The Hindu Business Line : Lacoste to expand retail network

FRENCH premium apparel brand Lacoste is all set to expand its presence in the market with a planned strategy to increase penetration through the malls that are coming up across the country.

The company will also seek to increase its presence in the market by offering the consumer a larger product portfolio, Mr Philip Lacoste, Director, Lacoste Worldwide , told newspersons here.

The company plans to expand its point of purchase outlets from the level of 48 currently to add at least 10-20 such outlets in various malls across the metros, Mr Vikas Gupta, President and CEO, said.

Lacoste, which set up base in India in 1993, is now all poised for a major growth, according to Mr Lacoste who said the early entry into the country was in keeping with its policy of entering potential markets and establishing the brand in anticipation of growth.

"When we came in, Western wear was not a large option, there was no distribution network in place and there were no malls to display the range," he said. The brand, meanwhile, is also betting on increasing its fortunes in India by wooing women, who will now have a larger range to choose from. In keeping with the international trends in womenswear, the company's new range of women's Western wear will have apparel solutions using stretch fabric, contemporary styles and cuts , Mr Gupta said."Our market research shows us that while fabrics and styles are almost the same across the world, the Indian woman, while she do wear spaghetti and halter necks, likes to use an extra jacket or accessory which makes her more comfortable."

Lacoste's growth in the last year has largely been driven by the spurt in sales of womenswear, according to Mr Gupta. The womenswear range consists mainly of tops and trousers, capris and skirts using the popular stretch fabric that is reigning across the fashion world.

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