BANGALORE: The Rangachari Textiles on Sampige Road, Malleswaram is synonymous with exclusive cotton saris. Its show room is an offshoot of the famous Rangachari cotton from Madurai. K Reghupathi, Director of Rangachari Textiles Private Limited speaks to Vyas Sivanand about the uniqueness and the demand for their textiles.
What are the unique feature of Rangachari?
The USP of the store is Rangachari special cotton sarees. The most popular being the Madurai Sungudi saris. These sarees, with their batik prints appeal different age groups. Another unique product is Prashema cotton sarees which is an exclusive brand of Rangachari. We deal with six and nine yards suitable for all people from young to elder. It is mercidised cotton which does not require starch and can just be washed, ironed and worn.
Kanjeevaram Silk sarees with concentration on six to nine yards especially for the Brahmin community are a big hit. In nine yards, we also have an exclusive collection of Mysore Crepe Silks which are a little lighter than the other silks. We have all varieties of cotton sarees for every age group.
Do you have other branches?
The store was established by R. Rangachari about 60 years ago. We have only one store in Bangalore; the head office being in Chennai. We also have an office in Coimbatore. We started this store in Bangalore in 1999 and today it has a total built up area of 4000 sq. ft.
Are you planning to expand in the city or the state of Karnataka?
We do not have any plans right now. We will only be upgrading our present facility.
What is the price range at your store?
We have a very cost effective collection starting from Rs 350 onwards.
Do you have any innovative scheme for your customers?
We have a saving scheme for our customers in the form a ‘chit’. We have two monthly chit schemes of Rs 100 and Rs 250, which are saving schemes for a period of 12 months. We also have lucky draws and the response has been pretty good. After 12 months, the members of the chit scheme can buy whatever they want within their total saving.
Do you have a collection for men?
The collection for men include dhotis, ready-made garments, silk shirts, kurtas and pyjamas etc.
What is the current preference among Bangaloreans when it comes to buying textiles?
The current preference in the city is for pastel shades, and to cater to this demand, the store has a range of trendy designs along with the traditional ones. One can also find every conceivable variety of cotton - from Mangalgiri, Bengal, Andhra, Kanchi cotton, Coimbatore cotton and so on. The store also has a range of salwar kameez, which is mainly patronised by the young. The style itself speaks volumes for it.
What are your marketing strategies?
We believe in word of mouth. Our traditional approach to marketing has been positively catering to the city and the demand has not seen any decrease. The brand is renowned because of its quality. We have ensured that no product that goes out of Rangachari has any reason to dissatisfy the buyer. I think, our main strength is our history mixed with the consistent quality.
How is the competition?
The competition is tough but our upper hand is our policy of balancing tradition with the contemporary and this balance has worked well. There are not many players in the market who have got the mix right. Another aspect that has been advantageous to us is our loyal customer base who believe in our product and have been buying from us for quite a long time. It is testimony of the quality product and service we provide.