India: Pantaloon To Launch Two More Store Brands

After successfully establishing three brands, Pantaloons, Big Bazaar and Food Bazaar, Pantaloon Retail India is all set to launch two more brands: Victoria and Springboard, to cash in on the rapidly growing organised retail industry.

The company is gearing up to launch the country’s largest lifestyle store, Victoria, in Bangalore around September / October this year. Modelled on Selfridges of London, Victoria will be spread across 1.2 lakh square feet and be a seamless mall.

While there is still time for Victoria to be launched, Pantaloon has embarked upon changing the image of its Pantaloons store from an apparel provider to a fashion store.

Moving a step further, the company has decided to provide its customers with individualistic fashion through Springboard, a section that will retail designer pret lines by renowned designers across India.

"We have already signed up celebrated designers like Rohit Bal, Ravi Bajaj and Anshu Modi among others," Pantaloon managing director Kishore Biyani told reporters. Springboard will occupy a substantial section of the 50,000 sq ft Pantaloons fashion store in Lower Parel, Mumbai. This store will be launched on February 23. Springboard will be, however, launched a week later on March 2.

"The business of fashion has undergone a substantial change and we want to capture the new trends through Springboard," Mr Biyani said.

Pantaloon already has an in-house design studio comprising 16 qualified NIFT professionals. These designers work with category managers, understand their requirements, analyse the likely trends for the various markets and set about designing various options. While this in-house team has been largely responsible for Pantaloons’ success, Springboard is expected to bring it close to another class of customers who believe in making fashion statements.

Meanwhile, the company has decided to withdraw from its current location in Mumbai’s upmarket shopping mall Crossroads near Haji Ali. The new 50,000 square feet outlet at Lower Parel will be at the cost of the one at Crossroads and the total number of Pantaloons store will remain 14 for the time being.