Apparel April 2019 Apparel May 2019 issue | Page 28

FEATURE
MEDIUM-PRICED APPAREL HOLDS
THE MAJORITY SHARE WITHIN THE
APPAREL MARKET FOLLOWED BY
THE ECONOMY RANGE.
apparel is still being bought in the country’s top
metros. Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru,
and Chennai are still the largest consumers
of apparel in the country. The Western wear
market has also notably grown in these cities as
compared to tier I or tier II cities of India.
Also, the demography of population dwelling
in these pockets shops frequently, which
cumulatively adds up to contribute to the
growing shopping figures.
HOW HAS THE ATTITUDE OF THE
BRANDS CHANGED?
Through the years, all along the last few decades,
a long list of the top global apparel brands
like H&M, Zara, and Forever 21 have entered
the Indian market to capitalise on the growing
demand for fashion wear. Zara and H&M have
already crossed a turnover of R1,000 crore in
India. This itself indicates the growing demand
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May 2019
for apparel and actually hints at India’s value-
conscious mentality. With international brands
foraying into the market and satisfying shopper
needs with ease, more and more Indian brands
are also altering their attitude and eyeing the
consumers in a different light as compared to a
decade ago.
Another striking revelation in shopping trends
showed that medium-priced apparel holds the
majority share within the apparel market followed
by the economy range. Over the years, most
of India’s coveted fashion brands focused on
impressing shoppers from the top metros. But
now with the proliferation of e-commerce and
the popularity of malls in tier II cities such as
Indore, Surat, and Kochi, local brands have
been led to reconsider their business strategy.
These brands are now viewing shoppers in every
segment of India with more consciousness and
are trying to value their needs with greater focus
and understanding.
Shopping trends are ever evolving and India
has started to map a different story in this aspect
piggybacking on apparel sales. Much waits to
happen, but the journey of growth has surely
started and is bringing in new hope.