US Polo Assn. anticipates 10-15% growth, on track to become Rs 2k cr brand

The store will not only have apparel but also footwear as well as it looks to provide an entire experience to customers

US Polo Assn. anticipates growth of 10-15 per cent and is on track to become a Rs 2,000 crore brand.

The company is now launching its own e-commerce site,  uspoloassn.in, in response to strong online demand. Presently, a fourth of its sales come from online aggregator websites.

"The market has been built; the brand is one of the most loved brands, and we feel now the time is right to give it an even deeper, richer, more authentic storytelling and experience," said Kulin Lalbhai, Vice Chairman and Non-executive Director of Arvind Fashions, in a conversation with Business Standard.

The online store will offer not only apparel but also footwear, aiming to provide an entire shopping experience to customers.

Having entered India in 2007 with Arvind Fashions, and opening its first store in 2009, the brand now sees 45 per cent of its revenue come from exclusive business outlets and 25 per cent from online. The remainder of its revenue is generated from multi-brand outlets.

The company has plans to open more than 50 stores this year, each maintaining an average size of 1,500 square feet. Most of these stores will be opened in Tier-II and Tier-III markets.

Lalbhai observed that the Indian consumer is moving towards more premium products, so the company is also looking to offer more premium merchandise. 

"One of the themes happening in India is that the really successful brands are premiumised. What we are seeing is that if the product is upgraded, the Indian consumer is willing to pay more for that product," he said. Over the past 12-18 months, US Polo Assn. has seen its average price point increase by 10 per cent.

While the main brand is experiencing strong growth, it is witnessing even higher growth in the children's segment, with a growth rate of more than 20 per cent.