In an exclusive interview with IMAGES Business of Fashion’s Surabhi Khosla, Kulin Lalbhai, Vice Chairman & Non-Executive Director at Arvind Ltd said that U.S. Polo Assn. – which falls under the aegis of Arvind Fashion & Lifestyle in India – will hit the Rs 2000 crore mark very soon.
“U.S. Polo Assn. has emerged at as a very strong brand. It took us 10 years to reach Rs 1000 crore, but the next growth will come much faster. The brand should hit Rs 2000 crore very soon,” he said.
Lalbhai was speaking with IMAGES Business of Fashion on the occasion of the launch of U.S. Polo Assn.’s e-commerce website in India.
“U.S. Polo Assn. has been one of the most successful brands in the digital space. It’s been very successful in third party marketplaces online. The natural progression is now the company’s own website in India. I think the Indian online space is also evolving manifold. It started with value, then it moved to convenience and now it is all about experience. As the digital market moves towards becoming an experience, this deep experiential commerce which is rooted in the brand becomes more and more relevant,” he said.
“We believe that uspoloassn.in will become the true home of the brand which will have the widest offering, the richest content and true omnichannel functionality,” he added.
Shailesh Chaturvedi, MD & CEO, Arvind Fashion Lifestyle, who was also present at the launch told IMAGES Business of Fashion that while online was extremely important for the brand, U.S. Polo Assn. was planning on going big in the physical retail space as well.
“We are really aggressively expanding our physical footprint as well. Our target is to open at least 50 stores a year, of a bigger size than what we have presently,” he said.
“Adjacent categories like womenswear, kidswear, innerwear, footwear and small leather goods are a very big part of U.S. Polo Assn.. They are enhancing our productivity and helping scale the brand by fueling future growth,” Chaturvedi added.
“Arvind Fashions has been a tremendous partner to the U.S. Polo Assn. brand, and we are excited about our future as a power brand, targeting a billion-dollar business over the long term in one of the world’s most important markets,” said J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global Licensing, the company that manages and oversees the U.S. Polo Assn. brand. “The execution of our strategic plan in India will further solidify our position as one of the top casual wear brands in the country.”
