Reliance Retail expands B2B apparel arm to tap unorganised market

Reliance Industries Limited’s Reliance Retail is focusing on expanding the distribution of its apparel brands to third party retailers to widen the parameters of its branded fashion business beyond its own stores. The business aims to reach a wider consumer base and tap into growth opportunities in the presently largely unorganised clothing market. 

“Reliance will launch its own apparel and fashion brands across categories such as western wear, Indian wear, inner wear, lingerie, costume jewellery, footwear, fashion accessories in the value and mid-premium range to be sold through lakhs of third-party retailers,” an executive source told ET Bureau. “Organising the unorganised will be the next thrust area.” 
 
Reliance’s business-to-business apparel lines are expected to grow swiftly and could become a larger generator of revenue than the business’ own apparel retail outlets in the coming five years, an anonymous source told the Economic Times. As the overwhelming majority of the Indian apparel market is unorganised, the industry has a strong potential for growth for larger businesses looking to organise it. 

Reliance Retail has already launched a wide selection of apparel and accessories brands designed for business-to-business distribution. These include athleisure label Xlerate, footwear brands Jivers, Feet Up, and Silkfeet, womenswear brand Riva, menswear brand John Player Select, and children’s wear brand Kidlyboo among others.