The Hindu Business Line : French outdoor firm foraying into India

New Delhi, Dec. 4 With the middle class market and young population in India growing robustly, the leading global outdoor equipment French company Coleman, with a century of experience in a range of products, is now eyeing India for marketing its heritage products .

Disclosing this to Business Line here in an interview, the Coleman EMEA Export Manager, Mr Michael Strophair, said that his company aims to offer the Indian consumer an extensive range of products from coolers to tents..

Coleman EMEA is a division of the Coleman Company Inc, a leading manufacturer and marketer of outdoor products which include lanterns, stoves, coolers, tents, sleeping bags, electric lights and barbecues. A wholly-owned subsidiary of the Jarden Corporation which is a leading provider of niche consumer products used in and around the house, Coleman has over the years encouraged people to seek outdoor activities. He added that all their appliances are environmental-friendly.

He said that domestic tour operators in India have shifted from focusing on foreign tourists to Indians and their children and exposing them to trekking, mountaineering and outdoor activities for which specialised and affordable equipment would be essential.

For outdoor excursions with family, Indians could pick from Coleman’s portfolio of products such as Coleman Ctreme Cooler, which holds ice for five days in temperatures upto 32 celsius or it may be an evening alfresco meal on high quality Coleman’s sister brand Campigngaz dubbed Adelaide barbecue in the fine ambience of an innovative Campigngaz Sun Force heather.

He said the firm’s products also cater to high-octane enthusiast for a more pleasant experience with tents, sleeping bags, headlamps, stoves and backpacks from the new Coleman Exponent Expedition Range, perfected on Mount Everest by famous mountaineer and mentor Mike Haugen.

Mr Storphair said that a Campigngaz gas barbecue would be a coveted possession for any home when it plans outdoor holidays or outbound pleasure haunts. With the range starting from Rs 12,000, it has three variants available at Rs 17,000 and Rs 30,000 price brackets.

He said that Coleman is looking for regional distributors to ensure the steady supply of the company’s diverse products across the major regions of the country and said that the company would have agreement with distributors to look after sale services for which training and support services would be provided.

He said that his firm has taken Indian market seriously from early this year and is working closely with Eagle Group to distribute and market Coleman & Campingas products in India.