Tommy Hilfiger to open store in Hyd

To inaugurate its freestanding store in Jan 2005

Hyderabad is now set for a style makeover. The city seems to have become an attractive destination for international and domestic clothing brands to set shop.

The latest and biggest brand to have set eyes on the city is the $1.9-billion US designer brand Tommy Hilfiger.

For all practical purposes, this would be the first big-ticket foreign clothing brand to come into the city though there are outlets of other well-known multinational brands like Levi Strauss, Lee Cooper, Benetton and Lacoste that have been selling their branded apparel in India for a number of years.

However, big foreign brands have yet to mark their presence in the Indian market.

Tommy Hilfiger has come into India through the franchisee route, as the Indian government does not allow foreign direct investment in the retail sector.

It is set to inaugurate its first freestanding store in the city in January 2005. The government's liberalisation process has ensured a sharp spurt in the number of Indian and foreign brands that are available in the market today and most of the growth in this sector have come through the franchisee route.

There is a growing market for western wear in Hyderabad and clearly the US-based fashion garments and accessories major does not want to miss out on the action. The store in the city will be Tommy Hilfiger Corporation's sixth store in the country.

The markets that it has so far ventured into are New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai. Tommy Hilfiger was launched in India in April 2004.

"The soon-to-be-opened store in Banjara Hills will occupy an area of 3,500 square feet approximately and will run into two levels," a source connected with the deal said.

Arvind Murjani Brands Private Limited will be the apparel licensee for the store as is the case with other Tommy Hilfiger stores in India. Arvind Murjani Brands is a joint venture between the Murjani Group and the Lalbhai Group.

Apart from apparels, the store will also be stocking accessories like watches, eyewear, handbags, fragrances and footwear. While Titan will be retailing the watches for the store, Welspun will be retailing the home products like bath towels. The design of the store will be consistent with its international design.

At present, Tommy Hilfiger products are sold globally in department stores, freestanding and specialty stores in North, South and Central America, the Caribbean, Japan, Southeast Asia and Europe.