In 2013, the husband-and-wife duo of Neha Kant and Pankaj Vermani, along with Suman Choudhary, launched Clovia, now one of India’s top lingerie brands. Amidst fierce competition, Clovia stood out by offering high-end intimate apparel at nearly half the price, attracting customers with massive discounts.
Today, Clovia boasts over 1000 styles in 50+ sizes, catering to 9 different Indian body types and operates 90 Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBOs), primarily in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. The brand sells over 10 million apparel pieces annually. Clovia’s pinnacle of success came when Reliance Retail, India’s retail titan, acquired an 89 per cent equity stake in Clovia for Rs. 950 crore through a combination of secondary stake purchase and primary investment.
The brand places considerable emphasis on technology, having developed a proprietary technology engine called ReX (or ReqS, short for Requirement Simulator). This innovative engine empowers designers to create, showcase and manufacture short runs of various designs at their discretion. It continuously monitors product performance by tracking sales, customer response and feedback reception.
Clovia’s Bra Bot, an AI chatbot, autonomously handles customer queries and directs remaining inquiries requiring human intervention to a support executive. Additionally, Clovia offers the Curve Fit Test, aiding users in finding their perfect bra fit based on body type, along with other tools to match bras with dresses, receive period cycle notifications and provide a Gentleman’s guide to assist men in selecting the perfect gift for their partners, amongst others.
In an exclusive interview with Apparel Resources, Suman Choudhary, Co-founder and COO of Clovia, with 22 years of experience in lingerie design, provided insights into Clovia’s sourcing and vendor consolidation strategy. He also noted that women are choosing lingerie that not only fits their needs but also enhances their confidence and self-expression. In this engaging discussion, Suman also discussed key trends in the lingerie market, Clovia’s marketing strategies to attract consumers, the considerations for opening new stores and more. Here are the edited excerpts:
AR: What new trends are emerging in lingerie design, style and fabric?
SC: I would say that lingerie today has evolved from basic essentials to fashion-forward and occasion-specific designs. Historically, cotton was the fabric of choice for its comfort and breathability. However, advancements in textile technology have broadened the spectrum. Today, man-made fabrics are increasingly popular in the lingerie industry. These materials offer a range of benefits, including a softer feel, ease of maintenance and a vibrant array of colours and finishes that meet the contemporary trends of the Indian market.
Our focus remains on developing fabrics suitable for the Indian climate. This includes seamless bonded garments, long-lasting cotton blends and advanced polyester blends. Additionally, we are thrilled to announce our newest launch, Clovia Cubs, a dedicated nightwear line for children, bringing the same comfort and quality to our youngest customers.
AR: Who is your target audience and what strategies do you adopt to engage with them?
SC: We target women aged 22 to 45, who are active online shoppers from urban, semi-urban and rural areas across India. We do not target customers based on their income levels.
For Gen Z (22-25), our design focus revolves around licensed themes, quirky prints and experimental silhouettes, offering bold and trendy designs to complement their dynamic lifestyle. For Millennials (26-45), our emphasis shifts to minimal prints, pastel colours and mature silhouettes, providing versatile nightwear suitable for a wide range of needs, including modest yet trendy options for those living with in-laws. Catering to Baby Boomers involves addressing market gaps with specialised products, such as the Senior Brief tailored to meet specific requirements like leakproof briefs. Moreover, our product range includes innovations like No-show/Go Braless Nightwear and Crepe, Knitted and Crossover Panels nightwear.
At Clovia, we work towards transforming the latest cultural and fashion trends into lingerie themes, infusing humour and relatability into our content to resonate deeply with our audience. The idea is to focus on how lingerie is not something indecent but in fact empowering and that it promotes self-love and is to be taken with pride, which can be seen in our national TVCs featuring Shraddha Kapoor and now our newest ambassador – Manushi Chhillar. For instance, some of our most viral Instagram reels were “A day out with my Breasties” and “If Bra was a person.” This witty & innovative approach struck a chord of relatability amongst the audience and boosted the engagement rate to 8 per cent, three times the industry average.
Additionally, Office Reels as a concept has been quite a rage off late and Clovians have been on top of the game creating in-house content and hopping on to the latest trends. This gives the outside world a peek into Clovia’s fun and joyful workplace culture and the people who are involved in taking the brand to greater heights.
AR: What factors influence your decision when opening a new store?
SC: We primarily focus on areas frequently visited by women. Our target demographics span across Tier-1, Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, aligning with our pricing proposition and the diverse needs of our customers. The presence of other brands for women in the vicinity is also a significant consideration, as it indicates a shopping environment within the product range.
We have received a particularly positive response from Tier-3 cities, suggesting a growing demand for quality lingerie in these areas. We have recently launched new stores in Hubli, Chandigarh and Ranchi this month and stores in Kapurthala, Bathinda and Barnala are scheduled to open in June.
As part of our aggressive expansion strategy, we aim to further enhance our COCO store presence while also inviting franchise partners to help us scale into Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns.
| Both small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large manufacturers play crucial roles; SMEs offer agility and personalised service, while larger manufacturers provide the scale necessary for high-volume demands. |
AR: Take us through your sourcing and vendor consolidation strategy
SC: Currently, 85 per cent of our supply chain is based in India. We have closely collaborated with these local factories to enhance their capabilities, allowing them to effectively support the dynamic needs of our omnichannel business. Local sourcing helps us significantly cut down on delivery timelines, ensuring that products reach the market faster. It also gives us greater control over quality, as our in-house teams conduct inspections at various stages of production. This ensures that each garment meets our standards. Additionally, local sourcing allows us to manage production minimums effectively, enabling smaller batch runs and quick corrective actions when needed. Our vendor consolidation strategy is closely aligned with our sales channel requirements, ensuring our supply chain remains flexible and efficient. We collaborate with manufacturers of all sizes, choosing partners based on their ability to meet the specific needs of our operations. Both small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large manufacturers play crucial roles; SMEs offer agility and personalised service, while larger manufacturers provide the scale necessary for high-volume demands.
AR: What key areas of vendor support do you offer and how has this helped maintain a robust supply chain?
SC: We support our partners in meeting operational standards by offering comprehensive guidance in several key areas. First, we help improve their technical know-how, enabling them to upscale their factories effectively. We provide quality assistance and checks from raw material procurement to finished product evaluation, ensuring high standards are consistently met. Additionally, we work closely with our partners to source the best materials at competitive prices, enhancing both quality and cost-efficiency. We also offer technological support to them.
AR: What’s your advice for aspiring entrepreneurs given the high 80 per cent failure rate in businesses?
SC: To navigate this competitive landscape, it is crucial to base your venture on robust data. Thoroughly research and validate your idea to ensure it meets a real market need. Confidence in your concept is essential. Keep pushing forward, but also remain grounded by conducting regular reality checks and assessing the demand. While failure can be a powerful learning tool, it’s important to manage risk wisely. Implement new ideas on a small scale initially. Remember, each challenge is an opportunity to refine your strategy and build resilience.
