Monira Munni
Export-oriented garment companies are now focusing more on the local market than before mainly to meet the growing demand for fashion wears despite the pandemic that hit hard all the businesses including the overseas sales of readymade garment items.
Local retail clothing businesses by such companies are starting to recover from the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.
More than dozens of export-oriented garment manufacturing companies have already launched their own brands to add value to the local market and have gained popularity.
These garment companies have been supplying apparel to western buyers including H&M, Walmart, JC Penny and Marks & Spencer for decades.
Snowtex and Dekko Group and Energypac launched their own local brands ‘Sara’, ‘Klubhaus’ and ‘O-Code’ respectively before the pandemic while few others including Team Group’s Twelve and Evince Group’s Miniso BD are expanding their business in the country.
Companies such as Beximco, Giant, Epyllion, Evince, Babylon, Pride and Amber are already in the domestic market.
These companies have gained popularity under the brand names including Yellow, Texmart, Sailor, Noir, Trendz, Pride and Amber Lifestyle respectively.
Artisti, a concern of Milon Garment, and Bar Code and Shoishab have been launched by Smart Jeans Ltd.
Giant Group launched its local brand Trendz in 1998, followed by Yellow in 2004. Later, other companies gradually entered the local market.
Of them, Artisti and Yellow respectively also opened their outlets in Singapore and Pakistan.
Snowtex Outwear that launched its first outlet before the pandemic has added a total of eight showrooms by 2022 while another new would be opened shortly.
Talking to the correspondent, SM Khaled managing director of Snowtex said the main aim is to establish retail business in the local market with ensuring own-designed and quality products at affordable prices.
Being an export-oriented company, Snowtex has decades long experience of material sourcing and production knowledge that have helped to do retailing in the local market, he noted.
He wants to sustain his business ‘Sara’ for a long time even during the period when Bangladesh might not be competitive in the export market with offering quality, fashionable products with affordable prices by increasing production.
“We want to establish local brands not only in the country but also abroad,” he added.
Snowtex, the $250-million annual turnover company manufactures woven items like outwear and sportswear and exports them to Europe and other countries including Canada, Russia and Japan.
Similar to Mr Khaled, Abdullah Hil Rakib managing director of Team Group also has been utilizing the knowledge of export business to increase his business in the local market with the brand name ‘Twelve’.
The group launched ‘Twelve’ in 2012 after it found the local market, flooded with imported items from China, Pakistan and India, has brand potential.
Team Group along with five garment factories and business in pharmaceuticals, IT and real estate has own design section who knew well about the trends and fashion, said Mr Rakib.
Started in 2012 the group by 2022, opened a total of 34 retail outlets across the country.
Evince Group that has local brand Noir also took over the Japanese lifestyle product retailer– Miniso in 2019.
Shah Rayeed Chowdhury director of Miniso Bd and also a director of Evince group said the largest challenges in expanding retail business here in Bangladesh are high space rent and the advance payment.
That is why, Miniso BD shares its risk, responsibility by allowing franchisees stores, he noted adding that by the end of 2022 there would be a total of 10 such franchise stores.
Mr Rakib also a director of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said Bangladesh with the graduation from the least developed country status and people’s increasing purchasing capacity would be a big market by 2030.
