Adding on to the glam factor

 

 

An initiative by Addon Retail Pvt Ltd, Addons is a fashion retail store offering a wide range of accessories for men and
women. Ashish Saboo, Managing Director, Addon Retail Pvt Ltd, tells Retailer more about the brand:
 
Retailer: When was Addons launched and how many outlets do you have for men and women?
 
Ashish Saboo (AS): We conceptualised Addons in 2007 and launched the first Addons Men store at Inorbit Mall. The
company today has 11 men’s stores and 12 women’s stores in the country.
 
Retailer: What are the products that you offer to men and women? Also, please reflect on the distinct differences between the buying behaviours of men and women?
 
AS: The men’s category in Addons essentially caters to today’s young professionals and the accessories are carefully chosen to suit their tastes. Addons Men’s accessories are available in the price range of `699 to `4,999.
 
The women offerings, on the other hand, are targeted more towards the age group of 16 years to 21 years. The products are
available in the price range of `59 to `2,499.
 
As far as the shopping behaviours of men and women are concerned, I feel women are more impulsive when it comes to
shopping, while for men, shopping is more of a planned affair.
 
Retailer: You have roped in private labels, Ferro Russo and Tardin Nardini, for Addons Men. What percentage of sales space do they occupy?
 
AS: They occupy almost 45 per cent of our sales space.
 
Retailer: How do you position your brand in the face of such steep competition?
 
AS: The brand is positioned as a high fashion brand targeting today’s youth. The same is evident from our product styling,
store design, visual merchandising, availability of high fashion products at competitive pricing under one roof, well
coordinated product development and display. A team of 10 designers has been formed to work on forecast and product
designing. The company’s strength lies in its outsourced partners, who work dedicatedly in converting the ideas into reality.
The company is in the process of implementing ERP for hassle free operations. The brand has the first mover advantage in
tier II and tier III towns of India. Addons is also present in large format stores like Central.
 
Retailer: What is your marketing policy?
 
AS: Our marketing policy is focused towards BTL activities like in-store/in-mall promos, tie-up with Café Coffee Day and
radio promotions along with newspaper advertisements and hoardings.
 
Retailer: As a franchisor, what do you seek in a prospective franchisee?
 
AS: We usually seek a franchisee who understands fashion and has a passion to do things differently.
 
Retailer: What is the usual store size for Addons?
 
AS: Addons Men stores occupy 200 to 250 sq ft of carpet area and Addons Women stores are usually spread over 250 to 400 sq ft of carpet area.
 
Retailer: Except a few, all your stores are located at malls. Why don’t we find Addons on the high streets?
 
AS: We have already initiated the process with our entry in the high street of Jabalpur and are targeting the prominent high
streets of various tier I, II and III cities in India.
 
Retailer: What are your future plans for Addons?
 
AS: The company plans to enter all major large format retail chains and is working on a plan of opening 500 stores by the
end of 2015.
 
Interviewed by Suranjana Basu
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