Spencer's launches international apparel brand Beverley Hills Polo Club

Mr. Sanjiv Goenka, Vice Chairman of the Rs. 13500 crore RPG Enterprises, announced on Friday (14th November) that it’s retailing arm, Spencer’s Retail Limited, has signed an exclusive tie-up with BHPC International LLC, which owns the world-renowned apparel brand Beverly Hills Polo Club also known as BHPC. The announcement was made during a press conference held at The Grand, New Delhi. The conference was followed by a fashion show wherein popular models like Joey Mathews, Poonam Nath, Amanpreet Wahi, Aanchal Oberoi and Gunita walked the ramp showcasing the range of the global apparel brand. Also present at the launch event was BHPC International LLC’s Founder and Managing Director, Eli Haddad.

Giving an outline of the potent fashion industry in India, Mr. Sanjiv Goenka said “BHPC covers a wide range of lifestyle clothing for men and women. Fashion has been a significant segment in the evolution of Indian retail industry, not due to its size but the way it has influenced lifestyle. It was apparel that led multi-national brands to explore and invest in the Indian market, which set the ball rolling towards organized retailing. And now with the Indian consumer’s "LOOK GOOD - FEEL GOOD" attitude, fashion offers huge potential for deeper penetration into the Indian markets.”

Beverly Hills Polo Club® evokes casual, relaxed yet affluent and elegant Southern Californian lifestyle. It presents product categories in-tune with its image viz, T-Shirts, polo’s, sweat shirt & sweat pants, causal shirt & trousers, denims, winterwear, eyewear and watches for men and women. Formal shirts & trousers are an added category in the menswear segment. BHPC is very strategically developed by Spencer’s for the Indian market with fine product attributes that makes fashion, affordable.

Referring to the growing importance of fashion in Spencer’s retail business, Mr. Goenka said that the tie-up with BHPC LLC is the culmination of a world-wide search to secure for the Indian youth, a fashion brand that complement their lifestyle. “Beverly Hills brand epitomizes a refined comfort and stylish elegance for today’s successful and confident Indian youth”. Fashion currently contributes 10 % to the company’s revenue which is expected to increase to 25 – 30% in the years to follow.

The retail chain boasts of an extensive fashion section which has other internationally acclaimed brands for men, women and children. This range covers formal wear, casual wear, evening wear and active / sports wear. Spencer’s also has an extensive private label program in fashion which include established names like Mark Nicolas, Island Monks, Asankhya, etc. (please see below for the entire list) . The fashion strategy is to address need gaps in the fashion business in the Indian market, as well as create niches with specialized merchandise relevant to the target segment.

Mr. Sanjiv Goenka confirmed that the BHPC range will be available in a large number of Spencer’s stores which are currently located in 66 Indian cities.

“We are very happy with our association with the BHPC brand. BHPC is globally acclaimed as an aspirational lifestyle brand which commensurate with our new brand proposition – Taste the World – which embodies the best that the world has to offer to our consumers. This is yet another initiative by Spencer’s to differentiate itself by bringing new and exciting products and experiences to the evolving Indian consumers.”

Mr. Goenka added.

The first BHPC store at Spencer’s, Gurgaon, MGF Megacity Mall follows the Exclusive Branded outlet concept over an area of 1000sq.ft, with merchandize ranging from Rs.399/- to Rs.1499/-. Over the next three months, Spencer’s will dedicate about 12000 sq.ft space to the brand and target a turnover of Rs.1 crore, a month. It also plans to set up three standalone stores of an average 1500 sq.ft over the same period. The first standalone store is likely to come up in New Delhi by early next year.

List of Spencer’s private label brands in fashion:

Brand

Description

Island Monks

Men and women casual wear

Mark Nicolas

Men and women formal wear

Scorez

Men and women sportswear

Detailz

Men and women basic

Asankhya

Men and women ethic and fusion wear

Puddles

Infant ( 0 - 2 years)

Little Devils

Kids ( 2 - 14 years)

U n I

fashion Accessories - bags, junk jewellery, leather items, belts etc

Mark Nicolas

Men formal footwear

La Bonita

Women fashion footwear

- End -

About Spencer’s Retail Limited

Spencer’s Retail Limited, part of the Rs 13,500 crores RPG Enterprises, is a multi-format food-first retailer providing the widest range and assortment of products to its key consumer segment of female, SEC A in the age group of 25 – 34. The organization runs 400 stores, including about 32 large format stores across 66 cities in India, focusing on verticals like food and grocery, fruit and vegetables, electrical and electronics, home and office essentials, garments and fashion accessories, toys, food and personal care, music, books and mobility solutions, the later three forming part of specialty retail division.

Spencers is one of the earliest entrants into the retail space and literally introduced the Indian consumer to the concept of organized retailing. In fact, the first ever hyper store in India was launched by Spencers at Hyderabad in the year 2000. The journey onwards has been one of the most aggressive of all the retail players in India. In the last financial year, Spencers increased their stores from 150 to 400 with a target of expanding by 300 more this year. It employs over 12000 professionals who are specially trained to live up to the consumer needs and the business objectives of the organization. Spencers is on a high growth path with a target of Rs. 1500 crores sales turnover by the end of the current financial year.

Spencer’s was awarded the Turnaround Retailer of the year 2006 at the India Retailers Forum, 2007 in Mumbai And the “Most Evolved Retailer of the year 2007 at the same forum this year.

Media Contact:

Shakuntala Sarkar,

Manager, Corporate Communications

Email: s_sarkar@spencersretail.com

Mob: + 91 97487 73132

visit: http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/retail/2008111815587.htm