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          Features > Trade Fairs/Events
Untitled Document

 

Indian Origin Importers Make Hay While ‘MAGIC’ Shines

On the first level of the North Hall at MAGIC women’s sportswear, dresses, casual, resort, swimwear and juniors’ displays were a buzzing and colourful section. Along one of the sides were the many Indian importers with their colourful Indian inspired goods like skirts, blouses, kurtas, tops and children’s wear doing brisk business. Getting to talk to them was difficult at times, as buyers thronged their stands to place quick orders for Spring/Summer 2006, giving a strong indication that Indian fashion will still be steaming hot in the coming year.

Harry Singh of Four Seasons from Miami has been importing for the past 12 years and the two main countries are China for jeans and India for skirts and tops. His label Splash is sold to boutiques and stores in the USA and the Caribbean islands. At US$ 6 for a skirt, Singh takes a minimum order for 24 pieces for tiered crepe skirts. His experience of dealing with Indians suppliers from Jaipur and Mumbai has been a bit shaky as he remarks.

Harry Singh of Four Seasons with his collection of skirts

“Indians’ commitment to quality and time frame is still unreliable. China gives in half the time all the things India specialises in. China too is making skirts in better designs and quality. The price is the same.” However, he agrees that Indian quality is gradually improving now and for Spring/Summer 2006, Indian goods were big business for him. “We ordered one container load from India,” informs Singh, who had a stream of buyers from Australia, Mexico, Canada and USA who will add to his $ 2.7 mn annual turnover.

Three years in the business Zubin Navani of Zani Group has three labels – Deja Vou for Junior boys, the Zani Private Label and Delicia for Juniors girls. With a turnover of $ 6 mn Navani buys ladies’ contemporary sportswear from India, Bali and China.

“In India we buy from Udaipur, Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur. But I feel the South is easier to deal with since they are more professional. Delhi is more on a street-smart level. Although 60% of our business is from India and our orders range from 1200-120,000 pieces, we have delivery problems,” he complains. Zani Group supplies to high-end boutiques and stores like Marshall Fields and Nordstrom. “We are always looking out for new vendors in India,” he adds.

The husband and wife team of Arun and Vinamrata Mehta’s stand was colourful with skirts and blouses from India. In business since 6 years, they buy from India, China and Thailand. “In India it is mainly Delhi and Jaipur where we buy our ladies garments but we are interested in expanding to the South. India’s plus point is no quota but China’s is quality,” reveals Vinamrata. “We normally order 50,000 pieces per supplier and our presence at the MAGIC Fair was very fruitful. We got buyers from Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Bahamas and local boutiques in the USA. We supply to Department stores, Ashley Stewart Co Ltd., catalogue companies and commodity stores,” adds Vinamrata whose company turnover is $ 2 mn. “We have been participating in MAGIC for the past three years, and added on four new department stores and we also export to Barbados,” reveals Arun Mehta.

While all the importers at MAGIC were very loyal to India and wanted to buy from their motherland, all of them had problems either in pricing, delivery or, at times, quality.

For Raj Kapoor of Raj Imports it was a busy four days, as his tiny stand was visited by buyers from the USA. It was difficult to chat with him as he wrote down orders for his collection of skirts and tops.

“I have been in business for the past four years and import from India and Thailand. But India still does not adhere to timely deliveries and quality. When one asks for a cheaper price that does not mean that the quality has to be reduced,” bemoans Kapoor who imported at times 15,000-20,000 pieces every 15 days for department stores, boutiques in the USA giving him a turnover of US$ 6 mn.

“This is our first MAGIC fair though we participate in 12 fairs a year, we had nearly 50 buyers whose response for women’s skirts and tops was excellent.”


Raj and Nina Sharma content with their participation at MAGIC

Raj Kapoor of Raj Imports and Rilla Ledermann enjoying the feel of the fair

For Raj and Nina Sharma, the Magic fair was profitable having participated in it for the past 8 years. “We had nearly 100 buyers from USA, Mexico, Canada and Australia and 80% will turn into business. We also participate in other trade shows in USA and Mexico and sell to boutiques and chain stores in Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela giving the company a $ 5 mn per year turnover. Skirts are the hot item that we have sold for Spring/Summer 2006 but supplies from India are not on time and this year was particularly bad because of the floods,” added the Sharmas.

Many of the stands like Papillon were the hottest spots of the women’s wear section. Run by two sisters-in-law, Rama and Bhajeet Singh Malik (the former runs the Canadian office and the latter the Los Angeles division with a showroom in  New York), Papillon is probably one of the oldest importers starting business in Canada in 1972 and in Los Angeles in 1979. Importing from India,  Indonesia, China and Philippines, the Papillon stand was one of the biggest at the Magic Fair amongst the Indian importers and crowded with nearly 200 buyers, who all placed orders.

“We have been participating for the past ten years in MAGIC and supply to stores like Robinson May, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Ardenb, etc. In Canada we have more boutique sales. In most cases we accept orders of 300 pieces per colour and right now there is a lot of demand for Indian goods from countries like South America, Ecuador, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Spain. But while we buy from India; China is the best for deliveries,” inform the Singhs whose $ 10 mn per annum turnover is mainly from their own designs created twice a year.

Although China is giving India tough competition on all fronts – even in the skirts and kurtas section with better quality and pricing - many Indian importers are turning to India for supplies because of the designing and value addition that the country can offer.


Zubin Navani of Zani Group

Andy Mahtani with his products

In the USA for the past 20 years, Andy Mahtani started the company in 1987 and commenced importing from India in 1989. “But we stopped in 1991 and went to Indonesia since Indian quality was bad. Indonesia gave us good prices, styling and quality and so our USA buyers wanted to stick to Indonesia,” revealed Mahtani. But with India being the flavour of the year and Indian skirts and tops being in demand, he bought again from Delhi and Jaipur in 2004. Mahtani realised that Indian exporters were now too busy, although not very expensive. “Skirt prices range from $ 18-39 but the average price for a good skirt is between $20-30. Right now, we are  buying mostly skirts and kurtas from India although delivery is a problem. Quality, however, is no longer an issue.

Earlier garments were received smelling of kerosene,” he added. Magic is a regular fair for Mahtani since 1996 and this  time his list of buyers numbered 50-60, mostly from the USA and Canada. “We have sold to Mexico, Canada and private labels and will have a 20% increase in turnover, but now getting the price we want is difficult. Earlier we would bring a new item and could demand our price. Now we can only get good prices if there is more value addition.” Mahtani is looking out for good Indian exporters who are willing to work with him regularly. “We give our own designs and our designers visit India twice a year.” The Indian look will last till Spring/Summer 2006 then hopefully something else will emerge, he feels. “China too is making skirts and their quality and packaging is superior and they are more professional in their business dealings. We are a medium size company. We don’t do container loads but we are very design and style conscious,” he ends.

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