French menswear brand Celio bets on South focus for growth

Celio, the French menswear brand, plans to expand in the southern region in a big way.

South is the key region for Celio in India with 55 per cent of its retail presence and the brand is looking to add 300+ touch points in the next 24 months, Abhishek Shetty, Head (Marketing) said.

Kerala is a key market for our growth strategy, thanks to increased awareness of the people on global brands. The company is relaunching its new concept store at Lulu Mall to offer four fashion lines – essentials, casual, denim and smart including shoes and accessories. To strengthen its presence, he told BusinessLine the brand has also partnered with Lulu Fashion Week taking place from May 9, offering consumers a taste of French fashion.

Answering a question, Shetty said casual wear space is the fastest growing segment in men's apparel with 11 per cent Y-oY growth thanks to the influence of international brands. The retail market is now moving to branded segment and the concept of fast fashion has started evolving in India, as 49 per cent of the population are below the age of 27. The advent of shopping malls, rise in disposable income, consumerism, brand awareness etc has also contributed to the growth in casual wear segment vis-a-vis formal wears.

Celio, which completed 10 years of operations in India, is also looking at expanding to Tier II and III cities in the country and the company is targeting a 35 per cent growth in the current financial year, he said adding that plans are there to launch an e-commerce channel this year.

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