Date:18/03/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/03/18/stories/2004031802300600.htm

Back Buddy Davis hopes to be Rs 100-cr brand in three years

K.R. Srivats

New Delhi , March 17

BUDDY Davis, a fashion brand from the stable of Maral Overseas, is expanding its presence in the Indian sub-continent.

Plans are afoot to open exclusive `Buddy Davis' stores in Colombo, Dhaka and Nepal, says Mr Atul Agrawaal, General Manager at Maral Fashions, which is a division of Maral Overseas.

Talks are also on with certain store chains in West Asia and the first shipments are expected to take place this summer.

From a current turnover level of about Rs 15 crore, `Buddy Davis' aspires to become a Rs 25-crore brand in the next fiscal and a Rs 100-crore brand in the next three financial years. To achieve this growth, Mr Agrawaal says that new products would be introduced under the `Buddy Davis' brand.

Apart from certain multi-brand chain stores, `Buddy Davis' is also available in 25 exclusive stores in the metro and A and B class towns in the form of T-shirts, trousers, jackets, trousers and track suits.

"We want to complete the fashion wardrobe of the younger generation. Buddy Davis is a unisex brand that caters to the 15-25 age group and those who are young at heart. We will now introduce perfumes, deodorants, belts, waist bands and G-Strings under the Buddy Davis brand," Mr Agrawaal told Business Line here.

So how does Maral plan to further promote the nearly four-year old `Buddy Davis' brand? "We plan to advertise on the music channels. After friends, music channels on television is where most youngsters in the age group of 15-25 pick up the fashion trends," Mr Agrawaal said.

A sum of about Rs 2.5 crore is to be allocated towards ad spend for the ensuing financial year.

Unlike most of the other brands that are product-specific, Buddy Davis is a single brand with multiple products under its fold, according to Mr Agrawaal. He held that `Buddy Davis' offered fashion at a price that youngsters can afford.