Harkirat Singh, managing director, Woodland explained, "We are essentially an 'outdoor' brand, and we promote adventure sports activities and the like. Gradually, we are trying to bring in products that would compliment this 'outdoor' and a 'rough and tough' brand positioning." He added that for bringing in equipment for adventure sports or outdoor activities, Woodland is tying up with global companies in order to bring their technology to India. It has tied up with a German company to bring specialised umbrellas, is working with an Italian company to bring in specialised walking sticks.
"The market for adventure sports gear like tents etc is not yet very big in India, but it is growing rapidly, and hence, we have plans to bring in kayaks and mountain bikes in the future,"Singh said. Woodland has already started test runs for its kayaks and did one recently at the Malabar River Festival. The company has also tied up with professionals to trial these products. Singh, however, did not comment on the exact time of the launch.
Meanwhile, the company is also planning to have standalone stores for its sub-brand Woods, which sells women's bags, apparel and other products. "Our women's range is growing fast, and we are planning standalone stores, at least six or seven this year, in malls. We are also exploring a kids' range under that format. However, things are yet to be finalised," Singh elaborated.
Woodland is also planning invest close to Rs 130-140 crore in product development, sourcing and opening new stores. It plans to open 70 new stores this year, and would spend nearly Rs 60-70 crore in sourcing. "We spend around 5-10 per cent of our turnover into research and devlopment," Singh claimed. Woodland has posted a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore in FY14 and aims to grow by 30 per cent this fiscal. Currently, the share of apparels in its turnover is around 30 per cent, and the company expects footwear and apparels to reach a 50:50 share within the next two to three years.