Date:01/09/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/09/01/stories/2005090101760800.htm

Back O&M to handle luxury footwear brand LLOYD

Purvita Chatterjee

Mumbai , Aug. 31

MAKING its retail foray, Tata International has appointed O&M in Mumbai to handle its premium luxury brand from Germany - LLOYD.

Staying away from using mass media, O&M is expected to take care of the brand's outdoor communication. There are plans to start direct marketing through the same agency to reach out to high-end consumers.

LLOYD, which carries the tagline`Quality, Fit & Design', has launched its first flagship store in Mumbai and plans to launch more stores in other metros.

Positioned as a high quality brand, LLOYDis targeting the age group 25-50 years. Its offerings include shoes, leather goods and accessories for women and men.

In India, LLOYDwill offer 40-45 styles in men's footwear and about 30 styles for women. The price range of men's shoes is Rs 9,000-Rs 24,000 while the women's shoes are pegged at Rs 8,000 onwards.

In India, LLOYD plans to introduce its new concept store with a signature brand collection `LLOYD 1888'. The name refers to the year in which the LLOYDshoe factory was founded.

Launching the LLOYDbrand in India, Mr Sudhir Deoras, Managing Director, Tata International, said, "There is a strong synergy between LLOYD and the Tata brand. Both stand for time-tested and dependable quality."

Tata International has been supplying leather and shoe uppers to LLOYD in Germany. It is recognised as a five-star export house by the Government of India and its overseas subsidiaries had a combined turnover of $1.7 billion in 2005.