Fashion forerunner

Kapsons Group initiated a venture in 1989 in Chandigarh to bring the national and international brands under one roof for the fashion conscious. Twenty years later, it has established itself in all the leading states of North India. Vipin Kapoor, Managing Director, Kapsons Group shares the success story and their future plans.

Abha Garyali (AG): Share with us the origin, growth and success of Kapsons. When, where and how did it originate?

Vipin Kapoor (VK): Kapsons is a brainchild of me and my brother, Darpan Kapoor, which was started in 1989 at Chandigarh with an idea of retailing readymade garments. It deals with the retailing and distribution of readymade garments, specifically marketing the leading national and international brands in upper northern region of the country. In the 20th year of establishment, it holds the pride of being awarded the Best Distributor of the Year consecutively for the last four years by Clothing Manufacturers Association of India and the Most Admired Retailer of the year by Lycra Images Fashion Award. It has set a milestone as one of the biggest distributors of Northern India.

AG: How many store formats does Kapsons have? What is the franchising policy that you have adopted?

VK: Kapsons operates under 2 formats:-

Kapsons large format stores and exclusive brand outlets.

As a policy, Kapsons does not give franchise for its own multi-branded store. We have master franchisee rights to give to the franchisee for exclusive brand outlets (ebo) for Pepe Jeans London, Puma, Wrangler, Indian Terrain and Arrow.

AG: What is the eligibility criteria for taking the franchise of your company?

VK: The eligibility criteria for taking the franchise  is :

a) Area of the outlet: around 1000 sq.ft
b) Investment of  about Rs 40 lakh for stocks and fixtures.
c) Passion for retail.

AG: How many franchisees do you have and in which all cities?

VK: Kapsons has 40 franchised outlets which are spread across Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

AG: What all training and support do you provide to the franchisees?

VK: We provide staff training, software training, periodic visual merchandising and marketing support.

AG: What are the company’s future plans for  expansion through franchising?

VK: Kapsons future plan is to bring the leading national and international brands under one roof for the fashion conscious people by extending its wings not only in Northern India but also in other parts of the country. It is the only group that promises fashion, quality and the finest services for every generation.

AG: What challenges are faced by a franchisee in this business?

VK: There are no challenges in our franchise business; all that is required is passion, commitment, sincerity and dedication towards the business.

AG: Share with us any new venture that your company has entered into?

VK: Our new ventures are ties up with international brands, viz Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, FCUK, US Polo and United Colors of Benetton, to open and operate their stores.