Monte Carlo is a well-known and established lifestyle brand in India that has been catering to the fashion needs of its customers for over three decades. From its humble beginnings as a winter wear brand in 1984, Monte Carlo has come a long way and now offers a wide range of clothing and accessories for men, women, and kids, making it a complete lifestyle brand for the entire family. In this exclusive interview, Sandeep Jain, the Executive Director of Monte Carlo, shares his insights on the brand's future plans, its sustainable practices, and its focus on technology and innovation. He also talks about how the brand has adapted to the changing dynamics of the fashion industry and how it plans to stay ahead of the competition in the years to come. So, let's dive into this insightful conversation with Sandeep Jain and discover the future of Monte Carlo.

Tell us in detail about your brand with its key achievements. How has your brand adopted to the new changing dynamics of the fashion industry?

It was in 1984 when Monte Carlo was launched as a brand, which was a significant step in the evolution of branded garment industry in India. Since then, it has been catering to the ever-growing demands of the clothing and fashion industry in India. Earlier, Monte Carlo was perceived as winter wear brand but slowly and gradually it became all season lifestyle brand. Monte Carlo became Public Limited Company in 2014 and Monte Carlo IPO oversubscribed by eight times.

Are you an aspirational brand for your consumer? Tell us in detail about your target group (TG). How has your customers evolved?

Monte Carlo remains as an aspirational brand for consumer since its inception. Our target audience is from the Upper Middle-Class Working Professionals spread across an age span of 20 to 50 years.

Tell us about your investments in terms of innovation for future business?

Monte Carlo forayed in retail sector and e-commerce. Earlier, the brand was focusing on multi brand outlets (MBO), but future lies in retail that was visualized and executed. Company is going ahead with the implementation of advanced SAP S/4 Hana system for future business.

Tell us about your initiatives on sustainability with some latest examples?

Monte Carlo uses recycled fibres in some of its garments and we are a pro sustainability brand and we care for the environment. 

Technology is changing the very face of the Indian Fashion Industry. How has your brand evolved on this term?

Monte Carlo range of knitwear boasts as many as 500 designs for men, women and junior. This is the first Brand in India to invest in a dedicated research and development department for woollen knits and weaves. Keeping the pace and advantages with the ongoing developments in technology, all designs are made from the state-of –the-art machinery imported from Japan, Italy, UK and Germany.

Product and its strength

Tell us about the key product categories and the bestsellers? What are your average price points?

We are present in woollens, jackets, sweatshirts, tracksuits, shawls, t-shirts, shirts, trousers, denims, ladies tops, kids wear, athleisure wear and accessories. We have increased our focus on summer wear category from last few years which is yielding results. New categories like kids wear, home furnishing and our brand Rockit are showing good growth along with existing category of brand.

Accessories like socks, muffler, caps and gloves are also available in Monte Carlo.

Our price range start from 800/- and goes up to 40000/-.

What are your future product expansion plans? Do you wish to expand more categories?

We want to expand our brand in categories like leisurewear and athletic wear along with increasing variety in outerwear segment.

Collections, Style and Trends

What’s new with the brand collection for the upcoming season?

Monte Carlo’s new collection is driven by growing expectation and demand for products that are smarter and inclusive; products that are used in the present and can also exist in future. At its core, the collection showcases the responsibly minded vision of what good design can be and do, where products and processes are intelligent, thoughtful and full of optimism. The collection has complete assortment of casuals for men, women and kids. As people travel extensively and are celebrating life post pandemic, the collection encompasses the optimism and vibe.

Is your latest collection inspired by any theme? Please explain.

The latest collection is inspired by Nature – Tropical collection.

Travel- Athleisure and cord set collection for urban travellers.

Nautical - Vibrant striper polos and crews

Luxe- Mercerized polos in vibrant stripes, jacquards and prints.

Crews in luxe Tencel, Modal and Lycra cottons.

What kind of product innovation has taken place in your line for the season ahead in terms of style and cuts? What’s your colour palette for the season?

Re-invigorated versions of classic colours correlate to wider story of refreshed timeless designs. Midtones such as Rooibos and Atlantic Blue are perfectly balanced by preppy sporty cirrus,

Blue and vintage pink. Pairing of palm leaf and optic white nods to Golf sports. Sepia and midnight blue bring unabashed retro charm and classy clubhouse style. Also, there are colours influenced by revitalized desire for partying inspiring fantastical hues, surreal hyper pastels such as digital lavender, papaya smoothie, and green fig complement digital mist.

What are the key fabric trends for the season in terms of types of fabrics (Wool, Cotton, Blends, Linen or others), types of prints, design and colours?

Textured knits in pop colours and summery feel with cotton as primary fibre. Lyocell and Tencel along with elastane for ease and comfort.

Casual athleisure pieces will become wardrobe staples and so we elevate them with better quality fibres that can bear longevity, give comfort and keeps sustainability quotient in mind.

Resurgence of staycation theme, resort jersey knits with preppy update of nautical stripes and adding sun-drenched brights with upbeat accents would be there.

Key elements

What is the present state of fashion market? What are the key challenges that a brand is still facing?

Indian fashion market is changing from a seller-led market to a buyer-led one. In a buyer-led market, service is a key to stay ahead of the competition and catering to the specific customer requirement instead of trying to sell what you make is the norm of the day. 

What’s your take on Social media integration for your brand? How well has your brand scored? Tell us about the strength of your followers and what are channels you are present?

Social media has played a major role in changing the market as well as the consumer. With the exposure to social media, everyone now wants to be updated with the current fashion. We are actively leveraging social media to promote our merchandise.

Tell us how do you retain loyal customers? What are the key promotions that you run?

We are doing a loyalty program for our 14 lakh privilege customers spread across the nation.

Retail Mapping

Tell us about your key markets? Mention their names and define their retail spread?

We have a presence over all the cities across the nation. Tier I and II cities are key components to the retail growth for any brand. We invest in stores which are above 1000 sq.ft.

How many retail points do you have currently?  

How well have you scored online? How has this changed the business for you?

E-commerce is the future of retail and we are happy to announce we have been able to create a space for ourselves in the online sale business, wherein sales mostly go through our own portal and multi brand retail portals like Amazon, Snapdeal, Myntra and Jabong. 

What are your future retail expansion plans?

Exploring western and southern parts of India.

What’s your current turnover and the growth you are expecting in the next 2-3 years? 

For the next 2-3 years, we are expecting a steady growth of 20 percent over the years. 

As we conclude this exclusive interview with Monte Carlo, it is evident that the brand has established itself as a leader in the Indian fashion industry. With its focus on product innovation, sustainability, and customer satisfaction, Monte Carlo has successfully adapted to the changing market dynamics and evolving consumer preferences. The brand's commitment to quality is reflected in its extensive range of products, which caters to a wide audience, from working professionals to kids. Furthermore, Monte Carlo's dedication to social media integration and loyalty programs has helped it build a loyal customer base. As the fashion industry continues to evolve, we can expect Monte Carlo to remain at the forefront of innovation and set new benchmarks in the industry.