Premium leather goods manufacturer Hidesign is planning to open 15 stores in airports and malls in cities across the country this financial year. Nine of the stores are expected at airports and remaining in malls. Airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kochi have already been selected for the exercise which will require an investment of Rs 20 crore, according to company’s president Dilip Kapur. The company would invest Rs 20 crore in the exercise, he said.

Stores would be opened at the airports of Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kochi while some more would be at tier-I cities, Kapur said. The brand has 80 stores across the country and abroad. Hidesign has greatly benefitted from the surge of e-commerce and has already made strong inroads into the US market, where it entered in 2014.

Hidesign markets and distributes competitively priced bags and small leather goods in the US through online as well as high-end independent retailers. “E-commerce has aided us greatly in our expansion in the US. Selling directly through e-commerce is very useful and building a brand is much easier,” Kapur said.

There are also plans to overhaul Hidesign’s India-oriented lifestyle brand ‘Holii’ in 2017 in terms of product mix, and price points.

The brand has 80 exclusive stores, and also sells products through several independent outlets and major department stores in international markets. Premium brand Louis Vuitton owns a minority stake in the company.

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