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Kochi's sizzling sari saga

The city seems deluged with saris, with new and existing outlets wooing customers in their own way. Shyama Rajagopal takes a dekko at the scene

CUSTOMER IS KING A wide choice confronts the buyer . Photo:H.Vibhu

When cricketing idol M.S. Dhoni cut the ribbon for Kalyan Silks recently, proprietor T.S. Pattabhiraman had smartly managed a Dhoni style, `sari dhamaka'.

And with that he unleashed a silken sari war that's made the public at large sit up and take note. Not to be left behind in this, in the face marketing, other sari stores have more than doubled their share of glitzy advertising. Mandira Bedi endorsing Seemati saris, Jayalakshmi silks doling out golden lucky gifts the whole year long to celebrate 60 years of their lucrative existence, Parthas sprucing up their window dressing, Joy Alukkas Wedding Centre joining the fray and a major sari retailer from Chennai expected to set up shop, the rustle of silks in Kochi is growing shriller by the day.

Sari capital

But Kochi as the sari capital of the State has been in the making for over a decade now. It has been luring customers from the neighbouring districts to shop here. Star-studded openings at the sari stores have been there before too. And though Remanika, the sari mall of the nineties was ahead of its time, holding fashion shows then as a promotion exercise, the present thriving sari scene is here to stay.

Says Satish Kamath, partner Jayalakshmi Silks, "A major chunk of our customers are from outside Kochi." For Mr. Pattabhiraman it was a case of bringing the wares to the customers. His Thrissur store had customers come from Kochi in droves, as he says! And so he set up a 1.25-lakh sq ft store in the city. Sensing the city's sari potential, the Joy Alukka group too dropped anchor in the burgeoning textile market here. Mathew Francis, the General Manager, India Operations, Joy Alukkas Group says, "A customer's preference determines the sale. If the retailer knows what the customers want, it will be a success." And so, today the city stands as the sari citadel of Kerala. The forecast for the sari bazaar is bright. With nearly Rs. 500 crores being pegged as the potential of the textile market and estimated to double in the next three-four years the sari saga is likely to get bigger, better and more intense.

And amidst the hullabaloo in the sari orchard the customer is queen.

"Till now the traditional saris were considered unaffordable. ," says Mr. Pattabhiraman whose business strategy is to make the silks more affordable.

Jayalakshmi Silks banks on introducing new varieties every two months. "Earlier, a sari trend here was rather late to pick up. But now, the customers lap up new varieties. Designer saris are a major selling point," says Mr. Kamath. The yearlong celebration that is on at his store is a part of marketing necessitated by increasing competition.

Festivals and fashion shows at these sari houses have become a major marketing point. Seemati'sRajasthani festival and its black and white range proved colourful combinations to lure customers. The zari network of designs called the Jaal Tarang is their latest motif in the present scheme of things.

With the sari houses having their exclusive weavers and their own in-house designing units the customer is promised exclusivity of design, colour combinations, and a pocket friendly price tag.

"Designer saris are the latest fad," says Mr. Kamath. About 60 per cent of the total sales are from designer saris these days, he adds. He claims to have introduced designer saris in Kerala when the market was yet to experiment with them.

The wedding trousseau is another product that's finding takers by the dozen.

"Fifty per cent of the wedding trousseau are saris and NRIs are the major buyers," says Mr. Pattabhiraman. "Traditional dresses are important to them. They want to be seen in the costume of their culture."

Kochi's prominence as a major tourist centre too has given a fillip to the sari trade. "We get a number of tourists who come to buy something Indian," says Mr. Pattabhiraman. Other sari houses share the same sentiment. "A large number of customers are North Indians. In fact many are quite overwhelmed by the collection here," says Mr. Kamath.

Providing excellent service is high on the agenda for the retailers. The showrooms have bridal consultants and staff who are quick to assist the customer. Serving refreshments is now part and parcel of shopping in these major showrooms. Coffee shops are becoming a part of the premises and to give shoppers a stress free experience, Kalyan Silks is planning a kid's play area.

"When families come from far-off places to shop and spend a day in the city the children are harassed. They come in the way of shopping. If they are occupied, the family has more pleasure in shopping," says Mr. Pattabhiraman justifying the need for a kiddie's zone in the store.

And so the bling-bling of the sari blinds like never before, just as the pleats, border and pallu fall gracefully in place. Kochi today is draped beautifully in the most traditional Indian costume, the sari.

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