THT- Perspectives
April 17,2016

Cool brands in heated competition

The hottest clothing brands fighting to offer the coolest summer look

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu

Our lifestyle has always been influenced by how we present ourselves and the statement we make has a lot to with what we wear. Renowned clothing brands like Wrangler, Lee and Jeanswest are flourishing in the market with stylish denims for both men and women. These brands are popular with customers and this summer clothing brands are pushing their summer fabrics that ensure a cool and comfortable look.

Travel in your jeans

Wrangler is an enduring American clothing brand offering clothes which is for the spirit of people who work hard, have fun and recognise courageous individuality. In 2013 Wrangler as a brand entered the Nepali market. Vivek Sharma, Director of Wrangler Nepal, says, “ Wrangler has already created a brand name for itself all over the world and in terms of quality it has never compromised.” He says that they have targeted all age groups of customers from adults to the middle- aged, specially in terms of jeans for both men and women which is their brand advantage. “ We have different collections of jeans such as ‘ Tough gear jeans’ — this is twice as s tronger than any other pair of jeans, ‘ Water and oil repellent jeans’, and ‘ Sun shield denim’ — which reflect UV rays, making the fabric cooler in summer.” He says the brand continuously focuses on giving something new and different each year to customers as a part of their brand strategy.

According to Sharma, even a recognised brand faces tough competition in the market and their constant persistence and variation in the clothing line makes them different from others. He also adds, “ We regularly focus on customer service by keeping a database of our customers so that they can be updated with the latest news related to the brand.” This is what makes the brand different and helps in increasing brand loyalty among customers.This summer the brand is offering ‘ Traveller jeans’ to customers. They are comfortable and made of soft fabric which is perfect for travelling, says Sharma.

For every season

In Nepal, Lee has been around since 2011 offering an entire clothing line for men and women.

Earlier the brand was more focused on work wear and business clothing but has expanded to fashionable denims with casual clothes as well. Dilip KC, General Manager, Lee jeans Nepal, says, “ Lee is for those who want better fits, styles, finish and choices in their clothing style.

We are more focused on jeans and t- shirts and we introduce our clothes lines according to the seasons.” He informs that this summer Lee has come up with ‘ Denim Delight’ which is much smoother, looks like jeans but is more stretchable and thus is more in demand in the market.

According to KC, they import their products from India and Vietnam. “ Following the latest fashion in our clothing line, using suitable fabrics according to the season and durability are the unique selling points of our brand,” shares KC. “ Different collections, styles and fits like loose, regular, relaxed, skinny and slim jeans are favourites among customers,” he says.

He further shares that customer service is very important when it comes to maintaining a brand name. “ It’s not about one time sales, a brand should have the capability of retaining customers which is only possible by providing a quality product with good service. Satisfying our customers with the latest products is our marketing strategy,” he says.

Price is right

Jeansweat is an Australian brand which was launched in 2010 in Nepal. It operates in the casual clothes segment with denims playing an integral part in the product range. This brand has been loved by customers for their product, customer service and reasonable pricing. This apparel chain is owned and operated by Glorious Sun.

Achal Kumar Agarwal, Director, Jeanswest for Nepal, says, “ We do lot of online marketing for Jeanswest and have different discount systems for regular customers as this helps increase sales.” He informs that in Nepal, word of mouth advertising is the key to increase sales. “ We focus on men and women clothing. We have a strong brand presence when it comes to women’s clothing whereas very few of brands concentrate on women, this is our strong selling point,” he says.

According to Agarwal, Jeanswest is competitive when it comes to pricing. This pricing strategy helps to pull the customers. He says, “ Our brand’s USP is reasonable pricing compared to other brands.” He informs that the brand usually uses fabrics like lycra and dupont. For this summer season the brand is coming with summer fabrics which absorbs sweat. They are very strong in both the jeans and tshirt segment, says Agarwal. For men they have jeans, casual pants, shorts, t- shirts and shirts; for women they have skirts, shorts, jeans, t- shirts and blouses. “ This wide product range has helped our brand sustain in the market,” says Agarwal.