Soch Apparels charts mega expansion plan

Hyderabad: Indian ethnic wear retailer Soch Apparels Private Limited is lately in news for its plans to raise investments to expand its presence in the apparel market.

In the current year, the brand looks to open 20 stores across India, with majority of them coming up in South India. Post the expansion, the apparel retailer is aiming at Rs 490 crore to Rs 500 crore by end of FY20.

Initially known as a pure ethnic player, Soch, today has transformed into a designer brand that retails fusion products such as tunics, palazzos, fusion suits and stoles, apart from traditional staples such as salwar kameez, kurtis and sarees.

In an email interview with The Hans India, Vinay Chatlani, CEO, Soch Apparels Pvt Ltd, said: "While we have a pan-India presence, we are particularly strong in the South market with the brand recall being extremely high here."

He further said that Soch would double its touch points in next few years. "A crucial part of demand generation will come from the South and the tier two and three cities where we find consumers to be aspirational," he added.

At present, the brand operates 130 outlets across 45 cities in India. Of them, 84 stores are located in South India. In the Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, it has 17 outlets with Hyderabad alone accounting for seven outlets.

By the end of 2019, the retailer looks to add on 20 stores, taking the total to 150, wherein majority would come up in the South.

"Hyderabad is an important market for Soch as the city offers high growth potential.

This is a growing city which attracted several new malls in the last few years. Hyderabad offers considerable opportunities for brands like us," Chatlani said.

Betting on the brick and mortar environment, Soch stands by the belief that consumer experience in the apparel segment and especially for ethnic wear, is defined by touch and feel. In this regard, the brand has an existing offline presence also in Nepal.

Nevertheless, considering the fact that online retail platform further makes a brand virtually visible, the retailer is present online also, through Sochstore.com along with a presence on Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra and Jabong.

The CEO adds, "E-tail is a preferred mode for consumers seeking discount and the convenience of shopping from home. Online retail has made our brand accessible to many consumers and helped us reach several cities and towns where we do not have a physical presence."

Through the online platform, Soch is also marketing its products in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa, Mauritius, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and UAE.