Graduation Research Project

E-tailing of Lingerie: Market Analysis and Business

Construct

Submitted
by

Aanshik Seth
MFM/14/15

Under the Supervision of

Ms. Lipi Choudhary
CC-FMS

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE POST GRADUATE DEGREE "MASTER

OF FASHION MANAGEMENT (MFM)"

Submitted
to

Department of Fashion Management Studies (FMS)

National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)
Plot no 15, Sector 4, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai – 410210.
Maharashtra - India
Ph. 022 27745549, Fax: 022 27745386
Web: www.nift.ac.in
May, 2016

1
 DECLARATION

I, Mr. Aanshik Seth, hereby declare that the Graduation Research Project (GRP) which
is entitled ‘E-tailing of Lingerie: Market Analysis and Business Construct’ is the
result of my own research work carried out by me during the period from January 2016
to May 2016 except as cited in the references. This report has not been submitted to any
other University or Institution for award of any degree/diploma etc.

Aanshik Seth
MFM/14/15
19th May, 2016

2
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Mr. Aanshik Seth of National Institute of Fashion Technology

(NIFT), Mumbai has successfully completed his GRP work which is titled ‘E-tailing of

Lingerie: Market Analysis and Business Construct’ in partial fulfillment of

requirement for the completion of 2 Years Post Graduate Programme "Master of

Fashion Management (MFM)" as prescribed by the Department of Fashion

Management Studies (FMS), National Institute of Fashion Technology.

This 'Graduation Research Project' report is the record of authentic work carried out by

him during the period from January 2016 to April 2016 under my mentorship.

Ms. Lipi Choudhary

FACULTY MENTOR

CC-FMS,

NIFT, Mumbai.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I owe my sincere thanks to the people who have helped and supported me to
successfully complete my internship and make this report on it. I would like to thank
NIFT and its faculty members without whom the project would have not been possible.
I would like to thank Tata Unistore for giving me an opportunity to be associated with
them and providing me with this learning opportunity by the way of this internship.
I would like to sincerely thank Mrs.Jolyn Menezes, Senior Buyer, Tata Unistore, for
giving me an opportunity to work under her and for guiding me through the duration of
the internship and sharing her knowledge with me. My sincere thanks to the entire
Lifestyle team of Tata Unistore for helping me at every stage of my work.
My special thanks to Ms. Lipi Choudhary for guiding me through every stage of the
report and for sharing her valuable feedback and helping me expand on my ideas and do
justice to this report.
I would also like to show my appreciation to my family and friends for the
encouragement and warm support during my internship duration.

Aanshik Seth
MFM/14/15

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 ANNEXURE - VI

NIFT: MUMBAI

Proceedings of the MFM GRP External Jury Examination of Mr. Aanshik Seth held at
am/pm on in NIFT, Mumbai.

The GRP Internal Jury Examination of Mr. Aanshik Seth on his / her MFM GRP report
entitled “E-tailing of Lingerie: Market Analysis and Business Construct” was conducted
in the at am/pm on .
The following members of the External Jury were present:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5
 RECOMMENDATION
The Research scholar Mr. Aanshik Seth presented the salient features of his/her GRP
work. This was followed by questions from the External Jury members. The questions
raised by the Jury Examiners were also put to the scholar. The scholar answered the
questions to the full satisfaction of the jury members.
Based on the scholar‟s research work, his/her presentation and also the clarifications
and answers by the scholar to the questions, the board recommends that
Mr.___________________________, be awarded the Master Degree in "Master of
Fashion Management (MFM)"

1.

2.

3.

4.

6
Chapter 1: Introduction

1. Company Profile

Tata Group
Founded by Jamsetji Tata in 1868, the Tata group is a global
enterprise, headquartered in India, comprising over 100
independent operating companies. The group operates in
more than 100 countries across six continents, with a mission
'To improve the quality of life of the communities we serve
globally, through long-term stakeholder value creation based
on Leadership with Trust'.
Tata Sons is the principal investment holding company and promoter of Tata
companies. In 2014-15, the revenue of Tata companies, taken together, was $108.78
billion. These companies collectively employ over 600,000 people.
Each Tata company or enterprise operates independently under the guidance and
supervision of its own board of directors and shareholders.
Tata companies with significant scale include Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata
Consultancy Services, Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, Tata Global Beverages, Tata
Teleservices, Titan, Tata Communications and Indian Hotels.
Going forward, Tata companies are building multinational businesses that seek to
differentiate themselves through customer-centricity, innovation, entrepreneurship,
trustworthiness and values-driven business operations, while balancing the interests of
diverse stakeholders including shareholders, employees and civil society.
(Source: Tata, 2016)

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1.1 Tata Unistore
Tata Unistore is the newest company of the Tata group tree and is an e-commerce
website offering a host of national as well as international brands. The company is
called Tata Unistore and the website that will be launched by the company will be Tata
CliQ. The brand believes that although the online shopping scene in India is nice, it can
be made better. More fun. More dependable.

Tata Unistore is pioneering the concept of Omni channel retail in India and that requires
the seamless integration of online as well as offline retail. This company that was
started with the aim to create long term value through partnering with international
brands in India as also investing in home grown Indian brands and also placing their
own brands online (eg- Westside)

The brand aims to be for everyone who shares the love of surfing and browsing and
shopping.
Offering 100% authentic brands brought to the customer straight from the source, in a
range that is expansive and diverse. Once ordered, the brand‟s omni-channel presence
means that through their CliQ and Collect service, customers can pick up their delivery
from wherever it's convenient.
With emphasis on providing customer service that is second to none, the brand offers
returns, exchanges and alterations; the brand is putting the customer at the center of the
entire retail experience and providing them with the best choices for the best prices.

Tata Unistore is a 100% subsidiary of Tata Industries with Tata Sons being the parent
company. The website, Tata CliQ will be a curated marketplace which would list sellers
in a tightly controlled business model The brand will concentrate on ‘Selling a story
instead of a product’ and will include curated articles that augment that product thus
better engaging with the customers.

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1.2 Tata Unistore: Omni Channel Retailing
The Omni Channel model of the company contains the following components:

Click & Collect

Omni Channel Retail

Buy & Return

Ship from Anywhere

Order from Store

1.3 Tata Unistore: Departments

The Departments in Tata Unistore are divided into two types

The first are the Departments in Tata Unistore that are formulated considering the day
to day functioning of the organization and these departments carry out the non product
work. These departments are formulated to make sure the organization functions
smoothly the functioning of the organization is governed largely by these departments.
E.g.: The Marketing department, The Human Resources Department, The Seller
Onboarding Department.
The second are the core product departments. The two core product categories of Tata
Unistore currently are:
• Lifestyle
• Electronics
These core product departments enjoy considerable autonomy & these departments take
care of the business of individual brands

9
1.3.1 The main departments in Tata Unistore consisted of the following –

Human Resources
Warehousing Seller Onboarding
and Administration

Information Marketing and

Finance
Technology Content Creation

Lifestyle Electronics

I worked in the Lifestyle department of Tata CliQ and the work that I did was mostly
related to women‟s apparel particularly lingerie.

Lifestyle Department: The Lifestyle department further has subsets that divide the
department into three main product categories. These are:
• Men‟s Wear
• Women‟s Wear
• Accessories
I was placed in the Women‟s wear department of the organization with the core product
group of focus being lingerie.

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 1.4 Organization Structure of Tata CliQ

Mr. Ashutosh Pandey

(CEO)

Lifestyle Electronics Warehousing Seller On Boarding

Mr. Sarvesh Dwivedi Mr. Nimish

Mr. Kashyap Mehta Mr. Ajay Gupta
Mahonana
(Division Head) (Division Head) (Division Head)
(Management)

Ms Fagun Mendes
(Senior Buyer)

Ms. Jolyn Menezes

(Senior Buyer)

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1.5 SWOT Analysis of Tata Unistore

Strengths Weakness

The brand knows the Indian market very Late entrance into the e-commerce market
well since it has had experience doing in India which has already seen the market
business in the country since the year 1868 being captured by few early movers.

The Tata brand has heritage and is one of

the biggest and most respected
conglomerates in India.

The omni-channel approach is unique in

the Indian market.

Opportunities Threats

Tremendous scope of expansion of There is stiff competition in the market

business online by tapping into the from established players like Amazon and
booming E-commerce market. Flipkart. Difficult to penetrate this market
and capture customers.
The brand can integrate the Tata
infrastructure and brands into the Omni
channel vision.

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Chapter 2: Literature Overview:

2.1 Indian Apparel Market: Overview

The domestic textile and apparel industry in India stands at US$ 67 billion in 2014 and
is estimated to reach US$ 141 billion by 2021 and the domestic apparel market is
expected to grow at a CAGR of 9% over the next decade. The share of organized
apparel retail is set to increase from 14% in 2008, to 19% in 2023. Out of all the sub
markets in the apparel sector, the womenswear market in India is relatively less
organised and has lower brand penetration (as compared to menswear market). Even
after these potential drawbacks, this market is expected to grow, at a CAGR of 10%
over the next decade to reach US$ 38.9 billion in 2023.
(Source: IBEF, 2016)

2.2 Growth of Women’s Apparel Market in India

Picture 2.1. Growth sectors for women‟s apparel

Source: Quartz India

Women‟s apparel market in India is comparatively less mature than Menswear in India
but this is seeing a shift and there are changing growth patterns.

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Within the women‟s apparel market in India, there are some categories that are seeing
exponential growth rate and are the key drivers of growth for the entire segment.
Based on an India Brand Equity Foundation report, the lingerie retail market is one of
the key growth leaders of the women‟s apparel market. It is considered to be one of the
fastest growing industry and expected to be worth Rs.30,000 crore by 2018.
A study by Technopak Advisors shows that market for lingerie, denim and t-shirts will
grow the fastest among women‟s apparel in the next decade in India with the lingerie
retail market growing at 15% year on year.

2.2.1 Women’s Lingerie Market: Overview

The Indian Innerwear market was worth Rs 19,950 crore as of 2014 and according to
Intimate Apparel Association of India (IAAI), men‟s and women‟s innerwear market in
India is growing at a rate of 13% per annum (As of 2015).This market will reach Rs.
59,540 crore by 2023. and Rs. 68,270 crore by 2024, according to retail consultant
Technopak
According to a research report by CARE, in volume terms, the women‟s lingerie
segment holds a 52 per cent share of the total innerwear market in India and in value
terms, the women‟s lingerie segment holds a 66 per cent share of the total innerwear
market.
This segment enjoys a higher Average Selling Price (ASP) as compared to the men‟s
innerwear market and the growth of women‟s lingerie category is primarily centered in
urban India with 38 percent of the market spread across the top cities comprising
metros, mini metros, tier -I and -II cities. The market is further growing at a promising
CAGR of 15%.

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2.2.2 Women’s Lingerie Market: Growth
India is currently one of the most attractive retail targets globally and represents a huge
untapped market for lingerie with there being major factors that are contributing to
making India one of the fastest growing lingerie markets in the world. These major
factors for increased demand are:
• Evolving fashion industry
• Increasing per capita disposable income.
Some of the other factors are that there‟s a growing number of working women,
changing fashion trends, increased awareness about better fits, quality, brands, colours
and styling and the growing need for comfort among women shopping for innerwear
and apparel. There is also a rising level of information and media exposure and entry of
a large number of foreign brands that are acting as the catalyst to this exponential
growth. (Source: Retail India Franchisee, 2016)

2.2.3 Women’s Lingerie Market: Segments

The Indian lingerie market is broadly divided into 4 segments based on the price of the
products and every segment has a different percentage of contribution in the overall
lingerie market. These segments are: Luxury, Premium, Mass and Economy.
According to the Intimate Apparel Association of India (IAAI), the luxury lingerie
segment in India, as of 2015, will include products that are priced at INR 3500 and
above, the Premium segment includes products priced in the range of INR 2500 to
3499, the Mass segment includes products priced between INR 1500 to 2499 and the
Economy segment includes all products priced below INR 1500.
*(USD rate to INR taken at Rs. 65 as of May, 2016)

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The contribution of the segments to overall lingerie market is given in the table below:

Segment Contribution to overall lingerie market

Luxury 1%

Premium 5%

Mass 39%

Economy 55%

The lingerie brands corresponding to their respective segments in India are:

Segment Brand

Luxury Wacoal

Premium Calvin Klein

Mass Triumph

Economy Jockey

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2.3 Growth of E-Commerce in India:

Picture 2.1. Projected Indian E-commerce Growth

Source: Quartz India

Digital media has impacted the way business happens all around the globe and India is
one of the countries that is seeing the fastest growth in online shopping.
E-commerce is now becoming an integral part of any country‟s retail pie and is
increasingly contributing to a bigger share of the retail pie of many countries including
that of India.
According to a new study released by PwC, online shopping will see exponential
growth in the 5 year span of 2015 – 2020 in India with a major chunk of the Indian
population coming online in this 5 year span.
The online customer base for e-commerce in India could reach 300 million shoppers by
2025 according to a report by Matrix India. Driving this growth would be the number of
Smartphone users in India with the number of Indian consumers with a Smartphone
connected to the mobile Internet approaching 220 million by 2025.
India‟s emerging base of online shoppers will be consumers age 25 and under with web-
enabled smart phones who are active users of social media. The average consumer in
India who shops online currently does two or three transactions per month but by the

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end of 2016, as the market grows and matures, the average online shopper could be
doing about four to five transactions per month.
India‟s e-commerce market is worth $23B (INR 1,50,000 crores) by the end of this
fiscal year (2015) according to Goldman Sachs and this will grow to $55B (INR
3,60,000 crores) in 2018 and to $80B by 2021 says a report by marketing research firm
eMarketer.
India‟s Online retail now accounts for 1.2% of all retail sales in India, compared with a
global average of 6.3% and this would grow to 4.8% by 2019, when it is projected to be
12.8% globally.
There are various factors that have contributed to this exponential growth of online
retail in India. Some of the things/phenomena that have played a major role in
spreading online shopping within the country are:

2.4 Brand Conscious Customers:

An improving economy and the rapid opening-up of the Indian market has given rise to
a group of affluent consumers who are more than eager to buy the latest products of the
various international brands available in the country.
People are travelling overseas more frequently now and their interactions with foreign
brands have increased considerably. Mass westernization, media influence, peaking
interests in brands have contributed to increasing the brand consciousness of the Indian
customers.

Growing of the Indian Middle Class:

The rapid expansion of the Indian middle
class offers great opportunities for
businesses particularly those operating in
the retail sector. In the last few years, the
middle class has become more tech savvy,
educated and they are extending the use of
internet and mobile phones to e-tailing.

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India‟s middle class, at around 50 million people, or 5% of the population in 2014, is
expected to grow steadily over the next decade, reaching 200 million by 2020. The
growing middle class is also contributing to the growth in the e-commerce market of
India
Growing number of Smartphone users in India:
India is the second largest market for smartphones in the world with more than 875
million subscribers.
A study by CyberMedia Research, a Delhi-based research and consulting firm, finds
that more than 183 million mobile phones were sold in India in 2014 and India is one of
the fastest growing markets for smart phones in the world.

2.5 Indian Ecommerce: Sustainability

While the Indian E-Commerce sector is booming and it has given rise to companies like
Flipkart and Snapdeal, the sustainability of the companies is increasingly coming into
question as the e-commerce giants of India are increasingly suffering losses in order to
garner market share from each other.
Amazon expects India to overtake Japan, Germany and the UK to become its largest
overseas market, besides becoming the quickest to reach $10 billion in gross
merchandise value.
While the market opportunity is sizeable, most ecommerce segments have severe
competitive dynamics and the current strategy seems to be of scaling up and outsizing
their competitors and in this process, incurring heavy losses by offering deep discounts.
According to Economic times, for the financial year ended 31st March, 2015, the three
biggest Indian e-commerce companies have suffered loses. The net loss figures:
Amazon India: Rs 1,724 crore
Flipkart: Rs 2000 crore
Snapdeal: Rs 1,328 crore
The combined losses of the 'Big 3' online firms including Flipkart and Snapdeal to Rs
5,052 crore as they hunted for buyers by offering deep discounts.

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 There is an increasing pressure on the e-
commerce players to develop a more
sustainable business model by
regulating the cash burn and reducing
discounts and arresting the marketing
expenditures.

Indian Ecommerce: Potential

Despite growing losses, the growth potential of ecommerce is immense. As reported in

the Business Standard, Forrester expects ecommerce in India to grow from US$12
billion in 2015 to US$75 billion in 2020.
The growth is based on the idea that the online buying population will grow in India at a
compounded annual rate of 28% and this rate of growth is touted to be faster in India
and China.
Along with the growth potential, the profitability of the firms is also important for long
term sustainability. Currently, most Indian e-commerce firms are mired in losses. And if
these losses keep getting bigger, there will be a point when venture capitalists and
private equity funds will re-assess their investments and start thumbing down
valuations. It is therefore necessary for companies to arrest spending and reduce
discounting in order to fully capitalize on the growth of Indian e-commerce

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2.6 Lingerie E-tailing: Paradigm Shift
India‟s lingerie market is largely unorganized however, in recent times, there has been a
pparadigm shift in the overall lingerie market in India. The market is seeing a
metamorphosis from small crammed stores to sleek websites equipped with fitting
experts.
Increasingly, more and more people are buying online and are highlighting a need for
anonymity from the core consumer.
Buying online allows buyers to keep their purchase private and get it delivered
discreetly; a key element that gives online lingerie stores an edge over physical.
Technavio's analysts forecast the online lingerie market in India to grow at a CAGR of
42.32% over the period 2014-2019.

2.7 Lingerie E-tailing: Current Players

The players in the lingerie e-tail sector in India can be categorized into three.
• Multi-category apparel players: The multi category apparel players such as
Jabong, Myntra, Flipkart, Fashionara and Amazon also sell lingerie online
however, on these sites, women‟s underclothing doesn‟t get a complete focus
here and is lost between other fast selling apparels and products.
• Online platforms of private labels: These include brands such as
Lovable, PrettySecrets, Amante, Enamor, and Clovia. These portals are
preferable for women who are loyal to a particular brand and thus limit the
customer base.
• Exclusive multi-brand online lingerie stores: The exclusive multi brand
online lingerie stores such as Zivame, Straps and strings and The Darling Trap
are currently operating in the Indian market. Zivame seems to be the overall
leader in the online lingerie market.

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2.8 Multi Channel Retailing:

Brands increasingly using their retail stores to fulfill online orders. Consumers do not
differentiate between store inventory and online inventory; retailers need to stop
thinking about them as two separate entities. A multi channel approach gives the brand
the ability to expand business on a national or global scale without investing in further
physical stores.

2.8.1 Omni Channel Retailing

Omni Channel Retailing is the evolution of Multi Channel retailing and is a more
seamless approach to the consumer experience.
“The omni-channel consumer wants to use all channels simultaneously, and retailers
using an omni-channel approach will track customers across all channels”
The omni-channel approach results in the „Connected Consumer‟ who will experience
the „Brand‟. It requires the in depth knowledge of purchase patterns, social network
affinities, website visits, loyalty programs, data mining etc
At its core, omni-channel is defined as a multichannel sales approach that provides the
customer with an integrated shopping experience. The customer can be shopping online
from a desktop or mobile device, or by telephone, or in a bricks and mortar store and
the experience would be seamless.
Omni-channel means all channels have converged to the point that together they have
become one unit

Picture: Omnichannel Retailing

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Chapter 3: Research Methodology
The process used to collect information and data for the purpose of making business
decisions is known as Research Methodology. The methodology may include
publication research, interviews, surveys and other research techniques and could
include both, present and historical information (Dawson, 2013)
Research Methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem.

3.1 Problem Statement

The e-commerce space is booming in India and there is a huge potential for growth as
more and more people get online. However, in the battle to get customer share, e-
commerce players are offering deep discounting and running into heavy losses yearly.
There is a need for a sustainable business model which, when coupled with a largely
untapped product category in the e-commerce space (lingerie) will consolidate the said
player‟s position in the market as that of a market leader.
The task of understanding lingerie as a category, finding potential international brands
to bring to India and studying the feasibility and the UI strategies that generate the most
customer interaction for a brand has been the aim of the project to address

3.2 Research Objectives

RO 1 - To understand lingerie as a product category and study the Indian lingerie
landscape.
RO 2 – To identify and evaluate international lingerie brands that can be partnered with
and brought to the Indian market.
RO 3 - To understand the needs & preferences of customers shopping lingerie online
and provide recommendations to improve user interaction.

3.3 Data collection tool

Further research was done to find the secondary data and the primary data for each of
the objectives.

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3.3.1 Project Divisions

Indian Lingerie Market Study

• Understanding Lingerie as a category and studying the Indian Lingerie Landscape
(Both, E-Commerce and Brick and Mortar)
Evaluation of International Lingerie Brands
• Identifying and evaluating international lingerie brands that can be parterned with
and brought to Indian shores.
• Studying the brand philosophy, product mix, target customers, similar brands
already in India etc.
Improving the online lingerie buying experience
• Identifying unique pillars to differentiate our lingerie offerings on the e-commerce
space.
• Understanding the customer's online shopping behaviour and identifying gaps in
the user interface of existing sites.
• Identifying areas of innovation and differentiation.
• Recommending strategies and measure to improve the user interaction (generating
awareness, educating the customer, simplfying the search process, delivery
measures etc)

3.4 Details of sampling technique

3.4.1 Research design
A research design encompasses the method and procedures employed to conduct any
research. The design of a study defines the study type (descriptive, correlational, semi-
experimental, experimental, review, meta-analytic) and talks about the data collection
methods and a statistical analysis plan. (Breg, 2009)

The research design used is Descriptive Research.

Descriptive research is a type of research that utilises critical thinking to find out facts
about a given topic and from the answers obtained, develop new and useful ways of
doing things. Critical thinking is a method of thinking that puts assumptions into
question to decide whether a given claim is true or false.

24
Descriptive research includes surveys and fact finding enquiries of different finds. The
major purpose of descriptive research is description of the state of affairs as it exists at
present. The researcher has no control over the variables and can only report what has
happened or what is happening.
Descriptive research has been used in the project as it was deemed suitable for this
project going forward.

3.5 Research Approaches

The Descriptive research can be carried out using either of the two basic research
approaches. Namely –
Quantitative
Qualitative
The Qualitative approach to research has been taken with the project as it (qualitative
approach) is concerned with the researcher‟s insights and impressions and not with the
amount of data at hand.

25
3.6
RO 1 - To understand lingerie as a product category and study the Indian lingerie
landscape.

Lingerie Manufacturing

Picture: La Perla‟s first factory

Source: La Perla

Lingerie manufacturing is done on a large scale in India and neighboring Sri Lanka with
major lingerie brands having their manufacturing done from these two countries. One of
the leading manufacturers of lingerie in India is Gokaldas intimate wear pvt. Ltd which
was started as a joint venture with Barbara of Paris to introduce high-quality ladies
innerwear to the Indian market, beginning with Enamour. The factory is manufacturing
specifically for the brand Enamour and the products are exported as well as sold in
India.
The lingerie manufacturing is usually done in two categories,
Co-ordinated (a bra and a panty set)
Core (separate products)

26
Almost 100% of the fabric used is knitted fabric. Enamor‟s product portfolio has bras
from the size starting at 32B to sizes measuring 44DD. Various styles of bras are made
which include smooth, reveal, full figure etc.
The lead time for the products is anywhere between 45 – 60 days.
Manufacturing a bra consists of 3 steps.

Preparing Assembling Putting

the parts of parts trims

Moulding machines are used make the cups of the brassier and this is done for bra types
like a T-shirt bra that comes with predefined (moulded) cups. The process of moulding
is a very complex procedure and requires highly specialized machinery.

Consumption: A bra or a panty consumes very less fabric as compared to shirts or

trousers. As every bra consumes so less fabric to make, the decreased usage means
better usage of the given fabric and also results in very high marker efficiency. Every
piece consumes as less as 50 gms of cotton or 10 – 25 cm of synthetic fabrics. There is
very less wastage of fabrics while making intimate apparels.
There is very less wastage as fabrics that might be very small to be used while making a
shirt can still be used to make intimate apparels like bras and panties leading to reduced
wastage.

Sourcing: Manufacture of synthetic fabrics and trims used for intimate apparels in not
India‟s strong point and better quality fabric and trims are made in countries like China,
Thailand.. The best quality trims are sourced from countries like Italy and Switzerland.

27
Lingerie Manufacturing: Uniqueness
Inner wear and intimate apparels is not much affected by the changing fashion seasons
and trends. As much at 80% of the styles of the brand Enamour are stable meaning they
haven‟t been changed for the current season. Some styles are running since the last 6 –
7 years. In this product segment, fashion trends don‟t affect the business to a very great
extent and many styles keeping running for years together.
The process of making intimate apparels involves a complicated manufacturing process
with the use of various specialized machines.
The workforce has to be extremely skilled as the products are small and accurately
stitching them requires a lot of skill. Unskilled workforce is hardly available in this
industry.

28
3.6.1 Understanding Lingerie Market: Retail Store Visits
Tata Unistore is pioneering the concept of Omnichannel retail in India and that requires
the seamless integration of online as well as offline retail. This company that was
started with the aim to create long term value through partnering with international
brands in India as also investing in home grown Indian brands and also placing their
own brands online (eg- Westside)
Being retail oriented company; the stores of the various brands under the umbrella of
Tata Unistore will be the major drivers of business and revenue. The retail stores of the
brands are where the interactions with the customers happen and the business strategies
are actually put into action and then evaluated.

Underlining this importance of retail stores and front end retailing for the company, I
was required to visit the retail stores (specifically of lingerie brands, that being my
project) to better understand the brands, better understand the product portfolio and the
target customers, to interact with the customers and get a hands on experience of how
retail works from the shop floor.

Picture Lingerie Store, India

The store visits and observations

therein played a vital role in helping
me learn about the lingerie market and
better understand the lingerie brands; I
was also exposed to the front end retail
and the interaction between the
consumers and the store staff made me
realize that selling lingerie online
might, at times, rely on the expertise of the fit experts at a retail store.
It helped be gain insights into the working of these brands, their concept of retailing and
their management of an astounding number of SKUs each having a different
purpose/type.

29
3.6.2 Views of Store Staff on the Indian Lingerie Market (Offline)

The researcher conducted informal discussions and interviews with sales staff of brands
Triumph, Wacoal, Jockey and La Senza in High Street Phoenix Mall, Lower Parel,
Mumbai to understand the views and opinions of the Indian lingerie market.
This is done to gain qualitative data. The table details the main quotes from the
respondents and on this basis, the major findings are encapsulated

Main quotes from respondents Summary of findings

 Most customers that walk in consult The general tone about the Indian lingerie
our fit consultants (La Senza). market was positive and most individuals
interviewed agreed that Indian women are
 Most Indian customers will not buy
becoming more aware and more
co-ordinated lingerie.
discerning while shopping for lingerie.
 We increase sales by pushing out They were also positive about the growth
„value packs‟ of bras and panties.
aspects of the market and agreed to have
 The brand tries to make available all witnessed rising sales.
styles available in its US stores in
India (La Senza)
The product mix that the Indian customer
 Normal push up bras sell well but is asking for is increasingly becoming
not extreme push up thus diverse with people wanting trims, colours
discontinuation of the latter. and innovations in their lingerie.

 Synthetic fabrics usually don‟t do

well in Indian market. The customers place emphasis on fit and
because the fit consultants and women,
they are more comfortable discussing their
 Many customers are asking for nude
problems about the same.
and pastel shades in lingerie
The average basket size changes
 The average basket size is 2 – 3 depending on different scenarios as
garments. If customers come looking mentioned in the respondent‟s quotes.
for larger bust lingerie, their average
basket size increases to 8 to 10 units.
Customers are still modest in their choices
 Introducing new colours in the with not selecting plunge bras or extreme
range. Many customers are bored of push up bras
blacks and whites!

30
Key Emerging Lingerie Trends in India:
This data has been compiled on the basis of secondary research and informal interviews
with the store staff of the brands „Triumph‟, „La Senza‟, „Wacoal‟ and „Jockey‟ situated
in Phoenix Mall, Lower Parel and Phoenix Mall, Kurla.
The qualitative data has been clubbed under the following points:
Buying Preference: Bras are usually sold as single pieces, panties are sold in packs of
2 or packs of 3. Brands trying to push „Value Packs‟ consisting of 2 bras & also co-
ordinated lingerie
Most Bought Size: C-Cup: More customers ask for a C-Cup size as compared to other
sizes and in all brands, C Cup was the running size in bras. S & M size panties sell well
for all brands surveyed.
Fabric of Choice: Cotton: Indian customers prefer cotton innerwear with ssynthetic
fabrics & microfiber yet to gain wide acceptance.
Growing Popularity of Multiway Bras: A multiway bra offers variety & convenience
and is seen as value for money. There is Increasing number of brands offering multiway
bras
Larger Bust Size Options: Brands have begun offering Bras in E, F, G, H Cup
sizes.The demand for larger bust sizes is steadily increasing and brands are integrating
these sizes in their new collections.
Increasing Popularity of Coloured Innerwear: Blacks & Whites have traditionally
been available in market although there is iincreasing popularity of different colour bras
& panties. Many customers are asking for bright colours quirky fun prints while buying
lingerie, a relatively recent development.
Wire Free Bras: The market is seeing an increasing importance being placed by
customers on comfort. Many customers, especially the youth are asking for wire free
bras. This demand worldwide and more recently in India has given rise to innovations
like the Triumph Magic Wire Bra which has a silicone wire instead of metal
Bra Accessories: Brands are gradually introducing bra accessories in market. Brands
like La Senza offer pasties, body tape, bra extender etc

31
Breast Cancer Awareness: Most brands are trying to spread
awareness about breast cancer and helping educate the customers on
the importance of regular check ups. The brands do so using product
tags, in store posters, social media etc

32
3.8

RO 2: To identify and evaluate international lingerie brands that can be partnered

with and brought to the Indian market.

Potential Indian and International brands for partnering with Tata CliQ

Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein Inc. is an American fashion
house founded by the fashion
designer Calvin Klein headquartered
in New York City.
Calvin Klein Underwear is licensed to Warnaco Group through at least
2044. PVH acquired Warnaco Group in Feb 2011.
The first Calvin Klein store in India solely dedicated to undergarments opened in High
Street Phoenix, Lower Parel with second store due to open in Phoenix, Kurla.
The brand is placing great emphasis on women‟s lingerie with a 70:30 Ratio –
Women‟s to Men‟s undergarments in stores.
Prices: Rs. 699 (starting range for panties), Rs. 2299 (starting range for bras)

Hunkemoller
Founded in 1886, Hunkemoller is a Dutch
lingerie company that currently has 700 +
stores, in 18 countries. Their product range
includes lingerie, nightwear, swimsuits, hosiery,
beauty products and accessories.
The brand has come to India through an exclusive long-term franchise agreement with
Reliance Brands and has opened its first flagship store in DLF Promenade mall, New
Delhi in December 2015.
Product Price Range: Rs. 600 – 4000 for lingerie & Rs 850 – 4500 for Nightwear

33
La Perla
La Perla was founded in 1954 by Ada Masotti
with the ccountry of origin being Italy. It
currently has over 210 boutiques globally.
The brand deals with product categories like lingerie, beachwear, nightwear, clothing,
accessories.
In 2013, the company was acquired by Pacific Global Management Group (PGM).
The brand came to India through long-term agreement with the Murjani Group in 2006
but this partnership with Murjani Group ceased to exist and La Perla exited the Indian
market
The brand has now partnered with Vikas Jain, Co-founder of Micromax to re-enter
India with the first La Perla store expected to open shortly in DLF Emporio, New Delhi.
Product Price Range: Rs. 7000 – 58000 for Bras & 2600 – 42000 for Panties

Oysho
Oysho was started in 2001 and is a part of the
Inditex Group. It currently has 575 stores, in
40 countries. As part of the Inditex Group,
Oysho shares the same fashion management
strategy & philosophy & collections are
renewed as fast as trends.
“At Oysho you can find fun, sexy and feminine underwear, casual clothing, comfortable
& informal clothing and original accessories”
Product Price Range: Bras start at Rs. 1250 – 2200 & panties range from Rs. 375 –
1500. Emphasis on packs of 5 – 7

34
Panache
Established in 1982, Panache is an award-winning British
lingerie company that is dedicated to fit and specialises in D plus
lingerie. It has 7 sub brands & is sold in 53 countries worldwide.

Has collections that encompass high-end, trend driven fashion to everyday modern core
basics with bras upto K cup size.
The company aims at crafting products that support and enhance different body shapes
& is continually improving & developing to ensure leadership in fit & quality.

Freya
In 1920, Eveden, Freya‟s parent company, is established by Mr
S D Ryall. The company kept making odd products until the
formation of the brand Freya to make lingerie.
Founded in 1998, Freya is a brand with a mission to make women with larger bust sizes
feel great and look amazing. Sells lingerie, sports & swimwear. Bras upto K cup size.
Freya was named global lingerie brand of the year by Salon International de la lingerie
in 2010. The brand is currently owned by Wacoal Europe. Eveden Group, Freya‟s
parent company was acquired by Wacoal in 2012.

Spanx
Founded in 2000 in Atlanta, USA, Spanx, Inc. is an intimate apparel company that
mainly manufactures pantyhose and other undergarments for women.
Spanx specializes in foundation garments,
including undergarments & bodysuit shapewear and
as of 2012, it sells 200 products in 11,500
department stores, boutiques and online shops in 40 countries
Today, SPANX has expanded and offers a variety of solutions from bras and panties, to
apparel including leggings, active & tights

35
Etam
Etam was founded in 1916 by Max Lindeman in
France. It is an international, ultra-feminine beauty
brand originating from France with 463 stores in
France.
It is premium lingerie brand with feminine, subtle and understated collections.
Etam came to India through the joint venture with Indus League, a Future Group unit in
May 2007. The brand had a super premium positioning in India and when the global
financial crisis peaked in 2009-2010, unable to make headway, the brand pulled out of
the Indian market.

Maidenform
Founded in the year 1922 in the United
States, Maidenform is one of the leading
shapewear brands in America.

Maidenform are a shapewear specialist, with a variety of tummy controlling underwear,

shorts and slips to enhance every silhouette.
Maidenform has about 8,000 stores in the US including Macy's and JCP Penney. It has
more than 75 stores all over the world. On July 24, 2013, Hanesbrands agreed to
acquire Maidenform for $575 million
Other intimate wear brands under the umbrella of Hanesbrands include Playtex and
Bali.

36
Chantelle
Chantelle is a French lingerie brand which belongs
to the Groupe Chantelle, a French lingerie
company which was founded in 1876 by François
Auguste Gamichon.

Chantelle stands for the tradition of excellence, creating collections that are both
comfortable & elegant. It offers bras, panties & shapewear. Bras upto an I cup. The
brand is family owned for five generations; the brand aims to offer women everyday
inner wear made of rich fabrics and with the most precise fit. Since the 1960s, the brand
has been focussing on international expansion & this has enabled the brand to become
the world leader in French lingerie

Process Flow:

Establishing Research Trade Shortlist Potential

Criteria Fairs, WGSN Brands

Study Brand
Study Similar
Philosophy, Product Re-asses Feasibility
Brands in India
Range

Formulate Product Initiate Talks with

Grouping
Mix Brand

37
3.9 International Lingerie Brands: Parent Brands & Sub Brands

Parent Company Brands

Fruit of the Loom

Vanity Fair

Lily of France
Fruit of the Loom Inc.
Vassarette

Bestform

Curvation

Hanes

Champion

Playtex
Hanesbrands Inc.
Bali

Maidenform

Wonderbra

Wacoal

Freya

Huit
Wacoal Europe
Fantasie

Elomi

b.tempt‟d

38
The International lingerie market is susceptible to business accusations and mergers and
over time, many lingerie brands have come to be owned by few major conglomerates.
These parent companies strengthen their position in the market by acquiring major
brands and over a course of time, come to own a host of companies. As far as lingerie is
concerned, there are three companies that have a host of potential brands under their
umbrella and it makes business sense to get into an agreement with them to get access
to these brands. These three companies include
• Fruit of the Loom Inc,
• Hanesbrands Inc and
• Wacoal Europe.

There is a potential of getting access to multiple brands by entering into an agreement

with these parent companies and thus, it will give Tata CliQ a strong portfolio of brands
that can be launched into the Indian market as and when the market conditions are
deemed fit.

This concept will also act as a safety net in case one of the sub brands fails in the
market, the long term agreement will not fall apart as there are other brands in the
parent brand‟s portfolio that can be launched in place of the said failed brand.

There is another retailing company ‘Arcadia Group Ltd’ which owns multiple brands
including Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge,Topman, Topshop, Wallis & Outfit.
The same can be partnered with for apparel. Brands like Topshop and Dorothy Perkins
are beginning to gain traction with their lingerie offerings and thus, this can be used for
in the future by Tata CliQ

39
 Wacoal,
La Perla, Panache, Luxury
Hanro, Chantelle (Rs. 3500+)

Calvin Klein, Hunkemoller,

b‟tempt‟d, Freya, Curvy Premium
Kate, Spanx, Huit, (Rs. 2500 –
Wonderbra, Etam 3500)

Oysho, Next, Maidenform, Undiz Popular

(Rs. 800 – 2500)

Chart: Price Segmentation of International Lingerie Brands

The price segmentation of the brands aims to place the brands in the price pyramid and
this gives a holistic view of the brands‟ segments, competitors, price ranges etc.
This pyramid placing is done on the basis of priority too where the brands are placed
under three pyramid heads:
• High Priority
• Mid Priority
• Low priority

40
 Lingerie brands offering Swimwear

Picture: Lingerie brands offering swimwear

Swimwear on Indian E-commerce Sites: Analysis

• Zivame’s Swimwear Collection: At a nascent stage with not more than 30 SKUs. Most options offered
by their in house brand – Penny.
• Pretty Secret’s Swimwear Collection: Expansive collection with about 150 SKUs and two piece bikini,
one piece swimsuit, tankini, skirted swimsuit, sarong / cover-ups etc are offered.
• Jabong’s Swimwear Collection: Majority of the collection built around 2 brands - Next and
PrettySecrets. Both brands have 100+ SKUs listed on the site. Remaining brands mostly have single digit
product options.
• Myntra’s Swimwear Collection: PrettySecrets has the most number of options followed by Myntra‟s
inhouse brand „Mast & Harbour‟. The collection also features 6 options of Forever 21. The brands
Quiksilver & Roxy are also present.
• Flipkart’s Swimwear Collection: Majority of the collection built around 2 brands - Speedo and Arena.
Both brands offer swimwear for competitive swimmers. Remaining listed brands are mostly local brands.
• Amazon’s Swimwear Collection: Most of the collection rests on brands like Speedo, Arena,
PrettySecrets & Clovia. A big share of the swim collection includes swimming accessories. Remaining
listed brands are mostly local brands.

41
3.10 Development of Price/Product/Option Mix: Next

Price Range Next

CATEGORY STYLE Price Range (INR) Addn 10% Up

T-Shirt Bra 2390 - 2690 2629 - 2959

Sports Bra 2690 2959

Minimizer Bra 2190 - 2390 2409 - 2629

Bras
Pushup Bra 1490 - 2890 1639 - 3179

Strapless Bra 2990 - 3190 3289 - 3509

Balconette Bra 2390 - 2690 2629 - 2959

Hipster 1190 - 1490 1309 - 1639

Bikini 1490 – 2190* 1639 - 2409

Panties Boy Shorts 1190 - 1690* 1309 - 1859

Thongs 1190* 1309

Briefs 1190 – 1990* 1309 - 2189

Pyjama Set 1990 - 3890 2189 - 4279

Shorts Set 1690 - 3390 1859 - 3729

Nightwear
Babydolls 1990 - 3190 2189 – 3509

Robes 2690 - 4790 2959 – 5269

Bodysuit 2190 - 4190 2409 – 4609

Shapewear
Shaping Briefs 1690 1859

Table: Next product and Price Mix

42
 Product Mix Next

CATEGORY STYLE Options % Mix

T-Shirt Bra 9 10%

Sports Bra 4 5%

Minimizer Bra 2 2%
Bras
Pushup Bra 61 71%

Strapless Bra 3 3%

Balconette Bra 7 8%

Hipster 6 15%

Bikini 10 25%

Panties Boy Shorts 8 20%

Thongs 5 13%

Briefs 11 28%

Pyjama Set 22 46%

Shorts Set 10 21%

Nightwear
Babydolls 4 8%

Robes 6 13%

Bodysuit 14 74%
Shapewear
Shaping Briefs 5 26%

Table: Next Options Mix

After Identifying and evaluating international lingerie brands that can be partnered with
and brought to Indian shores, the next step involves more in-depth study of the brand. It
requires the studying of the brand philosophy, product mix, target customers, similar
brands already in India etc.

43
 Categories Options % Mix
Bras 86 45%
Panties 40 21%
Nighwear 48 25%
Shapewear 19 10%
Total 193 100%
Table: Next category Mix

This leads to the development of a sample buy plan of the brand to better understand the
product mix, the option count, the price range etc of the products of the brand. This aids
in the subsequent meetings with the brands and also helps both the parties better
understand each other‟s needs and expectations. The sample buy plan aids in the
formulation of the perceptual mapping chart where a niche for the brand in question can
be drawn and the subsequent strategies of the brand can follow from thereon.

By studying the price product mix and the option mix for the brand „Next‟, conclusions
can be drawn and product categories that are well performing or that form a major part
of the total mix can be pin pointed accurately.
The following conclusions were drawn for the brand „next‟ after the development of the
product and option mix:
• Top products: Balconette Bra (topwear) & Bikini (bottomwear)
• .The collection is expansive and includes lingerie, shapewear, loungewear &
sleepwear.
• The brand is selling sets instead of tops and bottoms separately (Pyjama sets and
Shorts sets constitute 67% of nightwear options)
• Panties are mostly being sold in packs of 2 or 3. A few options in bras are also
sold in packs of 2

44
 Development of Price/Product/Option Mix: Panache

Price Range Panache

CATEGORY STYLE Price Range (INR) Addn 10% Up

T-Shirt Bra 3950 - 5600 4345 - 6160

Sports Bra 5500 6050

Minimizer Bra NA NA
Bras
Pushup Bra NA NA

Strapless Bra 5500 6050

Balconette Bra 4600 - 6800 5060 - 7480

Hipster 2000 - 2800 2200 - 3080

Bikini 2000 - 2800 2200 - 3080

Panties Boy Shorts 1800 - 2700 1980 - 2970

Thongs 2000 - 2800 2200 - 3080

Briefs 2100 - 2800 2310 - 3080

Table: Panache product and Price Mix

The following conclusions were drawn for the brand „next‟ after the development of the
product and option mix:
• Top products: Balconette Bra (topwear) and Bikini (bottomwear)
• Panache lingerie is designed for the full busted woman who wants modern and
fashionable style without sacrificing support
• Zivame stocks Panache lingerie but has a very limited collection (presumably old
season stock) which is sold at prices lower than Panache‟s ASP.
(Link: http://www.zivame.com/brands1/panache.html?dir=desc&order=bestsellers)
• Panache Lingerie: The collection is mature & understated & will appeal to a customer
base of 25 years & above.

45
 Product Mix Panache

CATEGORY STYLE Options % Mix

T-Shirt Bra 12 29%

Sports Bra 2 5%

Minimizer Bra 0 0%
Bras
Pushup Bra 0 0%

Strapless Bra 1 2%

Balconette Bra 27 64%

Hipster 0 0%

Bikini 14 56%
Panties
Boy Shorts 3 12%

Briefs 8 32%

Table: Panache Options Mix

46
3.12 Development of Option Comparison Chart: Panache Swim

Amante

Options Comparison Flipkart Amazon Jabong Zivame

CATEGORY STYLE Options Options Options Options

T-Shirt Bra 23 3 151 97

Sports Bra 1 2 3 3

Minimizer Bra NA NA NA NA
Bras
Pushup Bra 12 NA NA 6

Strapless Bra NA 2 NA 3

Balconette Bra 3 NA NA 5

Hipster NA 18 15 20

Bikini 4 25 39 70
Panties
Thongs NA 3 NA 13

Briefs 3 4 5 9

Chemise NA NA 3 3

Night Gowns NA NA NA NA

Nightwear Camisoles NA NA NA NA

Sleep Bottoms NA NA NA 3

Robes NA NA 7 5

Bodysuit NA NA NA NA

Shapewear Shaping Camisoles NA NA NA NA

Shaping Briefs NA NA NA NA

47
Development of Price/Product/Option Mix: Panache Swim

Price Range Panache Swim

CATEGORY STYLE Street Price Range (INR) Addn 10% Up

Bikini (Top) 4700 -6800 5170 - 7480

Bikini (Bottom) 2800 - 3800 3080 - 4180

Bandeau 4700 - 5800 5170 - 6380

Swimwear One Piece Swimsuit 7500 - 8800 8250 - 9680

Tankini 5500 - 6800 6050 - 7480

Swimsuit Coverup 4700 - 5400 5170 - 5940

Halter top Swimsuit 4700 - 6800 5170 - 7480

Table: Panache product and Price Mix

Product Mix Panache Swim

CATEGORY STYLE Options % Mix

Bikini (Top) 15 24%

Bikini (Bottom) 17 27%

Bandeau 3 5%

Swimwear One Piece Swimsuit 8 13%

Tankini 8 13%

Swimsuit Coverups 2 3%

Halter top Swimsuit 10 16%

Table: Panache Swim Options Mix

48
3.13
RO 3 - To understand the needs & preferences of customers shopping lingerie
online and provide recommendations to improve user interaction.

Sizing & Fit: Importance

Fit affects overall profit. There are two ways that lack of customer confidence about
size and fit affects a lingerie company‟s bottom line. Firstly, consumers who are not
confident a garment will fit them are less likely to buy. Secondly, consumers who buy
garments size online in the wrong size produce high return rates with their associated
costs.
Disruptive new players and competitor innovation are changing the market. Startups
and competitors are now attracting customers by creating virtual dressing rooms; giving
personalised recommendations by body shape; or creating visualisations like info
graphics to better educate the customers.
Customers’ expectation for innovation. It is vital to conduct experiments around size
and fit, based on customer research. And an omni channel platform is ripe for
innovations that can make lingerie shopping convenient for the Indian customer.

Addressing Size and Fit Problems

Based on primary research conducted at the La Senza store in Phoenix, Kurla on a
sample size of 50 individuals and the secondary research of interviews with
entrepreneurs in this industry (Interview with Zivame founder Richa Kar), customers‟
concerns around size and fit are classified into four key areas:
Fit: Will it fit me?
Style: Will it suit my figure?
Outfit: What can I wear it with?
Reality: Combining all of the above, what will it actually look like on me?

A Questionnaire was formulated and sample size of 50 was surveyed using the ‘Mall
Intercept’ method. The analysis of the resulting data is given as follows:

49
3.14 Questionnaire Analysis: Basic Analysis

1. Do you shop online for lingerie?

Out of 50 samples 32 of those surveyed said yes and other 18 said no. This question
tells that people are increasingly shopping online for lingerie (at least in the major
metros) and the majority population considers this to be the new normal in shopping
and like majority of the products, lingerie too is catching on as a item increasingly being
bought from online brands or marketplaces.

2. Which lingerie brands do you buy from?

Out of 50 people surveyed, a large number prefer going to M&S to shop for their
lingerie. As we can see that most of the people visit M&S and Triumph and Amante.
The brand that has relatively less awareness is Calvin Klein as it has recently launched
lingerie for women in India and is mostly known for its offerings of men innerwear.

Triumph La Senza Calvin Klein M&S Enamour

22% 22%

18%
34%

4%

Chart 4.1 Lingerie Brands

3. What are your main expectations from the right lingerie?

Out of the population surveyed, 21 individuals or 42% of those surveyed put comfort of
the lingerie above anything else. The survey results to this question are mixed and show
that customers expect all these qualities that go on to make a perfect lingerie item to be
present and give equal importance to most.

50
However, comfort is of paramount importance to the customers. The comfort factor can
be further enhanced if the customer is wearing the right fit. Thus, it is essential for the
brands and the e-tailers to make sure the customer finds the right fit and the right size of
lingerie.

Expectation from 'right' Lingerie

Comfort Style Maintenance Quality

22%
42%
20%
16%

Chart 4.2 Expectations from Right Lingerie

4. What is your major concern while shopping for lingerie online?

Out of 50 people surveyed, 38 people cited as „Fit‟ to be their major concern while.
Shopping for lingerie online and were worried about ordering the right size and fit.
Only 7 and 6 people respectively cited Style and Aesthetics to be their concern As 74 %
people are citing the fit issue, it is in sync with the secondary data that the majority
of the women are either wearing the wrong bra or are confused about the right fit and
have questions like how should a bra fit comfortably and what is their right fit etc

Major Lingerie Concern

Fit Style Aesthetics

12%
14%

74%

51
5. Would you prefer paying a nominal amount for personalized lingerie fit service
(at your home)?

Of the population surveyed, an overwhelming majority (more than 70%) are not in the
favour of paying a nominal fee for being provided with fit services. The fit services
being offered by brands for free and the various fit campaigns that have been launched
by retailers have made the customer expect this service as a part of the retail experience.
As per this question we can see that the brand will have to incorporate this cost (cost of
personalized lingerie service at home) if and when it is launched into the product cost as
the customer will not pay extra for the service.

Payment for Fit Service

Definitely yes Probably yes May be yes
Probably no Definitely no
4% 7%

36% 15%

38%

Chart 4.4 Payment for Fit Service

6. How do you expect to learn more about lingerie as a category online?

As per the survey, people generally expect to learn more about lingerie as a category
online via blog posts as almost half of those surveyed say so. The use of social media
was surprisingly less to be used as a tool to better educate on a given product category.
Tata Unistore can leverage its e-magazine and rope in the content and cataloguing team
to produce blog posts that better educate the customers about lingerie.

52
Eg:
Blog post on ‟10 essential bra types that every woman should own‟
Blog post on „‟Tips for washing and maintaining your lingerie‟

Source of Information
Blog Posts On Site Banners Social Media

24%
46%

30%

Chart 4.5 Source of Information

7. Do you like the idea of concept of using the interactive search tool for shopping
for lingerie online?
Out of 200 people surveyed 35 people liked the concept the interactive search tool, 15
didn‟t like the idea. Majority of people liked the idea of the interactive search tool so
it‟s a good sign for putting the idea into practice.

Liking towards idea of Interactive Search

Yes Maybe Yes No Maybe no

16%
32%
14%

38%

Chart 4.6 Use of Interactive search tool

53
8. In the Interactive Search Tool, how would you want to search for lingerie?
Out of 50 people surveyed 38 wanted to use the tool to search for lingerie based on
product type. The options of search by Silhouette and search by Occasion received few
responses and enthusiasm. As most of the people are willing to use the tool to search
for lingerie based on product type, this should be the first feature to be launched if and
when the Interactive tool is launched on the website. The products will have to be
tagged based on product type that the lingerie can be paired with and this can be done
during the making of CSV files.
Eg: Search for the right bra (lingerie item) to be worn under a satin shirt (product type).

Preference for Interactive Tool

By Product Type By Silhouette By Ocassion

13%
12%

75%

Chart 4.6 Preference for interactive Search Tool

54
4.2 Descriptive Analysis:

Feasibility
Response to Interactive search Tool Number of people
Definitely Yes 18
Probably Yes 14
Maybe Yes/No 6
Probably No 8
Definitely No 4
Total 50

Assuming a conversion rate of 100% for the respondents who have ticked on the option
of „Definitely Yes‟ when asked if they would use the interactive search tool, we get 18
individuals. Assuming a conversion rate of 75% for the respondents who have ticked on
the option of „Probably Yes‟ and a conversion rate of 50% for the respondents who
have ticked on the option of „Maybe Yes/No‟, we get 14 individuals in total. A
conversion rate of 25% is given for the individuals in the option of „Probably No‟
giving the researcher 2 more individuals who are likely to use this tool
The collective population that is likely to use this tool is: 18 + 14 + 2 = 34
individuals.
A total of 34 individuals (about 70%) of the population from the sample of 50 has
shown interest in the use of the tool and thus think that it will add value to their
shopping experience online thereby reaffirming the fact that the concept is feasible

55
If given the option, why would you buy lingerie online? (1 being the highest and 5
being the lowest)
Preference 1 2 3 4 5
Privacy 25 12 3 5 5

Quality of 8 10 12 17 3
Products
Convenience 8 12 7 14 9

Discounts 5 6 10 8 19

Brand 4 10 18 4 14
Selection

The following data gives the direction in which the brand needs to go in terms of the
defining reasons that the brand (website) will offer and that is expected of the website
by the customers (potential customers). When asked to rank in order as to what is most
important to them when shopping for lingerie online, a majority of the population ranks
Privacy very high on their list of the single factor that is the most important to them
when shopping online. The anonymity associated with online lingerie ordering is very
empowering for women and makes them feel comfortable. Customers are also very
brand conscious and demand good quality products when they shop for lingerie online.

Customer Survey: Demographics

As per the survey the age of people surveyed, majority were between 21 – 30 years old
and this was the target customer for most lingerie brands (potential international brands)
shortlisted in the RO2. The research‟s main target age group is between 21-30 yrs with
51% of the respondents being from that age bracket. This age group also coincides with
the profile of the customers who are more open to online shopping for lingerie and are
willing to try out the concept of fit consulting, interactive search tool, blogging about
lingerie etc.

56
 Age of people
Below 20 21- 30 31-40 Above 40

14%
10%
26%

50%

Out of the 50 people surveyed, 30 were students, 6 were house wife and 14 were
working professionals. So the main target customers will be the students and working
professionals.

Occupation profile
Student House wife Working professional

28%

12% 60%

Chart 4.7. Demographics

57
Brand Store: Concept

Tata Unistore believes that every brand has its own personality and a story of its own.
A Brand Store is nothing but a platform to
showcase those.

A Brand Store, just like in a shopping mall

will be like a separate Brand Shop in the Tata

marketplace. A Brand store is different for
different brands and will be created keeping up
with the Brand Image, Brand Ethos and Story.
It is a reflection of brand images on Tata

marketplace providing a consistent shopping

experience to a brand loyalist while shopping
from Tata marketplace.

Brand Store: Principles

The fundamental principle behind creating a
Brand Store is to provide customer the similar
Brand experience while shopping on the Tata
Marketplace as shopping on the brand‟s
physical store or website. In today‟s Indian
Ecommerce space, with rampant deep
discounting, brands easily lose their value and
the brand image gets hampered. Brand stores
aim to conserve the Brand Identities of Tata
CliQ‟s partner Brands and delight customers
with an amazing shopping experience.
Brand Stores also help the brand in staying
connected to their customer or to create a new

58
connection with a new customer. The synchronization of having similar brand identity
across all platforms helps brands stay connected to customers.

Engagement Section: Look Book/Trends/ New Collection

The last section of Brand Store has 3 banners and provides different options for Brands
to show their collection/merchandise. The 3 banners can be used by Brands to either
show a new curated look, new collection or new fashion trends.
This Engagement section can be best utilized to better educate the customer, make them
aware of the product times, and create corresponding lookbooks or curated looks that
will educate them on what lingerie item to pair with what garment and this will act
as a catalyst in spreading awareness about the same.

Picture: Lingerie Lookbook

This engagement section can feature the new curated look and the lingerie items that
will be needed for the look (Eg: Demi cup bra for a low neck dress or a T-shirt bra for a
casual day out in Polos)
The engagement section can also showcase the new collections of the brands and
instantly make the customer aware of what‟s new thereby enticing them to buy. It can
also be used to highlight new fashion trends in the lingerie segment (Eg: Lingerie with
trims is a trend in 2016, bras in pastel shades are selling well currently etc)

59
Lingerie Fit Guide Video

Picture: victoria‟s Secret Angel Fit guide Screenshot

The Tata CliQ website will host a standardised fit guide video for lingerie to aid the
customer in finding her perfect size and then shopping for a bra accordingly. Most
women are not aware of their right cup size and it is essential to educate the customer
and provide them with the right fit so that they can have the comfort and convenience.
Based on the observation of lingerie fit guide videos on various websites and of various
brands, certain salient features of good fit guide video and certain recommendations for
the same were formulated.
The following were the recommendations made:
• Based on observations, usually the average Bra Fitting Guide Video is 1 min 30
seconds to 2 min 30 seconds long
• Most videos go for the „playful and quirky‟ approach in terms of narration,
background music etc.
• Include Subtitles in the video (as done by Zivame) to increase the reach of the
video
• Ensure the in video text if any, (as in the Zivame video) is not directly on the
model and is of good contrast
• Many brands have a „Bra Size Calculator‟ below the Fit Guide Video on the
website where the customer can enter the measurements to get the bra size.

60
Recommendations and Suggestions:

Interactive Lingerie Search Tool:

The interactive lingerie search tool can be utilized by the customers to easily find the
brand/panty type and size that they would require through the use of an algorithm that
suggests the customer the undergarment based on their needs and preferences entered.
Such a concept has not yet been used by any lingerie site that the user has come across.
The Interactive search tool can be customized to search the appropriate undergarment
by various criteria. They are:
• By Occasion
• By Silhouette
• By Product Type

Multiple Needs & Pairings: This interactive lingerie search tool can be further
enhanced to include multiple needs or pairings of the customers thus offering, for
example, lingerie recommendations for an evening dress that has a plunging neckline.
This tool will prove beneficial not only to first time customers but to regular customers
who might find it difficult to make the right choice of lingerie.

*from Data Analysis

The options of search by Silhouette and search by Occasion received few responses and
enthusiasm. As most of the people are willing to use the tool to search for lingerie
based on product type, this should be the first feature to be launched if and when the
Interactive tool is launched on the website. The products will have to be tagged based
on product type that the lingerie can be paired with and this can be done during the
making of CSV files.
Eg: Search for the right bra (lingerie item) to be worn under a satin shirt (product type).

61
Cross Selling: This website feature is being utilized by „Next‟ and is exemplary in its
way of cross selling products.

Cross Selling – Selling Co-ordinates

The websites can push the customers to buy co-ordinates via the option of
recommendations on the cross selling platform. Although, considering that many Indian
customers do not buy co-ordinates, the same strategy can be used to push „mix and
match‟ lingerie or complimentary lingerie items.

Cross Selling: Via Lookbook

Using the example of Zara that pushes entire looks through their lookbook cross selling
features, Tata CliQ can also utilize a similar concept. This will be easy to implement
since the brand stores on the websites have lookbooks in the engagement section and
selling that look or items of the look (in lingerie, it can be the right lingerie for a given
look)

62
Body Type Based Recommendations
There is a need for providing users with a way to find clothes that fit them. This is
especially important for lingerie given that the range is so large. There are various ways
to approach this:
Style recommendations based on body type – a simple „what is my body type‟
app, followed by targeted recommendations.
Better faceted search to help users find lingerie using the interactive search
option as suggested.

Interactive Size Charts

The company should look at the „best in breed‟ competitors for presenting size
information online, and learn from them. In particular, brands like Bluebella, Nordstorm
and marks and Spencer‟s have exemplary size charts.
Providing useful, usable size and fit recommendations for each lingerie item.
Providing a size chart per lingerie item, not just across the whole store.

This can be further enhanced looking at the brand „Next‟ which gives the following”
Telling users the size of the photographic model - her measurements as well as
her height. (Refer to point „ Mention Vital Stats)
Giving users detailed per-lingerie item measurements: not just cup size but
adjustability of the straps, the shoulder length, back band size etc.
Providing interactive size guides rather than static charts. In other words, let
users enter their own measurements and see how they relate to the garment.

Mention Vital Stats

It will become easier for the customer to understand the fit of the displayed lingerie
product if the website gives information like the height of the model who is wearing the
lingerie and/or her size.

63
‘Omni Channel approach’ to Measuring
The Omni channel retailing model of the company already adds numerous advantages
to the aspect of lingerie fitting and trials b y the customers as the model gives Unistore
the access to in store bra fitting option and the fitting experts of the various lingerie
brands under its fold.
An omni channel approach can be tailored to precisely meet the needs of the customers
and offer them a holistic approach to shopping for lingerie.
Use Tata Unistore‟s online services to get simple size and style
recommendations.
If that works for the customers, visit the partner stores and talk to an expert to
get more detailed, personalised size and style recommendations.

This is attractive to the customer, and also attractive to the brands in terms of market
data. A pilot project experimenting with personalised style recommendations can be
initially launched to gauge the market reaction and rate of adoption.

Increase Brand-Customer Dialogue

During the secondary research for the project, the researcher came across the fact that
independent bloggers and journalists love writing about size & fit of lingerie and want
to better educate the customers but find it very hard to get the industry to comment on it
especially in India.
It is necessary to improve and increase dialogue between the brands and the
customers and talk and discuss about lingerie to quell the discomfort attached to
speaking about lingerie thereby better educating the customers.
The researcher believes that there is scope for Tata Unistore to leverage its e magazine
and engagement section in order to become the brand that talks publicly and honestly
about size & fit – about how hard it is for retailers to get right, about how the right
lingerie complements the garments and to be more vocal about its fit models, about
sizing variations, about demographic changes.

64
Chapter 4: Major Secondary Projects
Secondary Project 1: Apparel Inventory Management

The apparel division of the company deals with 3 major types of vendors:
1. Brand Imports
2. Domestic Productions
3. Vendors: Exclusive and Others

Brand Imports
Tata CliQ is bring many international lingerie brands to India for the first time and thus,
will have to import the entire inventory and stock it in their warehouse and dispatch it to
its customers as those brands don‟t have existing infrastructure and/or stores in India.

Tata CliQ

Import Vendor

Transport Agency

Warehouse

Dispatched to
Customer
Chart: Brand Import Flow Chart
Here, the company buys products from the international brand and sell it in India. The
brand will usually have no liability what-so-ever on the stock once the shipment has
been prepared.

65
Domestic Purchases
This will be similar to the „Buying‟ that takes place every season for every brand.
The first buying cycle takes place in July. The buyers go for buying camp of the said
brand (Eg; Enamour) to know about the new products. After this, a detailed catalogue
containing all products is received by the company (Tata CliQ) and a validation sheet is
made and orders are placed.
The second buying cycle takes place in January. The products to choose from are same
as for the first buying cycle. The buyers decide the products to be bought and their
quantities on the basis of previous sales and demand.
As lingerie is a segment that relies less on seasons and usually, the fashion season cycle
has less effect on this product category, the buying can happen as and when major new
collections are launched.

Exclusive Vendors
In order to stand out and attract more customer base, e-commerce websites are entering
into exclusive contracts with brands that ensures that the products of the said brand are
exclusively present on their website and sold nowhere else in the e-commerce space.
The buying and inventory management of these exclusive vendors can be either similar
to „Brand Imports‟ or to „Domestic Purchases‟ depending on which brand the company
has entered into an exclusive contract with.
The exclusive vendors‟ supply change might pose some challenges as the quantity
replenishment might take time in an omnichannel scenario as there will be less number
of stores for replenishment (in case of domestic purchases).

66
Omnichannel Product Flow

Replenish From
Low Store Stock
Warehouse
In Stock at
Warehouse/Store
High Store
Report
Stock
Products

No Stock in Interstore
Warehouse/Store Transfer

The following chart demonstrates the omnichannel product flow that will be an essential
part of the inventory management and logistics of the same.
Here, the e-commerce entity is also considered to be a „store‟ and that term is applied
wherever the e-commerce entity is referenced.
If the products blocked for the e-commerce entity are present in the store/warehouse,
the next step requires evaluating if this store stock is low or high.
If the stock is low, it is immediately replenished from warehouse or through inter store
transfers and if the stock is high, it is likely that the product is either newly launched or
is not selling since quite some time. This scenario is immediately reported so that
corrective steps can be taken to move the stock and analysis is done to find the reason
as to why the stock isn‟t selling.

67
Secondary Project 2: Product Cataloguing for Quiz Clothing & S.Oliver

Writeups
Text
Specifications
Catalog
Images
Media
Media

Product catalogues are arranged into categories on the e-commerce websites to make it
easy for the end customer who is browsing the website and the user to be able to easily
browse and search through relevant products. Individual products contain detailed
description as well as images and videos to provide a near real life experience to the end
user

The process of product cataloguing for e-commerce websites mainly consists of two
major areas which are text and media.
The text component is known as „Rich Product Description‟ (RPD) and constitutes of
write-ups that inform the customers visiting an e-commerce website more about the
product that they are viewing and the specifications of the said products.
The media component is more sensory in nature and constitutes product images and
other media like videos, 360 degree views of the product etc.
Together, the text and media make up for the lack of the product availability in front of
the customer and the customer relies on the text and the media to know about the
product as there is no tangible element in e-commerce and the product cannot be seen or
felt physically.
Rich Product Description
The text component of the Product Cataloguing is known as „Rich Product Description‟
(RPD) and constitutes of write-ups that inform the customers visiting an e-commerce

68
website more about the product that they are viewing and the specifications of the said
products.
The RPD differs from brand to brand and from one website to another however there
are some salient features that a good RPD should possess. They are:
Short and Crisp: The RPD should be short and crisp. As the customers shopping
online browse through the products at a rather fast pace and their attention span is
relatively less than it is when shopping at a brick and mortar store, the product
description should convey all the vital information in a single glance.
The USP of the product being sold: The RPD should highlight the USP of the product
being sold. What is the thing that separates the product from others on the same
website? The customer should get an answer as to why should he/she buy the said
product.
Place the product in a real life situation: The customer should, after reading the
product description, imagine himself/herself in a particular situation and actually using
the said product. The way to do this is give examples of the product being used in real
life situations. This gives the product some context that the customer can relate to.
E.g. Whether it is that family get together or an evening with friends, this chic dress will
add a stylish flair to any occasion.
Interact with the customer: The RPD should be written in a way keeping the target
customer in mind. A good RPD will „talk‟ to the customer who is reading it. Thus, the
customer should feel that the brand is directly talking to the customer and informing
about the product. It should speak the language of the brand.
Devoid of any grammatical errors: The RPD should not have any typos or
grammatical errors as this can negatively affect the brand image.
Highlight benefits to the end customer: How is this product beneficial for the end
customer? What benefits can the end customer derive from this product? A good RPD
should answer these questions for the customer.
E.g. This all over stripped polo shirt is a wardrobe staple. It can be work to a party at a
beach or a evening get together at your friend‟s. Makes sure your summer days are
spent in comfort.

69
Includes the specifications: The product specifications like the product colour, size,
length, neck and sleeve type etc are a part of the RPD. The customer should be
informed of the physical form of the product through these specifications so that he/she
is better able to visualize the product when coupled with the product images. This helps
the customer make an informed decision.

Product Cataloguing: Process Flow

Shortlisting of Product Photo

Quality Control
SKUs Shoot

Re-shoot if
Post Process Quality Control
Necessary

Renaming and
Uploading on
Tagging with Quality Control
Host Website
Codes

The following flow chart gives information about the process flow that needs to be
carried out for product cataloguing with respect to text (rich product description) and
media (images and videos).
One of the most important aspects of this flowchart is the process of quality control that
occurs three times during the entire process of cataloguing. It is the single most
important element in the process chart and needs to be done carefully to move on to the
next stages with ease.

70
The quality control process after the product photo shoot includes checking the images
so that they meet the guidelines specified by the e-commerce website. The photographs
are checked to see the number of photos, the sharpness, the resolution, the lighting, the
product angels and the overall look of the product and the product packaging in the
images.
The quality control process once images have been uploaded to the host website
includes checking if the correct images correspond to the products & duplication of
images.

Product Cataloguing: Sample

Style Code: 41.603.78.4507

Brand: S.Oliver Women
Product Name: Mini skirt with a visible button placket
Size: 36
Colour: Fuschia

Product Description: Summer means skirts! 70s-

style skirts remain on trend this summer and this
flared, short fit skirt in stretch twill is comfortable
and versatile!

Length: Approx. 40 cm in size S

Fabric: 98% cotton, 2% elastane

Washcare: Machine wash 30°, Do not tumble dry

or dry clean.

71
Secondary Project 3: Product Cataloguing. Major Task: Action Plan

*(The action plan is made for an SKU batch of 100 SKUs. The time given might vary depending on the number of external
factors and also on the number of SKUs for which the product cataloguing needs to be done)
*[The Buyer in this scenario is the Tata CliQ and the Vendor is said brand)

Purpose: To complete the product cataloguing process for SKUs for an e-commerce site.
Action Steps Responsibilities Timeline Process Communications Plan
What Will Be Who Will Do It? By When? Resources needed and Process to be Who is involved?
Done? (Day/Month) followed

Selection of the Buyer and Vendor 6 working days Interaction between the buyer as well Interaction between the Buyer
SKUs to be sold as the vendor via meetings and (E-commerce Site) and the
online emails. The SKUs are selected by the Vendor (Brand)
brand on various criteria like
exclusivity, price, availability etc.

Sealing (Blocking) Vendor 2 - 3 working Interact with importer using emails. Vendor, Importer, Warehouse,
the order of the days Coordination with the warehouse to Store Managers.
SKUs with the establish the quantities needed to be
importer ordered.

72
Product Buyer and 5 - 7 working Interaction with the warehouse and stores Buyer, Warehouse, Store
Cataloguing Photographer days to dispatch units of the said SKUs to the Managers, Operations
(Getting the photo (Photo Studio) Photo Studio. Head and Photographer at
shoot of the SKUs) the Photo Studio
Interaction with the photo studio specifying
the requirements and guidelines for photos
(resolution, number of photos, product
angles etc)
Product Vendor/Buyer 3 working days Interact with the store managers in case Vendor/Buyer (Content
Cataloguing (Rich (Content Writer) help is required for SKUs description, Writer), Store Managers,
Product weight and dimensions of the SKUs. Warehouse.
Description)
Use help of the internet to gather data about
SKU.

Quality Control of Vendor/Buyer 3 working days Once product photos are received, quality Vendor/Buyer, Operations
Photographs from for QC control is needed to remove unnecessary Head and Photographer at
the photo shoot. and unusable photographs. the Photo Studio
Interaction between the vendor/buyer and
Additional 4 – 5
the photo studio highlighting needs for
working days if
reshoot of photographs if and when
reshoot needed
necessary.

73
Quality Control of Buyer 1 working day A quality control to check for grammatical Buyer
RPD (Rich Product errors and typos in the RPD for the SKUs.
Description)
Filling in the dimensions and weights and
other specifications of any SKUs if missed
earlier

Renaming of Vendor or Photo 1 working day Renaming the photographs with the article Buyer, Vendor,
Photographs and Studio codes and putting the photographs in Photographer of the Photo
Folders (Photographer) or corresponding folders. Studio.
Buyer (E-
The article codes of Vendor (Brand) and
Commerce Site)
Buyer (E-commerce Site) will be different
and thus renaming needs to be done two
times.
Finalized RPD and Buyer 2 - 3 working Share the Photographs and the RPD with Buyer and vendor
Photographs to be days the buyer (E-commerce site).
uploaded to
Mentioning of any specific guidelines or
Ecommerce site
requirements beforehand

74
Quality Control of Buyer 2 working days Once product photos and RPDs have been Vendor, Buyer
Photographs for QC uploaded to the website, quality control is
uploaded on the needed to remove duplicate photos, photos
Ecommerce that are of a different product etc.
website Additional 2 - 3
Interaction between the vendor and the
working days if
buyer highlighting the errors and specifying
changes are
the changes that are required.
needed

75
Recommendations and Scope for future work
The work carried out while preparing the report just scratches the surface and there is a
lot of scope in the future to further enhance this research and get more consumer
insights and identify more problems and address them accordingly, ironing out the
small glitches in the process of handling the end to end functionalities of the lingerie
brands being hosted by the site and further making it more smooth and also constantly
finding ways to better the consumer experience while shopping for lingerie on the site.

Since the time of the inception of the project, the aim has been to identify the best
international lingerie brands that will be suitable for the Indian market and will be
accepted by the Indian customers. The aim was also to identify unique pillars to
differentiate Tata CliQ‟s lingerie offerings on the e-commerce space and also to
understand the customer's online shopping behaviour and identify gaps in the user
interface of existing sites.
However, the project was limited in nature and a lot remains undone and can be taken
up in the future.
As the recommendations were derived on the basis of the analysis of a limited number
of websites of lingerie brands, there is scope for research and development of
comprehensive recommendations and suggestions for the user interface by expanding
the analysis to include more websites of lingerie brands and integrating innovative user
interface practices of websites selling other products or catering to other segments.

The interaction and sharing or information by the company (Tata CliQ) with Indian and
International lingerie brands that wish to sell their products through them will, overtime,
help identify more opportunities in the market, help carve out niche segments or
highlight specific shortcomings and these interactions will also bring up solutions to the
same.

76
The increased interactions will also mean that there is faster and better integration of
technology between e-commerce companies and their clients.

The change will have a „trickle up‟ effect thereby affecting the brands (clients) that
work with the e-commerce company and ultimately both the parties will derive positive
outcomes from the same.

77
Chapter 5: Learning Outcomes

The internship at Tata Unistore was, in many ways, the perfect platform to put all the
classroom learning into practical applications. I realized that just by mere observation, it
was possible to learn a lot and notice things and activities that otherwise go unnoticed.
Being associated with Tata Unistore was a new and unique experience for me by the
virtue of it being a startup in the e-commerce realm and thus, everyday was a new
challenge and a new learning. The company aims to be India‟s first omni-channel
company and required the team and I to think out of the box and not approach a
problem conventionally. The product category that I was dealing with being lingerie
was again uncharted territory for me and the learning in this niche category was
tremendous. The learning started from scratch as this was a completely new product
range that I was dealing with.

The E-commerce foray of the Tata group is fairly new and the buzz and the activity in
the department at its nascent state gave me the opportunity to learn new things as there
was a new development that needed work on almost every week.
I was always encouraged, sometimes pushed to think different, to put forward ideas to
help streamline the brand‟s foray into this highly competitive space and to especially
help it carve a niche out in the lingerie segment. This helped my personal growth as the
atmosphere in the company was one that always nurtured curiosity.
Working in a company aiming for omni-channel presence made me aware of all the new
technologies coming in retail in the near future, their applications and their implications
on traditional retail and how we are headed towards a future that sees the marriage of
traditional retail and e-commerce.

The store visits and observations therein played a vital role in helping me get insights
into the lingerie market and helped me understand the shortcomings of traditional retail
that e-tailing of lingerie can help address.

78
The large number of apparel and accessories brands already in the portfolio of Tata
Unistore and their immense width (product and categories) meant that there was a lot to
learn about the functioning of various brands and gain insights into their brand
philosophies and their retail operations.
As the company was in the process of signing up new brands throughout my internship
duration, I was exposed to a lot of new international brands that will be entering the
Indian market for the first time with the launch of the Tata Unistore (Tata CliQ)
website.

The diverse brand portfolio of Tata Unistore also meant that I became aware of the
workings of various brands across the various segments from premium to luxury and
from casual wear to sportswear to formal wear. The constant interaction and free flow
of information meant that there was news and information of various brands that was
readily accessible and helped me get a better understanding of them.

The several side projects that I was a part of during my internship duration meant that I
got a chance to dabble with various concepts like providing gift wrapping services for
the customers on e-commerce or building brand stores on the website to help brands
retain their identity in a multi brand e-commerce platform. I was also a part of product
cataloguing for brands like S.Oliver and Quiz Clothing and prepared range
presentations for the same. The project on Inventory follow-ups meant that I had to
interact with the logistics departments of the various brands and this gave me insights
into concepts of inventory management, warehousing, sourcing and replenishment etc.

The internship took been „behind the scenes‟ in the e-commerce industry and helped me
comprehensively understand the workings of the industry and its operations.
Overall, the internship was enriching both personally and professionally and pushed me,
on every step, to work in sync with the industry, absorb all that it has to offer and it
prepared me for working in the Industry in the future by giving me the exposure and the
practical hands on approach for the same.

79
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April 2016]

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References: Brands

Aikyou, Online. Available from: https://aikyou.de/ [Accessed 3 May 2016]

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2016]

Diesel, Online. Available from: http://global.diesel.com/ [Accessed 3 May 2016]

DSTM, Online. Available from: http://www.dstm.co/ [Accessed 15 April 2016]

Elf Zhou, Online. Available from: http://elfzhou.com/ [Accessed 4 March 2016]

Eberjey, Online. Available from: http://www.eberjey.com/ [Accessed 4 March 2016]

Edge o Beyond, Online. Available from: http://www.edgeobeyond.com/ [Accessed 19

April 2016]

Fleur Du Mal, Online. Available from: http://www.fleurdumal.com/ [Accessed 6 April

2016]

Harlow & Fox, Online. Available from: http://www.harlowandfox.com/ [Accessed 1

May 2016]

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Heidi Klum Intimates, Online. Available from: http://www.heidiklumintimates.com/
[Accessed 27 April 2016]

Huit, Online. Available from: http://www.huit.com/ [Accessed 22 March 2016]

Le Petit Trou, Online. Available from: http://en.le-petit-trou.com/ [Accessed 8 May

2016]

Mimi Holliday, Online. Available from: http://www.mimiholliday.com/ [Accessed 13

April 2016]

Only Hearts, Online. Available from: http://www.onlyhearts.com/ [Accessed 19 April

2016]

Panache, Online. Available from: http://www.panache-lingerie.com/ [Accessed 6 May

2016]

Pluto, Online. Available from: http://www.plutolingerie.com/ [Accessed 23 March

2016]

Simone Perele, Online. Available from: http://en.simone-perele.com/#!home [Accessed

7 April 2016]

Tutti Rouge, Online. Available from: http://www.tuttirouge.com/ [Accessed 23 March

2016

Underprotection, Online. Available from: http://www.underprotection.dk/ [Accessed 23

March 2016]

82