Apparel July 2019 Apparel July 2019 issue | Page 65

FAIR UPDATE
from those in its northern counterparts. “For one,
the spaces allocated to retail are grand to say
the least. In states like these, five-storey buildings
are a common feature, and they stock everything
from womenswear, meanswear, kids’ wear, and
even textiles. But more importantly, these stores
have a consumer base, which readily buys the
said products,” says Mr Paresh Vora. “The sheer
size and appeal of these stores is enough to lure
in footfalls,” Mr Munjal chips in.
Mr Prashant Shah, on the other hand, puts
forth a rather interesting point. He elaborates,
“What further sets Andhra Pradesh and Tamil
Nadu apart from the rest of the country is that the
retailers work on an organised model of retailing—
and have been, since years—which sees itself
entrenched in every aspect of the business, from
the number of stores and daily transactions to
production methods and more.” In his opinion,
nationally renowned chain stores such as
Westside and Lifestyle may be following a similar
approach but it is rare for local, more homegrown
retailers to do so, a characteristic, which he
thinks, is unique to the south of India.
Talking about sales, womenswear seems to be
outpacing menswear, however, when juxtaposed
against the larger picture, Mr Shah believes that
it is hardly a worrying factor. 80 per cent of the
stores in the region either bear a departmental
setup or are family-oriented. Out of this, 20 per
cent solely focus on womenswear, while others
cater to menswear, kids’ wear or a mix of both.
He cites an instance from his own experience,
“In Puducherry, we reached out to a Retailer
who deals exclusively in menswear. Pothys, too,
has its own flagship, Otto, which is specifically
into clothing for the gent. So the menswear-
womenswear dynamic may differ greatly from
business to business, store to store but both can
be equally viable.”
Mr Shah further avers, “In Tamil Nadu,
the relatively smaller towns house a host of
upcoming, enterprising retailers, who have taken
the risk of starting a venture in a market and
region where the buying potential and exposure
is low. Yet, they travel to cities across India to
source their garments and textiles.” The National
Garment Fairs, for such retailers, function as
an all-encompassing platform where apparel
products from across categories can be made
available to them under one roof. “We reduce
their exercise by inviting them to CMAI,” Mr Shah
says. He adds that many retailers in Tamil Nadu
are also plunging into manufacturing, which
attests to the increasing manufacturing potential
of the state.