Arvind Brands, the apparel and retail division of textile major Arvind, has begun talks with other international brands to scale up its portfolio.
The division, which currently manages around 12 retail brands through tie-ups, is looking for partners overseas to manage more brands.
Refusing to divulge names of the prospective partners, Arvind Brands Chief Executive Officer J Suresh said, "We have built a focused pathway for our retail brands over a period of three to four years. Now, we are in the process of entering fresh tie-ups to bring some of the best international brands to India, which have been elusive so far."
Arvind Brands is also in the process of launching six international brands, including Cherokee, Pierre Cardin and US Polo, with whom it has tied up recently. "We plan to launch some of these brands by the end of the calendar year," said Suresh.
Apart from retail brands, the company is also bullish about Megamart, its value chain of stores. Arvind Brands has set an investment target of Rs 400 crore over a period of three years to take the number of Megamart stores to around 250.
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For Megamart, Arvind Brands is focusing on tier-II and tier-III cities, catering to a price range of Rs 400 to Rs 5,000. Megamart contributed around 40 per cent of Arvind Brands' Rs 350-crore turnover in 2007-08. According to Suresh, the company has plans to take up the share from the stores to over 50 per cent this year.
Maitaining its focus on men's premium segment, Arvind Brands will also add non-apparels like luggage, accessories and home furnishing to its Megamart stores.
The company is also investing around Rs 75 crore in other retail brands, added Suresh. Arvind Brands expects to generate a revenue of Rs 600 crore for 2008-09 after the retail expansion.