Landmark plans Splash with a 15-store gambit

KOLKATA: Splash, the high-street fashion retailer from the Dubai-based Landmark Group, is planning to bring labels from the US, Europe and China to India.

European labels will straddle the middle, upper and high-end of its product portfolio and those from the US and China will be mainly for the middle end.

Splash is planning to introduce in India Mavi & Sons, a surfwear brand from Los Angeles, and Yishion, a casual clothing label for men and women, which is available in Splash stores in other countries. It is also talking to a few brands in Europe.

Despite the recession, the retail chain is upbeat on making a splash in India. The first Splash store was launched in Hyderabad recently. Plans are afoot to have 15 stores in India over the next three years. The average size of these stores will be around 18,000 square feet.

Raza Beig, chief executive officer of Splash, said  the company’s core branding was the middle-to upper middle-class. “Consequently, our price points are substantially lower and the slowdown should not be a problem for us.”

In three years, Splash is targeting a turnover of Rs 200-235 crore from its 15 stores. “The aim is to make each store yield a turnover of at least Rs 15 crore,” he said.
Globally, at the end of June 2009, the retail chain would be worth about half a billion US dollars.
 m_madhumita@dnaindia.net