For Raju M, the managing director of Spoorthi Textiles, which has taken up the franchisee of Raymond, the idea of being an entrepreneur and taking the franchisee model to another level was long instilled within. And when the opportunity of being a representative of the established brand came through, he was more than willing. And his model of establishing showrooms was quite different from that of others.
He speaks to City Express about his model and how he plans to slowly build on under the umbrella of the renowned brand.
Tell about the unique feature of your showroom.
We started our showroom as a franchisee of Raymond in September 2012. While most franchisees had their showrooms in prominent areas of the city, I thought of creating showrooms in developing areas. Nagarbhavi has seen plenty of development in recent times, and I though of setting up my first showroom here.
People residing here have lot of trouble when it comes to buying good quality clothes and they end up making three to four trips to MG Road or Majestic or other prominent areas just to get the final product.
So this showroom has been a boon to many residents who stay here.
Which are the brands that you sell out of your outlet?
Our brands are Raymond, Park Avenue, Parx, and ColorPlus. As an integrated player, under the Raymond brand, we provide end-to-end fabric solutions right from manufacturing worsted, woollen and linen fabrics to creating suits, trousers and apparel.
What according to you is the USP of your store?
Our USP is custom tailoring. And we have a master tailor who has 22 years of experience dealing with only Raymond brand.
Do you think, being out of the CBD, you have an advantage?
I think, we have done much better than others, because we emphasise on not just quality of service, but also on long term relationship with our customers.
What is the space of your showroom? What are your expansion plans?
We are now opening our next showroom at Rajarajeshwari Nagar on 24th of this month. While the Nagarbhavi showroom is 2700 sq. ft., the Rajarajeshwari Nagar showroom is around 2570 sq. ft. At our present showroom at Nagarbhavi, we have three floors with one floor dedicated to tailoring.
Are you in the costly bracket of clothing?
Opposed to the prevailing perception, the costing is not at all high. For our suits, the cost begins from `247 per metre while for a shirt, it begins from `115 per metre. Ready-made Raymond begins from `999.
What is ratio of sales in terms of products?
We sell more of fabrics. 60 per cent of our sale is through fabrics and 40 per cent is from ready-made.
How much emphasis is on women clothing?
We have less variety for women and it is mainly business wear. Our store offers a complete men's range.
How has the franchisee model benefited you?
I think the franchisee model indeed has a good structure. Mainly because the company is also involved and they support us whenever we are in need. They are perhaps the only company in the world to have a diverse product range of nearly 20,000 design and colours of suiting fabric to suit every age, occasion and style.