Italian brand looks to source from India
Italian menswear brand Boggi Milano has confirmed that it plans to source garments from Indian manufacturers for its global markets. The brand entered India in 2008 under a joint venture with real estate group DLF's retail management subsidiary, DLF Brands, and has opened eight outlets in the country to date.
“We are holding discussions with garment makers in Puducherry, Tirupur and in north India for sourcing textile and leather garments. Boggi Milano’s sourcing head will be [in India] in February and a decision will be taken then,” said Anand Nair, brand head of DLF Brands Ltd.
“For Indian operations we currently import the garments from Portugal, Bulgaria and other places. However, the fabric for the garments is Italian,” he said.
DLF Brands plans to increase the number of Boggi Milano stores to 35 over the next three years, including five in the capital region of Delhi and one each in Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore.
“Our plan is to set our footprint in cities like Pune, Hyderabad and Mumbai early next year,” continued Mr Nair.
In line with the Italian company’s global strategy of having stores at airports, DLF Brands also plans to have Boggi Milano outlets in Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad airports.
“Compared to malls, the footfalls in airport stores are more and sales are also good. In airports, the travellers are in a 'hostile' environment; they can't go out, and are confined to the terminal till they board the flight. When flights are delayed people drop into our stores,” he said.
“At the airport outlets the inventory is more tuned towards impulse as well as urgent purchases,” Nair said.
