Madura Garments plans to set up premium lifestyle stores

MUMBAI: If you are ready to shell out anything between Rs 50,000 and a lakh, you can get your suit stitched in Europe. Once you pick the fabric, design and cut, the person from one of the soon-to-open made-to-measure stores will take your measurement to get the final cut and finish done in Europe.

The offering is from Madura Garment Exports, a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Nuvo, which will roll out its new chain of men���s lifestyle stores called The Collective in October. The company will invest Rs 275 crore from internal accruals.

���We believe that not many stores let the customers choose his own fabric and design. Our final product will come with European finish,��� said Vikram Rao, director, Aditya Birla Management Corporation. The Collective will house 35 international brands, ranging from Armani Collezioni to Henry Pool.

The company has hired the New York-based brand retailer Kramer Design for the project. Madura Garments Exports will open 14 stores over four years. It will start with Bangalore followed by New Delhi in December and Mumbai in March or April. Each store will be of around 18,000-20,000 sq ft.

Madura Garments Exports is grappling with lower margins due to high input costs. Mr Rao said the company might hike prices in a month in the premium line leaving alone the mid-price segment. The company faced a wholesale trade decline of 10%.