Harish Bhat

Skyrocketing gold prices push cost of Kancheepuram silk saris up by 50% It is that time of the year when families throng textile showrooms to buy Kancheepuram silk saris for the wedding season. But, it is burning a hole in their pockets as the internationally renowned saris have become dearer due to the skyrocketing prices of gold. The cost of Kancheepuram silk saris has increased by 50% in the past eight months making price-conscious consumers shift to saris that either have less gold and silver content or those without the two valuable metals. http://toi.in/_XHmmb

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TRENT IN FOCUS - The company has unveiled a Lab Grown Diamonds Jewellery Line - The lab-grown diamond jewelry brand is called ‘Pome’, now in Westside stores. Kotak Securities Says: This product has 1) Disruptive pricing (1 carat solitaire engagement ring at Rs24-29k) 2) Elegant designs with exquisite craftsmanship. They Believe - Pome has the potential to be Zudio of LGD jewelry market. Trent is moving quickly into newer and high growth categories ripe for value-led disruption. They recently also announced their entry into the beauty products market. Zudio could well be the Primark and H&M Equivalent of India. It's also important to track what Tata Trent (Retail)’s entry in LGD does to the other group institution - Titan Company Limited Very, very interesting space this - Titan selling clothing through Taneira and fragrances through Skinn, while Trent is dabbling with Lab Grown Diamonds - It's all happening :) Adding a snippet of this conversation with Ajoy Chawla from a few months ago - where I asked him specifically about the “Zudio-isation of Jewellery” which he did say - was a trend - but little did we know then, that Zudio owners would actually get into it :) Can't wait to see how this pans out! Therefore, I say - #FMCGisLife #StockMarket #TataGroup #Trent #Retail #India #Consumption #Diamonds #LabGrownDiamond #Value #Beauty #Fashion #FastFashion

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Why is India’s Gen Z Looking West for Inspiration?? Last night at 1 AM, I reflected on why so much of India’s youth gravitates toward Western influences, especially in culture and fashion. It seems that Generation Z wants something more than just conforming to traditional societal norms. They seek a lifestyle centred on personal growth, health, and individuality—far removed from the expectations of older generations, who often prioritize community perception above all else. What’s fascinating about this shift is that it’s not a rejection of Indian identity. Instead, Gen Z is reinterpreting cultural heritage in their unique ways. We see them effortlessly blending Western trends with Indian aesthetics, embracing both sustainability and fast fashion, and creating a fusion that reflects their individuality and values. Whether it’s experimenting with ethnic wear or advocating for ethical consumerism, this generation is breaking boundaries while holding onto its roots. This balancing act between modernity and tradition, individuality and community, could shape the future of Indian culture. What do you think, does this shift represent growth or a loss of cultural identity? Let’s start a conversation! 👇 #GenZ #CultureShift #PersonalGrowth #Fashion #India #TraditionVsModernity

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Interesting insights from the Redseer Report on Fast Fashion: Redseer Strategy Consultants • Indian fast fashion industry is projected to burgeon into a massive $50 bn market by FY31 • Millennials and Gen Z to be the driving force for the industry • Experts say time to build a fast fashion brand in India is now • Fast fashion brands, renowned for their agility, can introduce over 50 collections annually, • Mid-value brands segment is expected to see the maximum proliferation of brands, • India's fast fashion market valued at $10 bn is over 3x smaller than global giants like Shein • Popular men’s styles: Oversized t-shirts, graphic tees, and cargo pants, co-ords and all-season jackets • Popular women’s styles: Dresses, wide-legged trousers, co-ords, occasion wear and shapewear Goes to show how this young generation is influencing trends at an unprecedented pace as these generations continue to assert their influence, within the fast fashion landscape that is evolving at a hectic pace! Thoughts? #FastFashion #GenZ #Millennials #Sustainability #Inclusivity #FashionTrends

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South India's cooling appliance market heats up * Retailers expect 35-50% growth this summer in South * Trend of premiumisation continues as brands see demand for technologically advanced, 1.5 tonne, inverter ACs. * In anticipation of demand, retailers operating on full production capacity, strategising distribution accordingly. ETRetail Read more below ⬇️

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Less profit, more investment, and even more jargons to understand - the D2C World for legacy brands is definitely not an easy nut to crack. Despite that, multiple of them are lining up to establish a direct channel to connect with their customers. For what? My best guess was DATA. But is that all? We try to find out in my this week's cover story for IMPACT. With inputs from: Nagaraj Krishnamurthy| Sooraj Balakrishnan| Nalin Sood| Rajiv Dubey| Sumeer Mathur| Manoj Dawane| Mayank Pravinchandra Shah| Tushar Malhotra| Sonali Malaviya| Also, let me know your thoughts in comments: what is it about D2C platforms that legacy brands cannot resist? \#d2c #data #dataanalytics #customerrelation #caq #marketing #advertising #journalism #features

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📘Why+How Gold Flake Cigarettes and KitKat sales are related/interrelated in convenience stores? 📕How in India there are currently 180+ ways in which a retailer can be jailed in course of running a retail store? 📙Intriguing insights about retail tech, retail economy penetration, types of retailing, periodicity of purchases 📘Interesting personal pointers+anedcotes about #femaleentreprenuership #careerchoices #entrepreneurialmindset #familysupport 📙Ingenious reflections about launch timing, scaling-up, lessons from failure about getting country wrong, product wrong and timing wrong 💡💡💡The quips about the quintessence of true blooded marwaris, mass entrepreneurship in #fmcgretail, how USA augments entrepreneurial mindset, how select D2C founders are woolly eyed and are damn good...... 51 mins of strong 📈📈📈Side Note: Ms. Aastha Almast is one angry baby and the games she is playing now in O2O retail with New Shop are indeed failsafe and foolproof in every sense (pun intended :-) and people will get once they watch the whole video of this super woman by a wise+friendly host Mr. Anurag Goyal)

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HUL Shares have rallied around 10% this week! The street is increasingly moving its focus towards growth drivers for Consumer staples sector in India underlying by increased optimism around Rural Demand due to predictions of a normal monsoon and stable inflation. Improved revenue growth and earnings prospects coupled with the recent underperformance of FMCG stocks have made them look relatively more attractive than other sectors that have seen a huge rally in the stock market. Remember, HUL shares are currently at similar levels as they were just around 2020. So, it was earlier last month, after their quarterly earnings, that I asked Rohit Jawa to comment on this underperformance. He said when one buys an HUL share, it’s more than just that. Over the long term, the growth story of India and the company’s own capabilities, leadership and reach along with their rich history in the country will payoff, despite near term uncertainties. Check this out… #StockMarket #FMCG #PCG #FMCGisLife #India #Consumption #Consumer #Demand #Recovery #Unilever #HUL #Leadership

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👗 The evolution of #ethnicwear in India Libas, since its inception in 2014, has been pioneering #fashion innovation in the ethnicwear segment. From an online platform to a leading #omnichannel brand, Libas has continuously reinvented itself to stay ahead in the #fastfashion race. In my conversation with Sidhant Keshwani, CEO & Founder, Libas, we delved into the brand's journey, its ambitious expansion plans, and the growing appeal of fusion wear in India. https://lnkd.in/gXBSR2ev 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 🌟 𝐅𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: The growing trend of fusion wear, blending traditional and modern styles, is redefining the #Indianwear market, especially among the younger audience. 🌟 𝐎𝐦𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲: Libas’ seamless integration of #online and #offline experiences is setting new standards in the retail industry. 🌟 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Technologies like virtual try-ons and #personalisation tools are enhancing customer experiences both in-store and online. 🌟 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬: With plans to open 100+ new stores, Libas is eyeing significant growth in #tier2 and #tier3 cities across India. 🌟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭: High repeat purchases underline the brand's commitment to quality, making Libas a trusted name in #fashion. Thank you, Sidhant, for sharing these insights. #FashionRetail #IndianEthnicwear #FusionWear #RetailTrends #LibasJourney #FashionInnovation #RetailGrowth #FashionIndustry #OmnichannelRetail #Libas #Ethnicwear #IndianFashion #FusionWear #FashionRetail #RetailTrends #FashionInIndia #RetailIndustry #Omnichannel #FastFashion #IndianWear #FashionInnovation #RetailExpansion #ModernEthnic #FashionTech #D2C #FashionBusiness #RetailGrowth #FashionMarketing #Ecommerce #FashionUpdates #CustomerExperience #IndianRetail #FashionBrands #RetailNews #ApparelIndustry

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All of us are used to purchasing stuff online and most of the time, we make a purchase after reading reviews - knowing fully well that these reviews could be paid, could be lopsided, could be fake!! Many of us suffer because of these reviews - I recently bought a dining table from Amazon after reading almost 17 reviews and I felt it was a good deal. But within 3 months, the poor quality started showing up. Now, I am struggling with the seller to replace it. These misguiding reviews lead to wrong purchases many times. Well, no more. Government is acting on bringing stringent laws against fake reviews. There are plans to make anti-fake review rules mandatory for e-commerce firms. I think as consumers it will be a big win. As marketers, the job will be tougher. But that is another story. #ecommerce #marketing #productmarketing #branding #brandbuilding #advertising #consumerinsights

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I often say Titan is the only conglomerate in India who has consistently built 0-1 scale brands in multiple categories - Titan watches, Tanishq, Fastrack, Skinn, Titan Eyewear, and now Taneira. It's not surprising that it has had only 3 CEOs since inception, with the first two CEOs having stints of 16 and 19 years respectively. They are the true heroes of India's consumer story, building brick by brick the most iconic household brands that have reshaped categories, outlasting trends and cycles. Founders and investors alike need to learn this long term outlook, the ability to think in decades and execute with discipline and patience. The game is long, and the rewards for winning the long game are beyond imagination! https://lnkd.in/gNmkMfdk

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India's jewelry market is transforming with the rise of lab-grown diamonds. These gems offer a sustainable alternative to mined diamonds, attracting consumers and large jewelry players with their brilliance and affordability. See how this shift is reshaping purchasing decisions, making lab-grown diamonds a popular choice among modern buyers. #labgrowndiamond #diamond #jewellery #ndtvprofit

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In my last post, I mentioned how meaningful experiences are memorable and add to our motivation to revisit. Let's take the instore modern trade shopping experience of the Indian fashion shopper and how past experience isn't compelling any more Indian Consumer Insights - touch and feel before we buy always. What She Likes: • One-stop shop: A large assortment. • Do it for me: Helpful staff who support her with suggestions, similar to her shopping experiences in traditional markets but in a better assurance of quality and service if something goes wrong and she needs to return or exchange it. The irritants: • Stock out • Long queues for trials & billing If we think about the drivers of our behavior, while they are rooted in culture and social influence, they are highly influenced by context- engaging shopping experience drives repeat shopping in modern trade, unlike in general trade. So why are more shoppers going online? COM-B model states that for behavior to happen, one needs capacity, opportunity, and motivation together. How did online support these parameters to drive the shift? Opportunity: FOMO - offline vs online anyone? online - infinite opportunities to shop whenever & wherever you feel like without FOMO Capacity: • Physical capacity: Who doesn’t have their phone on them most of the time? • Psychological capacity: This relates to cognitive load and memory application. Today’s online retailers have sufficient data to ease your memory regarding what my past purchases were. They even recommend automating repurchase frequently purchased items and personalize choices based on your previous shopping patterns as well as what is popular with others. • The opportunity to shop online is made easier with smoothly integrated “click-to-shop” buttons during active habits like social media consumption—fully contextualized to what you are browsing or searching for. • Capacity is also enhanced with easy one-swipe shopping at the billing stage. Motivation: • The need to touch and feel is integrated into the shopping experience by providing opportunities to try items at convenience of doing that when you want to—and if you don’t like them, you can return them. • The "do-it-for-me" approach—extended relevant ‘contextual’ purchase recommendations—motivates us to keep coming back and shopping again. • Great deals that suit your budget are the icing on the cake! 🎂 If you notice, the above also addresses all the negatives of the offline shopping experience mentioned earlier in one of my previous post(link in the comments). So how can we get inspiration to reimagine the offline shopping experience? In the next post we will look at the experience realm taken from experience economy concepts and draw inspirations from it along with examples of how some brands and companies have created engaging experiences with their customers.#OfflineRetail #OnlineRetail #BehavioralScience #ExperienceEconomy

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The Indian textile and apparel industry is poised for exponential growth, expected to reach USD 350 billion by 2030 and create 3.5 crore jobs. However, the number of universities and colleges offering textile education in India is limited, resulting in poor enrollment rates, low cut-off students, and a lack of awareness among parents and students about the sector's potential. To bridge this gap and align education with industry demand, a multi-faceted approach is necessary: 1. Enhancing Awareness Efforts must be made to dispel myths about the textile sector being labor-intensive with low-paying jobs. Schools and career counselors should educate students and parents about the immense opportunities in textiles, highlighting how experienced professionals earn competitive salaries compared to IT graduates. Campaigns showcasing success stories of textile professionals can foster interest and change perceptions. 2. Industry-Academia Collaboration The textile industry must actively collaborate with educational institutions to update curricula and provide real-world exposure. Industry-sponsored scholarships, internships, and workshops can attract students and ensure they are industry-ready. Partnerships with leading companies can also create centers of excellence within universities, offering cutting-edge resources for learning. 3. Improving Salaries and Work Culture To attract top talent, the industry must offer competitive entry-level salaries and cultivate professional work environments. Providing structured career growth plans, work-life balance, and employee-friendly policies will retain graduates and motivate others to join the field. 4. Government Support Policy interventions can incentivize textile education through subsidies, grants, and support for research initiatives. The government can promote textile courses through campaigns under Skill India and Make in India. Mandating a quota for hiring textile graduates in certain sectors can also create demand. 5. Expanding Educational Institutions Encouraging more universities to offer textile programs will widen access to this field. Existing institutions can diversify into offering niche courses in technical textiles, sustainable fashion, and advanced manufacturing to attract a broader range of students. 6. Promoting Entrepreneurship The textile industry is ripe for innovation, with opportunities in technical textiles, sustainable production, and e-commerce. Entrepreneurship cells in colleges can inspire graduates to create startups, driving innovation and employment. 7. Continuous Engagement Industry events, conferences, and exhibitions can bridge the gap between students and employers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional development. By addressing these challenges, India can create a robust ecosystem for textile education and employment, ensuring that the industry's growth aligns with the availability of skilled professionals.

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Alarming Trend: Nearly 2 out of 3 influencers have 60% fake Instagram followers 😯 A recent report by influencer marketing platform Klug Klug has revealed a concerning trend in India's influencer marketing industry. Nearly two out of three Instagram profiles in India have spurious or fake followers in excess of 60 percent. This issue is particularly prevalent in the beauty and fashion industry, where influencers resort to deceptive practices, potentially leading to significant financial losses for brands investing in influencer marketing campaigns. The report highlights that only 2.48 million profiles out of the eight million audited exhibited credible and high-quality followers. India is both the largest supplier and buyer of fake followers, with the cost of buying fake followers as low as Rs 8 to Rs 10 for 1,000 followers and going up to Rs 50 per 1,000 followers on Instagram. This alarming trend not only affects brands but also legitimate influencers who are in a race to amplify reach and get the attention of brands. Brands lose 30-50 percent of their money on every campaign due to fake followers, which results in poor engagement rates and complicates efforts to measure true impact and ROI. While fake followers are being bought by all types and sizes of influencers, a smaller fraction, who are larger influencers, also buy comments and likes, in what is known as engagement buying. This practice is more common among larger influencers who monetize their content and need to show higher engagement to brands. However, it's not just brands that face the side-effects of fake followers; some influencers, too, are losing opportunities. Brands are working with the top 500 creators, making it challenging for new creators to make space for themselves. Despite the menace of fake followers affecting the influencer industry, there are some red flags that brands and influencer marketing agencies have started to look out for, such as engagement rates and the number of views compared to the number of followers. As brands and agencies, it's crucial to work together to ensure a transparent and trustworthy influencer marketing landscape. By identifying and partnering with truly influential content creators, we can reduce the prevalence of fake followers in the industry and create meaningful partnerships that yield genuine engagement and ROI. Do share your thoughts on how sports and athlete partnerships can defy the trend of fake followers, bringing authenticity and increasing trust for brands in influencer marketing. #influencermarketing #socialmedia #fakefollowers #brands #influencers

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Why India's Apparel Exports Have Missed The China+1 Opportunity India has missed the China+1 opportunity, with Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia and even some Eastern European countries grabbing market share, while India stagnates at around 5%. “We have to ride on all four wheels. Even if one wheel does not work we will not be able to progress.” - Sudhir Sekhri , chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council “We end up losing a lot of employees because of their inability to adjust to an industrialized environment." - Siva Ganapathi , MD, Gokaldas Exports Limited India's exporters have to "meticulously account for every square centimeter of fabric, buttons and zippers imported and used to avoid high import duties." - Ajay Srivastava, founder, Global Trade Research Initiative Read the full story here 👇 (free read) https://lnkd.in/daavSKxD

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As we say goodbye to #Koo, I look at the failings of several "me too" brands — those that imitate to try and replace. I also highlight the importance of brands that can carve their own niche in their respective industries to make something of themselves. Read in today's Financial Express (India)

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For the first time since the COVID-hit March quarter of 2020, Hindustan Unilever Ltd is expected to report a year-on-year fall in its bottomline for the quarter ended March. The fall in net profit will be the result of challenges such as sluggish demand, higher advertising expenses and a subdued product-price environment, which have plagued the packaged consumer goods company for the past three quarters. #hindustanunilever #earnings

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Mithun Sacheti the poster boy of Indian Jewellery retail was the cynosure of all eyes and ears at the recently concluded Next Gen Leadership summit organised by Gem And Jewellery Export Promotion CouncilÊ(Gjepc). Sharing his views on lab grown diamonds in response to an audience query, Mithun said that lab grown diamonds are not an option for mined diamonds. LGDs are an opportunity to get one crore customers and put one crore engagement rings in their hands. If one approaches it with this viewpoint, one should get into it. Please remember that any electronic or mass manufactured product that does not have throughput will collapse. If you build it as a substitute (to natural diamonds) and its value is derived from it, you are limiting its potential. Natural diamond segment itself serves a very small number of consumers. So how many will you convert from this small base ? It has to be built to address a vey large number of consumers who cannot afford to buy a mined diamond jewellery. If I was in that space that’s what I would do. Unit economics, scale, marketing would have to be derived from this viewpoint. #labgrowndiamonds

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