Rent clothes from Big Bazaar.. Will it Fly?
Even though consumer spending is heading south, aspirations are not!
Big Bazaar, in an attempt to redefine experience (and consumption) is mulling over an idea of renting clothes for occasion wear and sell second-hand clothes.
The initiative (details not yet out) will allow customers to hire high-end clothes, bags, jewellery and other accessories for a fraction of a price.
This is nothing new – there are quite a few services (mainly managed by local vendors); and Future group, if at all, they enter this space will be the first organized player to get into this space.
Target segment? Well, right from student crowd to middle class segment..to pretty much all kinds of segment that is into festival celebrations.
What do you think of this initiative? Will it fly in India?
Image by seaview99 via Flickr
nice post
This seems like a big bold move… Whatever happens out of it, it’ll surely create a rumble if Big Bazaar pushes this initiative in a big way.
I don’t think this will work out, since there is Indian sentiment against wearing of Old/Used Clothes. Do you remember that mountains of used clothes were lying on the road side after 2004 Tsunami reliefs ?. Only the TV serial / film / drama producers will find this attempt as helpful. Ordinary people will reject this offer
As far as we know, its not Big Bazaar that is going to offer clothes on rent, but it will be one of Future Group’s entity, most likely Pantaloon Fashions or …
Big Bazaar is a Hypermarket focused on Value Buyer and not Lifestyle. Biyani is planning to hit at Lifestyle market. It is the same model one of the UK based companies started offer in in Q4 2008, I forget the name. They were targeting the Luxury segment.
[...] trend though it is resorting to new ways to boost sales. It is trying to rent expensive clothes for special occasions. It is also in talks with CarreFour for a cash-and-carry [...]
I agree with santhanam. To me also, it wont work in the long run.
It will definitely work for film/theater industry – which I believe is already established. Not sure whats the business proposition that future group saw in this idea. May be they are hoping that people will “try” clothes first and then buy them. Or may be they should target only Page-3 crowd.