Celio, a French menswear brand is now looking to expand into Tier II and III cities Pan-India and is also gearing up to launch its e-commerce channel this year after recording its market performance. India is amongst Celio’s fastest growing international markets, posting 35 per cent growth.

The brand is planning to expand its retail presence across South India, Celio India Marketing Head Abhishek Shetty said at the Lulu Fashion Week (LFW) 2018, currently underway in Kochi, Kerala.

The region is, markedly, already its stronghold and accounts for 55 per cent of Celio’s entire Indian retail presence. Kerela state is an important key market for Celio’s further development strategy, owing to enhanced affinity and awareness on international brands among the locals. And partnering with LFW and offering consumers a taste of French fashion is also in line with the brand’s plans to fortify its presence in the state.

The brand is also re-launching its new concept store at Lulu Mall in the region that will stock its four fashion lines viz., Essentials, Casual, Denim and Smart together with shoes and accessories.

Notably, Celio, which embarked its India journey through a joint venture with Future Group in 2009, has completed 10 years of presence in India. Whilst Future Group still is a minority stakeholder, the brand has grown into 300 points of sale comprising 39 standalone stores spanning 109 cities as of now.

Interestingly, Celio’s growth here has been rather slow as compared to H&M and Zara. The brand, however, believes that it is more of a niche player is striving to be as well-known as possible in its segment.

– Apparel and Textile News, Apparel Talk, Indian Apparel