“Competition Mapping and Market Analysis of Men’s T-shirts”

A dissertation submitted in partial Fulfillment of the requirement for

the award of Degree in

Bachelor of Fashion Technology (Apparel Production)

Submitted By

Jia Rathore – BFT/15/151

Batch 2015 – 2019

Under the Guidance of

Prof. Jomichan S Pattathil

Department of Fashion Technology

National Institute of Fashion Technology, (Mumbai)

May, 2019

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 ABSTRACT

This report provides a brief analysis of the brand Allen Solly’s Men’s T-shirt collection and its
competitors like [Link]. , United Colors of Benetton, Tommy Hilfiger, Levis and Zara.

Allen Solly is currently making a transition to improve its brand image and increase target
consumer as well as footfall.

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the strategic direction of the competitor brands by
doing a competition mapping for Spring Summer 19 collection in their stores. In addition to
that, the objective was to identify gaps and opportunities and analyze the competition brand
strategies in all broad product categories, via various qualitative and quantitative techniques.
The competitive brands have been scrutinized in terms of parameters such as: No. Of Options,
Collection Refreshment Strategy in stores, Min/Max Price Points, Size Range, Product Gaps, In-
store display, etc. Subsequently the observations and recommendations were formulated for
the brand.

Keywords: Competition Mapping, Competitor Analysis

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 DECLARATION

The work presented in this document is authentic and original and is the outcome of the
Graduation Project at Allen Solly is the author‘s own ideas and labour in presenting the project.
No portion of this work has been submitted in support of any application for another degree or
qualification to this institute or any other university or other institute of learning.

SIGNATURE:
DATE: 21st May‘19
PLACE: NIFT Mumbai
FACULTY GUIDE: Prof. Jomichan S Pattathil
Department of Fashion Technology
National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai

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 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that this Project Report titled “Competitor Mapping and market analysis of
Men’s T-shirt” is based on my, Jia Rathore, original research work, conducted under the
guidance of Prof. Jomichan S Pattathil towards partial fulfillment of the requirement for award
of the Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Technology (Apparel Production), at the National Institute
of Fashion Technology, Mumbai.

No part of this work has been copied from any other source. Material, wherever borrowed has
been duly acknowledged.

________________________
Researcher: Jia Rathore
BFT/15/151
Semester VIII
________________________
Faculty Mentor: Mr. Jomichan Pattathil

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Completion of any work is not possible without the humble and deep felt gratitude to the
people who have contributed their valuable time and help to make it success.

I express my sincere gratitude to Prof. Jomichan S Pattathil, my faculty guide, for helping me
throughout the graduation project with his insight, knowledge and kind support.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the management of National Institute of Fashion
Technology, Mumbai for giving me the opportunity to experience the professional
environment at Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd.. This study has given me an insight on the
functioning and processes of the retail industry.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and profound gratitude to my industry guide, Mr.
Dhanendra Singh Rathore who has been a constant source of inspiration and knowledge
throughout the project period, for his valuable guidance and support in doing this fruitful and
challenging project. It was an unforgettable and enriching experience to me.

Without the guidance, help and insight of all these people, it would have been an uphill task for
me to execute and implement my project.

Thanking You

Jia Rathore

BFT/15/151

Semester VIII

Bachelor of Fashion Technology, NIFT, Mumbai

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 Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Objective of the project
1.1.1 Primary Objective
1.1.2 Secondary Objective
1.2 Background
1.3 Problem Statement
1.4 Need of the project
1.5 Scope of project
Chapter 2: Review of Literature
2.1 Indian Retail Market
2.2 Company Profile
Chapter 3: Methodology
Chapter 4: Competition analysis
4.1 The objectives of competitor analysis
4.2 Identify Competitors
4.3 Analyze competitors’ strategic objectives and thrusts
Chapter 5: Research Methodology
5.1 Purpose of Research
5.2 Type of data considered
5.3 Type of Research
5.4 Methods of Collecting Market Information
5.5 Parameters considered while conducting the Competitor Analysis
5.6 Data Analysis Techniques
Chapter 6: Data Collection and Analysis
6.1 Findings
6.2 Customer Survey Analysis
6.2.1 Process
6.2.2 Primary Data
6.2.3 Demographic Analysis
6.3 SWOT Analysis
Chapter 7: Results and recommendations
7.1 Scope of Improvement
7.2 Volume Drivers
Chapter 8: Limitations and future scope
Chapter 9: Conclusion
Chapter 10: Bibliography and References
Chapter 11: Appendices and Annexure

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Research title:

This project titled “Competition Mapping and Market Analysis of Allen Solly Men’s T-shirt” aims
at providing a brief analysis of the brand Allen Solly’s Men’s T-shirt collection and its
competitors like [Link]. , United Colors of Benetton, Tommy Hilfiger, Levis and Zara.

Chapter 1: Introduction
The project was undertaken to study the competitors of Allen Solly in the Menswear category,
which included product T-shirts. Studying the competitors, which included large format stores
like [Link] Association, United Colors of Benetton, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi’s, Zara, did the
competition benchmarking.

Competition benchmarking is one of the most crucial exercises and plays a vital role in shaping
brand’s marketing strategies. It influences the kind of products and the price range at which the
brand market its products. This exercise helps in revealing where the brand stands against the
competitors and what are the areas we need to work upon to become more profitable.

The aim of this project is to understand the brand to the core and map them against
competitors in order to derive any shortcoming in the range offered by Allen Solly.

Allen Solly is currently making a transition to improve its brand image and increase target
consumer as well as footfall.

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the strategic direction of the competitor brands by
doing a competition mapping for Spring Summer 19 collection in their stores.

In addition to that, the objective is to identify gaps and opportunities and analyze the
competition brand strategies in all broad product categories, via various qualitative and
quantitative techniques.

1.1 Objective of the project

1.1.1 Primary Objective

 Evaluate the strategic direction of the competitor brands by doing competition

mapping for Spring Summer 19 collection in their stores
 Gap Analysis for Allen Solly T-shirts: Identify gaps and opportunities and analyze
the competition brand strategies in product categories, via various qualitative
and quantitative techniques.

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 1.1.3 Secondary Objective
 To study the market & understand the Allen Solly customer
 To devise way forward plan for Allen Solly T-shirts

1.2 Background
Like any business today, apparel industry also requires the brands to continuously strive, in
order to gain a competitive edge over its competitors. For this, a brand should be well aware of
what its competitors are providing- both process and product wise.

Knowing the product from the competitor may include the style details, quality, pricing
strategy, etc. While knowing the process might also require the knowledge of how a competitor
is able to manufacture a better quality product at low cost. Thereby, the company needs to set
benchmark among its competitors and work hard in order to achieve and outperform the
competitors' performances, so that the brand can stay up-to-date in the market and know its
strengths and weaknesses.

Meeting the need of customers is the aim of marketing, but this alone is not enough to
guarantee success – the real challenge is the ability to satisfy customer needs better than
competitors.

1.3 Problem Statement

Allen Solly, have to maximize the sales by adopting business strategies attuned to Indian
market. It is crucial to study the market-environment in order to cater to it competently.

 Allen Solly has always aimed at focusing on its target customer group of youth who look
for trend and comfort at the same time. Due to the entry of foreign players such as
Tommy Hilfiger and Zara into the Indian retail market, the brand is facing threats in
terms of retaining its current market share.
 The intensity of competition also puts a price pressure onto the operating companies in
the industry or could lead to a loss in market share.
 It is imperative for the company to understand the Indian consumer’s demands and
preferences.
 There is a need of competitor analysis to keep the product ranges competitive thereby
satisfying customers.
 High inflation doesn't give opportunity of cost advantage in competitive environment.

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1.4 Need of Project

 There is need of research and analyzing the market trends through competition Analysis
which comprises of Tools like Gap analysis, SWOT Analysis so as to fulfill customer
demand and at the same time maintaining the brand profitability.
 It is necessary that thorough analysis is done for a better understanding of the market
and existing competition such that the needs and demands of the consumer market is
met with the most effective and efficient ways.
 Identification of one’s own strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats will thus
pave a way for highlighting the problem areas which can then be resolved through root
cause analysis and action based on the suggestions of the same.
 Product gap is seen in this sector in terms of what competitive brands provide to
customers, which gives them an edge.
 Could be main element of planning gap where company can have productive input;
hence emphasis on the importance of correct positioning.
 To know brand’s price competency for product matrix, to sell confidently and with the
right facts.
 Need for better devised marketing and promotional strategies of brand.
 Try and benchmark Allen Solly in Men’s T- shirt category against top brands via different
factors: product range, price grid, fabric, size, style, number of options etc. to analyze
where brand is trailing.

Meeting need of customers is the goal, but this alone is not enough to guarantee success –
the real challenge is the ability to satisfy customer needs better than competitors

Hence, the following project will try and benchmark the brand in Men’s T-shirts category
against the top brands via different factors like: product range, price grid, fabric, etc. to analyze
where the brand is trailing.

1.5 Scope of the Project

 The study can be used to get a comprehensive view of the range offered by the
competition brands in the men’s category.

 The study can also be used to determine the number of options, which must be offered
by Allen Solly to be at par with the competitors and at which price point.

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  The study aims at highlighting the kind of products that should be offered by Allen Solly
to be at par with its competitors.

Chapter 2: Review of Literature

2.1 Indian Retail Market
2.1.1 T-shirt Market: Material Type (Cotton, Polyester, Lycra, Linen, Rayon and Blends), Type
(Customized and Non-customized) - Growth, Share, Opportunities & Competitive Analysis, 2015
– 2025 Published : Nov 2017 | Report Code: 58780-11-17

The global t-shirt industry has evolved, driving fashion trends in form of plain t-shirts,
personalized t-shirts, graphic t-shirts, vintage t-shirt designs, and long sleeve custom T-shirts.
With leading fashion brands across the globe embracing t-shirt industry, the future outlook
appears positive. The global market for t-shirt is quite an established market and is further
poised to offer strong growth opportunities, evolving beyond its early adopter stage to reach
mass market during the forecast period 2017 - 2025.

The rapid penetration of e-tailing in the fashion space had created a positive impact on the
fashion industry in general. The t-shirt category, especially custom-print and designed, has
exhibited a higher acceptance for e-tailing. The prevailing trend of Friday dressing is another
important trend shaping the market demand. Most of the companies, domestic as well as
multi-national companies (MNCs) allow casual clothing (mostly t-shirts with the company’s
name and logo) as an official dressing on Fridays. This is stimulating demand for casual apparels
especially t-shirts. T-shirts are specifically targeted towards the young population segment. One
of the main reasons behind the popularity among youth is that t-shirts strike chord with the
creativity hidden inside each teenager. Teenagers have the flexibility to choose every element
of their t-shirt including color, design, garment, logo etc., which allows their creativity to take
over as they design a t-shirt matching their personality, style, and attitude. Thus, every savvy
retailer today knows that consumers buy products that are all about their sense of style,
humor, and individuality.

2.1.2 T-Shirts market in India on a High growth trajectory by Amit Gugnani (Senior Vice
President, Fashion) and Kanti Prakash brahma (Principal Consultant, Fashion)

The consumer wardrobe in international as well as in the Indian market is witnessing a constant
shift from formal to casual attire. Consequently, casual wear categories like t-shirts, denims,
casual shirts and trousers are witnessing a comparatively higher growth rate. The Indian
consumer is no longer restricted to same combo of woven shirt and trouser for all occasions.

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Wardrobe of an Indian consumer has evolved with time and now it is a combination of various
different kinds of clothing for different occasions like office, gym, shopping, morning or evening
walk, marriage and social gatherings etc. This trend of occasion specific clothing has also
provided an additional impetus for the growth of the adaptable casual wear categories like t-
shirts. T-shirt market size and growth T-shirt market of India that includes knit shirts, polos, knit
tops etc. is estimated to be `13,830 crore in 2014. This market is expected to grow at an
impressive compound annual growth rate of 13 percent to reach `24,940 crore in 2019. This
market remains dominated by the men’s/boys’ segment that contributes 83 percent to the
total market. However the women’s/girls’ segment is expected to growth faster than the
men’s/boys’ segment owing to increasing acceptance of t-shirts among women and girls

2.1.3 Indian Apparel manufacturing – categories India is yet to develop! Authored By: Amit
Gugnani - Senior Vice President, Fashion (Textile & Apparel)

The otherwise mature apparel industry in India, seems to be struggling to improve the share in
the global apparel trade. The business seems to be losing shine because of lower profitability.
Business growth into more value added segments can make a significant impact on the overall
performance and help in improving the profitability. Out of the top 5 traded categories in the
world, India’s top 5 overlap with only 2 categories: T shirts, singlets and other vests and
Women’s /girls blouses and shirts. Both these categories are base products and extremely price
sensitive. In both the cases of knits and woven’s, India will have to create a niche of its own,
further to the one created on ladies high fashion garments with embroidery and hand work.
These can come by aggressively reworking on the businesses of the past to move ahead with
categories which can yield higher returns.

Fashion Retail Scenario in India: Trends and Market Dynamics, Authored By: Amit Gugnani (Sr.
Vice President, Fashion) Kanti Prakash Brahma (Senior Consultant, Fashion)

The Indian retail market is expected to demonstrate a promising year-on-year growth of 6% to

reach USD 865 billion, by 2023, from the current USD 490 billion. The share of apparel in India’s
retail market is 8%, corresponding to a value of USD 40 billion. In addition to fashion apparel,
the growing demand for fashion accessories makes the Indian fashion market both interesting
and lucrative. The Indian fashion retail market has witnessed several fascinating changes and
challenges in recent years, which are indicators of the country’s evolving fashion retail market.
The challenges associated with these changes need to be addressed in the most efficient and
prudent manner in order to harness the concomitant benefits.

2.2 Introduction to the Brand Allen Solly

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  This premier Indian brand of men's apparel that started in 1989 is owned by
Madura Fashion and Lifestyle, a division of the Aditya Birla Group
 Present in more than 50 countries. Has 5 sub brands, which provides wider reach
into the apparel market.
 Premium fashion available. Work casuals in bold colours, innovative fabrics and
young fits.
 Target customer Profile/lifestyle : People with Medium to high purchasing power
with mid-range incomes.
 Brand expression : Lighten up the workplace

Chapter 3: Methodology
1. Establishing the need of the project
2. Literature Survey
3. Background Study
4. Creating a Project road map for carrying out expected activities.
5. Market analysis :
6. Identifying competition: Formulate a list of top kitted T-shirt players in India.
7. Market Study and research :
8. Data Collection
9. Benchmarking and Competition analysis by the means of store visits.
10. Map competition in terms of product mix, pricing & marketing.
11. Evaluate who customers are and their preference for desired product mix and optimized
price during through questionnaire.
12. Determine what the key success factors are in your industry.
13. Rate each competitor on each of the key success factors.
14. Data Analysis and Inference Drawing
15. SWOT of Knits T-shirt
16. Brains storming ideas for finding out solutions for the weakness and opportunities found
out during analysis.
17. Learning through advanced systems, techniques and innovations in the retail sector
about the advancement of the product (T-shirt) and implementing changes through the
idea to achieve desired goals.
18. Marketing the Product : Formulation of improvement strategy, in terms of marketing,
product innovation, optimum pricing and sustainable endeavours.
19. Final Documentation and Presentation.

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Chapter 4: Competitor analysis
“Competitor analysis in marketing and strategic management is an assessment of the strengths
and weaknesses of current and potential competitors. This analysis provides both an offensive
and defensive strategic context to identify opportunities and threats. Profiling coalesces all of
the relevant sources of competitor analysis into one framework in the support of efficient and
effective strategy formulation, implementation, monitoring and adjustment”

(-Fleisher & Bensoussan, 2003, 2007)

Competitor analysis is an essential component of corporate strategy. It is argued that most

firms do not conduct this type of analysis systematically enough. Instead, many enterprises
operate on what is called “informal impressions, conjectures, and intuition gained through the
tidbits of information about competitors every manager continually receives.” As a result,
traditional environmental scanning places many firms at risk of dangerous competitive blind
spots due to a lack of robust competitor analysis

Key assumptions

The competitive brands have been scrutinized in terms of parameters such as:

 No. Of Options
 Collection Refreshment Strategy in stores
 Min/Max Price Points
 Size Range
 Product Gaps
 In-store display

4.1 The objectives of competitor analysis

The ultimate objective of competitor analysis is to know enough about a competitor to be able
to think like that competitor so the firm's competitive strategy can be formulated to take into
account the competitors' likely actions and responses. From a practical viewpoint, a strategist
needs to be able to live in the competitors’ strategic shoes.

How competitor analysis can help?

 Understanding Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats relative to your

competitors.

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  Understanding the degree of competitive edge.
 Assimilating competitive tactics into our own market or site design.
 Understanding past, future, present strategies of the competition.
 Assessing competitors reaction to our firm strategies such as those based on pricing or
when launching a new product or service.

Ref: “Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance” by Michael E.

Porter, January 2004, Chapter 2 page 25

Why Competitor Analysis is needed?

 Learn and create the insights about existing and future competitors.
 Create a shared understanding of dynamics of the competitive landscape in the
leadership team.
 Create a basis of Strategy Development and decision making.

There are 6 main steps to competitor Analysis:

 Determine the competitive set: Focus on the key competitors and key types of
competitors or what other substitute product or services customers might buy and not
just the close competitors.
 Gather the information: This is the time consuming part of competitor Analysis, it helps
to have a clear view of the questions one need to answer in order to focus the
information-gathering process.
 Analyze the information: Focus the analysis of providing answers to the need to know
questions.
 Make Deductions: There are always information gaps. But with the information you
sometime need to make deductions. One can deduce competitor’s current and future
Strategy.
 The strategist needs to be able to understand the situation as the competitors see it and
to analyze it so as to know what actions the competitors would take to maximize their
outcomes to be able to calculate the actual financial and personal outcomes of the
competitor’s strategic choices. They must be able to:
 Estimate the nature and likely success of the potential strategy changes available to a
competitor;

What should one expect from competitor analysis?

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Underneath all of the complexities and depth of competitor analysis are some simple and basic practical
questions, of which the following are typical:

1. Which competitors does our strategy pit us against?

2. Which competitor is most vulnerable and how should we move on its customers?
3. Is the competitor's announced move just a bluff? What's it gain if we accept it at face value?
4. What kind of aggressive moves will the competitor accept? Which moves has it always
countered?

Competitor analysis has several important roles in strategic planning:

 To help management understand their competitive advantages/disadvantages relative to

competitors
 To generate understanding of competitors’ past, present (and most importantly) future
strategies
 To provide an informed basis to develop strategies to achieve competitive advantage I the
future
 To help forecast the returns that may be made from future investments (e.g. how will
competitors respond to a new product or pricing strategy.

4.2 Identify Competitors

The range of potential and current competitors Of Allen Solly extends beyond direct competitors.
Competitors don’t offer the same or similar products or styles in all cases. Competitors have been
categories into direct and indirect competitors. Every business has both direct and indirect competitors.

A direct competitor is a company that offers the same primary services to the same customer base.

An indirect competitor is a company that offers the same or similar services as part of a wider service
offering or that offers a good or service that can serve as a viable substitute.

Both types of competitors can draw business from a company, and a good business plan should account
for both types of competitors

Identifying competitors for analysis is not quite as obvious as it might seem. Two complementary
approaches are possible.

 The first is demand-side based, comprised of firms satisfying the same set of customer
needs.
 The second approach is supply-side based, identifying firms whose resource base,
technology, operations.

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The competitor’s marketplace strategy defines the way the competitor is currently competing in the
marketplace. It defines the strategic choices the competitor has made about where, how, and why it
seeks to attract, win, and retain customers.

4.3 Analyze competitors’ strategic objectives and thrusts

The analysis of competitor’s objectives is important because it provides insight into whether a
competitor is satisfied with its profit and market position, and thus how likely it is to retain its
present strategy. These will also be crucial in determining a strategic marketing solution to
Allen Solly.

4.4 Analyze competitors’ current and future strategies

Past and present strategies of each major competitor need to be reviewed by companies. Past
strategies provide insight into failures and reveal how organizations engineered changes.
Reviewing competitor strategies will involve the assessment of the competitor’s target market
and differential advantage.

It is also advantageous for Allen Solly to evaluate how successful the competitors have been in
achieving their objectives and carrying out strategies.

 Competitors categorized on basis of similarities and differences in the strategies

pursued, on the basis of points of parity and differentiation.
 Identification of competitors is done on the basis of similar product offering and
similar brand ideology by consulting with the category team as well as design
team of the concerned brands.
 Conceptualization of strategic groups made the process of competitor analysis
more manageable.
 Having more focused and narrow approach would help in strategy
implementation and success.

Table 1 : Identifying How a Competitor Competes

Modes of Possible Sample Indicators

Competition Dimensions
Product Line Breadth of product Product lines and
Width line Items
Features Physical aspects, Shape, style, color,

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 Packaging, Terms Design
and Conditions
Functionality Performance, Consumer
Reliability, Ease of perception,
Use, Shelf Life Damageability
Image and Image of company, Content of
Reputation Image of product, Advertisements,
Reputation for Action and word of
bestvalue customers, Third
party reports
Price Price-performance, Actual price,
Price-value, Channel/customer
discount-price Assessment
Table Source: Liam Fahey, Competitors: Outwitting, Out Manoeuvring, and Out Performing. John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. 1999

Chapter 5: Research Methodology

5.1 Purpose of Research
India being largely diverse and difficult to understand, as well as to cater to market, any new
idea generation needs to analyze and identify its position vis-à-vis other players. The purpose of
this research is extensively understand what Allen Solly has to offer and what are the apparel
retail brands which vie for the same customer segment as Allen Solly.

The conclusion of this research aims to yield the competition the brand is up against in Indian
market and how does it fare in terms of consumer perception, consumer satisfaction, product-
diversity, and product-pricing.

Type of data considered :-

Primary Data –

1. Store Visits, Competition Shop analysis and interaction with store staffs and customer
2. Direct Personal Observation: The information is collected by direct personal interview
from the people who buy T-shirt frequently.
3. Indirect oral Interviews: By reactions of the costumer, this will be collected from past
reports, projections, information of the previous sales reports.
4. Questionnaire.

Secondary Data –

 Company reports and Internet sources, online primary search engines like IR@NIFT

17
  Competitor Mapping
 Comparative analysis of the Stores and online portals.
 Demographic Study

Type of Research

 Quantitative and Qualitative Research

 Empirical/ Observation based Research
 Descriptive and Suggestive Research

5.4 Methods of Collecting Market Information:

Desk Research

 This would be collected through various resources like Journals, Specialized

editions, Electronic information sources e.g. Internet, Newsletters, Reports
published by research agencies.
 Thus the Information obtained through desk research will be verified, defined.

Quantitative studies

The information would be gathered about the product range of the competitors of sportswear.

 Price Range of the Product.

 Location of the Stores.
 Promotion/ Advertising (Participating in various events, Trade Fairs)

Face-to-face interviewing

Face-to-face interviewing is based on personal interviews and questionnaires.

Qualitative Studies

 Conducting a SWOT analysis that can result in recognizing more opportunities and
threats, which can translate into better decisions, thus will be able to identify risks
involved in taking various decisions.
 Data Decoding and data Analysis thereby preparing final report.

5.5 Parameters considered while conducting the Competitor Analysis

No. of Options

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This criterion is very important in analyzing the current plan of the competitors. This helps in designing
the prospected plan for the next season.

Collection Refreshment Strategy

How often collection is refreshed in the store determines how the brand maintains its newness and
freshness in the store.

Max/Min Price points

It is one of the main factors which influence every customers’ purchasing decision for any merchandise

Size Range

Size is again an important factor of a garment. A customer might like a garment a lot but if a proper size
is not available, they will end up buying garments from another brand which offers a wider range of
styles. As the availability of extreme sizes like XS and XXXL is low in most of the brands, the brand which
offers the same gains an advantage of competitors.

Styles

Mapping of colours and designs in ever product category against its respective competitors’ products.

Fabric Composition

The most important element in designing apparel is choosing the perfect fabric. It plays a major role in
defining the quality of garments manufactured.

In store display

The display can play with psychology of customer helping him in either stimulating his purchasing
behavior or it can demotivate him for the same.

Data Analysis Techniques

Graphical and Tabular Representation to be used to show final outcomes in terms of bar graphs
and tables

Descriptive Representation and SWOT Analysis to be used in jotting down all the observations
and recommendations thus formed after the analysis.

Chapter 6: Data Collection and analysis

6.1 Findings

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6.1.1 No. of options

No. of options Polo Neck

No. of options Polo Neck

58
47
31
21
16 14

UCB U.S.P.A Tommy Levi's Zara Allen Solly

Hilfiger

• No. of options offered is almost at par with the competition

• Currently there is no need for increasing/decreasing the overall options

6.1.2 Size

The sample population to be measured such that their correct chest measurements could be
retrieved. After the data is retrieved it can be categorized against the body measurement
options provided by the brands.

Easy Availability of the sizes: Inventory should be stocked in such a way that fast moving sizes should be
more in number as comparative to slow moving sizes.
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Fast Moving Sizes: (Men) : XL & Large (L)

6.1.3 Price

• Price Point of Allen Solly and direct competitors are almost head-on-head except Tommy
Hilfiger. To make comparative pricing more transparent and logical products which are made up
of similar material and finishes are taken up.
• Brand modal price is Rs. 1599.
• At every price points brands have a greater detailing, product USP & washes for consumers to
attract.
• Highest range of price offered by Tommy Hilfiger, Zara and Levi’s.
• Average no. of styles taken as per one store per season holding
• Maximum no. of offerings at 1999 and 2499 to offer more value at lower price points
• Consumer is buying only at value pricing but not disclosing it to be major factor of decision
making
• Do not mind doing away with quality parameters if it is fitting into the budget
• Thus, it caters to all sections of society i.e. Upper Class, Middle Class, and Lower-Middle Class.

Less than 1k 1k-2k 2k-3k More than 3k

1%
1%

31%

67%

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 Tommy Allen
Price UCB USPA Levi's Zara
Hilfiger Solly

No. of
2
799 options

Percentage 11%

No. of
999 options 7 6 4 1 21

Percentage 17% 33% 24% 5% 84%

No. of
1199 options 8 5 9

Percentage 19% 28% 45%

No. of
1299 options 4 4 2

Percentage 22% 24% 8%

No. of
1399 options 8 3 3

Percentage 19% 16% 18%

No. of
1499 options 1

Percentage 6%

No. of
1599 options 10 1

Percentage 24% 5%

No. of
1699 options 2 2

Percentage 12% 8%

1799 No. of
options 2 3

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 Percentage 4% 15%

No. of
1899 options 2

Percentage 10%

No. of
1999 options 2 1 1 1

Percentage 4% 6% 25% 5%

No. of
2099 options 2

Percentage 12%

No. of
2199 options

Percentage

No. of
2299 options

Percentage

No. of
2399 options 2

Percentage 4%

No. of
2499 options 3

Percentage 15%

No. of
2599 options 3

Percentage 7%

No. of
2799
options 1

23
 Percentage 25%

No. of
options 2
2999 Percentage
and
more 50%

Total 42 18 17 4 20 25

Pricing – Option Comparison Polo Neck

Tommy
Price UCB USPA Levi's Zara Allen Solly
Hilfiger

No. of
9 2
1199 options

Percentage 64% 4%

No. of
1299 options

Percentage

No. of
9 10 5 15
1399 options

Percentage 30% 18% 24% 32%

No. of
11 3 10
1499 options

Percentage 19% 14% 21%

No. of
7 2 5
1599 options

Percentage 23% 4% 11%

No. of
1699 4 3 1
options

24
 Percentage 7% 14% 2%

No. of
4 2 1 11
1799 options

Percentage 13% 4% 5% 23%

No. of
9 2 1
1899 options

Percentage 16% 10% 2%

No. of
4 9
1999 options

Percentage 13% 16%

No. of
3 4
2099 options

Percentage 6% 19%

No. of
4 2
2199 options

Percentage 13% 4%

No. of
4 2
2299 options

Percentage 7% 10%

No. of
3
2399 options

Percentage 19%

No. of
4 5
2499 options

Percentage 7% 36%

No. of
2599 2
options

25
 Percentage 7%

No. of
2699 options

Percentage

No. of
2799 options

Percentage

No. of
2899 options

Percentage

No. of
1
2999 options
and
more Percentage 6%

Total 31 58 21 16 14 47

Entry- Exit Prrice Points

Brand Collars Entry Price Exit Price Discount/Offer

Crew Neck 999 2599
UCB
Polo Tshirt 1399 2599
Free shopping
Crew Neck 999 1399 worth 1000 on
U.S.P.A
purchase of
Polo Tshirt 1399 2499 6999
Crew Neck 1999 2999
Tommy Hilfiger
Polo Tshirt 2399 4599
Crew Neck 990 2490
Zara
Polo Tshirt 1190 2490
Crew Neck 799 2099
Levis
Polo Tshirt 1399 2299
Crew Neck 999 1299
Allen Solly
Polo Tshirt 1199 2199

26
Overall Price Range

Sum of Sales qty for SS19

30
Sum of Sales Qty
25

20

15

10

0
109 119 129 139 149 159 169 179 189 199 219 229 269 299
999
9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
Sum of Sales Qty 24 2 15 2 20 15 6 9 2 2 2 1 0 0 0

27
Hit and Miss Analysis

T-SHIRTS: HIT %
100.00%
80.00%
60.00%
40.00%
20.00%
0.00%
AW17 SS18 AW18 SS19
999-1399 1499-1899 1949-2999

6.1.4 Fit

Type of Fits U.S.P.A UCB Levi's Zara Men Tommy Hilfiger Allen Solly
Regular Available Available Available Available Available Available
Slim Available Available Available Available Available Available
Loose Unavailable Available Available Available Available Unavailable
Classic Unavailable Available Unavailable
Boxy Available in Lacoste

Tommy Hilfiger describes the type of fit along with size label
6.1.5 Colour

• Sticks to blue & black: majority of the consumers are confined to blue & black colors ,
after them white and grey is preferred.
• Induce color variety and shades in the store.

6.1.6 Comfort
28
 • Perceived to be synonymous of T-shirts: since it needs to be worn for long durations at a
stretch eg. Driving, riding, partying, and travelling.
• Stretch required for easy movement of arms
• Raglan Sleeves allowing natural range of movement

6.1.7 Brand Visibility

Influenced by friends & colleagues, Instagram, youtube ads & celebrities; which forms the
brand salience and perception

6.1.8 Style

The trends captured : gradient effect , bordered hems and collars, ottoman and popcorn knits,
embroidered and plastisol full front pattern options.

Trims and accessories : Tommy Hilfiger describes the type of fit along with size label

6.1.9 Fabric

• Considered to be finest available on the market and are utilized by specialist brands
such as Sunspel and Uniqlo.
• Other brands look further afield to fabrics like Tencel, which tends to be even cooler
than linen, or viscose (more absorbent)
• It has a reputation for being soft, durable, and absorbent.

6.1.10 Print & surface:

• Bold colour blocking and a geometric influence take priority over print. Branding is the
focus, with unique placements adding newness.
• Full front print being a consumer preference

6.1.11 In- store Display

Grading Based on Observation and interaction with store staff and customers:

Sr. Tools 1 2 3 4 5
No.

1 Racks & Mannequins

2 Attractive colors on wall

29
 3 Striking Fragrance

4 Attractive Lightning

5 Attractive slat wall

6 Changing room

7 Display showcase

8 Garment racks

In store display suggestions

 Planogram should have logical flow to add to the customer’s convenience.

 The merchandise should be stacked low.
 Store should have a more comfortable sitting arrangement for the customers.
 Aisle Space: There should be minimum gap of 6 feets , so as to allow free movement of
customer ,goods in the store.
 Visual Merchandise: The use and manipulation of attractive sales displays and retail
floor plans to engage customers and boost sales activity.
 Signage’s : signage are used in retail store communicating ,branding, merchandising,
promoting specials offers.

6.2 Customer Survey Analysis

6.2.1 Process

30
Brief Overview of the Process

Data Collection through primary survey and secondary survey

Survey forms will be developed to get the opinion of customers about their preference on various
factors such as:

 Price
 Comfort
 Fit
 Fabric
 Eco-friendly Products
 Aesthetic Appeal

Customer preference mapping

The data gathered will be to assign different weightage to different factors for the sake of competitor
mapping.

Competitor Rating

Study will be carried out about the competitor brands of Allen Solly vis-à-vis the pre-defined
parameters.

Competitor array will be used to find out the most influential and biggest source of competition, on the
basis of already developed parameters.

Competitor Profile Matrix

Competitor Profile Matrix will help to find out which price range provided by what brand is most
desired.

6.2.2 Primary data

Consumer Survey about their behavior and their perceived competitor;

Survey was conducted at 5 different stores in Bangalore of 100 respondents.

Visiting stores and understanding the product range offered;

Locations:

1. Phoenix Market City

2. Forum
3. Orion Mall
4. Indiranagar Stand-alone stores
31
 5. Mantri Mall

6.2.3 Demographic analysis

Profession • Professionals

Age • 25- 34 yrs

Household Income • 50 to 1,00,000

Colour • Black, blue, red and white

Mode of shopping • Online market

Characteristics • Comfort and easy to handle

Preferred Price • Less than 1k

Common Sizes • M,L,XL

Type of collars • Crew and polo equal ratio

Pattern Type • Solid and full front print

Mode of advertising brand • In store shopping experience

6.3 SWOT analysis

SWOT analysis (alternatively SWOT matrix) is an acronym for strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats—and is a structured planning method that evaluates those four
elements of a project or business venture.

A SWOT analysis can be carried out for a company, product, place, industry, or person. It
involves specifying the objective of the business venture or project and identifying the internal
and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieve that objective.

Some authors credit SWOT to Albert Humphrey, who led a convention at the Stanford Research
Institute (now SRI International) in the 1960s and 1970s using data from Fortune 500
companies. However, Humphrey himself does not claim the creation of SWOT, and the origins
remain obscure. The degree to which the internal environment of the firm matches with the
external environment is expressed by the concept of strategic fit.

• Strengths: characteristics of the business or project that give it an advantage over others

• Weaknesses: characteristics that place the business or project at a disadvantage relative to

others

32
• Opportunities: elements that the business or project could exploit to its advantage

• Threats: elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business or project

Identification of SWOTs is important because they can inform later steps in planning to achieve
the objective. First, decision makers should consider whether the objective is attainable, given
the SWOTs. If the objective is not attainable, they must select a different objective and repeat
the process.

Users of SWOT analysis must ask and answer questions that generate meaningful information
for each category (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) to make the analysis
useful and find their competitive advantage.

Strength :

 Although Indian brand, gives an international feel because of excellent physical

evidence in showrooms as well as quality of clothing and advertising. This International
feel therefore raises the expectation and satisfaction from the brand.
 Price Point of Allen Solly is comparatively very low and economical. Thus, caters to all
sections of society i.e. Upper Class, Middle Class, and Lower-Middle Class.
 Maximum options were present in the price-point Rs. 1599 and Rs.1799 for both
[Link]. and UCB in basic T-shirts while in AS it was in price point of Rs. 1399.
 Range captures international designs and trends.
 Priced 30% lower than competition brands.
 Offering huge variety in terms of work casuals of prints in bold bright colors .
 Good balance of cotton, polyster and elastane fabrics in the range as compared to
competitors.
 Open to experimentation & innovation
 Strong brand image
 Price - Price is one its eye-catching points because it ensures greater footfall in the
stores

Weakness:

 Global penetration is limited as compared to a few other international brands and

should work towards increasing Global presence
 Lacks variety in terms of Fits
 Athleisure based brands like Adidas, Puma along with other brands like American Eagle
Provide XXS sizing options.

33
  Perceived as a Formal wear brand due to mother brand’s imagery
 Low investment on promotion and advertising: leading to lower discoverability amongst
competitor brands
 Stiff competition means market share growth is limited

Opportunities

 Product expansion in areas like more concentration in sportswear, solids etc. which
gives high profit.
 Merchandise should cover wide range in terms of price point so that it caters to
different customer segment.
 Opportunity to provide more options in prices up to Rs.1999.
 The brand can diversify into emerging markets and also consider of expanding into other
countries or sectors.
 After comparison of market study and survey analysis colour palette could be
revised/new shades could be introduced as per customer demand
 Target the millennial: Can aggressively market in colleges and youth events
 Casualization trend: Increases prospects of growth manifold

Threats

 Variation in Fits across brands

 Variety in imported novelty fabrics offered by competition
 At 1499 U.S .Polo offers value additions like greater GSM in fabric making quality of
T-shirt more appreciated by the customers.
 Levis is offering crew necks at 799 which no other brand provides.
 Adaption of new techniques and innovation by other brands
 Stiff competition and similar big brands means customers have high brand switching.
 Local market offers similar patterns at a lesser price although discounting on the
quality.
 Local markets: Loyalty of consumers in Tier 3 & Tier 4 cities towards the local
retailers
 Highly fragmented fashion industry due to low customer loyalty
 Consumer switching is high
 There are a huge amount of high end fashion stores which are their competitors
 Price wars with other brands in similar segments

Chapter 7: Result and Recommendations

34
7.1 Scope of Improvement

 No. of options: No. of options offered is at par with the competition.

 Henley collar and mandarin collar can be a strong introduction.
 Athleisure can be a stronger product category.

Price points:

84% of the options in crew neck are at price point of 999. More options of crew neck can be
included in the lower price range.

Size Range :

Extreme Sizes like XXL can be brought in the size range

Styles:

Use of textured knit fabrics like ottoman knits, popcorn knits category can be explored

Colour :

Black, white, navy blue and grey colours can be injected more.

Fabric composition:

Pima, Supima and Tencel can be utilized to better the quality of the product.

Brand Visibility:

New Menswear T-shirt Collection can be projected strongly on a wall.

Focus on functionality and new features

Hang Tag featuring products story can be added along with Wimbledon Tag and price tag

7.2 Volume Drivers

“As retailers respond to increased competition, over saturated markets, and shoppers who

want more of everything for less, it is becoming increasingly important for retailers to

become more efficient and quickly tailor merchandise offerings to meet the needs and

desires of smaller and smaller market segments.”

35
Clare Rayner, Rtail Acumen Analysts.

7.2.1 Penetration pricing

“A marketing strategy used by firms to attract customers to a new product or service.

Penetration pricing is the practice of offering a low price for a new product or service during

its initial offering in order to attract customers away from competitors. The reasoning behind

this marketing strategy is that customers will buy and become aware of the new product due

to its lower price in the marketplace relative to rivals” ( Source : Investopedia)

It can result in fast diffusion and adoption. This can achieve high market penetration rates
quickly. This can take the competitors by surprise, not giving them time to react.

It can create goodwill among the early adopters segment. This can create more trade through
word of mouth.

It creates cost control and cost reduction pressures from the start, leading to greater efficiency.

It discourages the entry of competitors. Low prices act as a barrier to entry.

It can create high stock turnover throughout the distribution channel. This can create

Critically important enthusiasm and support in the channel.

It can be based on marginal cost pricing, which is economically efficient.

Disadvantage:

 The main disadvantage with penetration pricing is that it establishes long term price
expectations for the product, and image preconceptions for the brand and company.
This makes it difficult to eventually raise prices.
 Some commentators claim that penetration pricing attracts only the switchers (bargain
hunters), and that they will switch away as soon as the price rises. There is much
controversy over whether it is better to raise prices gradually over a period of years (so
that consumers don’t notice), or employ a single large price increase.
 A common solution to this problem is to set the initial price at the long term market
price, but include an initial discount coupon. In this way, the perceived price points
remain high even though the actual selling price is low.
36
  Volume driver T-Shirts intended to propel sales further
 Value-for-money products at extremely sharp price points
 Both palettes consist of rich solids in premium fabrics in 2 staple silhouettes- highly
differentiated from the existing core and fresh bright solids of SS19 fashion line.
 Meeting the demand for basic solid crews- which is currently missing from the entire
range of the brand.
 Highly differentiated from the mélange crew-neck core of Allen Sollly Jeans which is
styled to be casual
 Smart clean polos in rich hues with contrast placket detailing- elevated from the solid
core polos

Product Specification:

30s single mercerized Crew Neck

 6 colours
 Mercerised single jersey- lends a subtle sheen and great handfeel
 Lightweight- suitable for layering and also on its own- elevated basics
 Prominent brand carrier by means of contrast chest print

37
2/40s Giza Pique Polo

 4 colours
 Premium blend with Giza cotton used
 Clean solids with contrast chambray placket and moon patch detailing
 Moss structure collar detail

[Link]
Product MRP
Options

2/40s Giza Pique Polo 1499 4

30s Single Mercerised Crew Neck T-

799 6
shirt- Solid

30s Single Mercerised Crew Neck T-

799 6
shirt- Printed

Total 16

Line MRP TRADE OPT EBO OPT TRADE BUY EBO BUY DS BUY

2/40s Giza Pique 1499 4 4 1200 5868 2000

38
Polo

30s single
mercerised crew 799 0 6 0 6221 0
tshirt- Solid

30s single
mercerised crew 799 6 6 4800 3350 3600
tshirt- Printed

Grand Total 10 16 6000 15439 5600

CHANNELS TRADE DS EBO E Com Total

%
18% 17% 47% 5% 100 %
Contribution

BUY 6000 5600 15439 1500 32967

Way Forward

 Launch month plan is June with all products on shelf.

 Identification of Right gold seal, Trims, Packaging for each palette.
 Front end display planning for Retail, DS, Trade, E-com to be done.
 Briefing to marketing to create the Right product communication tag,
 Fabric order buffering to ensure all time availability.

The Final step was to project an option plan based on the benchmarked product mix as per each
and every factor. The suggested option plan for SS’19 would be adopted as a standard for the
next season to come and would aid in the creation of the correct merchandise grid to target the
customers at the best product mix as per the market

Chapter 8 : Limitations of project

This study has attempted to divulge into some of the important issues. However it is admitted
that there are some limitations in the conduct of this study which are as follows:

39
This project was only carried most of their out in Bangalore and did not include Tier-2 cities,
from where they get most of their business from.

There was no Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) which could have assisted in carrying out
the project more efficiently.

A more accurate data of competitors can be collected by carrying out the similar study
simultaneously at different zones every season and accumulating at the category level.

This will help in mapping the competitor movement and developing a competitive intelligence.

More in-depth study can be done by increasing areas covered in the survey so as to make the
results even more precise.

More no. of people should be involved in this project so as to make data collection and analysis
easy and fast.

Recommendations should be implemented and then trial should be conducted to get insight on
changed customers’ feedback and improved sales data.

Study can be directed at the identification of Unique Selling Points of Allen Solly. This type of
project should be done at least once in every season so as to see the market trends as well as
know the competitors’ strategies and preferences.

The project has been carried in 14weeks time. Thus, with time as a major constraint hustling up
of actions in data collection and range selection could have happened.

Consumer survey is conducted in top performing stores of the brand s of Bangalore, thus,
results generalization should be avoided.

The further study can be conducted on market penetration strategy

The actual results of the range could not happen, as the launch will be in June’19 and the sales
data will be available after that to see the success ratio of the range

The trends and characters exhibited by the research may not represent the general trend. The
possibility of errors being introduced into the data by ignorance or selective perception calls for
cautious interpretations.

Most of the data represented in the study was collected manually and thus is subjected to
errors.

Chapter 9 : Conclusion
40
 • The competition mapping project helped in identifying the product gaps and thereby
build scope for improving the brand image.
• It also aimed in estimating the nature and likely success of the potential strategy
changes.
• The project also helped in predicting each brand’s probable responses to important
strategic moves on the part of its competitors.
• This provided with the means required to minimize the direct competition in the market
and strengthening the brand positioning.
• Through this project competitors’ reactions to changes in key industry and
environmental parameters were understood. The gap analysis was essential for
development of the new product line. The gap analysis helped in figuring out the key
preferences of customers while buying.

Chapter 10 : References & Bibliography

 2.1.1 T-shirt Market: Material Type (Cotton, Polyester, Lycra, Linen, Rayon and Blends),
Type (Customized and Non-customized) - Growth, Share, Opportunities & Competitive
Analysis, 2015 – 2025 Published : Nov 2017 | Report Code: 58780-11-17
 2.1.2 T-Shirts market in India on a High growth trajectory by Amit Gugnani (Senior Vice
President, Fashion) and Kanti Prakash brahma (Principal Consultant, Fashion)
 2.1.3 Indian Apparel manufacturing – categories India is yet to develop! Authored By:
Amit Gugnani - Senior Vice President, Fashion (Textile & Apparel)
 2.1.4 Fashion Retail Scenario in India: Trends and Market Dynamics, Authored By: Amit
Gugnani (Sr. Vice President, Fashion) Kanti Prakash Brahma (Senior Consultant, Fashion)
 (-Fleisher & Bensoussan, 2003, 2007)

Chapter 11 : Appendix & Annexures

Sampling techniques

The sampling technique used was non – probabilistic convenient sampling. The sample size was
200 people from all demographics of India..

The survey was conducted in three zones where the customer base can be found, and it has
been taken care that the results can be justified with maximum coverage.

Offline Survey Time Frame : 24th March 2019 - 9th April,2019

41
Offline survey sample population : 100

Online Survey sample population : 100

Sample Design

It is rare that in marketing research the whole population is analyzed. Sample is mainly a small
representative group of people that reflects all potential consumers. Sample selection is
derived from consideration of the relevant systematic and variable errors that might occur
during the research process. (Smith, Albaum, 2005)

There are several compelling reasons for sampling, including:

(1) lower cost,

(2) greater accuracy of results,

(3) greater speed of data collection, and

(4) availability of population elements.

There are two types of sampling to choose: nonprobability and probability sampling. Probability
sampling is based on the concept of random selection – a controlled procedure that assures
that each population element is given a known nonzero chance of selection. In contrast,
nonprobability sampling is arbitrary and subjective. Each member does not have a known
nonzero chance of being included. (Cooper, Schindler, 2003)

Analysis and Interpretation of Data Collected

The first step in processing of data is editing of complete schedules/questionnaires. Editing is a

process of checking to detect and or correct errors and omissions. Editing is done at two stages:
first at the fieldwork stage and second at office.

42
 Preferred characteristic of T-shirts
80 73.5
70
60
50
40
% of Customers
30
20 13.5
8
10 2.5 2.5
0
Affordable Comfortable Easy to handle Trendy Other Reason

T-shirt wearing Frequency

60
48.5
50 43.5
40

30
% of Customers
20

10 4 4
0
Daily Frequently Less Occasionally
Frequently

43
 Spent on a T-shirt
80
70 67

60
50
40
31.5 % of Customers
30
20
10
0.5 1
0
Less than 1k 1k-2k 2k-3k More than 3k

Size
35
30.5
30

25 23.5
21.5
20
15
15 % of Customers

10
4.5 4.5
5
0.5
0
XS S M L XL XXL XXXL

44
 Age
0.5

14
Under 18 yrs
39 18 yrs- 24 yrs
18.5
25 yrs- 34 yrs
35 yrs- 44 yrs
45 yrs- 54 yrs

28

Profession

16

36 Entrepreneur
7.5
Gov. Service
Professional
Student

40.5

45
 T-shirt Shopping frequency
70 63
60

50

40

30 % of Customers
20 15
10.5
10 5.5 5.5
0.5
0
>/= thrice in 6 >/= thrice in 6 >/= thrice in a Once in a once/twice in once/twice in
months months year month 6 months a year

Colours
70 65 65.5

60

50 45
39
40 36.5

30 % of Consumers
18 20
20 16.5
9
10
2
0
Blue Black Red Yellow Grey White Orange Brown Green Purple

46
 Age Brand
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Allen Solly United Colors of U.S.P.A Levi's Zara Tommy Hilfiger
benetton

Under 18 yrs 18 yrs- 24 yrs 25 yrs- 34 yrs 35 yrs- 44 yrs 45 yrs- 54 yrs

Income Brand
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Allen Solly United Colors of U.S.P.A Levi's Zara Tommy Hilfiger
benetton

Below 20,000 Rs. 20,000-50,000 <Rs. 50,000-1,00,000 <Rs. 1,00,000 or more

Age Size
20

15 Under 18 yrs
18 yrs- 24 yrs
10
25 yrs- 34 yrs

5 35 yrs- 44 yrs
45 yrs- 54 yrs
0
XS S M L XL XXL XXXL

47