IndiaRetailBiz

‘Frank Jefferson,’ the menswear apparel brand of the Ahmedabad-based Asima group is embarking on aggressive expansion, which would take the number of its retail stores across the country from 15 at present to 30 by the end of March, 2009.

Currently, the group operates a mix of company owned and franchisee stores, located among others at Ahmedabad, Chennai, Pune, Secunderabad and Surat.

This doubling of the brand’s presence in terms of the number of stores will require an investment of Rs five crore.

Among others, Frank Jefferson offers men’s shirts, trousers, denims, T-shirts, and sweaters.

The expansion of retail segment, according to a Business Standard report, has been necessitated on account of falling margins in the core business of fabric manufacturing, where particularly in the area of denims in which the group specialises, not only input costs have sharply increased, but sales prices have also substantially declined.

“The only feasible margins available are in garmenting and retailing which is why we are doubling our retail presence. While we manufacture enough garments for the expansion, if needed we can go for garment manufacturing expansion as well,” says a company official.