutional sales. The main advantage
Fabindia has enjoyed is that its products have a distinctive and quintessential style and it can
easily be identified by potential customers.

Retail
The retail channel is already developed within India with almost 100 stores in Tier 1 and Tier
II cities. As of today, internationally Fabindia owns stores in Rome (Italy), Guangzhou
(China), Dubai (UAE), Manama (Bahrain) and Doha (Qatar).
The product range consists of garments for men, women, children and infants; garment
accessories; home furnishings – bed, bath, table and kitchen linen, upholstery fabric, curtains,
floor coverings and a range of non textile products like furniture, lights, lamps and stationery.
In addition to handcrafted clothing and home furnishings, Fabindia‟s product line includes
organic foods and body care products.

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Wholesale exports
As of today, Fabindia exports to more than 34 countries. The clients are wholesalers as well
as secondary retailers. Products exported include home linens as well as garments. Exports
are done as per the Terms and Conditions agreed by Fabindia and the customer.
The export being a very lucrative market, Fabindia develops a special collection for exports
markets twice every year. The special collections are showcased at the Indian Handicrafts and
Gifts Fair, New Delhi in Spring and Autumn. This collection draws on different techniques to
present a range of home furnishings comprising bed and table linen, with a focus on textures
– both visual and tactile. As different wholesalers and retailers flock to these fairs to address
their sourcing needs, Fabindia is able to reach out to potential clients.

Institutional Sales
Fabindia envisages to service high business institutional segment especially the heritage
hotels and multinational corporate houses. It provides customization and interior designing
consulting for clients like heritage hotels, resorts and corporate houses.

Mechandise Mix:
During the early days, merchandising was not a planned activity. Whenever Bissell saw
something of interest, he procured it for display at the store. Sometimes he would also invite
the craftsmen , to display the products and assist in the sale. This orientation of customer
relationship later became a part of the company culture.
The expansion in merchandize mix is mainly done through customer feedback especially that
of its loyal customers. Fabindia believes: “ A delighted Customer is our Best Brand
Ambassador”
Fabindia does not follow any customer acquisition strategy. It instead focuses on customer
retention. Fabindia creates its market through its existing customers which is quite evident
from the fact that about 85% of its customers are repeat customers. The Unique Selling
Proposition of Fabindia is the quality of the fabric and the traditional style, which is always in
vogue. It has designed the stores‟ decor and ambience keeping this in mind. It constantly
attempts to improve the quality of the products in order to retain its customers.
The company concentrates on customer feedback by maintaining a visitors‟ register to record
customer views. The store managers prepare a report on buying pattern among consumers
which is periodically reviewed by the Product Selection Committee at Fabindia . Recently,

21
the CRM software has been implemented in a select few stores which aims to help in
maintaining a centralized database. This will help Fabindia in retaining customers by building
lasting relationships and improving loyalty. The implementation, however, is still in its
nascent stage, but is soon expected to be spread across all the stores in the country. Fabindia
also has the Mystery Shopper Program to gauge the customer satisfaction level. Mystery
shoppers posing as normal customers perform specific tasks such as purchasing a product,
asking questions, registering complaints or behaving in a certain way and then provide
detailed reports or feedback on their shopping experiences to the management. It serves as an
effective tool to improve the customer experience.
Moreover, the brand managers at Fabindia rely upon a concept of intuition. If a new line of
traditional kurtis is launched, the jewellery which suits the attire also gets launched. It
automatically gets sold without any promotion. Before launching any new product, be it
traditional, western, organics, jewellery or furniture, Fabindia looks into the value which a
customer may feel by having the product as a part of his/her life. Some customers are so
inclined to Fabindia that they just don‟t believe in going elsewhere else, and don‟t even tell
other people that they have purchased the particular item from Fabindia.This helps them
create an image of exclusiveness . Hence, uniqueness, innovation and intuition are the most
important aspects of of Fabindia‟s product planning.

Store layout and location:

The store layout in Fabindia depends upon the type of store. Fabindia works on various types
of stores which include concept stores as well as full fledged store. In a posh locality in a
metropolitan city, Fabindia works as a full fledged store which has almost all the product
lines. On the other hand, in a concept store, the place specific products are retailed. Market
potential determines store location for Fabindia, which is fast expanding in Tier II cities like
Bhopal where still mall culture is non existent.
The layout usually keeps clothes section at the back of the store and the entrance area is
utilized for home products. The exclusive jewellery counter is also kept in the fronts.

Why Fabindia?
Fabindia since its inception has concentrated on cultivating an image of „Indianness‟. Relying
on its word of mouth publicity, Fabindia has been highly successful in creating a pool of
repeat customers, who come again and again for the unique Fabindia experience.
The core values of Fabindia have always been to provide its customers with quality products

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which reflect the unique Indian culture and tradition. Since most of Fabindia‟s customers are
repeat customers, the motivating factor for the customer remains the quality and consistency
of product and the service provided by Fabindia.
The major problems for Fabindia occur in the maintaining the consistency of the products.
Since the supply and the manufacturing happens on a small scale over a large geographical, it
becomes difficult for the firm to maintain the same level of quality. Fabindia makes sure that
a minimum level of quality is maintained, but it also has strong relationships with all its
suppliers. It makes sure that a supplier does not suffer due to marginal quality lapses. The
Fabindia customers also understand this and are largely tolerant of the discrepancies in
garment in terms of size & prints etc. In fact, over 77% of the customers buy Fabindia,
because of the „Fabindia‟ brand and its contribution to improving the life of rural artisans.
Fabindia has in store posters which educate customers about the dyes used in the products,
and also the possible problems which could be faced in washing and using them. Thus,
Fabindia has succeeded in making the inherent inconsistency of the product into an appeal
factor by positioning each garment as „unique‟.
Also, even though the products sometimes have problems due to the fading of colours, or
shrinkage, the service personnel make sure that the customers are not inconvenienced on
account of such problems. The general response is to exchange the garment for another,
which makes sure that the customer goes back happy, and remains a loyal customer.
In case of organic products, it is still a nascent market. Itts appeal is mostly to people who are
already aware of the product offering and have been using similar products. The major
problem there is erratic delivery and product availability, which does lead to customer
dissatisfaction. But this is a very small part of the clientele. Over 83% of Fabindia‟ s
customers go abck satisfied, with 58% being highly satisfied with the brand and its offerings.
Fabindia has been expanding its product range to include jewellery, home furnishings, Body
care products, etc. This has mostly been done as an extension of the Garment brand. For
example, the men‟s garment range was started because the founder, John Bissell, needed
shirts. Therefore, for quite some time, the Fabindia men‟s garment line was restricted to shirts
and that too in only one size, because it was John‟s shirt size!
Although Fabindia appeals to the Indian customer‟s need to remain rooted with the tradition
and culture, it has made sure that it changes with the times. It had inculcated a large number
of western fashions and garments into its range. This is done keeping in mind the customer
feedback received and the inputs given by the store managers. Fabindia relies on its managers
to identify client needs and trim the store offerings accordingly.

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Competition:
Competition Faced by Fabindia is from both the organised and unorganised retail sector. The
unorganised sector has the local tailors who provide customised garments to the customers
at reasonable prices and the local NGOs selling wares. However, the scale of operations does
not pose a major threat to Fabindia.
One such competitor is the Delhi Haat, an upgraded traditional weekly market, located in the
hub of south Delhi. The place has been developed by the Tourist Department of Delhi to
enhance the craftsmanship of our country. It is an amalgamation of craft, food and cultural
activities. Unlike the village haat, the Delhi haat is a permanent haat that offers a
kaleidoscopic view of the richness and diversity of the Indian handicrafts and artefacts.
Spread over a spacious six acre area, imaginative landscaping, creative planning, and the
traditional village architectural style provide for a major tourist attraction. One is very happy
to get goods at a very nominal price here.
Another such regional competitor is the market outside the law garden in Ahmedabad. The
law garden is a famous place for buying handicrafts and Gujarati outfits from local hawkers.
This garden provides one with various recreational options like music, theatre, rides for kids
and a great variety of Gujarati food.
The common thread that links both the Delhi Haat and the Law Garden is the experience they
create for the customer by combining crafts, food and cultural activities. Such an experience
is lacking in case of Fabindia. A tourist would be lured by the overall ambience he gets in the
former case.
However, a far greater threat is posed by the organised sector especially Government owned
Khadi Gram Udyog outlets and Cottage Industries Emporiums across the country. The
product mix offered by both is similar to Fabindia. Also, they have the backing of the
governments. However, the quality of products and service provided by Fabindia is perceived
to be higher than that of the government run outlets.
Fabindia‟s main competitors are the ethnic wear retailers like Khadder, W and Good Things,
who are also expanding at a rapid pace. W, for example, has well over 30 exclusive stores
now, in addition to being available at some multi-brand outlets.. There is also severe
competition from the ethnic wear labels of modern Indian retail chains, such as Shoppers
Stop and Pantaloons. Stand alone stores like Shristi and Biba in Bangalore, Prapti in Kolkata
and Sadka and Shoma in Delhi have been doing well for a while and could pose a challenge
by expanding. New competition is expected from overseas retailers also. The government

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has already permitted single brand retailers to set up shop and others like Carrefour, Walmart
and Metro have devised ways to get into the Indian market. Powerful Indian business houses
like Tata, Reliance and Birla are expanding their retail businesses.
The organised retail sector also includes outlets by corporate houses like Lifestyle and
Westside which cater to the same demographic profile. However, the products served are
more contemporary in nature and does not aim at the same target audience. Stores like
Anokhi have the same target audience, but do not have the reach of Fabindia.

International Presence
Fabindia has gradually attained a strong foothold in India. It has become the niche player of
choice for the urban and semi-urban masses when it comes to buying something with “Indian
flavour” added. The constant product innovations and agility in identifying associated
product lines has been the key. Be it garments with distinctive folk patterns to furniture with
carvings and designs reflective of rich Indian heritage, the products have an intrinsic appeal
to customers.
As of January 2009, they have 97 stores across the length of the country. They have also
opened international stores in Italy, UAE, Qatar and China. Their network is spread across 34
countries worldwide and 511 destinations in India.

Fabindia Products

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The major portion of Fabindia‟s product range is textile based. Non- textile introductions to this
range are Home Products (introduced in October 2000), Organic Food Products (introduced in
July 2004) & Fabindia‟s range of authentic Personal care products (introduced in March 2006).

The textile-based product range includes ready-to-wear garments and accessories for men, women,
teenagers and children; bed, bath, table and kitchen linen; floor coverings, upholstery fabric and
curtains. Cotton, silk, wool, grass, linen and jute are the basic fibres used.

The Home Products range carries furniture, lighting, stationery, tableware, cane baskets and a
selection of handcrafted utility items.

Fabindia Organics carries several types of cereals, grains, pulses, spices, sugar, tea, coffee, honey,
fruit preserves and herbs.

Fabindia's range of authentic Personal care products includes soaps, shampoos, hair oils, pure oils,
moisturisers, body scrubs, face packs, hair conditioners & special skin care products.

Garments Accessories Home linen Home furnishings

Home products Floor coverings Personal products Organics

Organic Certification
Fabindia's Categories of Food Products

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 Products displaying our Green logo are 'Fully Certified' Organic. All processes, from
growing to preparing to packing have been done according to National and International
standards, verified by accredited agencies.

Products displaying our Blue logo are 'In Conversion'. This means that the farmer is using
purely organic techniques, and has registered and is complying with set standards. Farmland must
be managed organically for about 3 years before it can be fully certified.

Products displaying our Yellow logo are 'Natural'. This category contains products
produced by small farmers who use purely organic techniques, but who have decided to not yet
register for certification. It also includes some processed foods, which do not contain any synthetic
preservatives, colours, flavours or additives.

National and International Standards

India's organic certification standards are set by the National Programme for Organic Production
(NPOP), which are based on standards set by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture
(IFOAM).

In India, there are a handful of certifying agencies accredited by NPOP. Farmers and producers
must register with one of these agencies, who will in turn verify whether NPOP standards have
been met.

For certified Organic products, look for a certified agency's logo, for example SGS, and NPOP's
India Organic logo.

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Business Overview:

Women‟s Indian Department

Women’s Indian

Kurta Bottoms Lounge Wear

Kurta Med Churidar Kaftan

Kurta long
Patiala

Fab@ Large
Kurta Long
Salwar

Kurta Med

• Contributing a whooping 65% to the total Women‟s India sale Kurta Med is the largest
selling category in the Women‟s Indian offering.
• Kurta Med is available across different fits like A-Line, P Cut, Bias etc & in different
sleeve lengths for e.g. H/S, S/L, 3/Q, Cap sleeve etc.
• The Standard width of a Fab India Kurta Med is 38 inches from HSP.(for a Medium
size)
• Some of the fabrics in which Kurta Med is offered are as below:

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  Woven: Mang Pln, Mang Z bdr, Mang Str, Dobby, Ikat, Extra weft etc.
 Printed: Kalamkari, Ajrak, Dhar, Mang Ptd, Chanderi Ptd, Tussar Ptd etc.

KURTA LONG

• Contributing 13.55% to the total Women‟s Indian sale Kurta Long is the second
largest selling category.
• Kurta Long is available across different fits like A-Line, P Cut, Bias ,Anghrakha,
Kalidar ,Anarkali etc & in sleeve lengths like H/S,S/L,3/Q, Cap sleeve, Megyar sleeve
etc.
• The Standard length of a Fab India Kurta Long is 40 inches form HSP.(for a Medium
size)
• Some of the fabrics in which Kurta Med is offered are as below:
 Woven: Mang Pln, Mang Z bdr, Mang Str, Dobby, Ikat, Extra weft etc.
 Printed: Kalamkari, Ajrak, Dhar, Mang Ptd, Chanderi Ptd, Tussar Ptd etc.

FAB @LARGE

• We also offer a range for the plus sized women-Fab @large wherein we offer sizes
larger than XXL
• This range needs to be separately displayed in the store
• The Standard width of a Fab India Kurta Long is 44 inches from the HSP.(for a size 0
& 1) and 45 inches from the HSP (for size 2 & 3).
• Some of the fabrics in which Fab @ Large Kurta is offered are as below:
 Woven: Mang Pln, Mang Z bdr, Mang Str, Dobby, Ikat etc.
 Printed: Kalamkari, Ajrak, Dhar, Mang Ptd, Tussar Ptd etc.

STYLES/FITS

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Fits Mini Kurta Long Kurta Kaftan

A Line √ √ √

Bias √ √

Kalidar √

Phiran √

P-Cut √

Shoulder-Panel √

Angrakha √ √

Anarkali √

DoriLoop √ √

Types of products:

ESSENTIAL

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CLASSIC

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ARTISANS

• These are the products which are highly craft intensive and represent exclusive forms
of handicraft.
• Due to their exclusivity & the handicraft work done on them , these products are
highly priced
• Made in restricted numbers; these styles are to be showcased in selected stores in a
very special manner, highlighting the craft involved ;almost like telling a story of the
craft – E.g. Benarsi silk garments, exquisite embroideries on chanderi and silks.

PREMIUM

• These are products which are craft oriented and usually have an element of hand work
done on them in terms of embroideries, hand block printing, surface ornamentation etc
though these are not as exclusively handcrafted as products in the artisan range.

• These are available only in select stores and fresh ranges using the specific craft
techniques are introduced every year.

FLAGSHIP

• Available only in the Flagship stores; these products are highly craft intensive and are
made available for the more discerning customer.

• These are one time offerings and are usually done in very small quantities.

Work procedure:

SEASON / RANGE FINALISATION

1. Brief to be issued by Business head / Category head or concerned person.

2. Two types of development

FABRIC
-Design Reference Swatches received

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 -Review w/concerned person and revert
to vendor.
-Rejected – notify / if yardage is required
-Ask for ydge and if modification reqd .request for same.
-If yardage recd , must come with IDF .
(annexure..)
-Ydge swatches to be filed in Fabric file.
-common file used for garment reference and
Fabric .
- Ask for color approval where ever fabric is approved.

GARMENT SAMPLING

JOB WORK
1. Yardage sourced by PSC.

2. Fabric t/b issued out to concerned vendor /PH for sample Development.

3. Developments Sample must W/costing in attached format and left over fabric

DIRECT PURCHASE
1. Sampling being developed directly by vendor/ pH
2. Developments Sample must be submitted along submitted along with the cost

- All samples received must be entered in Main tracker

- Review with Category/ Business heads and give feedback to vendors /PH‟s
- Rejected samples to be returned immediately.
- Samples should be returned for modification.
- Selected samples to be kept with PSC.
- In parallel Ramanto work on BUY PLAN.
- B2b Shoots to be done.

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 - After modified samples are received complete range should be re reviewed along
with the selected samples and Range finalization to be done as per BUY PLAN.
- Complete range with the correct Modified samples / Tracker/ B2Bimages to
production team.
- Stamping to be done on the samples.
- Notify vendors on range finalized and cost negotiation to start.
- Range to be presented to MRH.

- After MRH, Color Developments of the base & Trim Fabrics should be
submitted along with the original swatch Cards.
- PH/Vendors to be clear that they need to submit base /trim fabrics/ any emb options
color wise together for one shot approval.
- If not submitted as required color closure would be open ended.
- If original color swatch not submitted PSC would cut the original sample for
reference.
- Fabric swatch sizes should be 8”x8” and 1 Counter to be submitted for PSC record,
No approval will be advised on small cuttings.
- Once approved – approval to be advised over email and signed swatch to h/over.
And PSC needs to dofiling of the approved counters.
- Approved color way to be tallied with perennial bottom color, if it doesn‟t match
Matching bottoms to be ordered with it.

ORDERING

- Once range is closed as per BUY plan, final tracker to be circulated within the team
internally and PH‟s.
- Please follow Tracker format as per attached (annexure).
- Tracker will be on shared Docs and concerned people would need to update their
respective areas timely.
- Parallel quantity to be plugged style wise as per the Buy plan.
- Order Templates to be made.
- Templates to be sent to market with all the relevant details.
- Orders are to be received from Markets within a week‟s Timeline.
- Quantities to be consolidated and DL‟s to be forwarded to Category Head.
- Final Updated tracker to be shared with the Category head.

34
 - Then the tracker would be forwarded to CS for Sign off.
- Once Sign Offs happen category head to place order and PO‟s to be released
parallel within 2 days.
- Hard copied of PO‟s to be signed off by category head. 1 copy to be h/over to PH
and other to be filed along with the approved swatch cards.

GARMENT SPECIFICATIONS.

- Specification sheet to be created with the help of quality team with the consultation
Category head and Merchandise production team.
- Specification sheet to be shared with specific subject eg: WI/ Season /Order No :
11/ PH /spec sheet/S code
- Specification sheet /sample to be sent back on the same day when specs are
released from PSC / PH.

PRODUCTION /SHIPPING
- Fabric to be ordered at the release of garment order.
- Fabric approvals should be submitted in parallel to PSC fabric dept for quality and
color sign off.
Quality parameters are attached as annexure.
- Fabric Quality approval will be advised by fabric department while color & hand
feel approval will be given by PSC category head.
- Proto sample to be submitted within a 7-10 days of specs being released.
- Proto sample comments to be advised with 4 working days.
- Once proto is approved within a day graded spec sheets to be released.
- After graded spec sheets are release Size sets are to be submitted within a 7-10
days at HO along with the patterns.
- Size sets are to be reviewed and comments to be released within a week‟s time.
- PP samples in all color ways are to be submitted together for review and go ahead
within 15days of size set approval.
- Trim cards to be submitted along with the PP samples.
- All the Size set approvals should be 30-35 days prior to their delivery date.
- Weekly production follows ups to be done with vendors/PH. Every
Tuesday/Wednesday.

35
 - On an ideal situation the DL‟s should be uploaded on AOM around 56 days before
EDA dates.

Research topic:

A. Title : Opportunity for Fabindia to tap the unstitched/ready- to- stitch fabric market

Objectives:

 Research on the current unstitched/ready- to- stitch fabric market and reason for seeing it
as an opportunity for Fabindia
 To analyse strategies adopted by other brands to cater to customers demanding unstitched
or semi-stitched garments
 To understand the needs of the Fabindia customers for the unstitched/ready- to- stitch
fabric market
 Strategies to bridge the gap, if any

Location:
 The place of research was Fabindia Head Office, Delhi
 The place of research was Fabindia stores in Delhi for the Customers survey

Type Of Data:

36
 The data collected for research is both primary and secondary but majorly of primary in
nature because most of the information was collected on personal interview basis or based
on personal observations.

Data Required

 We got 100 questionnaires filled by the respondents.

 Respondents were only Fabindia customers who have bought kurta from Fabindia before.

Data Collection Method:

 Survey Method
o personal interview
o personal observation

Sampling Techniques:

 Quota Sampling Technique for Personal Interviews

Data Analysis:

 I used Graphical Tools & descriptive analysis to analyse the data. I used Microsoft Excel
and SPSS to analyse and present the data inform of charts and frequency distribution
tables.

Limitations:

Location: only Delhi

37
Literature Review

Ethnic Wear Market in India

Presently valued at USD39 billion, the Indian Apparel market is expected to grow at a CAGR of
9.5% to reach USD 60 billion by 2017. The women‟s wear segment contributes a large share of
38% to the total market and will continue to grow at a CAGR of 10% over the next decade. The
optimistic growth of the sector is due to the increase in the number of working women. Over the
next decade, India will witness an increase of more than 10 million ladies within the working
middle class across the top 115 urban Indian cities, thus presenting a potential of 35 million
consumers by the year 2020 in the relevant cities. Further, since this growing population of
women includes a large proportion of working women, there will be a corresponding increase in
the disposable income of families. This surplus income within households will directly impact the
consumption of both essential and lifestyle products, such as various apparel categories. Ethnic
wear comprises 75% of the total women’s wear market, at USD10.82 billion. It is a dominant
contributor and will continue to grow at an optimistic 9.3%. This category offers a unique blend of
comfort and fashion to the consumer making it the preferred apparel for most occasions. Although
sarees have the largest share of 53% within the segment, the salwar kameez category will be the
primary driver of its growth. The salwar-kameez category contributes almost 38% to the
overall ethnic wear market and is growing at 10.8%. The preference for salwar kameez and

38
sarees is a regional choice; in northern regions of India, it is the preferred apparel for both regular
and festive occasions as it has been a traditional garment across generations while other regions
also prefer sarees for special occasions. While the Tier I cities tend to be strongly governed by a
traditional usage of the sari, the ethnic wear category is increasingly becoming the category sought
as it offers both convenience and conformity. Thus the focus tends to be on comfort fabrics such
as cotton with mid-fashion quotient. Currently, ethnic wear is dominated by the unorganized
sector. Interestingly, the unbranded and unorganized sectors straddle all segments of the
Indian ethnic wear market and continue to dominate 85% of the market. Further, in the
organized sector, the largest skew of brands‟ as well as formats‟ product offerings is within the
mid-premium segment. Overall, the sector is fragmented, with few brands having a strong
positioning. The lack of clear product and service differentiation has however led to low brand
loyalty and few national brands are gaining salience. The organized sector is dominated and driven
by brands and formats offering mid-fashion, contemporary wear. Ready-to-wear (RTW) has a
greater presence in the organized sector in comparison to Ready-to-stitch (RTS). Consumers
are increasingly seeking convenience, comfort, and style from the ethnic wear segment and this
trend seems to be driving the growth of modern formats, the organized sector, and Ready-to-wear.
The quest for convenience as well as fashion is reflected in the skew towards RTW product
offerings from key brands and formats. Further, the RTW segment will continue to grow at an
optimistic rate and also drive the growth of the organized sector. A limited number of brands
focus on RTS offerings within the organized sector. The preference for RTW and RTS differs
based on region and occasion. In the larger cities, RTS fabrics are preferred primarily for
special occasions as it offers the option of customizing embellishments and styling the
offering’s uniqueness. Being a regular article of clothing for most consumers, ethnic wear
emerges as a mid-involvement category leading to a fairly high purchase frequency and impulse
buying, although specific occasions tend to witness higher involvement of the consumer in the
decision making hierarchy. Consumers spend moderate amounts on ready-to-wear salwar kameez
with a high frequency of purchase. Ready-to-stitch, being an occasion-based wear, witnesses a
lower frequency of purchase but with higher ticket value. Characterized by the rising number of
independent women indulging in value-seeking shopping behavior, ethnic wear has transitioned
from being just traditional wear to daily wear that combines tradition with contemporary fashion.
Brands have identified the transition and offer products positioned across occasions as casual,
formal, weddings, semi casual. etc. They are targeting the younger generation with ethnic wear
being positioned as affordable, comfortable, and contemporary fashion. Fashion quotient is a
combined function of fabric, innovative and contemporary styling and vibrant, varied colors.

39
Women‟s ethnic wear market:

The unorganized segment, which traditionally, and still largely, caters to the ethnic wear industry,
has demonstrated steady growth over the past years and is set to grow further by 8.4% over the
next decade from the present INR 61,679 crore, or USD 11.63 billion. Modern retail, especially
large format retailers are ramping up their expansion plans across metros and Tier I & Tier II
cities. This will contribute significantly to the growth of the Indian ethnic wear market. The
women’s segment currently accounts for an overwhelming 87% of the total ethnic wear
market at INR 54,425 crore (USD 10.26 billion); it is the growth of this segment that will
continue to drive the overall sector.

The women‟s wear segment alone is expected to grow at a steady rate of 8% over the coming
decade. The opportunities thrown up by the wedding/bridal market in India are tremendous. Right
from local boutiques to established traditional retailers and regional brands, every bridal wear
retailer is vying for a share of the loyal consumer‟s wallet in a market that is governed more by
design than brand. Niche brands such as Manyavar, Diwan Saheb, and Vastra are few examples of
players that have managed to command a premium for their services. Owing to the religious and
cultural diversity of India, a wide range of occasions are celebrated. Such celebrations typically
start early in the year in January, when Northern India celebrates Lohri, and culminate around
October November with Dussehra and Diwali. On such festive occasions, consumers tend to
purchase ethnic wear for both personal use and for gifting, as brands typically bring out new
trends and designs to coincide with a festive occasion. These occasions typically drive the growth
for women‟s, kids‟, and men‟s ethnic wear.

Ethnic wear was initially a category that was largely restricted to the older age segment.
However, it is now finding acceptance even among younger consumers, especially women. The
young college going girl teams her Indian kurta with either a pair of denims or leggings that
represent a fusion of ethnic wear with western wear. This has led to brands focusing on ethnic
fusion wear product offerings, in western styles and prints, in order to capture the opportunity.
With an interesting interplay of wovens and knits, these brands have completely redefined ethnic
wear for younger consumers. Ladies across all ages prefer the salwar kameez subcategory as it is
associated with the attributes of convenience, comfort as well as contemporary fashion. One of the
key emerging trends contributing to the growth of this segment is the gradual increase in the
number of women in the corporate workforce. Many brands have been able to envision this
opportunity and have made suitable changes in their respective product portfolios. Thus it is not

40
surprising that, within ethnic wear, kurtas and salwar kameez, which represent 38% of women‟s
ethnic wear market, are expected to grow at robust rates in the next decade.

Currently at INR 20,700 crore (USD 3.90 billion), the salwar kameez category is poised to
witness optimistic growth at a CAGR above 10%. 87% 10% 3% Indian Ethnic Wear Market
Women's Kids Men's. Although traditional markets shall continue to be of importance, a
consequence of the above factors is the increasing salience of modern formats among consumers.
Until modern retail opened its doors for urban consumers, local tailors and neighbourhood
boutiques were satisfying the ethnic wear needs of most consumers. Large format retailers were
unheard of. Further, these local tailors barely met standards in terms of quality and designs.

With the coming of modern retail, consumers have easy access to branded products that straddle
the tiered pricing segments. In the value segment where few organized brands have been able to
make a mark for themselves, large format retailers such as Reliance Trends, Max, and Big Bazaar
offer private labels. In the premium segment, there are national players such as BIBA and W, to
name a few, while strongly entrenched local players dominate their respective geographies.
Neeru‟s, in Hyderabad, Frontier Bazaar and Bombay Selections, in Delhi, and Jashn, in Mumbai,
are some examples. Popular LFS formats such as Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, and Westside are
increasing the width of the private label offering and offer the consumers contemporary styling as
well as convenience of comparing multiple brands under one roof .A very crucial pocket of
growth will be the demand from the small towns, which are the metro cities of the future. A large
number of brands are already eyeing this opportunity. Miraaya, for instance, has a strong presence
in Tier II and Tier III cities both through its EBOs and large formats. BIBA has also opened a
large number of stores in Tier I and Tier II cities like Vadodara, Indore, Patna, Visakhapatnam,
Agra, etc. However, the demand for ethnic wear is large even within these cities and this demand
frequently drives small town consumers to big cities for their shopping requirements. The onset of
the e-commerce revolution is also changing the game. Consumers are able to purchase many, if
not all, popular ethnic wear brands from the comfort of their homes. With many physical brands
setting up online stores and others selling through online portals, customers who do not have
access to physical stores can purchase the brands online. Though there are issues that need to be
ironed out before the online space emerges as one of the preferred shopping destination for ethnic
wear, many ethnic wear brands have started to think of their online presence as a viable sales
channel rather than just a website. As different channels continue to emerge and evolve in the
ethnic wear market, the growth of brands will be largely dependent on their ability to differentiate
themselves across product and service offerings.

41
Ready to Stitch

History

In pre-medieval Europe, clothes were merely functional objects serving the purpose of covering
and protecting the body. Bespoke tailoring developed in a slow but steady manner from the 12th
to the 14th century. When the Renaissance, celebrating humanism, transformed the world of arts
and culture, tailoring also became a way of accentuating the human silhouette.

Clothes, which were earlier made from a single piece of cloth, now began to be „tailored‟,
rendering a „fitted‟ look and highlighting the contours of the human form. From being a practical
necessity, clothing metamorphosed into a form of expression, as the aristocratic attitude to
clothing changed drastically during this revolution. Tailoring skills increasingly became much
sought after and created the market for bespoke clothing, as we know it today. It also marked the
beginning of what is known as „fashion‟. It was in the 18th century that bespoke, or made-to-
order, clothing was popularised by the tailors of Savile Row.

Customised for individual body types, and using the finest fabrics, these tailors spent more than 50
hours of manual labour for a two-piece suit. For clothing to qualify as bespoke, it had to be an
„exact fit‟, made in a size specific to the client‟s measurements. In addition to this, the patterns
were designed from scratch instead of using pre-designed ones. Even the stitching, done by hand,
was specific to the taste of the client.

Segments:

The majority of Indian population has historically been brought up on tailored clothing, as the
garmenting industry was restricted to smallscale manufacturing until the late 1990s. Also, due to
lack of size standardisation in apparel, there were few ready-to-wear (RTW) options for
consumers, who preferred to buy ready-to-stitch (RTS) fabric and then tailor the garment
according to their size. With the entry and expansion of international and domestic apparel brands
in the early nineties, the RTW segment increased in popularity, especially in urban centres, and
ever since, the segment has grown rapidly and outpaced the RTS segment of the apparel market.

The present tailoring industry of India can be segregated into three distinct segments.
Firstly, there is a traditional market of local tailoring for the general masses. The tailor in this
42
market is a skilled person or groups of persons catering to local orders. They have minimal
exposure to fashion trends, technology and product-specifi c knowledge.

However, they manage to satisfy the needs of the local consumer of small towns and rural areas
who wear basic products. Currently, around 80 per cent of the market comprises mass tailors.
Secondly, there are growing numbers of organised apparel brands that are offering tailoring
services in their fabric retail outlets. The tailors are trained to handle delicate and specialised
fabrics and they take extra care to ensure the right fi t and look of the tailored products. This
segment comprises around 15 per cent of the market.

Thirdly, there is a premium tailoring segment comprising fashion designers and bespoke or
luxury segment. Such fashion designers have their own tailoring functions that cater to the
requirements of the fashion-conscious elite sections of society. They ensure that the tailored
clothing suits the personality, social status and occasion of the client. This segment comprises
around 5 percent of the market.
Present scenario of RTS

Over the last decade, we have witnessed a big market share shifting towards the RTW apparel
category. There has been a visible migration from tailored clothing to readymade garments due to
the launch and expansion of several Indian and international apparel brands. Factors like easy
availability, variety of colours, and range available gave consumers enough reasons to shift their
preferences.

Currently, the RTS segment is estimated to be around `39,820 crore (US$ 8 bn) comprising
approximately 20 per cent of the apparel market while RTW fabric constitutes the balance
80 per cent. The share of RTW is expected to increase in years to come. However, the demand for
RTS is still large, and it is growing at an annual rate of 5.5 percent.

43
Source : Technopak Analysis *All numbers are rounded off Top 8 cities : Mumbai, Delhi,
Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Pune

Majority of RTS growth is coming from tier-I, -II and smaller cities, where consumers have still
not entirely shifted to RTW and continue to buy RTS fabrics. Currently, only 16 per cent of the
market is organised. However, the organised market is growing at a high rate and the share of this
market segment is expected to increase up to 23 per cent in the next five years.

RTS fabric for shirts, trousers and salwaar-kameez-dupatta (SKD) comprise the majority
share of RTS market. Shirting comprises the bigger share of market currently compared to
trousers and SKD. Other categories include coats and kurtapyjama.

GROWTH DRIVERS FOR THE RTS MARKET INCLUDE:

 Growth of major RTS consuming population of > 40 years and middle-income households
 Growing plus-size population

44
 RTS fabric as a well-established gifting option for special occasions like weddings, birthdays,
etc in large parts of India
 Growing consumption in rural markets, tier I, II and smaller cities
 Increasing women workforce and increasing penetration of SKD and related ethnicwear to
southern parts of India

RTS SALWAAR-KAMEEZ-DUPATTA: MARKET OVERVIEW

A large part of the SKD market comprises tailored garments. The need for tailoring for SKD
segment is greater due to the higher variety of designs and tailoring requirements of consumers.
Even though RTW segment for SKD is increasing, there is still a general lack of options in case of
RTW and hence, consumers prefer to buy RTS or semi-stitched garments.

The overall RTS SKD market is estimated to be around Rs11,840 crore (US$ 2.4 bn) in 2012 and
is growing at 7.9 percent annually. Cotton or cotton blends comprise around 40 per cent of the
SKD market, which is expected to grow at a faster rate as compared to the overall RTS market due
to:

 Higher preference for RTS in SKD, due to requirements of better fitting and design variety
 Increasing women in workforce Also, cotton or cotton blends SKDs are expected to grow
faster than the overall SKD market due to:
 Higher comfort and quality aspects of cotton SKD
 Increasing focus of branded players on cotton fabrics

CONCLUSION

The Indian tailoring industry is thriving and growing despite the growth of ready-to-wear and
branded segment of the apparel market. While majority of consumers in major cities have slowly
graduated to branded apparel over the years, there is still a significant population that prefers RTS
fabric due to certain inherent benefits for specific segments like salwaar-kameez or suits and
trousers, etc. Also, RTS segment is still popular in smaller cities and is growing at a steady rate.

45
Till the time that RTW segment becomes strong in terms of standard sizes across all the key
categories of women‟s ethnic wear, suits, and trousers, the tailoring segment will continue to be in
demand and will continue to grow.

Bespoke allows for a differentiation in the products of an otherwise conservative market for men‟s
formals. Consumers have a choice of playing with the lining, lapels and collars, and personalising
them as per their individual tastes and preferences. Over the years, the emergence and
popularisation of new product categories has led to bespoke services being extended to shirts,
jackets, overcoats and even dresses for women.

Value retailers recruiting tailors

AHMEDABAD: For North Indian women customers who prefer flared Patiala salwaar suits, Arun
Sirdeshmukh is a new friend. The chief executive of Reliance Trends recently increased the length
of the garment retailer's ready-to-stitch salwaar suits by one metre in north Indian markets. He has
also lined up a battery of in-house tailors across the country to stitch garments 20% cheaper than
any other tailor in the neighbourhood.

Sirdeshmukh has altered the way Reliance's apparel fashion arm functions this year, soon after he
started studying Indian anthropometry (physique) and cultural needs of the region. "The Indian
customer needs someone who can offer affordable and fashionable clothing," says Sirdeshmukh .

He is not the only one to realise that. A growing line of value retailers such as Reliance, Future
Group's Fashion@Big Bazaar and Max Retail are selling ready-to-stitch clothes and recruiting
tailors to offer the perfect fit and customized style to customers as these marketers try to convert
more people to branded clothes across towns, cities and metros.

That's because Indians still love tailor-made clothes, literally. Tailored clothes account for half the
garment market in big cities and 60% of the market in smaller town and cities, say retailers.

Value retailers, who have greatly expanded the branded apparel market in recent years by offering
readymade garments at cheaper rates and hold a 30% market share in the $6-7 billion organised
apparel retailing, now bet on tailors to speed up growth. It is growing 20% a year.

46
"Value retailing is looking up, as 50% of Indians in the 15-45 age group prefer branded clothing.
The new model entails employing tailors and offering well-fitting garments at lower price," says
Prashant Agarwal, joint MD of Delhi-based Wazir Advisors , a management consulting firm
focused on Consumer Products and Services sectors.

Ready-to-stitch garments account for one-fourth of all units Reliance Trends sell.

In cities, apart from women who visit tailors for their Indian wear, men prefer bottoms and suits to
be stitched for the perfect fit. In smaller towns, lack of affordability (of fashionable garments) and
access to retail outlets confine customers to tailors . Also, affordable ready-to-stitch (RTS)
offerings attract several people who never tried readymade garments to these shops, the first step
to switching over to readymades.

Stand-alone tailors are feeling the heat. And many are changing with times. Rizwan Shariff, a
small-time tailor in Andhra Pradesh's Chintamani town, moved to Bangaluru two years ago and
joined Reliance Trends. "With customers preferring readymade garments and preferring organised
retailers over us, I came to Bangaluru," says Shariff who now heads a team of six tailors at the
Richmond Road outlet of the retailer.

Jitendra Chauhan, an Ahmedabad-based tailor-turned promoter of apparel multi-branded outlet

Jade Blue, says, "With organised retailing offering similar services at far lesser prices,
(standalone) tailors have no chance to survive the onslaught."

The picture is completely different from five years ago, when branded and readymade garments
would stand no competition to the tailor who would stitch a garment for as low as Rs 200.

The gap was bridged with the entry of a slew of value retailers such as Koutons, Cotton County,
Cantabil, Priknit, Westside, Big Bazaar, and Reliance Trends that started selling branded
readymade clothes at low rates.

Today, there are about 5,000 exclusive brand outlets of organized value retailers and the number is
expected to touch 7,000 by 2012 as existing players expand and new ones enter, says Wazir's
Agarwal.

Amit Kumar, head of Fashion@BigBazaar , the apparel and accessory arm of the country's largest
retailer Future Group, says the company is working towards dispelling the myth that fashion is
luxury. For example, Fashion@BigBazaar retails T-shirts and shirts at . 149 and Rs 199,

47
respectively, jeans at . 299, salwaar-kameez-dupatta sets for . 399-. 429 and ready-to-wear ethnic
wear at . 329.

"We bring tailors to one organised platform, enhance their skills through our retail know-how and
encourage their creativity. We even let customers design their own dresses with our in-house
tailors," says Agarwal.

The retailer is keen to take his tally of Big Bazaars, which house Fashion@BigBazaar , from the
current 137 to near 200 over 12-16 months. In addition, there are six standalone Fashion@Big
Bazaar outlets across five cities.

Value retailers are also expanding their product portfolio with popular local outfits to reach out to
more people.

"While we have been retailing everything from fabric, ready-tostitch , infant wear, children's ,
teenager's , women's and men's garments , Indian wear, corporate wear, speciality clothing
including active sportswear and yogawear, we have also been catering to local populace by
offering bandhni sarees (in Gujarat ), mundu (in Kerala) and burqa (in Hyderabad)," says Reliance
Trends' Sirdeshmukh.

Interestingly, the tailor-retailer axis is not limited to value players though. "Even premium men's
wear brands like Raymond, Reid and Taylor and Vimal have brought in tailors to customise
garments for their customers," says Jade Blue's Chauhan. "At my stores, the category is growing at
30% year-on-year ," he says.

Products:

India has a number of Wholesale Salwar Kameez markets dealing in Salwar Kameez,
procuring the need of domestic and International requirement for Salwar Kameez in retail
and Wholesale.
There is huge production of Salwar Kameez in Wholesale in the following categories:

Salwar Kameez Thaans: (A very large piece of fabric) : This is known as the raw
fabric to form Salwar Kameez. This raw fabric comes in wholesale in domestic and
International market for further selling.

48
 Salwar Kameez Cut Pieces: Vendors of Salwar Kameez purchase the raw fabric from
manufacturers and make bunch of similar kind of Salwar Kameez and sell in Wholesale
bunch of 6-8 similar type designs of different colors.

Combination Salwar Kameez: There is a huge market of different combinations. In

combinations there is no similarity in colors style or fabric type. In brief, the combination
wholesaling of Salwar Kameez will have the bunch of different fabric, different color
combinations in all Salwar Kameez of one bunch and may have different Salwar Kameez
Neck Style in another bunch.

Salwar Kamee Designers Collection: There is big wholesaling of common designers suits
that will have the set of different Salwar Kameez Neck Style, different cut and curves,
different color combinations etc.

Designers Salwar Suits: There is very high profile market in India and Bollywood has a big
name in it. In designers suit there is uniqueness and different creativity done that is one suit
is of one style and one color. There are no match for that in respect of material, quality and
cost. These types of suits have retailing like wholesale because these are very expensive and
unique.

CUSTOMER PROFILE:

Demographics

- Female

– Age Group: 22 to 60

– Upper middle class

– Education Level: well learned

– Vocation: Working or home makers

- NRI‟s and foreigners

Attitude

 Easy, simple and comfortable

 Subtle, earthy and sober

49
 Evolved and celebrates her feminity

 Brand loyal, second generation loyalist

 Supporters and love for Indian crafts

Lifestyle

Day to day Activities

Working woman: likes to wear Indian kurtis more to office. This will fulfill her daily clothing
needs of casual and formal wear look.

Home maker: knows how to balance her family and her own world. Takes time out for herself.
Not completely involved in the household but a good manager.

Weekends

Spend time with family – quality time with family and friends, lunch/dinner, party, weekend
trip, movie

Aspirations

Is actively involved in social activities: work for an NGO, kitty parties, society development
works. Strong face of society. Aspires to be independent, not a fashion follower.

Shopping patterns

Goes for window shopping and store browsing on weekdays. Doesn‟t keep the shopping only
for weekends. Shops for 2-3 garments every month. Doesn‟t wait for end of the month or for
salary to shop. As and when required or desired.

50
 COMPETITION ANALYSIS

Place Merchandise Picture Description Price

Mix
Unorganised
market
Kamla 1 kurta cut piece No. Of options: more than 100 Majorly cotton Rs 500 for
Nagar, Karol 1 salwar cut kurta set with plain cotton printed
Bagh and piece bottom and SKD set.

51
Chandni 1 plain duppatta synthetic duppta. Rs 1000-1500
Chowk They did not keep for Chanderi
silk options in and embroidery
summer. Lucknowi work.
set were also
available.
Very cheap quality
and poor aesthetic
looks.
Organised
brands
Shopper‟s Semi- stitched Number of options: unstitched Kurta with Cotton set:1200
Stop: Set cotton (50), semi-stitched (120) embroidery and Chanderi
DIY 1 kurta (side plain bottom with set:3500
Haute n seam unstitched) chiffon dupppta
Curry 1 RTW bottom with border. It was
1 chiffon not matching the
duppatta and look of Fabindia
Unstitched Set and everything was
Cut pieces of machine work. No
kurta, craft work was
bottom,duppatta seen.

52
Kilol Product 1 Semi-stitched is Price Range:
Cotton kurta available only in Cotton set
emb yoke XL size. The 2610
Printed styles available Chanderi and
salwar are same as in kota set 3350
Kota dupatta other size set. Silk set 8000
Price range: They have
3360 vibrant dress
Options: 150 material with
Product 2 bold prints, a
Cotton perfect addition
printed kurta to your
Plain bottom everyday wear.
Chiffon Accentuated
printed with an all over
dupatta printed chiffon
Price range: dupatta, it is
2010 definitely a
Options: 60 fashion pick for
Product 3: wardrobe
Chanderi or Fabric for Kurta
Kota kurta and Bottom:bengal
Cambric cotton
bottom

Meena Bazar Top - Georgette Very heavy, Price range:

Bottom - jazzy and party 1980-35980
Georgette wear look with
Dupatta - lot of patch
Chiffon work and
embroidery.
Doesn‟t target
the Fabindia
customers.

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Jaypore Cotton Silk No of options: 54 Price Range:
Block Printed Products with 1990
Kurta Fabric unique, high 5500
with Dupatta - quality
Set of 2 craftsmanship,
unmistakably local
Silk-Cotton designs which are
Maheshwari very much in line
Bagru Printed with Fabindia
Kurta Fabric products.
with Dupatta -
Set of 2

Tussar Silk-
Tissue Kurta
Fabric &
Dupatta Set
Set of 2

Striped Tussar
Silk-Muga Silk
Kurta Fabric &
Dupatta Set

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Data analysis:

Feasibility Study:

Chart 1.WILLINGNESS TO BUY UNSTITCHED PRODUCTS FROM FABINDIA

There is mostly a positive response from the customers with only 8% of the surveyed customers
said they would mostly not buy unstitched dress material from Fabindia. A lot of them where not
sure or might buy if they like the offer. 36% of the customers would absolutely buy the product
offered.

Target Customers:
To identify the target customers for unstitched dress material the sample was analysed by
bifurcating it into two categories of age and occupation. All the sample size consisted only of
women. On analysing it was found that the majority of people interested in buying the unstitched
dress material were starting from late 30‟s and were mostly housewives followed by the working
class. The students and young customers did not prefer to buy the same.

Given below are some cross tabulations and bar graphs which would assist in understanding these
facts.

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On analysing the bar charts it can be seen that the most positive response is from the age group of
40 and above. Though the number of respondents of 30-40 is the most but it is evenly distributed
throughout the scale. The unsure crowd was 20-30 about their purchase of dress material.

The bar graph below clearly shows that the highest demand of unstitched dress material is from
housewives and backed by working ladies. The students are the most unsure lot regarding the
demand of unstitched dress material.

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Demand Estimation:

The demand can be estimated in the following manner:

Out of a sample size of 100 customers, 36 customers say they would definitely buy the products,
26 say they would probably buy the products and 30 people say that maybe they would buy the
products whereas there were 4 people who said that they would probably not buy and 4 definitely
not buy unstitched or semi stitched dress material. The demand can be now estimated as:

People saying "Definitely Yes" - 36 people [100% of 36 = 36 customers]

People saying "Probably Yes" - 33.75 people [75% of 26 = 19.5 customers]

People saying "Maybe" - 4 people [50% of 30 = 15 customers]

On adding the above figures it can be said that 70 customers out of a sample size of 100 customers
would be willing to shop unstitched or semi stitched dress material.

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BUYING BEHAVIOUR OF THE TARGET CUSTOMERS

In order to understand the buying behaviour of our customers, I asked customers questions about
why do they prefer or do not prefer to buy unstitched or semi-stitched dress material, what is the
price point at which they buy, which places do they go to shop for the same.

From the following analysis we see that the major reason for people not preferring to buy
unstitched is it is time consuming to get it stitched as compared to buying ready-made garments.

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When we compare the analysis with respect to age of the customers, the major reason for the young
crowd is it is time consuming, where as for the more mature crowd is that there are no good tailors
and it comes out to be expensive.

The reason that came out prominently as the reason for consumers choosing unstitched dress
material was because of better fit. These are the people who have problem in finding the right size
ready made garment for themself. The second biggest reason is consumers feel they can customise
their garment if they buy unstitched dress material with the silouttee, neck etc.

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The analysis shows that the most common place for consumers to buy unstitched dress material is
from the local market such as Kamla Nagar, Karol Bagh etc. It is followed by designer boutiques
and exclusive stores where they go to buy occasion wears.

The price point at which customers buy 3 piece set from different platforms are exhibited below.
As we see the least expensive option for customers was local market and the most expensive is
boutiques which is more than 3000.

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The price point at which customers buy 2 pieces is maximum at 1000-2000 from local market.
They do not buy two pieces from boutiques.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Product

The frequency of craft based product from Fabindia is 44 and is more than rest of the two.
Customers prefer to buy unstitched dress material in the craft based look.

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When we cross tabulate the look preferred by them with their age we see that craft based look is
preferred by customers of all age group. Though, occasion wear is not desired by age group of 40
and above but the preference for casual daily look is high in them.

The next product related question was what product mix do they want in unstitched or semi
stitched dress material and it came out that the most desired option was that of only kurta. And 50
and above prefer only salwar kurta dupatta and no other option.

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Interpretations:

Positive Responses:

1. The customers who were short in height said that they faced problem with the ready
made garments due to the length of the kurta and preferred to buy unstitched dress
material so that they can get it stitched accordingly.
2. The customers who wear Small size faced problem with the fit of the garment. They
gave a feedback saying there was excess fabric at the shoulders and did not sit well.
And another problem was the kurta is very broad at the bottom. Hence, they did not
mind buying dress material only for kurta from Fabindia.
3. The group of people with age group of 40+ were positive about buying kurta salwaar
dupatta in unstitched or semi-stitched form from Fabindia as compared to the people
of other age group.
4. There was a lot of people who loved Fabindia products so much that they were ready
to buy anything offered by Fabindia. They were the most loyal customers of the
company and had complete love with the fabric used by Fabindia.

Negative Responses

1. A lot of people thought that Buying unstitched or semi stitched dress material is very time
consuming as they have to find a good tailor and then go and collect the garment from him
again. So they preferred to buy ready-made garments.
2. Some of them felt that unstitched suit pieces turned out to be more expensive than stitched
ones because of the high rates charged by the tailors especially the organised or boutique
ones. So it was better to buy ready-made kurta and get it altered.
3. About 20% of the customers said that they buy Fabindia garments because of the designs
and contemporary cut and silhouettes of the garments, which cannot be obtained by any
tailor or a layman. So there was no point buying them.
4. A majority of customers also said that they buy unstitched dress material only for occasion
wear or party wear especially weddings. So Fabindia is not the place for unstitched
material as they do not have party wear category of clothes.

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Gap Analysis:
By combining both the competitor analysis and customer analysis, the gaps in the present range
have been identified with respect to the competitors and weightage to the customer preferences
has been given along with highlighting the opportunity areas for the brand in order to plan a range
for the coming seasons and for the success of the categor.

1. Product Offerings:-
Starting with the product offerings, which is the actual product on the floor for sale. A
variety of offerings needs to be given to the customers for them to choose product as per
their requirement.

Unstitched Kilol Jaypore Meena bazar SS

SKD Yes No Yes Yes

Salwaar kurta No No No Yes

Kurta dupatta No Yes No No
Only Kurta No No No No
Semi-stitched
SKD Yes No Yes No

Salwaar kurta No No No No
Kurta dupatta No No No Yes
Only Kurta No No No No

Gaps
 If we analyze, it is clear that the second most demanded mix by customers is of
Kurta dupatta and there is only one competitor, Jaypore, which is only on online
platform, offers the same. Therefore, Fabindia should have options in this mix.
 Another option which has maxmium demand is dress material of only kurta.
Because the customers these days prefer to mix and match and make their own
look. So they prefer to buy only kurta and wear it with already purchased bottom
and duppatta.

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 2. Price Point

Unstitched Kilol Jaypore Meena bazaar SS

SKD 3000-5000 No 2000-25000 1200-3500

Salwaar kurta No No No Yes

Kurta dupatta No 1990-6000 No No
Only Kurta No No No No
Semi-stitched
SKD 3000-8000 No No No

Salwaar kurta No No No No
Kurta dupatta No No No 1500-3500
Only Kurta No No No No

Gap:

 First thing to notice is that there are hardly customers who buy SKD in unstitched or semi-
stitched form from a branded store. It is mostly purchased from exhibitions, boutiques or
local market. Therefore it is the apt time for Fabindia to enter the market now and create
the buzz, so that they get the first mover‟s advantage.

 Secondly we see that customers are ready to spend Rs 1000 more on branded stores as
compared to the local market. And they spend the most when they buy from boutiques,
because they purchase party/occasion wear from there.

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  When we compare the customer demand with the competitive chart we see that Kilol and
Shopper Stop are playing safe according to the customers. Jaypore is slightly on a upper
hand and Meena Bazar has a mix of all the price point making it assortment mix and
option plan higher in quantity and value as compared to others.

 Hence, Fabindia should price it merchandise between Kilol and Jaypore. It should price its
3 psc at price of Rs 3000 and above and 2ps at Rs 2000 and above.

3. Look

Look Kilol Jaypore Meena SS

bazar
Craft based Yes
(khadi/hand
emb/traditional
prints)
Occasion wear Yes Yes
(silk/chanderi/surface
emb)
Casual/daily wear Yes Yes Yes
(machine/bright
colours/cotton
printed)

Gaps:
 The stark difference between the customer demand and what is offered to the customers
can be seen through this analysis. Customers want to buy craft-based products of Fabindia

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 eg. Various craft based print techniques of different craft clusters of India. But this is only
offered by Jaypore currently. Hence this can be a very big market to target for Fabindia.
 The least demanded look from the customers is of occasion wear. But the occasion wear
offered by Meena Bazar and SS is completely different from what Fabindia intends to sell.
There occasion wear look is very jazzy and heavy with lot of surface embellishment and
synthetic fabric being used which gives it a party/wedding wear look. But Fabindia‟s
occasion wear will be more to play with the natural fabric especially silk and chanderi or
their festive collection which is simple yet elegant.
 The third is Casual/daily wear which has equal amount of demand and supply. Hence even
Fabindia should have decent number of options in this category, especially for summers.

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Mock Range Plan:
This is the mock range plan for one promotion, which includes two months, but roughly the same
option plan can be used for all the promotions.
Price wise:

Lookwise:

Assumptions:
1. This is going to be an add-on business over and above the existing sub-categories.
2. The total budget for this category will be 10% of the WI budget.
3. It will be bought for SS collection only for the first hit.
4. It will be going only to the A+ and A stores, i.e. 50.
5. The number of options will be 50 after the competitive study of similar brands doing the
same product.
6. Each option will have 4 pieces. ( because each style has 8 pieces in a size set, so taking
half of it)
7. The price point is divided according to the price break up of the kurtas in WI
1500-2000: 24%
2000-2500: 28%
2500-3000: 27%
3000-3500: 14%

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 3500-4000: 7%
8. The ratio of SKD, Kurta Dupatta and kurta is divided according to the customer feedback,
hence dropping the option of salwaar kurta.
9. Space allocation for this sub-category would be a visible space in the showrooms, with
8*4 wall fixture in a space of 400 sq feet. So that each shelf has approx 6 pieces.

10.Mock Range: -

This mock range shows how a range should look like to grab attention of the customers and is
distributed as per the ratio observed by the customer analysis.

1. Craft Based

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 2. Occasion Wear

Casual wear:

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Learning outcome

1. Being an active part in the whole buying process of SS‟16

The buying process of WI is the following
1. Brand brief given by the creative head
2. Reviewing of design reference swatches received by the vendor
3. Filing of yardages in the Fabric file for future reference
4. Garment sampling:
1. Job work
Yardage sourced by PSC and given to vendor for garment development
2. Direct Purchase
Sampling being done directly by the vendor
5. All samples received must be entered in Main tracker
6. Selected samples to be kept with PSC.
7. In parallel Ramanto work on BUY PLAN.
8. B2B Shoots to be done.
9. After modified samples are received complete range should be re reviewed along with
the selected samples and Range finalization to be done as per BUY PLAN.
10. Complete range with the correct Modified samples / Tracker/ B2Bimages to production
team.
11. Stamping to be done on the samples.
12. Notify vendors on range finalized and cost negotiation to start.
13. Range to be presented to MRH and feedback tweaked

TNA calendar

20th Jan – day 0

Summer 16 Sampling
brief from PSC

20th Feb – day 30

14th May – day 115
Swatches
•Closure of range developed & sent
for Summer 16 to PSC

20th Apr – day 90 20th Mar – day 60

•Making samples, •Get back fabric
closing costs yardages for
samples

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2. Store Allocations for three promotions from July-Dec‟15

3. Maintaining the Sampling Tracker for SS‟16

4. Making of PO‟s as and when the quantity was froze by the Category head.

5. Making of fabric indent sheet and filing the same

6. Tracking of proto, size set, PP and range room samples.

7. Making of Catalogue for WI for 2014-2015

8. Making of fabric story for 2014-2015

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Suggestions:

Merchandising related:

1. Merchandising is at a rudimentary stage

2. Shopper‟s navigation can be improved
3. Stock issues
4. Unnecessary fixed cost expenses on PH‟s

Product related:

5. They should start core line or perennial collection for Kurtas as well
6. They should do more of surface embellishments as customers perceive it to be very print
centric
7. They should play with the trims more, especially tassels and buttons
8. They should improve the fitting of kurtis for women who wear S size

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Reference

http://www.indiaretailing.com/Fashion/7/1/83/12183/Indian-Tailoring-Industry-Going-Bespoke

http://www.salwarkameezsale.com/wholesale-salwar-kameez.php

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2010-12-06/news/27603851_1_tailors-readymade-
value-retailers

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Questionnaire

1. Do you prefer to buy Salwar Kurta Dupatta in unstitched or semi-stitched form?

o Yes
o No
o Maybe
2. What are the reasons for which you do not prefer to buy Salwar Kurta Dupatta in
unstitched or semi-stitched form?
o Time consuming
o Unavailability of good tailors
o Availability of fitted RTW
o Expensive

3. What are the reasons for which you prefer to buy Salwar Kurta Dupatta in unstitched
or semi-stitched form?
o Better fit
o Low cost
o DIY options/customised designs
o Gifting
o Any other,
4. Which are the places you go to shop for Salwar Kurta Dupatta in unstitched or semi-
stitched form?
o Organised market, specify
o Unorganised market, specify
5. What are the price points at which you buy Salwar Kurta Dupatta in unstitched or
semi-stitched form?
2pc 3pc 4pc
500-1000
1000-2000
2000-3000
3000 and above

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6. Do you think there is a need for Fabindia to start this new category of
unstitched/semi-stitched Salwar Kurta Dupatta?
o Yes
o No
7. If yes, for which occasion would you like Fabindia to offer unstitched/semi-stitched
Salwar Kurta Dupatta?
o Casual/ daily wear
o Party wear
o Outer wear
8. If Fabindia offers you unstitched/semi-stitched Salwar Kurta Dupatta at the
parameters specified by you, will you buy the product?

o Definitely yes
o Probably yes
o May be
o Probably no
o Definitely no

Name: _________ Age: _________

Gender:_______ Marital status: __________

Occupation: __________ Qualification: ________

Income:___________

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