Darshan Ganagakhedkar, the managing partner of Trend Alerts, a franchisee of Aditya Birla Group spoke to Bharati Pawaskar about opening of Linen Club The Ramp at Panjim and the response it has garnered.

What made you come to Goa? How’s the response here?

Goa is a tourist destination. We love the place and visit Goa every year. During our visits we found the shopping spirit in the tourists as well as locals. Goa has purchasing power hence we thought of opening our outlet here. We are receiving fantastic response in Goa. Goans are aware of linen and its speciality. Aditya Birla Group has 53 exclusive outlets spread across India apart from our three franchisee outlets. Trend Alert has plans to take the total to 10 by the end of 2011.

What does Linen Club offer?

Linen Club has special lounge wear and beach ware made of fine linen. These are our special offerings only for Goa. One can walk up to the rack and have the feel of the fabric. From August this year we have plans for customised services like home delivery or hotel delivery.

Why is linen fabric in so much demand despite high price?

This is 100 per cent pure linen. It is an eco friendly fabric that protects from ultraviolet rays; it is antibacterial and also the coolest. It also absorbs 20 per cent of humidity from the body. Our range starts from Rs 450-3,350 per metre. The fast selling fabric ranges from Rs 450-1000 and readymade shirts cost about Rs 1400-2400. The raw material is imported from Belgium and France and then the yarn is made out of it on German machines at our manufacturing unit spread over 3000 acres at Kolkata. The yearly production is 82,000 lakh metres a year.

Who are your potential customers?

It is for those who have an addiction for linen. In Goa we do not have any specific target group, but we have special collections for Goan consumers. The rates here are 17 per cent lower compared to market retailers and this is inclusive of all taxes.

News Source - HeraldGoa