Zapp, Whoopy and many other international names too have big plans... kids retailing is growing by leaps and bounds in India and those in the industry say it is likely to see 30-35 per cent growth per annum.
From clothes to stationery, sportswear, outerwear, tailored clothing, eyewear, watches, fragrance, footwear and accessories, the list is endless. Apparel, however, remains the key revenue driver accounting for almost 80 per cent of total sales.
"The total apparel market in India for kids is around Rs 13000 crore (Rs 130 billion) out of which about Rs 3000-3500 crore (Rs 30-35 billion) is branded apparel," says Bharat Bhaskar, chairman of Kads Fashion, who is Indian licensee for Monnalisa, a branded girls wear from Europe.
There are about ten to twelve branded players in the Indian Market - Lilliput, Catmoss etc. amongst others which account for approximately Rs 2000-3000 crore (Rs 20-30 billion) all put together, says Bhaskar.
The retail market for products targeted at kids is quite large in spite of the presence of a few players in the market. Toys, apparel, home and baby products, the list is endless, says Ravi Jaipuria of RJ Corp, which has tied up with Disney for selling latter's consumer products here.
"It has been estimated that the organised retail sector will outgrow the GDP growth in the next five years led by changing lifestyles, incomes and demographic patterns. Rising affluence levels of the young Indian population along with the heightened awareness of global brands and international shopping experiences and overwhelming acceptance of global retail formats is expected to contribute to the success of the sector in India," says Jaipuria.
The kids retail revolution has just begun. While apparel is the driving factor, stationery, sportswear, outerwear, tailored clothing, eyewear, watches, fragrance, footwear and accessories, are all coming up in a big way, says Virag Joshi of Devyani International.
Global lifestyle brand Nautica, part of VF Corp, is set to unveil Nautica Home and Nautica Kids in India. International brand Zapp has tied up with Raymond to foray into the kid's apparel market in Mumbai and Kolkata.
Kids clothing is serious business and its evident they follow international fashion trends while designing. "The designs available in India will also be available elsewhere in the world may it be Europe or U.K. or the USA and in the same season - the Fall/Winter 2006 collection that we launched in India is what is selling in Europe and elsewhere," notes Bhaskar.
However, the prices would be much less as they are being made in India, he notes. The brands are targeting the upper middle class and higher segment, who are educated and are fashion conscious, aware of the latest trends and available in the international market, those in the business say, noting the pricing starts from Rs 800 and goes upto Rs 4000 and above.
Walt Disney Company (India) too has launched its non-character fashion wear - 'Disney Jeans' in India, according to Rajat Jain of the company. "A consumer revolution has begun here and India is a place where everyone wants to invest," he says.
Disney's competitor in other markets, Cartoon Network, already has 13 of its product categories currently available across 3,000 retailers in 20 cities.
