Luxury Portals Take on Indian buyers

For millions of web users in India fashion portal www.fashionandyou.com in nothing new. This online web portal has a huge catalogue of apparels from all major international brands. What sets this portal apart from any other site offering hi fashion clothes is that you can find fabulous discounts on high-end labels which are sometime as high as 70 per cent. The list of brands includes Boggi Milano, Baume and Mercier, DKNY, Tag Heuer, Escada and Forever New. So if you have been eyeing that stunning DKNY bag or that posh watch from Tag Heuer, it is a good idea to snap it up here. What difference does it makes that it’s a season old?

Brain child of Uppal and Harish Bahl, www.fashionandyou.com is a private shopping club where top-end brands can be bought at throwaway prices. After they tasted success in Russia, Switzerland, Turkey and Brazil working on the similar lines they turned towards India. Their first sale in India was a greater hit than they had expected. Uppal, CEO of fashionandyou.com says “There is a greater awareness of fashion and international brands in India. It’s the perfect time to introduce this aspect of e-commerce here.”

As if to validate his statement, five online luxury portals have been launched in India in last as many months, and most of them are doing extremely well. The reason can be attributed to the unflagging purchasing power of Indian middle class. The only thing that has changed with the exposure to international brands is that now they are more conscious of what they buy. This characteristic, which is unique to India, works in the favour of these luxury portals who offer these high end brands at great discount.

For those who think most buyers of these luxury brands belong to the metros, Meghna Pradipak Reddy of www.desicouture.net offers an insight. She tied up with designers like Shantanu and Nikhil, Neeta Lulla and Swapnil Shinde, besides a number of up-and-coming designers from India’s various fashion weeks and launched her portal last August. But the overwhelming response came from places like Coimbatore, Vizag and Ludhiana. Her regular clientele now also include people from US, UK, Dubai, Singapore and New Zealand

Discounts up to 70 percent are possible as these portals are mostly selling off the excess stuff or leftovers from the previous season which these portals pick at discounted rate. The mantra of success is to give kitschy items that might not be in vogue after a particular season a miss and stick to what is classic. They choose apparels that can be used across seasons.

For Indian clients looking for top brands at an affordable price it’s a win-win situation. With minimal shipping charges and attractive incentives for getting more members, these interactive sites offer alteration services and close-ups of the outfit from every possible angle. It works well for the brands too. They get larger geographical penetration without compromising on their brand image. It also takes care of their excess stock.