The Hindu Business Line : Aureole Inspecs aims at doubling sales points

New Delhi June 8 Aureole Inspecs, the Indo-British joint venture that sells a host of eyewear brands, including Speedo, in the country plans to double its sales points bringing its collections to 250 retail outlets by the end of the year.

The company has tied up with Royal Sports House, a chain of 60 sports good shops that already house other accessories from Speedo and CAT.

The exclusive arrangement will bring the eyewear collections of CAT and Speedo to Royal Sports House. The company, whose products are available at leading opticians across 18 cities in the country and which claims third position in the organised branded eyewear segment, is now exploring other `non-conventional' retail points. "We are looking at lifestyle stores, hyper markets and maybe even bookstores," said Mr Vineet Sharma, MD, Aureole Inspecs.

Mr Chris Smith, Co-founder and Director of the British partner Inspecs Ltd, who was here in the Capital, believes India, with its large young population with increasing buying power, is a great market to watch out for.

According to Mr Smith, India could soon become a resource centre for the two-decade-old company, which acquires right to well-known consumer brands, to develop and market their eyewear range.

Currently only six of the company's dozen brands are available in the country. These are Speedo, CAT, FCUK, French Connection, Nicole Farhi and Austin Reed. Aureole Inspecs will be launching Mayhem very soon.

Mr Sharma describes it as a brand that completes their proposition, as a product that offers true value for money. The collection will include about 18 models in frames and more than a dozen sunglasses, with 3-4 variants offered for each model.