UNDERSTANDING THE GAPS AND DEVELOPING AN EFFICIENT OPTION

PLAN FOR ALTO MODA MEN’S

RANGE FOR SS’16

JANUARY–APRIL 2015

SUBMITTED BY:

DIPTES SAHA

BATCH 2013-15

MASTERS OF FASHION MANAGEMENT

DEPARTMENT OF FASHION MANAGEMENT STUDIES

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY

MUMBAI

Acknowledgement

I would like to extend my gratitude to Mr. Pranab Barua(Chairman) of the company, who gave us the opportunity to do summer internship in Pantaloons Retail Ltd., Mumbai. I would also like to convey my gratitude to Mrs Nilima Rani Singh, Director, NIFT,Mumbai for providing us industrial exposure. It is my pleasure to mention the name of my college faculty for continuous support in completing the project, Miss. Lipi Chaudhury (Course Co-ordinator, MFM) & other faculty members particularly Mr. .Sushil Raturi (my mentor) for their encouragements. I pay my heartiest thanks to Mrs. Vaishali Dave (in HR Department) for giving us such a good opportunity to do summer internship in Pantaloons Retail Ltd. Mumbai. Also Iam thankful to my company mentor Mrs. Nikita Gupta (Buyer- Men’s wear Category) in Pantaloons Retail Ltd., who helped me with her valuable suggestions and gave constructive comments in reference to the subject matter. I would also like to acknowledge the support rendered by whole Men’s Wear team of

Pantaloons, who in spite of their busy schedule, gave immense help and co-operation, which was fruitful enough for my internship. Last but not the least, it’s my sincere duty to acknowledge my parents who kept on encouraging us in my endeavor to materialize this internship. Iam thankful to GOD for giving us the courage and determination for carrying out this project smoothly. Diptes Saha Master of Fashion Management NIFT, MUMBAI

Certificate

This is to certify that project entitled “Understanding the gaps and developing an efficient

option plan for Alto Moda men’s range for SS’16” submitted towards the partial fulfillment of

the degree project by Diptes Saha is his original work under my guidance and the result are

based on research done by him.

Prof. Sushil Raturi

Date: …..../……../……...

Place: NIFT, Mumbai

Declaration

I, Diptes Saha hereby declare that the project work entitled “Understanding the gaps and

developing an efficient option plan for Alto Moda men’s range for SS16”, Submitted to

National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai, is record of original work done by me

under the guidance of Professor Sushil Raturi (National Institute of Fashion Technology,

Mumbai), and no part of the project has been copied from any other report or any other were

carried by someone else and this have been submitted for any other degree/award. However, any

material taken from any other published source has been suitably referred and acknowledged at

various places.

Date: 14th May 2014 Name: Diptes Saha Place: Mumbai Roll no: MUM 13 MM 09 Centre: Mumbai Batch: 2013-15

Content

1. COMPANY PROFILE……………………………………………………1

1.1. A BRIEF HISTORY………………………………………………….4

2. THE OBESITY SITUATION IN INDIA………………………………..12

3. THE PLUS SIZE MARKET IN INDIA…………………………………15

3.1.THE MAJOR COMPETITORS……………………………………..17

3.1.1. PLUSS……………………………………………………….17

3.1.2. ALL…………………………………………………………..18

3.1.3. XMEX………………………………………………………..19

3.1.4. LARGELY YOURS…………………………………………20

4. ALTO MODA OF PANTALOONS……………………………………..21

4.1.INTRODUCTION AND DESCRIPTION…………………………..21

5. LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………………...23

6. PROJECT : DEVELOPMENT OF AN OPTION PLAN FOR

THE SS16 ALTO MODA MEN’S WEAR COLLECTION…………….28

6.1.INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………..28

6.2.OBJECTIVES………………………………………………………..28

6.3.DATA COLLECTION METHODOLOGY…………………………29

6.4.DATA ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY…………………………….29

7. DATA ANALYSIS RESULTS AND FINDINGS………………………31

7.1.DEMOGRAPHICAL STATISTICS OF THE CONSUMERS……...31

7.2.CUSTOMER BUYING BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS………………….33

7.3.ANALYSIS OF BUYING BEHAVIOR GARMENT TYPE………..41

7.4.CUSTOMER SUGGESTION TO THE BRAND……………………44

7.5.SUMMARY OF THE STORE STAFF AND MANAGER

INTERVIEWS………………………………………………………..45

7.6.SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE BRAND ALTO MODA……………...47

7.7.TOWS MATRIX OF THE BRAND ALTO MODA………...............51

8. SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ……………………….52

9. THE OPTION PLAN FOR SS16 ALTO MODA

MEN’S RANGE…....................................................................................55

9.1.DESCRIPTION………………………………………………………56

9.2.BENEFIT OF THIS OPTION PLAN………………………………...57

10. LEARNING OUTCOME…………………………………………………58

10.1. LEARNING AT A PROFESSIONAL

LEVEL……………………………………………..………….……….58

10.2. LEARNING AT A PERSONAL

LEVEL………………………………………………………...……….59

11. REFERENCES…………………………………………………………….60

Executive Summary

India at this point of time is facing a huge change in the sectors of fashion and retail. And this

change has a huge impact on the plus size apparel market of India too. According to various

reports the obesity in India is increasing due to various reasons and at the same times the demand

of plus size clothing. At this point of time it is estimated that India’s plus size market is still at a

nascent stage and the market value is estimated to be around 11,000 crore and growing at a

CAGR of 25%. So this huge chunk of market is a big opportunity for all the retailers out there .

The brand Alto Moda id the plus size brand under the parent brand Pantaloons which is a part of

the Aditya Birla Conglomerate. This opportunity is a huge opportunity for this brand to push

itself up in the market and to be the market leader of the same. With the economic and structural

back up it can easily achieve the same. Though the company is facing difficulties because of

different issues like internal weakness and competition from other players in the market.

The different other plus size brands like ALL, XMEX, PLUSS, Largely Yours etc are also in the

race to get as much as profit as they can. I did my internship with the men’s wear buying

category in Pantaloons and looking at the situation of the Men’s Alto Moda brand performance

in the market this project was taken up by me. The sole goal of this project was to study the plus

size consumer of India and the competitors. Then develop some suggestions for the brand and

also an Option Plan that would give a complete solution to the plus size consumers of India.

All the 7 Pantaloons store, all over Mumbai has been visited where almost 50 customers were

interviewed and around 20 store staff and department managers were interviewed. The data was

recorded and analyzed to find out the buying preference of the consumers and the weakness of

the brand both internal and external. Then the data was analyzed with the statistical tool SPSS to

find the patterns and based on those the final solution was developed.

At the conclusion an option plan was developed keeping the customer expectations in mind and a

group of suggestions were developed to avoid the internal problems. The suggestions were based

on various different strategic tools where the problems were plotted. The whole project was

demonstrated to the buying team for implication and execution and for future references.

Company Profile:

Pantaloons is one of the fastest growing lifestyle apparel retail destination in India constantly

innovating designs, concepts and products by infusing the latest trends in fashion and clothing

styles. A chain of stores for every Indian, Pantaloons has a repertoire of lifestyle brands to cater

to every consumer needs across multiple occasions. The warm and personalized service offered

by every store truly brings out the unique value proposition of the format.

Pantaloons was launched amidst much fanfare in Gariahat, Kolkata in 1997. Over the years, the

brand has undergone several transitions therefore re-inventing itself to bring forth compelling

trends and styles for men, women and kids. It started as a discount format, moving to a family

concept store and finally evolved into a fashion destination with a sharp focus on bringing the

latest in fashion.

Pantaloons retails over 200 brands which comprises a mix of exclusive brands, licensed brands,

international brands and more in apparel as well as accessories leaving the consumer spoilt for

choices. The greatest asset of Pantaloons is our exclusive brands that keep customers coming

back to our stores. What sets these brands apart is that each of the designs are crafted keeping the

consumer’s fashion sensibilities and fashion needs in mind.

Brands at Pantaloons

Pantaloons offers a wide range of brands for men, women and kids with choices across

categories including western wear, ethnic wear, formal wear, party wear, active wear and

accessories making it a one stop destination for all the fashion needs of the consumers.

The women’s section houses our exclusive brands that offer different collections for a wide

range of occasions:

Ethnic wear exclusive brands include the mix-n-match range by Rangmanch, fusion wear by

Akkriti and occasion wear by Trishaa.

Western wear exclusive brands include Ajile for the fitness conscious, trendy casual wear by

Honey, smart formals and evening wear by Annabelle.

The men’s section houses a plethora of options that includes our range of exclusive brands as

well as India’s favorite brands.

Western wear exclusive brands include edgy casuals by SF Jeans, preppy British sports inspired

collection by Byford, sports luxe by Ajile and party wear by F Factor.

Formal wear section offers a range of crisp and well tailored collection by popular international

brands like Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England and Louis Philippe.

The kid’s section has something to offer for all age groups starting from 1 month old toddlers to

12 year old tweens. The portfolio of brands includes infant wear by Chirpie Pie, ethnic wear by

Akkriti, casual wear by Chalk and Poppers.

In an endeavor to meet the consumer’s ever-changing fashion needs, Pantaloons has

introduced new brands that include

Candies, New York, for young fashionistas who like to flaunt their style.

San Frisco Jeans Co, that offers the latest edgy styles in denim wear for young men and

women.

Byford, estd 1919 a British inspired sport lifestyle brand that offers polished preppy

collection.

Alto Moda, high fashion for plus sized people

Poppers, a bubbly ,cheerful kids wear brand for young boys and girls.

In addition to this vast range of brands, Pantaloons also has a well established repertoire of

partner brands such as Lombard, Bare Denim, Bare Leisure, JM Sport Classic, RIG, Turtle,

Spykar, Lee Cooper, 109F, AND, Chemistry, Global Desi, Biba, Giny&Jony and Barbie.

With a chain of 100 fashion stores across 47 cities and towns, Pantaloons is constantly extending

its footprint into the rest of modern India. It spans a retail space of 1.7 million square feet which

is amongst the largest in India.

Voted as ‘India’s Most Trusted Apparel Retail Brand’ in the prestigious Brand Equity Survey

2014, Pantaloons continues to nurture consumer trust and confidence.

Pantaloons is now an integral part of the prestigious Aditya Birla Group, a USD 40 billion Indian

multinational operating in 36 countries across the globe with over 120,000 employees.

A Brief History: 1987

The Company was incorporated on the 12th October, under the name of Manz Wear

Private Limited.

1991

The Company was converted into a Public Limited Company under the name of Manz

Wear Limited on 20th September.

The Company name was changed to Pantaloon Fashions (India) Limited vide certificate

of incorporation dated the 25th September.

The Company is engaged in the manufacture and marketing of quality Ready-made

Garments for men, including Trousers, Shirts, Denims, Blazers and Sleep Suits, at its

units located at Andheri in Bombay.

1992

The Company has successfully launched the "Pantaloon" Trousers, Shirts, Denims, Sleep

Suits and other ready-made garments.

1992

The Company recently made a Public Issue of 25,55,000 equity shares of Rs.10/- each for

cash at par in May. The Company has allotted 36,57,100 Equity Shares on 28th July in

consultation with the Stock Exchange Bombay.

1994

The Company is launching a new brand of shirts called `John Miller' at affordable prices.

1995

Pantaloon Fashions (India) Limited has launched "John Miller" shirts

1996 Pantaloons Fashions (India) Ltd.has launched the Yorker to concede with the world cup

1997

The Company has launched women's wear, children's wear and household products in the

last few months.

The Company has issued 10,00,000 Non-Cumulative Preference Shares Rs. 10/- each

aggregating Rs. 1,00,00,000/- on Private Placement basis.

1998

The Company has introduced "Shrishti" range of SalwaarKameez. The Company has also

added Knitted T-shirts to its range of products.

1999

The Company opened a state-of-art family store at prestigious "Crossroads", Haji Ali,

Mumbai, spread over an area of 4,500 sq. ft.

The name of the Company was changed with the approval of the Members to Pantaloon

Retail (India) Ltd.

The company has recently set up a state-of-the-art trouser manufacturing plant in

Mumbai with a capacity of 1,200 pieces per day.

Entrepreneurial Jadeja is setting up a joint venture sports wear company with the

promoters of Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd.

2000

The company share transfer committee, have allotted 10,00,000 No. of equity shares of

Rs. 10/- each at a premium of Rs. 33/- per share on private placement basis to ICICI Ltd.

A/c. Structured Products Fund.

The total paid up capital of the company is 1,25,19,413 No. of equity shares of Rs. 10/-

each, ICICI Ltd. A/c Structured Products Fund will be holding 7.99% of the enhanced

share capital.

Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd. has launched stainfree with Scotchgard, a new range of

formal shirts and trousers.

2001

Retail major Pantaloons has forged an alliance with Arvind Mills for the supply of fabric

and apparel for its in-house brands.

Finalized a leasing deal to occupy 50,000 sqft of space for Rs 25 lakh

Issue of 4 million equity shares of Rs.10/- each to the Promoters of the company on a

preferential basis at a price as per SEBI Guidelines.

Tied up with Andhra Pradesh Handloom Weavers’ Co-operative Society and National

Institute of Fashion Technology

2002

Pantaloon Retail India Ltd has informed that the Board of Directors of the company has

allotted 40 lac equity shares to the promoters and their associates on preferential basis at

a price of Rs.31.50 per share.

Pantaloon has launched a range of the movie-specific merchandise such as notebooks,

folders, pens, mouse pads etc.

Preferential Issue of 8,65,000 Equity shares of Rs.10 each at a premium of Rs.40 per

share to Promoters & Associates.

2003

Allotment of 8,65,000 equity shares to the promoters and their associates on preferential

basis at a price of Rs.50/- per shares as approved by the members of the company at their

meeting held on December 20, 2002

Change of Registered Office from 'Pantaloon House', G-11, MIDC, Cross Road A,

Andheri (East), Mumbai - 400 093 to 'Knowledge House', Off. Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link

Road, Shyam Nagar, Jogeshwari (E), Mumbai - 400 060 w.e.f. January 31, 2003.

Acquires the trademark and exclusive licensing rights for apparel brand Norules in India,

from US-based NorulesInc

Forged an alliance with ICICI Lombard to offer one year free insurance cover to

customers acquiring gold from Gold Bazaar.

Teams up with Italian apparel behemoth Moda&Musica to market its casual sportswear

brand UMM in the domestic market

Received a letter from ICICI Venture Funds Management Company Limited, in which

they have stated that they have sold 2,71,083 shares aggregating to 2.04 % of the total

paid-up capital of the Company as on September 12, 2003.

ICICI Venture Funds Management Company Ltd. sells 279900 equity shares of the

company, bring down the stake in the company to 3.37 % (449017 shares)

Board approves a proposal to allot 9.5 lakh shares (of Rs 10 each) to promoters and

associates at premium of Rs 102 per share.

Promoters sell 4.6% stake of the company

Pantaloon Industries Ltd. acquires 3,00,000 shares aggregating to 1.57% of the paid up

equity share capital of the company

American Funds Insurance Series Global Small Capitalization Fund have acquired

2,09,500 shares of Pantaloon Retail India Ltd. representing 1.152% of the total paid up

capital of the Company

2004

Pantaloon Retail (I) Ltd. enters into Strategic alliance with Arvind Brands Ltd.

Pantaloon Retail calls off strategic alliance with Arcus Ltd

Appoints Mr. VedPrakashArya as Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Arya will take charge of

the retail operations of the company.

Ties up Arvind Brands Ltd for Ruf&Tuf brand at its Big Bazaar outlets across the

country

Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with

K.J. Somaiya Institute of Management & Research Studies to offer a specialised course

in retail management

Pantaloon join hands with Unitech for home stores chain

2005

Pantaloon sets up restaurant at Bangalore Central Hall

2006

Pantaloon Retail enters into an agreement with CapitaLand Singapore

Pantaloon Retail join hands with management schools across the country

Pantaloon Retail India Ltd has launched its newest retail venture `Depot'

Pantaloon Retail - Strategic alliance agreement with Ruchi Soya Industries

Pantaloon Retail signed MOU with Blue Foods on July 31, 2006

Pantaloon Retail signs MOU with Manipal Health Systems on August 05, 2006.-

Company has splits its Face value of Shares from Rs 10 to Rs 2

2007

Pantaloon Retail India Ltd has entered into a 50:50 joint venture (JV) with Axiom

Telecom LLC, UAE, to do sourcing and wholesale distribution of mobile handsets,

accessories and setting up service centres and AuthorisedAfter Sales Service Centres for

mobile handsets in India.

2008

Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd. has appointment Mr. Deepak Tanna as Deputy Company

Secretary and he shall be Compliance Officer with immediate effect.

Pantaloon Retail has inked a 50-50 joint venture pact with French apparel firm Celio to

add to its garment retailing in India.

The Company has issued Bonus Shares in the Ratio of 1:10.

Pantaloon Retail joins hand with French firm

2009

Pantaloon receives shareholders approval for restructuring biz and name change.

Mr. Vijay Biyani has been co-opted on the Board and then also appointed as Whole time

Director.

Pantaloon Retail - Authorisation to open QIP Placement.

Pantaloon Retail celebrates its first Shopping Festival across all retail formats in key

Indian cities.

2010

Mr.Kailash Bhatia has been co-opted on the Board and also appointed as Wholetime

Director.

'Bring anything old and get anything new' at Big Bazaar's 'The Great Exchange Offer'.

Tata Teleservices in Strategic Partnership with Future Group.

Company Heads walk the ramp for the Pantaloons Style Inc Awards Unveil Pantaloons

Spring Summer Collection 2010.

Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2010 Finalists Unveil the 'Pantaloons Femina Miss India

2010 Collection'.

2011

Bengaluru Welcomes 'Next Gen' Pantaloons Store.

Pantaloons launches its revamped Green Card Loyalty Programme in Bengaluru.

Pantaloons continues its 'Next Gen' journey in Pune.

2012

Kishore Biyani’sPantaloon Retail to be re-named as ‘Future Retail India Ltd’ post

demerger.

Pantaloon Retail gains over 2% after govt gets Maya boost in RS.

Future Group Demerges Pantaloons Retail Format from Flagship Company Aditya Birla

NUVO to Invest in Pantaloons Format.

Future Group forays into elite gourmet retailing in Bengaluru with the launch of the first

Foodhall in the city.

Pantaloon Retail & Future Ventures Demerge Lifestyle Fashion Businesses to Create

India's Leading Integrated Fashion Company.

2013

The Company Name has changed from Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited to Future Retail

Limited.

Future Retail - L&T, Generali and Future Group sign Non-Binding term sheet for merger

of general insurance businesses.

Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited has, entered into Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) with

Industrial Investment Trust Limited to sell its part holding in Future General India Life

insurance Company Limited.

2014

The world's largest online store Amazon and India's largest listed retailer Future Group

have signed a deal to jointly sell goods over the Internet amid growing friction between

online and offline retailers over heavy discounting.

Future Group and Amazon India have formed a strategic partnership under which the e-

retailer will sell Future Group's merchandise exclusively online. -Future Retail has

announced Rights in the Ratio of 5:8

The Obesity Situation in India

A country where 270 million people live below the 'poverty line', obesity seems to be a distant

issue. But India is getting fatter due to junk food, alcohol and sedentary lifestyle are leading us to

silent self-destruction, making one in every five Indian men and women either obese or

overweight.

According to a study published in the noted journal Lancet, India is just behind US and China in

this global hazard list of top 10 countries with highest number of obese people.

The study - titled 'Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in

children and adults during 1980-2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease

Study 2013' - used data collected by international bodies and organizations in various countries

like India over three decades. The US topped the list with 13 per cent of the obese people

worldwide in 2013, while China and India together accounted for 15 per cent of the world's

obese population, with 46 million and 30 million obese people, respectively. According to the

study, number of overweight and obese people globally increased from 857 million in 1980 to

2.1 billion in 2013. This is one-third of the world's population.

Overweight in adults is categorized as Body Mass Index of 25 kg/m2 to 30 kg/m2 and obesity as

Body Mass Index of more than 30 kg/m2. In 2010, overweight and obesity were estimated to

cause 3 to 4 million deaths, 3.9 per cent of years of life lost, and 3.8 per cent of disability-

adjusted life-years worldwide, the study said. And the problem is expected to get worse as

obesity is increasing and "no national success stories have been reported in the past 33 years."

According to Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

(IHME) that conducted the analysis for the study, "In the last three decades, not one country has

achieved success in reducing obesity rates, and we expect obesity to rise steadily as incomes rise

in low- and middleincome countries in particular." Dr. PradeepChowbey, director of the Institute

of Minimal Access and Bariatric Surgery at Max Healthcare Institute, said, "If we see the graph

of obesity, from 1999 onwards Indians started gaining weight due to urbanization. There has

been gradual economic improvement in our status. The entrance of modern technology and

Internet has turned people lazy and stagnant."

With lifestyle disorders forcing more and more people to reel under excess body weight, even

relatively younger people are developing joint disorders and knee pain. Excessive weight is

associated with a series of health problems, including blood pressure, diabetes, and

cardiovascular ailments. Yet another problem is that obesity puts people at an increased risk of

developing osteoarthritis. Obesity has also emerged as a major public health challenge in South

Asian countries. Experts say the prevalence of obesity is greater in urban areas, and women are

more affected than men.

Further, obesity among children and adolescents too is rising rapidly. The phenomenon in South

Asians has characteristic features - high prevalence of abdominal obesity, with more "intra-

abdominal and truncal subcutaneous adiposity," experts say. "Dietary guidelines for

prevention of obesity and diabetes, and physical activity guidelines for Asian Indians are now

available. Intervention programs with emphasis on improving knowledge, attitude and practices

regarding healthy nutrition, physical activity and stress management need to be implemented,"

said Dr. AnoopMisra, chairman of the National Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol Foundation.

According to Dr. Prabal Roy, senior bariatric surgeon at the Asian Institute of Medical Science,

Indians had faced undernutrition for a long time and are now being exposed to the "overnutrition

of the modern world through globalisation". "India is currently witnessing rising numbers of

people in the middle-class who are obese. A lot of the Indian population has started relying on

processed foods that contain a huge percentage of trans-fat, sugars, and other unhealthy and

artificial ingredients.

The Plus Size Market in India

Nearly a third of India’s adult men will be overweight by 2015, according to World Health

Organization estimates. Already 64% of women living in cities were overweight and are raising

new generations of obese children, according to India’s National Diabetes, Obesity and

Cholesterol Foundation. The plus-size clothing segment, according to a Technopak report, which

already contributes $1.8 billion, is expected to double during by 2017.

Data from the study suggest that as many as 46 million people are overweight in India. For

retailers of plus-size clothing, heavier customers, who earlier resorted to neighborhood tailors,

are now adding to the demand for ready-to-wear apparel.

With aspirations attaining global levels in a post-liberalization India, it's a segment whose need

to turn out in style is as compelling as that of the size zero. According to management

consultancy firm Technopak, the plus size market in India, though in a very nascent stage, is

worth almost Rs 11,000 crore and is on an upward trajectory with an estimated growth rate of

25% per annum. According to internal estimates of e-tailerJabong. com, plus size makes up 8-10

% of India's clothing market with a ratio of 60:40 in favor of women.

According to a Technopak report, the women’swear segment is expected to reach $22.3 billion

by 2017. The plus-size clothing segment, which already contributes $1.8 billion, is expected to

double during this period. In the past, several international brands such as Michael Kors and

Ralph Lauren have been associated with full-figure fashion with dedicated lines.

Quite a few mass market retailers had smelt this opportunity long back even though the market

continues to remain largely untapped. According to a Technopak analysis, the demand for

fashionable plus-size apparel in India has accelerated and quite a few players like aLL (by

Pantaloons), Mustard and Revolution, are competing in the RTW (ready-to-wear ) plus-size

opportunity. Other well-known private retail brands in the category include Plus S, X'Mex ,Gia

by Westside and Just Your Size, for both men and women.

According to the industry experts, what has really been holding the growth of this market is the

absence of a proper study in body sizing and adoption of standardized measurements for the

entire country. Also the prices are higher than smaller sizes. Easy availability of such clothing

option is another factor which boosting the market. As more boutiques, retail chains and online

stores are catering to this segment, the rise of the revenues and growth of the market is

inevitable.

Though, creating the right design and making it look good in large sizes to satisfy the end user is

a challenge, stores are going the extra mile to cater to this growing demographic. With the

number of people seeking large sizes is witnessing an increase these retailers now enjoy a large

dedicated customer base.

The Major Competitors in the Industry:

PLUSS

It is launched by Mr. SandeepAggarwal –Director of Shiva International to caters Large sizes

and is serving those people who don’t have perfect figure but want to wear funky and trendy

clothes. Customized product depending upon customer’s demand is also available.

Product Offerings:

Shirt, T-Shirt, Jeans , Inner Wear, Winter-Wear, Trouser, Bermuda, Boxer

Retail Format:

Exclusive Brand Outlet , Multi Brand Outlet and Online

Price range:

Top Wear Bottom Wear Winter Wear

T-Shirts- Rs.699-1500 Shirt- Rs.990-2400 Sando- Rs.590

Denim- Rs.2000 -2800 Trouser- Rs.2100-2400 Boxer- Rs.599 & above Bermuda- Rs.850-1100

Blazer- Rs.6290

Product Features:

Wide Variety, Trendy garments, Soothing Colors, Elegant and Innovative Designs, fascinating

Shades, Customized Garments, Reliability and economy are important features of the product

line.

ALL India’s leading plus-size apparel retailer with a pan-India presence it is launched by Future Group in 2005, offering plus-size clothing category that houses everything from western to ethnic wear and accessories. Retail Format: Exclusive Brand Outlet, Multi Brand Outlet and its own website Product Offering: T-shirt, Casual shirt, Cargo, Chino, Denim, Sweatshirt, Sweater, Jackets, Formals, Track pants, underwear and belts Price Range:

Top Wear Bottom Wear Winter Wear

Polo- Rs.899 Tee- Rs.699-1499 Shirt- Rs.1399-2499

Cargo- Rs.2199 Chino- Rs.1399 Denim- Rs.1899-2499

Sweatshirt- Rs.1799-2099 Sweater- Rs.1699-2299

Product Features: Broader Product category, Solid Colors, Striped and Classy Checks, floral Prints, washed and 3D effect denims, various fits and 6 sizes are offered.

XMEX Xmexoffer styles in the highest quality fabrics for plus size people centered on Men & Women who want to look great inspite of being Plus Size. Xmex makes casual clothing which are stylish as well as comfortable. The success of this plus size clothingline was so popular that its expansion finally totaled to 10 stores. Retail Format: Exclusive Brand Outlet and its own website Product Offering: T-shirt, Casual shirt, Cargo, Chino, Denim, Sweatshirt, Sweater, Jackets, Formals, Track pants etc. Price Range:

Top Wear Bottom Wear Winter Wear

Polo- Rs.995 Tee- Rs.999-1295 Shirt- Rs.1495-1695

Cargo- Rs.2199 Chino- Rs.1199 Denim- Rs.1199-2099

Sweatshirt- Rs.1799-2099 Sweater- Rs.1699-2299

Product Features: Narrow Product category, Solid Colors, Striped checks, simple fashion mostly, denim has few washes and developments .

Largely Yours Largely Yours is a plus size boutique in Mumbai which have only 3 stores all over. Though with the immense amount of collection and huge sizes they are creating a lot of competition in the market. They offer sizes with waist up to 74” for gents and 66” for ladies. They have huge array

of merchandise and huge number of stock though their merchandise lack in quality. Retail Format: Exclusive Brand Outlet, Multi Brand Outlet and its own website Product Offering: T-shirt, Casual shirt, Cargo, Chino, Denim, Sweatshirt, Sweater, Jackets, Formals, Track pants ,swim suits, gym wear and belts. Price Range:

Top Wear Bottom Wear Winter Wear

Polo- Rs.699 Tee- Rs.799-1099 Shirt- Rs.1095-1695

Cargo- Rs.1899 Chino- Rs.1099 Denim- Rs.1099-1999

Sweatshirt- Rs.1299-1899 Sweater- Rs.1299-2099

Product Features: Huge Product category, Solid Colors, Striped checks, the products do not have a good quality but they generally have a huge amount and a lot of choices which attracts the customer to them. Even they have immense varieties.

Alto Moda of Pantaloons

Introduction & description: After the takeover of the Aditya Birla Group of Pantaloons the a few brands were taken away by

the Future Group. And one of them was the brand All, the plus size store which is one of the

biggest brands in the plus size market in India at this point of time. So to cover the prospect of

that kind of business Pantaloons launched a new brand with the name of Alto Moda after the

stock clearance of ALL.

Alto Moda is a substitute for ALL which also offers various fashions to the plus size consumer

of India. At this point of time it’s almost around a 30 crore brand. Of which the men’s wear and

the women’s wear ratio is around 2:3. Alto Moda collection is compiled from all the collections

of different other brands in pantaloons. The most suitable sizes are chosen and it is made larger

to cater as Alto Moda. So Alto Moda has the essence of all different brands that are there in

Pantaloons.

Alto Moda - the plus size fashion collection for men allows exploring an effortlessly stylish yet

comfortable look. The collection offers formal shirts, trousers, denims, striped and graphic

printed t-shirts for men available exclusively at Pantaloons.

Alto Moda - the plus size fashion collection for women allows exploring an effortlessly stylish

yet comfortable look. The collection offers printed tops, kurtas, denims and formal trousers for

women available exclusively at Pantaloons.

But recently as various other competitors are entering the market of the plus size fashion and

with ALL, the primary competitor of Alto Moda already having the upper hand in case of

customer recognition and product base this brand is facing a huge challenge to come up in the

market as the leader. The competition is getting tougher as there are various other companies

who are offering brands whose sole goal is to cater the plus size market. So the Pantaloons

management team is looking for this opportunity to tap into the vast and continuously increasing

market of the plus size fashion in India.

Literature Review

“Range planning, from setting the concept, purpose and direction through to selecting the

products and finalising the price, distribution and sales forecast, is a truly iterative process that

typically involves buying and merchandising working hand in hand, often with somewhat

opposing objectives…

The ultimate aim is for the final range selected to meet and exceed the customers’ expectations.

Additionally buyers will want the range to be innovative and to really shout the brand values

whilst merchandisers will want it to achieve high rates of sale and deliver excellent margin. Of

course, any range should be constructed such that it can be delivered to the consumers’ baskets

in the most reliable and profitable manner…

Retail planning is complex – buyers and merchandisers have much to consider when

developing and planning the range

Buyers and merchandisers have a lot of questions to consider when developing and planning the

range, such as how to provide the customer with:

the right depth and width of range – ensuring sufficient choice and range completeness

the right price architecture – guiding the customer through the options available

the right quality and value – ensuring the brand and product propositions fit your business

great on shelf availability (with minimal stock investment) – ensuring you maximise your

sales potential off the lowest possible cost base

And all whilst delivering:

a flexible, responsive, agile supply base – to ensure you can follow consumer trends

quickly

a better return per square foot than the last range – to mitigate the ever increasing cost of

property

a better shopping experience for the customer – to secure their loyalty, repeat business

and increased basket size…

So it is understandably a lengthy and involved process…” ~ excerpt from the article posted on

Oct 6, 2010 on the website Retail Acumen by author Clare Rayner.

“The worth of SWOT analysis is often dependent on the objective insight of those management

individuals who conduct the SWOT analysis. If management (or consultant management) is able

to provide objective, relevant information for the analysis, the results are extremely useful for the

company.

The term SWOT is the acronym made up of four words viz., Strengths, Weaknesses,

Opportunities and Threats. The first two variables are internal to an organisation whereas the last

two are external. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The first

two are internal to an organisation whereas the last two are external.

The value of SWOT analysis cannot be overemphasised. It is rightly said “winners recognise

their limitations but focus on their strengths; losers recognise their strength but focus on their

limitations.” Positive thinking is strength whereas negative thinking is a weakness.

Every individual can make a list of his positive points (strength) and negative points (weakness).

A weakness can be converted into strength by recognising it and by making an effort in that

direction. Similarly, it is very important to be aware of the opportunities that come to us at

various points of time and possible threats that also come from the other persons.

Importance:

SWOT analysis is not only concerned with making only four lists but it is much more than that.

The following points highlight its importance:

1. SWOT Analysis brings to light whether the business is healthy or sick.

2. An undertaking comes to know of both internal as well as external factors affecting its success

or failure.

3. It helps in the formation of a strategy so as to make preparations for the possible threats from

the competitors.

4. SWOT analysis evaluates the business environment in a detailed manner so as to take strategic

decisions for the future course of action.

In India, the importance of SWOT analysis has further increased since 1991 i.e., after the

adoption of the policy of LPQ (Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation). There is now a

two-fold competition to our own business concerns.

Internally, competition has increased on account of liberalisation and privatisation.

Telecommunication, Insurance, Banks and many other sectors have now been opened to the

private sector. On account of globalisation, many multinational companies have come to India

and are giving stiff competition to Indian business concerns.

Only a concern which makes its SWOT analysis can survive. Globalisation is an opportunity

because our entrepreneurs can now go to the foreign countries and sell their products. It is a

threat because our home market may be captured by multinationals if we do not produce quality

products.”~ excerpt from the article posted on the website yourarticlelibrary.com by author

Smriti Chand.

“Till recently, the plus-size made a rare reference in the scheme of exports and imports of many

countries, but this seems to be changing. Internationally, plus size clothing is not a recent

phenomenon but the concept is now gaining momentum in India. Many apparel labels and

retailers are realizing the potential of this growing segment and cashing in on it. Earlier, healthy

people in the country found it difficult to find clothes suiting their body-types but now retailers

and brands like Revolution, aLL by Pantaloons, Gia by Westside, Mustard and Royal Classic

Polo took fashion to a new level by introducing a different segment for plus size apparel.

PLUSS, XMEX, Geetus and Just Your Size are offering plus-size merchandise and opening

separate outlets for extra-large clothes. They are constantly adding more sizes and designs as the

segment is showcasing great potential.

Retailers say almost 30 per cent of customers look for plus-size clothing, a segment driven by

economic growth and labels such as Bangalore-based Mustard. The chain has nine stores in six

cities that offer up to nine sizes for a design. Waistlines above 36 inches are considered part of

plus-size clothing. Up till now, heavier customers resorted to neighborhood tailors or stores

abroad for their needs. But now things are changing.

Though, creating the right design and making it look good in large sizes to satisfy the end user is

a challenge, stores are going the extra mile to cater to this growing demographic. With the

number of people seeking large sizes is witnessing an increase these retailers now enjoy a large

dedicated customer base. Biba, for instance has added sizes up to 46 inches in their mix-n-match

section, where customers can buy the pant-like salwar or churidar separately, and match these

with clothes, kameez or kurtis, of their choice. Bibas section of pre-matched salwar-kameez sets

already has 42, 44 and 46 inch sizes. The chain is growing at 35-40 per cent every year and the

plus-size category is keeping pace with that.”~ excerpt from the article posted on the magazine

“The stitch times”titled “The Plus-sized story now gets plus sized share. “on June 04, 2012.

Project : Development of an option plan for the SS16 AltoModaMen’s wear collection

Introduction:

With various other online and offline competitors in the market it was necessary for the buying

team of Alto Moda to come up with the solution to make this brand a favorable brand among the

plus size population of India to retain its old customers and also to attract new customers and

retain them. Though the womens wear brand in Alto Moda was doing good business, the men’s

wear brand was not doing good business except from some high end stores. So it was necessary

to give special attention to the mens wear section of Alto Moda. The primary idea was to

improve the product offered by the brand in matters of the style, price and sizes offered. It was

also necessary to find out who our customers are and what they are demanding. Other than that it

was also important to take the feedbacks from the POS which are the retail outlets of Pantaloons.

As the store managers and stuffs are in direct contact with the consumers they can provide a very

clear picture of the demand of the customers. This project is under taken with the sole goal of

developing an option plan that would suffice all the needs of the Alto Moda customers or rather

all the plus size customers of India.

Objectives: 1. To understand the demographics and psychographics of the Alto Moda Men’s customers.

2. Determining the Fashion and Price demands along with the buying behavior of the Plus

size population of India.

3. To understand if there is any feasibility for the development of EBOs.

4. To develop an option plan according to the analysis.

Data Collection Methodology:

Personal Interview of the consumers:

The most apt way to get the primary information was to visit the stores and talk to the plus size

consumers. The idea was to chat friendly and ask them in a very casual sort of way. The most

important factor during the interview was to make the customer comfortable to talk about his

problems and expectations with this brand. A primary questionnaire was prepared for the

suggestion purpose. The data was taken into the computer for record and analyzing.

Personal Interview of the store staff and store manager:

This was rather a free discussion with various store stuffs and store manager throughout all the 7

stores of Pantaloons all over Mumbai. Each store was visited and I talked to the department

manager and the store stuffs handling the Alto Moda Men’s wear brand. All the data was again

recorded for analysis.

Secondary Data:

Most of the secondary data was collected from the previous Alto Moda contact sheets and

records of the buying team.Also the sales record for the planning team.

Data Analysis Methodology:

The data is recorded in an excel sheet then it is being tabbed into the SPSS software where the

data is being tabulated and cross tabulated among themselves to find the different pattern among

them and to analyze them to find out the means and ratio percentage.

From this analysis we can easily find out about the demographics, psychographics, buying

behavioretc of the consumer and can proceed to the development of a proper option plan that

would suffice the needs of all consumers.

Data Analysis Results and Findings

These are the following tables that are generated when the data was tabulated within the SPSS

software. Each table has significance in the understanding of the consumers in a large scvale.

The desciptions of each table is given below the table for the better understanding of the same.

The sample size of the data collected is 50 in number. All the results below are based on those

primary data.

Demographical statistics of the consumers: JOB THE PERSON DO Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid

BUSINESSMAN 18 36.0 36.0 36.0 GOVERNENT EMPLOYEE

8 16.0 16.0 52.0

PRIVATE SECTOR 12 24.0 24.0 76.0 STUDENT 8 16.0 16.0 92.0 RETIRED 4 8.0 8.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0

Table: 1 This table describes the frequencies of the jobs the consumers do. We can get the idea of their

living style and income range from this data sheet. We can see almost 36 percent of the

populations who are Alto Moda Men’scustomers are mostly businessman. Next comes people

who work in Private sectors and other than that the portions of students and government

employees are similar around 16 percent. Only a mere 8 percent compiles of retired people.

AGE OF THE CONSUMER Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid

0-25 8 16.0 16.0 16.0 25-40 24 48.0 48.0 64.0 40-55 14 28.0 28.0 92.0 55-above 4 8.0 8.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0

Table 2 The next most important factor that determines the demographics of a consumer is the age of the

consumer. The age of the consumer is required to understand what kind of living style he or she

must have. The statistical analysis shows that Alto Moda men’s customers are mostly middle

aged. Almost 40% of the customers are of age 25-40. 28 % of customers are from 40-55. Almost

16% consumers are from the young segment of age up to 25 years. And only 8% again are old

consumers. So we can see the density of the Alto Moda consumers is mostly middle aged. And

even its interesting that quite a percentage of consumers are also of young age.

Customer buying behavior Analysis: KIND OF SHOPPER THEY ARE Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid

SHOPAHOLIC 4 8.0 8.0 8.0 NORMAL SHOPPER 40 80.0 80.0 88.0 OCCASIONAL SHOPPER

6 12.0 12.0 100.0

Total 50 100.0 100.0 Table 3 According to the statistical analysis of the data at hand it is found that Alto Moda men’s

customers are mostly normal shoppers. About 80 % of the population interviewed have told that

they like to shope maybe once in 2 to 3 months. Men are not generally very shopaholic in nature.

Only 8% seem to be shopaholic and almost 12% are occasional shoppers. They shop maybe once

in 6 months.

WHAT KIND OF STORES THE CUSTOMERS LIKE TO VISIT Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid

MALLS 20 40.0 40.0 40.0 EBOS 18 36.0 36.0 76.0 BOTH MALLS AND EBOS

8 16.0 16.0 92.0

ONLINE SHOPPING 4 8.0 8.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0

Table 4 This was a very important analysis to find out if the customers are really happy with the

shopping environment present at this point of time. Well the analysis states that almost 40%

people loves to shop in the shopping malls which is the where the brand has most of the POS. a

staggering 36% would rather prefer an EBO over the mall concept of Pantaloons. !6% consumer

population are happy to shop from both malls and EBO and online shopping has the lowest votes

among the consumers which is only 8% who would prefer to shop online.

WOULD THE CUSTOMER LIKE TO TRAVEL Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid LOVES TO TRAVEL 2 4.0 4.0 4.0 LIKES TO TRAVEL 40 80.0 80.0 84.0

ITS OKAY TO TRAVEL

6 12.0 12.0 96.0

I DONT LIKE TRAVELLING

2 4.0 4.0 100.0

Total 50 100.0 100.0 Table 5 This analysis gives us an insight about if the customers buying behavior again. This gives us the

answer to the questions like would the customer like to visit the shops which is far from them or

would they prefer a more local shopping. Now most of the customer likes to travel a little bit and

shop. Almost 80% of the consumers think travelling is fine with them. 6% thinks its okay to

travel. $% loves travelling due to shopping purposes. And only 2% are on the completely

negative side in the matter of travelling. So most plus size consumer do not mind a little bit of

travel while shopping.

SIZE OF GARMENTS Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid

SIZE 1 2 4.0 4.0 4.0 SIZE 2 20 40.0 40.0 44.0 SIZE 3 10 20.0 20.0 64.0 SIZE 4 14 28.0 28.0 92.0 SIZE 5 4 8.0 8.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0

Table 6 This analysis helps us to understand the size of the Alto modamens customer more thoroughly.

Alto Moda men’s offer 5 sizes from 1 to 5. The customers are being questioned on which size

fits them best to find out what kind of assortment we are looking at while planning the option

plan. From this analysis we can find out that about 40% customers are size2. 28% customers are

size4. 20% are size 3 and 8% are size 5 and lowest would be size1 which is around 4%.

READY MADE FITS OR ALTERED FITS Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid

READYMADE 26 52.0 52.0 52.0 ALTERED DUE TO SIZE ISSUES

6 12.0 12.0 64.0

ALTERED DUE TO LENGTH ISSUES

18 36.0 36.0 100.0

Total 50 100.0 100.0

Table 7

Now this table determines what kind of alterations are generally required

for the customers and what is the reason for the alterations. This is a key

to understand that if the sizes and fits that are offered by the brand at this

moment is suitable for the body types of the customers who are buying

from us or some changes are needed in that matter. Here from the

analysis we can find out that almost the major chunk i.e. 52% of the

customers are happy with the sizes that are readymade from the brand.

Around 36% have a problem with ethe length of the trousers mistly. And

about 12% of the customers are not happy with the fits which needs to be

altered for them.

THE FIT SATISFACTION Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid

VERY GOOD

8 16.0 16.0 16.0

GOOD 26 52.0 52.0 68.0 OKAY 12 24.0 24.0 92.0 NOT GOOD 4 8.0 8.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0

Table 8 This was to find out that the readymade fits that are offered, are they really

good for the customers of little bit of improvement is needed in the size

chart. 16% of the population thinks the sizes to be very good. 52% which

is a huge chunk of population thinks thatr the sizes are good and it fits

them just fine. 24% thinks the sizes that are offered are okay. And only 8%

thinks the readymade sizes that are offered is not really good.

HAPPINESS QUOTIENT

Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid

HAPPY 16 32.0 32.0 32.0 OKAY 8 16.0 16.0 48.0 NOT HAPPY 18 36.0 36.0 84.0 FIRST TIMER

8 16.0 16.0 100.0

Total 50 100.0 100.0 Table 9 This chart analyses the happiness quotient of the shoppers who shop from this brand. It’s really

important to understand how much the shoppers are happy with the brand before we actually

modify it some more. Here we can see that 32% of the people are happy with the products and

the styles offered by the brand. About 16% of the people are thinking that the brand is doing a

okay job. About 36% consumers are not happy with the brand performance so far which means

improvement is really necessary. About 16% consumers are new to the brand and yet to review

it.

THE OTHER BRANDS THEY GENERALLY PURCHASE Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid

ALL 24 48.0 63.2 63.2 X MEX 6 12.0 15.8 78.9 LOCAL BRANDS

8 16.0 21.1 100.0

Largely Yours 12 24.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 Table 10 This was to understand which of our competitors have the most awareness among our customers.

Again ALL is the biggest competitor at this point of time for Alto Moda, as both had the same

parent brand Pantaloons. And the awareness of ALL is most prominent among the Alto Moda

customers. About 48% of the customers of Alto Moda also shops or have shopped with ALL

beforehand. About 12% of the consumers have shopped with XMex. About 24% of the people

have tried the brand Largely Yours. About 16% of the customers also shop from other local

brands that are offering plus sizes.

STYLING FROM OTHER PANTALOONS BRAND Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid

RIG 2 4.0 4.0 4.0 AJILE 2 4.0 4.0 8.0 BARE LEISURE 4 8.0 8.0 16.0 BARE DENIM 10 20.0 20.0 36.0 MAKE IT INDEPENDENT

32 64.0 64.0 100.0

Total 50 100.0 100.0 Table 11

As we already know that the styles offered in Alto Moda is generally chosen from various other

brands that are offered by Pantaloons. So I tried to find out which is the in-house brand the

styling of which the customers prefers the most. A cumulative 36% answered that they would

prefer any style from the other brands offered by Pantaloons. And almost 64% customers wanted

the brand Alto Moda to be independent completely and have the styles of their own.

EXPECTATION OF THE CUSTIOMERS FROM THE BRAND Frequency Percent Valid Percent

Valid

COLORS 38 76.0 76.0 VARIETIES 50 100.0 100.0 CATEGORIES 20 40.0 40.0 FITS 22 44.0 44.0 SIZES 14 28.0 28.0 Total 50 100.0

Table 12 This analytical table brings forward one of the most important data. This shows what the basic

Alto Moda customer actually demands from the brand. Now I have differentiated this into five

diffe4rent categories. These categories are Colors, Options, Varieties, Fits and Sizes. From this

table we can see 76% of the consumers demand more colors on each style. 100% consumers

want more varieties of garments. 40% of the consumers demanded for newer categories of

garment to be introduced. 44% are asking for different kind of fits as in slim, tapered, normal etc.

Only 28% of the consumers are looking for other sizes (mainly larger sizes) that are available.

Analysis of Buying Behavior Garment Type: T SHIRT BUYING Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid YES 30 60.0 68.2 68.2 NO 14 28.0 31.8 100.0 Total 44 88.0 100.0

Missing System 6 12.0 Total 50 100.0 Table 13 SHIRT BUYING Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid YES 30 60.0 60.0 60.0 NO 20 40.0 40.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0

Table 14 TROUSER BUYING Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid YES 14 28.0 28.0 28.0 NO 36 72.0 72.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0

Table 15 SHORTS BUYING Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid YES 6 12.0 12.0 12.0 NO 44 88.0 88.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0

Table 16 DENIMS BUYING Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid YES 22 44.0 44.0 44.0 NO 28 56.0 56.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0

Table 17 CHINOS BUYING Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid YES 6 12.0 12.0 12.0 NO 44 88.0 88.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0

Table 18

This are the tables that state how many consumers are really interested to buy different type of

styles offered by the brand. The question that was put forward to the customers was what do you

generally purchase when you come to an Alto Moda shop or what do you look for? From the

analysis of the answers given by the customers we can find that 60% customers are interested in

buying T-shirts. 60% are interested in buying shirts. 28% are looking for formal trousers. Only

12% of the customers are interested in buying shorts. 44% of people are interested in buying

Denims. And again only 12% of people are interested in buying chinos. From this analysis we

get a very clear idea of which garment type is the most popular buy among our consumers. And

shirts t shirts and denims are the most in demand.

Customer suggestions to the Brand: This is a very important topic that was discussed during the interviews where the customer was

told to open his mind and give the brand suggestions on what all could be improved in the brand

and what all that can be added. The whole data is being summarized into few points which I will

mention here.

1. Gym fit clothing’s should be added to the collection.

2. The number of casuals should be increased.

3. More color options for shirt and trousers.

4. More and different washes and fits for denim.

5. More denim options.

6. Delivery of alterations if possible within a day or two to their houses.

7. Usage of heavier fabrics because clothing needs to be long lasting.

8. Inclusion of party wears particularly shirts.

9. Please keep all the sizes of any style at one point of time.

10. We need more varieties in the range, please include accessories.

11. Lower the prices.

12. The collection should look modern and classy.

13. We love woven stuff but please also keep a few knitted stuff in the range.

14. We like to wear ethnics too.

15. Please add more varieties to all the styles in the range.

Summing up all the data gathered from the interviews the ese are the 15 most important points

that should be considered for the project purpose and the option plan that would be developed

would be done accordingly. This gives us a basic idea of what should be done to change the

brand in the right direction.

Summary of Store stuff and manager Interviews: I have visited all the different branch of pantaloons which are placed at 7 different regions all

over Mumbai to find out the status of the Alto Moda men’s wear brand at different stores. The

most important part of this project was to interview the store managers and the store staffs who

are handling the Alto Moda Brand. They have provided me with the insights of the business of

what exactly is happening at the point of sales which shop floor. Here I have summarized the

problems they are facing.

The Size problem: Most of the stores are facing a big problem with the size issues. Even if they have all the

different styles in a particular category the fast selling sizes are generally sold of beforehand and

when the customers come later to the shop they do not find the sizes they generally need. And it

is affecting the sales in a very bad way because the customers are no getting the sizes.

The Stock refilling problem: Even if the store is doing good business with Alto Moda the stocks aren’t refilled properly during

time which led into a disastrous problem of less number of commodities at a particular poiont of

time. Customers get disgusted anas they neither get their choice of styles or sizes and generally

we started losing the customers.

The Freshness problem: Whenever the customers come in they generally see the same old styles that are there previously

too. So the store and the merchandise is not much interesting to the customers. Throughout the

season there is no more freshness” that is required to make the brand interesting is missing. As

customers are not getting any new styles they are moving onto the other competitive brands

which are offering interesting fashions thoughout the season.

No proper customer feedback system: Alto Moda customers are lesser than the other brand customers so they should be understood and

served with care. Its very necessary for the stores to keep a track record of the customers they are

dealing with. The stores do not have any proper format where the customer data is being stored

for future business and promotional usage. Earlier when ALL was a part of Pantaloons this was

done but there is no such system for Alto Moda yet.

The competitor problem: These is one of the biggest problem those stores are facing which are placed near the

competitors. These store require a bigger and better promotion and product positioning

than the other stores which are far away from the competitors but nothing as such is

planned by the planning tema of the Pantaloons yet. So basically they are getting weaker

against the tough competition outside and the sales are going down.

The offer problem: All the other brands under the banner of Pantaloons have aspecial offers and power

pricing on different special merchandise. But there is almost no power pricing and offers in

the Alto Moda brand which is why some customers are not much interested in buying those

brand as the competitors offer them better pricing and offers which are really helpful in

promotion and brand building.

SWOT Analysis of the brand Alto Moda : Strength

1. The parent brand “Pantaloons” has high

awareness and reliability among consumers.

2. The parent company Aditya Birla has both financial and structural strength.

3. This plus size brand has more POS than any other plus size brand present out there.

4. Started up with a loyal customer base.

Weakness 1. Varieties are too less 2. Higher Price range than some

other brands. 3. Merchandise is not reaching

the store at the right time . 4. The styling of the garments is

not targeted properly for the plus size people.

5. Brand identity not that strong yet.

Opportunity 1. Increasing potential in the

Indian Market. 2. Increasing number of stores

and customer base.

Threat 1. Presence of brands like All,

Largely Yours, Pluss etc. 2. Other online and offline

brands are emerging offering plus size fashion.

3. The changing fashion ideas among the plus size population.

4. Customers those are not happy with the brand.

Strength: 1. The primary strength of the brand Alto Moda is the parent brand Pantaloons. Pantaloons

command a high reliability among the consumers. It is known as one of the most trusted

retailers in India. This gives the brands under its banner a high boost.

2. The company Aditya Birla is one of the most financially strong companies among the

globe with efficient management and economic strength. A US $40 billion corporation,

the Aditya Birla Group is in the League of Fortune 500. It is anchored by an

extraordinary force of over 120,000 employees belonging to 42 nationalities. The Group

has been ranked Number 4 in the global 'Top Companies for Leaders' survey and ranked

Number 1 in Asia Pacific for 2011.

3. The point of sales for the Alto Moda is more than 75 all over India which is the highest

number of stores among all the other brands who are catering to the plus size consumers.

So the access to the consumers is the most.

4. Pantaloons was already commanding a loyal plus size customer base with its previous

brand ALL which was under the administration of Future Group. And this already made

the plus size population aware all over the country.

Weakness: 1. The biggest customer complaint as it is that the varieties are very less in this particular

brand where as other brands are offering huge array of varieties. This is a huge weakness

in part of the brand because this gives additional advantages to the competitors.

2. The price range are quite high when compared to other brands such as largely Yours and

X-Mex. So all the segments of the plus size population cant be catered. Pantaloons even

being a brand for the masses but the Alto Moda collection are still very pricey.

3. This was the weakness which is affecting the sale through of the brand the most. The

biggest problem is the movement in the warehouses and store to store circulation. The

merchandises are not reaching the store at the right time which is leading to immense

sales losses. The custiomers are feeling the dearth of options and the brand is loosing the

customer faith.

4. All the styling of the range are not really targeted to the plus size consumers. Some

deigns like horizontal stripes etc which is not a good choice for the plus size people are

also in the range which is creating a bad impact on the customers. There are other sizes

and fit demands which are not also fulfilled by the range at hand.

5. After the takeover by Aditya Birla the previous plus size brand has still the impact on the

Pantaloons customer and even some customer walk in trying to find the brand ALL. The

brand name Alto Moda is not yet in the customers first name recall. Even due to improper

promotions the brand not yet have been completely replaces ALL as a pantaloons plus

size brand in the customer mindset yet.

Opportunity :

1. The Indian market is a huge opportunity for the plus size brand. India, though in a very

nascent stage, is worth almost Rs 11,000 crore and is on an upward trajectory with an

estimated growth rate of 25% per annum. According to internal estimates of e-

tailerJabong. com, plus size makes up 8-10 % of India's clothing market with a ratio of

60:40 in favor of women.

2. Under the leadership of Mr. PranabBarua, Pantaloons has a goal to make 300 stores all

over India. Even right now its 105 stores and counting. The retail strength of Pantaloons

is huge which makes the brand Alto Moda at the point with the highest number of POS

than any other plus size brands out there in the market which is increasing.

Threat:

1. A lot of other retailers have already smelt this opportunity and is already in the field

making it a very competitive market. All these online and offline retailers are a big threat

top the brand Alto moda in the future and present. The biggest threat is though posed by

ALL who is the market leader in plus size clothing in India at this point of time. The

main reason for it being the biggetsthreta is that it was uinder the same banner of the

Pnatallons and its has a very high cuistoemr awareness where as Alto Moda came ionly

recently after wthe acquisition of Pantaloons happened. So even among the lotyal

customers of Pantaloons aa lot has shifted to te ALL ebos for their plus size solution.

2. The plus size consumers of India are growing fashionable and they are not really shy

anymore to just try what is suitable or easy for them,. The consumers want more trendy

fashions like tapered denims, and glossy party shirts and slim fit chinos. As per the

previous idea that plus size consumers only go for comfort when they look to buy

clothing is drastically changing which is a big threat to the brand as the designing and the

buying team should be efficient enough to provide the consumers what they need or they

will simply move ion to any other brand which are offering them the same.

3. Recently it is happening that there are a lot of disgruntled customers who are asking for

fits or styles which they are not getting at the time and this customers are going out and

creating a bad reputation among the others about the brand. This is a huge threat because

the faith of the customer is one of the key factors in the success of any brand.

TOWS Matrix of the brand Alto Moda: Analyzing the situation data hand by studying the SWOT analysis of the brands this TOWS analysis was made where all the various strategies the brand could used has been discussed in brief. All the 4 points of strength, weakness, opportunity and threats are plotted against each other and the best strategies that can be applied in each situation to the benefit of the company are being discussed in this matrix.

Suggestions & Recommendations

From all the data analysis that’s done there are a few recommendations that would fulfill the

understanding of the problem at hand and would also solve them in the long term. Here are the

few basic recommendations based on the Customer and Sales stuff point of views that would

make the brand better in the matters of product delivery, styles & sizes, promotional facts etc.

Here are my recommendations:

1. Increasing the number of styles: This is a very important factor when the happiness of the consumer is concerned. Any shopper

likes when they are offered a lot of options to choose from. So the primary idea is to increase the

number of styles in the range so that the consumers get a wide range of styles to choose from and

the Alto Moda section would look more interesting with various styles.

Weakness 1. Varieties are too less 2. Options are less for each style. 3. Higher Price range than some other

brands. 4. Merchandise is not reaching the store

at the right time. 5. The styling of the garments is not

targeted properly for the plus size people.

6. Brand identity not that strong yet.

1. Using the efficient marketing team to focus on this particular brand for creating mass awareness.

2. Using the reliability of the parent brand and creating products with high USP.

3. Offers for the loyal customers and other facilities so that the mouth of word and brand recall becomes better.

Strength 1. The parent brand “Pantaloons” has

high awareness and reliability among consumers.

2. The parent company Aditya Birla has both financial and structural strength.

3. This plus size brand has more POS than any other plus size brand present out there.

4. Started up with a loyal customer base.

Opportunity 1. Increasing potential in the

Indian Market. 2. Increasing number of stores

and customer base.

Threat 1. Presence of brands like All,

Largely Yours, Pluss etc. 2. Other online and offline

brands are emerging offering plus size fashion.

3. The changing fashion ideas among the plus size population.

4. Customers who are not happy with the brand.

1. The brand should have more funding from the parent brands for the range development.

2. Awareness among the customers could be increased by promotional activities.

3. Awareness and customer conversion in the tier 2 and 3 cities.

1. Increasing the varieties of merchandise offered in the range.

2. Development of an effective operational and planning strategy where the goods will reach at the right place, right time in right numbers.

3. Creating a good brand identity by offering better products to the new customer’s

1. A styling survey to be done among the loyal customers and use the data for further development of range.

2. Offers to the previous customers to the brand to retain them.

3. Creating a better presence by inducing fresh fashion in the store.

2. Adding varieties to the Range: New type of clothing should be introduced like vest, ethnics and gym based clothing and added

up to the Alto Moda range. Various accessories can also be added to offer the Alto Moda

customers everything under the same brand. In that case the sales will increase and at the same

time the customers will get everything that they require i.e Alto Moda will offer a complete

lifestyle solution to them.

3. Less options, more styles and more hits

This was one of the biggest problems that both the barnd and the customers used to face is that

throuout the seaons the merchandiswe remains more of less same where as in the other brands

every twio three months an wide array of merchandise are available. My recommendation was to

decrease the number of options and increase the number of styles along with the number of hits

that can be pushed as fresh new entries every 2 months so that whenever the customer comes

back they find something new.

4. Quick, efficient and continuous replenishments The pantaloons warehouse has to be very efficient particularly handing the Alto Moda brand

merchandise and the replenishments should be exactly on time. Because the demand of fast

moving sizes are a lot and at the same time the planning team must understand which sizes are

moving faster at which stores and allot accordingly. The replenishment time should be 3 days

depending on the sales of the merchandise. And all sizes should be available with any particular

product at all times if the stock is not completely depleted.

5. Lateral replenishment store to store The idea of lateral replenishment should be introduced among various nearby branches of

Pantaloons where the goods can be easily transported. Sometimes some styles get stuck and any

store and doesn’t move even after a lot of effort from the store front where the same style sells a

lot in other branches. At that point of time the planning team can opt for lateral replenishment by

pushing merchandise at the right store for sales.

6. An independent Range: As discussed earlier also the Alto Moda range is actually comprised of various styles taken from

all other Pantaloons’ in-house brands. Now from the customer ideas we can see making a whole

range of clothing just dedicated to the plus size would be more appealing to the consumers. With

all different varieties to the range that would make the customer feel special too. The design

team could be given the task to assemble the whole range particularly keeping the Alto Moda

customers in mind as in case of choice in fabrics and styling.

7. The feedback system

The primary idea was to create a database to help the consumers get more from the brand. Now

with the “green card” concept from the Pantaloons we can actually offer the consumers a free

green card and their feedback can be taken into the system during the payment or before that for

future references as in promotional offers and mobile advertisements.

8. The promotional offer Alto Moda as a brand should be promoted atleast in the locations of the stores and inside the

stores. This idea was taken from the promotional activities that are carried out by Pantaloons for

their denim brand, ‘San frisco jeans.’ The idea is to create awareness among people and give

them the idea that Alto Moda is a brand and this kind of styles are offered by them. The

awareness can be spread through videos playing inside the store and at the same time various

banners. The “power pricing” is one of the strongest promotional tools that are used by

Pantaloons in for the other in-house brands offered by the same. This tool can also be used for

the Alto Moda brand for more sale through and more customer attraction.

9. Alteration facility The alteration facilities in some stores are up to date but in some stores they are not enough to

handle the pressure. In that case the delivery is being an issue with the customers. In these cases

the alteration department in some stores has to be improved so that they can handle the adequate

amount of pressure. The customers can get efficient and fast altered garments within less time

which will lead to a better customer relationship and service efficiency.

The option plan for SS16 Alto Moda men’s range

Description: This option plan is designed keeping all the different aspects of the project particularly the

consumer aspect. The particulars about this option plan are mentioned below in points.

1. There are total of 27 variations of casual trousers which include blends like polyester,

knitted and woven fabrics with the product types of active 3/4ths, active shorts & tracks,

Casual shorts and chinos.

2. There are 14 core styles in core t shirts and tipping polos. Both will be offered with a

variety of in trend colors and will be having a power pricing benefit.

3. There are 12 options in denim with 3 different fits normal, slim and tapered. There will

be a lot of options to include various washes and colors among the denim range.

4. There are a total 12 formal shirt styles and 6 formal trousers options covering all the

formal demands of our customers.

5. There are a total of 34 options in different t shirt types including polos, round necks and

flat knits. As t-shirts are the most popular choice of the consumers so the options are also

high.

6. A total of 20 options of casual shirt is taken into consideration in this option plan because

casual shirts are really popular among plus size people.

7. 6 options of ethnic wear including Neheru jacket, long and short sleeve kurtas are added

in this option plan.

8. A whole new accessories part was added which includes briefs, drawers, socks and belts

all with 5 to 10 options each with power pricing. This would be a complete new launch

for the Alto Moda Range.

9. The grand total is of 148 options of various garments and accessories which cover almost

everything a plus size consumer would need.

Benefits of this option plan:

1. This option plan has huge amount of options and varities can be imbued accordingly.

Most of the popular choices of the plus size consumers have been taken into

consideration and been included in large number of options.

2. This option plan consists of three hits. That means new merchandise in the store every 2

months. The freshness of the collection will be continuous through the whole season with

new styles coming in every now and then.

3. This option plan covers all the needs of plus size consumers as it has everything from

ethnics to accessories. So this could be a one stop fashion hub for all the plus size

consumers.

4. The options though have been increased but the quantity for each option has been

decreased in a required way so that the balance between production feasibility and cost

price remains intact.

5. The cost is being revised and set in some cases and “power pricing” is brought in a high

way to make this brand more attractive to consumers through and through.

Learning outcome

The graduation project is a big learning experience for me in both professional and personal

sector. Pantaloons have given me chance to work actively with the buying team and even to take

out solo responsibilities. These opportunities have made me better as a professional.

Learning at a Professional level:

1. The whole buying procedure from understanding the market trends and handover to the

sourcing department I have worked through the whole procedure. This project and

internship has given me an opportunity to learn the buying procedure thoroughly.

2. The next most important thing that I have learnt through this whole internship process is

the development of a commercial fashion sense. Any buyer has to have an eye for a

commercial product. During the process where the buyer has to finalize styles that would

be the part of the range generally an eye of commercial fashion is valued more. Even the

buyer has to add all different kind of styles in the range so that it can be a popular range

than to only put styles he or she likes.

3. Gained practical knowledge of making documents like contact sheet, option plan etc

which are generally used to keep track of the whole buying process. Developed these

documents for various brands throughout the internship process.

4. Learnt using different computer tools more efficiently like Microsoft excel for

development of record sheets and buying.

Learning at a Personal Level:

1. My learning at the personal level was very much how to be an efficient part of a team.

Because the whole buying procedure is a complete teamwork between the buyer,

designer and sourcing team. The whole procedure needs to be in synchronizing to all the

different teams so team work is the most important in this. Throughout my internship I

have worked with all the teams and developed my teamwork skills.

2. I learned how to do effective communication in the corporate sector. Because effective

communication is the key to get the works at done in a fluid manner. Much part of buying

is also negotiating with the sourcing team and the designing team to make the collection

as per market demand and get the cost price lower so that a better markup could be

achieved. So a buyer has to negotiate with various different departments. I have been a

part of different meetings and handovers where I have developed good corporate

communication skills.

References

1. Article titled, “Big business: retailers are out to woo plus-size folks” by Bindu D

Menon posted in “The Hindu” on July 19, 2014.

2. Article titled, “Fat market for full figures” by ArchanaKhareGhoseposted in “The

Times of India” on July 15, 2012.

3. Article titled, “The Plus-Size Story Now Gets Plus-Size Share” posted in “The

Stitch Times” on June 04, 2012.

4. Article titled, “Indians Get Larger in Size, and Clothing Brands Respond” by Adi

Narayan posted in “Bloomberg Business” on July 11, 2013.

5. Article posted on Oct 6, 2010 on the website Retail Acumen by author Clare

Rayner.

6. Article titled “Strategy Tools” from the website “mindtools.com.”

7. Article titled, “Obesity rates climbing worldwide” posted in “The Times of India”

on May 30, 2014.

8. Article titled, “15% of the world’s obese population lives in India, China” by

Nikita Mehta posted in “Live Mint” on May 29, 2014.

Annexure

Suggested questionnaire:

1. Hello sir, what are the brands that you generally buy for yourself? Just Alto Moda

Alto Moda and others

Any brand that offers plus size

I tailor them

2. Are you happy with the Alto Moda products? Oh yes I’m very happy

It’s okay, you should add more styles

Oh no! It doesn’t fit me properly

I hate it

3. How do you like the fit of our products? It’s tight around my tummy or waist

I need the perfect fit which I’m not getting

I like it comfy and loose

I think the brand __________ have a better fit

4. How often do you shop sir?? Oh! I’m a shopaholic, I shop twice a week

I love shopping! Maybe once a fortnight.

Well, I shop when it’s needed. Maybe once a month.

Shopping is not my thing. I do it because I have to.

5. What do you like to buy most from Alto Moda? Casual wear

Formal wear

Everything

Depends

6. What do you expect with Alto Moda in the upcoming season? More colours

More sizes

Both more colour and fits

Nothing, I love your collection

7. Would you like to get made to measure clothes through websites? Yes I would love it

Yes its fine

Maybe but i prefer real shopping!!

I don’t shop online. What’s the point?

8. Do you like our collection to be similar as the other Pantaloons’ brands? Yeah! I loved that collection in Bare Denim. Do you have that in plus size?

Oh sure!! Maybe some of the styles.

This will do but i think you guys should have something special for us

Can you guys make a range dedicated to plus size only, please.

9. Does our readymade size fits you or do you like to get it altered a little bit to get the best fit?

Yup your readymade sizes fits me perfectly

It can be better but yeah it fits fine

In some occasions alterations are needed

I think alterations are necessary in my case.

10. Are you happy with the alteration options we provide? Yes I’m really satisfied

Yes it is fine.

This can be better, you know.

You really need to improve it.

11. What’s your shopping style? I love to travel and shop.

I would like to go anywhere in the city to get good products

I would like to travel to my nearby marketing destination

I like online shopping, travelling is not my thing.

12. What kind of stores do you like to shop from?

I love to shop from shopping malls. So much to explore!

I would love to shop from your format. It’s cool!

I love shopping from stand alone stores (exclusive brand outlets)

It doesn’t really matter when I’m getting good products