ITC expands John Players

John Players, ITC's mid-market men's wardrobe brand, is on an expansion mode. Atul Chand, general manager of ITC Lifestyle Retailing, said about 100 exclusive John Players outlets will be set up within the next three years.

"Our focus is to strengthen the brand's presence in both the exclusive outlets and multi-brand outlets," he said. Currently, John Players is available in 35 exclusive outlets and 2,000 multi-brand outlets.

One of the fastest growing brand in the Rs 2,500 crore (Rs 25 billion) mid-priced but fragmented apparel market, John Players plans to set up stores in towns such as Sonepat, Panipat and Bareilly.

As the mid-market apparel segment grows at 10-15 per cent, Chand thinks that John Players' complete wardrobe solution for casual and formal wear will have an edge over its competitors in tapping different consumer segments.

"Fashion is associated with premium pricing, our brand caters to the fashion-conscious youth at affordable price," said Chand.

At present, John Players has to contend with several regional players and national brands such as Indian Rayons' Peter England and Excalibur, both of which are retailed within the same price band -- Rs 400 to Rs 900.