1

Study of the ‘core collection’ of ARROW and

its competitors and perform a comparative

analysis of the brands.

Submitted to

Mr.BHASKAR DAS

Pearl Academy

The Department of Creative Business

In partial fulfillment of

Post Graduation Diploma in Fashion Business

(Merchandising)

By

Sonali Mathur

[2014 - 2016]

2

DECLARATION

This is to certify that project Report entitled “the study of the ‘core collection’ of the brand

and its competitors and perform a comparative analysis of the brands.” submitted to the

department of PG Fashion Business (Merchandising), Pearl Academy, is a record of an

original work done by me under the guidance of Mrs. Swati Singh, my mentor and this

project is submitted in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree

of Post Graduation Diploma in Fashion Business(Merchandising). The results embodied in

this work have not been submitted to any other University or Institute for the award of any

degree or diploma.

Name of the Student: Sonali Mathur

Signature:

3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

S.NO CONTENTS PAGE

Acknowledgements 1

Chapter – 1

1 Arvind Lifestyle Brands Limited 2

2 Vision, mission and values 3

3 Arrow 4

4 Market mix 5

5 Major customers 17

6 Department structure 21

7 Organization structure 24

8 Corporate social responsibility 25

9 Compliance 26

Chapter – 2

10 S.W.O.T analysis 28

11 P.E.S.T analysis 30

12 Critical analysis 33

Chapter – 3

13 Day to day work 34

14 Chapter – 4

15 Project proposal 38

16 Literature review 41

17 Research methodology 43

18 Results and discussions 44

19 Probable suggestions 60

Chapter – 5

20 Reflection 62

Annexure 64

References 66

4

TABLE OF FIGURES

S.NO CONTENTS PAGE

Chapter – 1

1 Fig:1 Arrow sales 17

Chapter – 4

2 Fig:2 Research methodology 39

3 Fig:3 Age 47

4 Fig:4 Most preferred formal shirts 48

5 Fig:5 Characteristics not liked in formal shirts 50

6 Fig:6 Most preferred casual shirts 50

7 Fig:7 Characteristics not liked in casual shirts 51

8 Fig:8 Pocket on a casual shirt 52

9 Fig:9 Collar 53

10 Fig:10 Cuff 54

5

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The successful accomplishment of any task is incomplete without acknowledging the

contributing personalities who both assisted & inspired & lead us to way of success. Firstly, I

would like to express my deep sense of gratitude and sincere thanks to the faculty of PEARL

ACADEMY OF FASHION for providing me an opportunity to discover the corporate world

from a closer perspective. I also thank M/S ARVIND LIFESTYLE BRANDS LTD.product

development head, MS. SAYEEDA BEGUM, my internal guide for this project to whom I

am deeply grateful for her constant support and guidance. I take this opportunity to extend

my sincere gratitude to MR. JESSE OWANCE, senior product developer and MS. MAENGI

KHAWLHRING, junior product developer, who made my internship a wonderful experience.

I convey my gratitude to all the staff of “ARVIND LIFESTYLE BRANDS LTD.” for their

kind cooperation throughout my project. I would also like to thank everyone who contributed

in any manner to this project.

6

Chapter - 1

ARVIND LIFESTYLE BRANDS LTD. was founded by the Lalbhai brothers in 1931 in

Ahmadabad, Gujrat. Back then, it was one of the few companies who started with spinning

and weaving facilities in addition to dyeing, bleaching, mercerizing and finishing. The

company, slowly and gradually started producing high quality fabrics and eventually became

the most successful textile unit in India. (arvindbrands.com, 2016)

ARVIND earned huge profits even when the textile markets were undergoing severe

downfall as large quantities of inexpensive fabrics were being produced. Soon ARVIND

became a global company and manufactured and accepted only high quality goods. ARVIND

joined hands with and produced for international brands like Arrow, Izod, Gant, Ed Hardy,

Calvin Klien and for domestic brands like Flying Machine, New Port, Excalibur, etc.

(arvindbrands.com, 2016)

Since the markets had shifted from producing synthetic to cotton fabrics, cottons became the

largest and the fastest growing category. In the year 1987 – 88, ARVIND BRANDS entered

exports for two sections – Denims and fashion wear and high quality cottons. In 1991,

ARVIND became the largest producer of denim in the world. (arvindbrands.com, 2016)

Source: Author

7

VISION, MISSION AND VALUES

Vision:

Our Vision is ‘Enriching Lifestyles’.

We will enable people to experience a better quality of life by providing enriching and

inspiring lifestyle solutions. (arvindbrands.com, 2016)

Mission:

We are driven by collective excitement and resolve to be the market leader in chosen market

segments by 2020. (arvindbrands.com, 2016)

Values:

Service: Putting the needs of our customers & consumers first.

Speed: Act quickly and decisively to get things done efficiently.

Stretch: Reach for things that are difficult to attain with strong ‘will do’ attitude.

Innovation: Driven by out of the box thinking and new ways of working.

Living the Brand: Being a ‘proud ambassador’ by personifying the brand values and

principles.

Care: Respect and dignity for the individual and well being of employees above

anything else.

Collaborate: Collaborate to learn from each other &leverage on each other strengths

and learning. (arvindbrands.com, 2016)

8

ARROW was founded in 1851 by Ebenezer Brown. He started manufacturing detachable

collars in the back of his general store in Troy, NY. Before the brand was named ARROW, it

was known as Cluett, Peadbody & Co. in 1894. (arvindbrands.com, 2016)

As times changed, people became more fashion conscious and ARROW provided the

product, fabric and fit the customers demanded. The best white shirts reached the peak in

50’s. ARROW, which is known as an innovation brand to this day, caters to the specific

needs of the customers keeping the authentic American style in mind. This was the driving

force of the brands success. The brand came under the ownership of PVH Corp. in 2004.

(J.Plones.de, 2016)

ARROW is licensed in 122 countries and has stores in 222 cities in India.

USP: Quality and finish is the brand’s USP. Arrow is famous for its ultra- formal shirts. The

brand experiments with its collars. ARROW came up with the concept of detachable collars.

Source: Author

9

MARKET MIX

PRODUCT

ARROW has a unique range of product mix. ARROW ensures that the quality and style of

products is maintained. Its quality is its differentiating factor. This is how it has been able to

grab a market of loyal customers. It offers products for men and women that include apparel

and accessories. The USP of ARROW is its collars. The fabrics used are: 100% cotton, linen

and silk.

Women’s wear:

Shirts and blouses

Tops

Sweaters

Dresses

Trousers

Skirts

Blazers and jackets

Men’s wear:

Shirts

Polos and tees

Suits and blazers

Trousers

Accessories:

Ties

Socks

Pocket squares

Handkerchiefs

Cuff links

10

PRICE

PRODUCT PRICE FABRIC

Women’s wear

Shirts and blouses

Tops

Dresses

Trousers

Skirts

Blazers and jackets

Sweaters

1299 – 2099

1499 – 1899

2699 – 3999

1899 – 2499

1699 – 2099

2999 – 6499

1899 – 3499

Cotton, crepe, chiffon

Georgette, cotton, crepe

Viscose, cotton, georgette

Poly viscose spandex, cotton

spandex

Poly viscose lycra

Cotton knit, artificial leather

Viscose cotton spandex

Men’s wear

Shirts

Core

Formals (White Label,

President)

New York

Sport

Trousers

Core

Formals (White Label,

President)

New York

Sport

Suits and blazers

Suits

Blazers

Legacy

Polo and tees

1299 – 2599

1599 – 2999

1799 – 2599

1599 – 2999

1499 – 2499

1699 – 7999

1999 – 2999

1699 – 2999

7999 – 20000

3999 – 11999

20999 – 40000

899 – 2999

100% cotton, linen, cotton –

lycra blends

Cotton, linen, silk, cotton –

silk blends

Cotton, cotton knit

Cotton

Poly viscose wool, linen

Poly viscose, 100% wool,

linen, poly viscose lycra

100% wool, linen, poly

viscose

100% cotton, poly cotton,

cotton lycra, linen

100% wool, wool silk,

tarelene rayon, poly viscose

Poly wool, wool rich

100% poly wool

Cotton knit

Accessories

Ties

Socks

Pocket squares

Handkerchiefs

Cuff links

11

LOOKBOOK

Source: (http://www.arrowlife.com/collection/arrow-woman/red-alert)

Women’s

Georgette Dobby

Dress

2699 – 3999

12

Source: (http://www.arrowlife.com/collection/arrow-woman/glam-glam-glamour)

Women’s Cotton

Top

2699 – 3999

Women’s Lace

Skirt

1699 – 2099

13

Source: (http://www.arrowlife.com/collection/arrow-woman/power-pinstripes)

Women’s Cotton

Spandex Trousers

1899 – 2499

Women’s Cotton

Knit Blazer

2999 – 6499

14

Source: (http://www.arrowlife.com/collection/arrow-new-york/freshly-brewed)

New York Cotton

Shirts

1799 – 2599

15

Source: (http://www.arrowlife.com/collection/arrow-sport/the-chord-master)

Men’s 100%

Cotton Trousers

1699 – 2999

Sport Cotton

Shirts

1599 – 2999

16

Source: (http://www.arrowlife.com/collection/arrow-formals/artsy-armour)

Men’s Wool Silk

Suits & Blazers

7999 - 11999

Formals Cotton

Shirts

1599 – 2999

17

Source: (http://www.arrowlife.com/collection/arrow-sport/the-perfect-tune)

Men’s Cotton

Knit Polos and

Tees

899 – 2999

18

PLACE

Distribution (place) is providing the product at a place which is convenient for consumers to

access. Various strategies such as intensive distribution, selective distribution, exclusive

distribution and franchising can be used by the marketer to complement the other aspects of

the marketing mix.

ARROW doesn’t produce its products in-house. They are outsourced from Bangalore

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and China. ARROW has its warehouse in Bangalore and various

distribution centers across the country.

ARROW started as an exporter of shirts and till today it is exporting to various countries,

some of which are – Sri Lanka, Nepal, Costa Rica and Germany. ARROW’S products are

available online for customers on Jabong.com, Myntra.com, Flipkart.com and Snapdeal.com

To distribute its products nationally, ARROW has stores in 222 cities in India which are

Ahmedabad, Bengalaru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Noida, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Udaipur,

Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Kochin, Lucknow to name a few.

19

PROMOTION

The brand believes that the products speak for themselves. Communication for ARROW is

completely consumer driven. ARROW used to do mobile marketing when the stitchless shirts

were introduced but since the customer is aware of the product now, the brand has

discontinued mobile advertising. The brand depends on print media like newspapers and

magazines (Harper’s Bazaar, GQ India). The brand also uses social media as its medium for

communication i.e. Facebook, Instagram where it posts its latest collection in order to inform

its customers about the new developments.

ARROW – Instagram

20

ARROW - Facebook

21

MAJOR CUSTOMERS

Fig: 1 Arrow sales

Source: Author

M/S ARROW LIFESTYLE BRANDS LTD. hosts I-Summit and Road shows half yearly

every year for various buyers nationally and internationally for booking orders for the

respected season. This year, the company developed ‘AUTUMN WINTER 16’ collection

and held an I-Summit in Bangalore on 11.Jan.2016 to 15.Jan.2016 for their key accounts like

Splash, Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Central and Arvind Brands EBOs and MBOs. Maximum

sales i.e., 37% sales depend on key accounts.

After I-Summit, e-commerce giants like Myntra.com, Flipkart.com, Snapdeal.com,

Amazon.com and Jabong.com book large number of orders for their online sales. But the e-

retailers contribute only 7% to their total sales.

An ARROW Road show is where all the collections for the upcoming season (AW16) are

exhibited and the buyers from various MBOs and EBOs visit and place orders. The MBOs

contribute 26% and EBOs 30% to ARROW’s annual sales. The first Road show was held in

Bangalore on 27.Jan.2016 to 31.Jan.2016 and the second Road show was in Delhi on

05.Feb.2016 to 09.Feb.2016.

I got the opportunity to attend I-Summit and road show held in Bangalore on 27.Jan.2016.

Our first customer was Central and my responsibility was to explain our range to them and

Key accounts37%

MBO26%

Online7%

EBO30%

ARROW SALES

22

help them place orders. Since I was handling Formals (President and White Label), I

introduced them to various innovations the brand had come up with (360° series, travel series

and must buys) and booked their orders. I got to interact with Lifestyle on the second day and

my responsibilities were the same. On 29th, I was in charge on New York and I helped

Shoppers Stop to place orders and EBOs and MBOs on 31st for Sports category.

The production heavily depends on these road shows as they determine the total number of

shirts to be produced. The buyers would fill in the order form mentioning the number/ratio of

the merchandize they desire. A copy of this form would be submitted to the ARROW office.

Usually, various MBOs and EBOs from Chennai, Tirupur, Kerala, Hyderabad, Kukatpally,

Bangalore, New Delhi, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Nepal, Costa Rica and etc. visit ARROW

Road shows.

23

Splash stickers

(Source: Author)

24

Snapdeal.com stickers

(Source: Author)

25

DEPARTMENT STRUCTURE

ARVIND BRANDS, slowly, in coming years, got into a partnership with different major

brands and produces high quality for those brands. Brands like ARROW, IZOD, HANES, ED

HARDY, MEGAMART, GAP, FLYING MACHINE, ELLE, US POLO ASSN, GANT,

CHEROKEE, EXCALIBUR and NAUTICA are some of the fastest growing apparel brands

in India.

Gap was founded in 1969 in San Francisco. The collection was designed to build the

foundation of modern wardrobes. Gap opened its first international store in London in 1987.

There are 1700 retail stores around the world. Gap caters apparels and accessories to women,

men, kids and also includes maternity clothing (GapMaternity). Arvind Brands announced

the addition of Gap in its list of brands in 2015. (arvindbrands.com, 2016)

Elle is the largest selling fashion magazine in the world. It belongs to a France based

Lagardere Active group which was established in 2012 with Arvind Brands as the license

holder. The collection includes apparels and accessories (shoes and bags). (arvindbrands.com,

2016)

Don Ed Hardy is considered to be the godfather of tattoo artistry. He licensed his art designs

to be made into clothing line. Hardy quickly became the most sought after designer when in

2002, he stepped into the fashion space. (edhardyoriginals.com, 2016)

Source: Google images

26

U.S. Polo Assn. brand products are authentic and officially sanctioned by the United States

Polo Association, the governing body for the sport of polo in the United States since 1890.

The brand sells in over 135 countries. The brand carries clothing for men, women and

children as well as accessories, luggage, watches, shoes and more. (uspoloaanglobal.com,

2016)

In 1914, Bernard Gantmacher worked night shift to finance his studies in New York. His job

was to sew shirt collars and very soon he was recognized as a skilled shirt maker. He labeled

his shirts with a diamond ‘G’ to mark its authenticity. (arvindbrands.com, 2016)

In the Arrow department at Arvind Brands, each one of the departments mentioned below

corresponds to the business function

MD

IT

LEGAL

FINANCE PD

DESIGN

R & D HR &

ADMIN.

27

Source: Author

Source: Google images

OPERATIONS

(LOGISTICS)

(L

MARKETING

& SALES

COMMUNIC

ATION

SAMPLING

UNIT

28

ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

Source: Author

Mr. Venkatramani K.

(COO)

Ms. Sayeeda Begum

(Product development head)

Mr. Jesse Owance

(Senior product developer)

Ms. Maengi Khawlhring

(Junior product developer)

Mr. Punit Chauhan

(General manager)

Sonali Mathur

(Intern)

29

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

ARVIND has joined hands with various collaborations which together work on the

betterment of the society. The organization believes that the company would improve its

functioning by improving its environment. (arvind.com, 2016)

Education:

ARVIND BRANDS has contributed tremendously towards improving the schools in

Ahmadabad through SHARDA trust. Almost 900 students each year benefit from English,

mathematics and computer education at the three learning centers which are equipped with

top notch facilities. (arvind.com, 2016)

Upgrading slums:

The slums which housed 3% of the city’s population has been upgraded by ARVIND

BRANDS in partnership with Ahmadabad Municipal Corporation. These people lived in

most disadvantaged circumstances. Approximately 1200 people were provided clean

surrounding, clean drinking water and proper sanitation facility in individual house.

(arvind.com, 2016)

Vocational Training:

ARVIND initiated vocational training programmes to enhance and develop the skill of

unemployed youth and help them take up garment operative jobs within ARVIND and other

garment manufacturing firms in Ahmedabad. In another initiative, ARVIND organized

programmes in English and computer application to equip students with relevant knowledge

and skills and find suitable job openings for them. This enables the students to seek better

employment and function effectively in their respective organizational roles. (arvind.com,

2016)

30

COMPLIANCE

There are various licenses that one needs to have to run an organization. M/S ARVIND

LIFESTYLE BRANDS holds two licenses for their operations.

Trade license:

Trade license is issued by the government to allow the organization to carry out the business

it is issued for. It does not give the organization the ownership of any form and the license

shouldn’t be used for carrying out any other form of business.

‘Aparijita’, a labor compliance consultancy in India, is responsible for issuing labor and trade

license for M/S ARVIND LIFESTYLE BRANDS LTD. The labor inspector visits the store

and hands over an observation copy called ‘Type B’ to the management. If the organization

doesn’t obtain the trade license, a notice is issued where the organization has 7 – 14 days to

maintain the license. If the organization still doesn’t work on it, second notice is issued where

2 – 7 days are given to maintain. After the third notice, the concerned person is arrested after

3 days.

Trade license has one year warranty and should be renewed every five years.

PPL license (music licensing for business):

Every organization needs a PPL license to play music at public places such as stores, offices,

restaurants, NGOs and even dance classes. This gives the license holder permission to play

music at their organization. Music that doesn’t have copyrights term does not require PPL

license.

Contract labor act:

Display of abstract on the notice board: There are certain abstracts that an organization

follows which is mandatory to be displayed at the cash counter in front of the store and head

office. This depends on the headcount of the organization. These abstracts are:

Abstract of minimum wages

Abstract of gratuity

Abstract of maternity benefit

Abstract of payment of bonus act

31

360 days exemption license gives the store the authority to be open on all days. Every

employee is given an off every week which is not fixed and differs from employee to

employee.

M/S ARVIND LIFESTYLE BRANDS LTD. conducts monthly, half yearly, quarterly audits

in order to evaluate information, verify errors, frauds and inefficiencies at any given time.

32

Chapter – 2

S.W.O.T ANALYSIS

SWOT analysis is a structured planning method used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities and threats involved in a project or in a business venture. A SWOT analysis

can be carried out for a product, place, industry or person. It involves specifying the objective

of the business venture or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are

favorable and unfavorable to achieve that objective.

S.W.O.T analysis for ARROW was carried out and the result is:

Strengths:

Arrow caters to the needs of both men and women. There are 222 exclusive stores in

India and the sales also heavily depend on numerous online portals like jabong.com,

flipkart.com, snapdeal.com, etc..

The biggest strength of ARROW is that there is a huge brand equity and awareness of

the brand. ARROW offers excellent products to its customers in terms of quality and

the market reach. ARROW is known as an innovation brand. It has a premium brand

image.

Weakness:

Availability of similar options offered to the customer by other brands like ZODIAC,

ALLEN SOLLY, LOUIS PHILLIP, etc., brand loyalty is less and the chances of

switching the brand are high. Tough competition also means limited market share.

Opportunities:

The biggest opportunity for the brand is that customers are constantly upgrading

themselves, as the standard of living is improving and more people now prefer

branded and premium shirts.

ARROW can have tie-ups with offices and various other corporate firms to promote

them. Since the dealer base is small, the brand can build personal connection with its

customers.

33

Threats:

One of the biggest threats ARROW faces is competition from other brands in the

market. Less differentiation in the prices of ARROW and its competitors leads to

disloyalty to the brand.

34

P.E.S.T ANALYSIS

Political:

There are various political factors like import restrictions, tax policy, employment laws, etc.

which regulate the businesses in the country.

Import restrictions:

There are over fifty national laws and various state level laws. The Indian government

ensures protection for workers through these laws. The Indian employment laws are divided

into two categories:

Factories

Shops and establishment act

There are various other laws which deal with labor issues. A few of them are:

Minimum wages act 1948

Payment of wages act 1936

Industrial disputes act 1947

Import restrictions:

Tariffs:

Tariffs are additional taxes levied on foreign imports which make foreign import too

expensive or not competitive enough. This leads to fewer choices of goods or less quantity of

goods for consumers.

The local producers take advantage and sell their products at higher prices since there is less

competition. There consumer faces lesser supply levels and high prices which prevents them

to spend less on other goods. Also, if they invest on higher priced imported goods, it forces

them to buy less of other goods, ultimately lowering the purchasing power of the customers.

35

Quota:

Quota is when only a restricted quantity is allowed to be imported into the country. It is more

dangerous than tariff because even if the consumer is ready to pay higher price for a

commodity, it can’t be imported above the set limit. Quota gives more protection to the

domestic producers against importers.

Economical:

India runs on federal form of government where the government encourages free

business through variety of programs. On February 2016, the central excise duty was

rounded off to 12.5% from 12.36%.

For 2015 – 2016 fiscal year, the government estimated growth at 7.6% which is

higher than 7.2% in previous year. GDP annual growth rate in India is reported by the

Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation.

According to the government of India data, India’s per capita income during 2015 –

2016 is likely to grow by 6.2% per month. This data was released by the Central

Statistics Office (CSO).

The CSO claims that the government should take measures in the upcoming budget.

The better performance in the current fiscal ending is being attributed to improved

manufacturing growth.

India is the world’s twelfth largest economy by Purchasing power parity adjusted

exchange rates. The new reforms led to easier international trade and investment,

privatization, deregulation, inflation controlling measures and tax reforms.

Social:

Social environment consists of the society’s beliefs, customs and practices. There are two

types of social environments which affects the functions of a business.

In order for a business to function smoothly, the organization needs to stabilize its social

environment. External social environment: A business needs to adapt to its external

environment or it will not survive. An organization should be aware of the society’s needs,

customs and beliefs. If it doesn’t adapt to its social preferences, the business will go down.

But sometimes the preferences might be so large that the organization cannot adapt. In such

36

cases, the organization can promote itself by means of marketing and promotions. The

fashion industry is a prime example.

Internal social environment: Every business has its own set of values and norms that it

adheres to. These norms are unique to the organization. In order for a business to run

smoothly, it needs to build a strong and productive organization structure. To maintain a

stable and positive culture, an organization should ensure that any hostility or relations

between the employees or any other dysfunction should be corrected.

Technological:

Technology can transform a business into a success or failure.

With the help of technology, an organization can adapt, control and even change the

environment. Technology can further be categorized into two types – products and processes.

Technological products are physical commodities for customer’s consumption. A

technological process is a method or a process to produce goods or services.

Technological innovations lead to efficiency which reduces price margins. It makes business

more competitive. With innovations in process, certain products are possible that are

otherwise impossible with older technology. Thus technology leads to development and

economic growth.

37

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

M/S ARVIND LIFESTYLE BRANDS LTD. belongs to the Lalbhai brothers and was

founded in 1931. The company has its headquarters in Ahmadabad, Gujarat and has a branch

in Bangalore, Karnataka.

I started my internship on 4.January.2016 in Bangalore as a product developer under the

mentorship of Ms.Sayeeda Begum who is the product development head for ARROW. I also

reported to Mr.Jesse Owance who was the senior product developer and Ms.Maengi

Khawlhring who was the junior product developer for ARROW. The brand had four

divisions: woven, knits, trousers and suits and blazers. I was working in the woven division.

A meeting was held every Monday where the progress of the company and development

strategies was discussed.

The design team picked inspiration from wgsn.com and various other websites and developed

designs for all categories (President, White Label, New York and Sport). Mr.Venu developed

CADs and was also responsible developing fabrics at mills. Three sets of CADs were made

and handed over to the product development team who then made two sets of fabric indents

for international and local mills. The third copy was put in the master file and was kept for

reference for the future.

ARVIND believes in contributing to the society. The company is part of many CSR programs

like the Sharda trust, uplifting slums, education and vocational training.

Interning at ARVIND was an enriching experience. My seniors were very corporative and

helpful. My mentor, Ms.Sayeeda Begum and other mentors extended great help in shaping

my project.

38

Chapter – 3

DAY TO DAY WORK

Date of joining: 4th January 2016

Name and address of the company: Arvind Lifestyle Brands Pvt. Ltd.

Name of the mentor: Ms. Sayeeda Begum

Email id of the mentor: sayeedab@arvindbrands.co.in

I started my internship on 4/Jan/2016 at M/S ARVIND LIFESTYLE BRANDS LTD.,

Bangalore.

On the first day, I got involved in the I - Summit and Roadshow preparations. The I - Summit

was from 11/Jan/2016 to 15/Jan/2015. The Roadshow held in Bangalore was from

27/Jan/2016 and in Delhi; it was from 5/Feb/2016.

My responsibilities involved maintaining swatch cards and samples for the Roadshow. I got

an opportunity to interact with ARVIND’s key accounts like SHOPPERS STOP,

LIFESTYLE, SPLASH and CENTRAL and getting the bookings for the orders done.

I participated in the I - Summit and Roadshow which was held in Bangalore.

From 18/Jan/2016 to 22/Jan/2016, e-commerce brands like myntra.com, amazon.com,

jabong.com, flipkart.com and snapdeal.com booked order quantities for ARROW at

ARVIND LIFESTYLE BRANDS LTD. Amazon.com was the first customer and my

responsibilities included taking them through the collection and explaining the range to the

buyers and guiding them to book orders.

I participated in the Roadshow where I got an opportunity to interact with the buyers from

various EBOs and MBOs. I had to brief them about the collection (theme) and ensure

maximum order booking. I would handle a different category each day (New York, President,

White Label, Sports) to have better understanding about the buying behavior of the buyers. I

also got a chance to interact with buyers and grow contacts.

39

The Bangalore road show got over on 30th Jan 2016 and preparations for the Delhi roadshow

which was to held on 4/Feb/2016, commenced soon after. All the shirts were packed in boxes

and handed over to the logistics team to be shipped to Delhi. A few of the high-priced shirts

had to be packed to be hand carried to Delhi for the roadshow.

After the handover for shipment, we received a new set of swatches for the EOSS* (sales)

which had to be recorded and filed. I was responsible for making and printing a fresh set of

MRP and barcode stickers for the Delhi roadshow merchandise which was going to be hand

carried by my mentor Ms. Sayeeda Begum and her team to Delhi. Towards the end of the

week, I had a meeting with the PD head, Mr.Puneet Chauhan regarding the project and did a

research on ARROW core shirts and learnt about the fabrics, price points and number of

options.

*EOSS: A new set of designs and swatches received exclusively for sale season.

I started my market survey by going to Garuda mall where I visited different stores and

interviewed the staff there about their merchandise. I understood their core collection in terms

of fabrics, fits, number of options and their loyal customers. Since every store was having an

‘end of sale’, the merchandise wasn’t arranged category wise and it became a little difficult to

do the survey. But the needed information could be extracted. I had to face the similar

situation in every store and in every location. During this course of time, I learnt that

ZODIAC was the most expensive; the price of core collection ranging from 2300/--3400/-

whereas ARROW is the most inexpensive; its starting price being 1199/-. I got an

opportunity to interview the store manager at LOUISE PHILIPPE at Indra Nagar who went

through product by product with me and explained the range to me which was fruitful.

The samples from the Delhi roadshow came in-house on Saturday. On Monday, the boxes of

Sports and New York category had to be unpacked. The following day, the Formals category

had to be unpacked and I had to get a few samples ironed and packed for a meeting with the

production team. On 24/Feb/2016, I had a meeting with Mr. Abhishek Gupta who handles

key accounts (Lifestyle, Shoppers stop, splash and Central) and Mr. Rakesh Choudhary who

is a senior visual merchandiser at ARVIND regarding my project. They helped me to

understand my project better and highlighted on the problem areas and asked me to do a

competitor analysis and build suggestions which are the ultimate scope of my project. I went

for market survey to LOUIS PHILIPPE, VAN HEUSEN stores and Forum mall in

Kormangala to do a thorough research on their products and observed:

40

Both brands had shirts made in Giza cotton or 2 ply cotton.

LOUIS PHILIPPE had mother of pearl buttons on their shirts.

On 26/Feb/2016, I compiled the data that I collected from stores and resources from various

journals and articles and framed my project work.

I went to the ARROW store on the Brigade road and interviewed the sales representatives

and a few customers who walked into the store. I interviewed the sales people regarding

customer’s needs, their loyal customers and customer’s and store’s feedback. I asked the

customers about the product and what brought them to ARROW and what change would they

want to see in ARROW merchandise. I did the same on 8/Mar/2016 at Orion mall. On

9/Mar/2016, I had to make 10 sets of swatch cards for NEW YORK category for

extrapolation. After completing the NEW YORK on 9/Mar/2016, I started with SPORTS

category on 10/Mar/2016 and continued making 10 sets of swatch cards for SPORTS

category on 10/Mar/2016.

Since the SPORTS category has 200 options, it took 4 days to complete the 10 sets of swatch

cards for extrapolation. On 17/Mar/2016, I worked on my questionnaire with my other

mentor Mr.Jesse Owance. I did a pilot run on my questionnaire by getting it filled by people

at work and made necessary changes. I went to the mall close to work to get it filled by

customers.

I had been given an ARROW ‘essentials’ chart which I needed to show to the customers and

get their opinion on what they liked and disliked and get their feedback. This got me direct

result to the objective of my project.

The MRP stickers for all four categories for the 10 sets of extrapolation cards had to me made

and they had to be put on NEW YORK and WHITE LABEL categories. On 23/Mar/2016, I

started with SPORTS category and finished it the following day. We received CADS for

NEW YORK category for SS17 on 25/Mar/2016. 3 sets of indents had to be made for the

mills. A copy for the mill in India, China and one for ARROW’s master file.

We started making mill indents for NEW YORK SS17. Set of three were made; one for

international mill (China) and one for Indian mill and a copy for master file. These indents

were filled in with fabric details i.e. count, construction, finish, weave, composition, mill ref.

number, etc. and the CAD or fabric swatch was attached to the indent along with the peg

41

plan. Did the same for other categories and made the master file (merchandizing file). All the

categories were finished by 1/Apr/2016.

SS17 SPORTS indent

(Source: Author)

42

Chapter – 4

PROJECT PROPOSAL

Synopsis/Introduction on the Project:

ARROW, founded in 1851 is an American brand which was founded by Ebenezer Brown.

The brand’s USP is its collars and ARROW is the only brand which came up with the

concept of detachable collars. Every year, the brand comes up with new collection in Sport,

White Label, President, New York and also new innovations i.e., This year ARROW

introduced the ‘baked’ collection; when the shirt is made, it is taped and baked which makes

it 100% wrinkle free and ‘360◦’ where the shirts are given four finishes (anti-microbial, UV

protection, water resistant, auto press). This is in the fashion category.

The core collection is nothing but the ‘basics’ collection which remains constant throughout

the year. A very small percentage of new designs are added or removed from the existing

collection. The aim is to understand the existing core collection in respect to fabric, design,

price points and fit and to understand the consumer’s behavior towards ARROW and its

competitors.

Project Title:

To do an in depth study of the ‘core’ collection of the brand ARROW.

Problem Statement:

The team wants to understand the brand and its key competitors and its ‘core’ collection’s

placement in the market.

Project Objectives (Purpose of proposed investigation):

To understand the current range of core that ARROW offers and suggest alterations to meet

customer expectations and to bring in parity with its competitors (Louise Philippe, Van

Heusen, Allen Solly, Zodiac). To study the NOS (never out of stock) and RCO (restricted

core order) which constitute the core collection. To understand the fabric, design aspect and

fit of the collection and compare with other brands.

Scope and Background of chosen title:

To understand the core and value products of ARROW.

43

To understand its competitors.

To do a comparative analysis between ARROW’s core collection and its competitor’s.

Research methodology:

Fig: 2 Research methodology

Project significance and value: The purpose of choosing this topic was to do a thorough

research and understand the core category of shirts at ARROW and its competitors. By

observing and understanding the competitor brands i.e. Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen

Solly and Zodiac, I was able to identify the problem areas and the gap and propose suitable

suggestions which I was able to draw from the interviews and survey. The significance of this

project is that by doing the competitor analysis, I was able to identify the placement of

S.NO OBJECTIVE RESEARCH

DESIGN

DATA COLLECTION

METHOD

RESEARCH

ANALYSIS

1. To study the CORE

shirts category of

ARROW brand in

depth.

Exploratory

research.

Secondary data: From

authenticated source.

Primary data: By

observing the store.

Qualitative

strategy.

2. To do competitor

analysis (Louis

Philippe, Van

Heusen, Zodiac,

Allen Solly).

Exploratory

research.

Primary research:

Interviewing the store

managers of the

competitor brands and

understanding their core

range.

Qualitative

strategy.

3. To study the

consumer behavior.

Descriptive

research.

Primary research:

Questionnaires filled by

a sample size of 100.

Quantitative

strategy.

4. To understand the

problem area and

give probable

suggestions.

Descriptive

research.

Secondary research:

Analyze questionnaire

results and the sales data

of the previous season

(AW15).

Quantitative

strategy.

44

ARROW in the market and also the customer’s behavior towards ARROW which helped me

to derive suitable suggestions and conclusions.

References: Initial list of bibliographic and Internet materials that would be used to complete

the project.

Statement of the Applicant:

I wish to carry out the dissertation on the basis of the proposal given in this format. I

undertake to abide by the general regulation of the institute.

Signature:

Date: 7.Feb.2016

Name of the Applicant: Sonali Mathur

Faculty Mentor Name; Mobile No. And E-Mail Id: Mrs.Swati Singh, + 91 8097389822,

swatisingh1404@gmail.com

Industry Mentor Name; Mobile No. and E-Mail Id: Ms. Sayeeda Begum,

sayeedab@arvindbrands.co.in

45

LITERATURE REVIEW

The fashion industry evolved over the last twenty five years when the fashion industry started

to grow (Djelic and Ainamo 1999). People have more disposable income, they are well

travelled and more fashion conscious. Customers want constant change in fashion. These

changing dynamics have forced fashion manufacturers and retailers to cater quality and

design in low cost along with speed to the market and strategies to sustain in the increasingly

demanding market (Doyle, Moore and Morgan, 2006). Thus, the concept of ‘throw away’ or

fast fashion came into existence (Bhardwaj and Fairhurst, 2009).

Keywords: Income, change, customers, marketing strategies, fast fashion

Traditionally, the fashion experts would do market research, understand customer’s demand

and forecast fashion trends long before the actual time of producing them in the market

(Guercini 2001). But in recent years, the industry has been competitive and the retailers

ensure that the merchandize reach the stores by rapidly producing latest fashion trends. This

was the driving force behind the increase in number of fashion seasons.

Today’s fashion market is highly competitive and there is a constant need to ‘refresh’ the

merchandize in the stores. Hence, the retail stores have the concept of seasons, which holds

the merchandize in the stores for a short time (spring/summer and autumn/winter). The life

cycle for any apparel has 4 stages – introduction in market, growth and acceptance,

maturation and decline. This pushes the customers to frequent the store as they come with the

idea ‘here today, gone tomorrow’. This indicates higher profit margin.

Fast fashion:

Fashion is an expression accepted by people. Considering this, the retailers demand high

impulse purchase, short life cycle and high market demand (Fernie and Sparks, 1998). In

order to earn maximum profits, the retailers have adapted to ‘speed to market’ theory where

they aim to produce the merchandize in the stores before their competitors. Customer

preferences and research on new trends which contribute to the product development increase

profit margin for retailers.

The fashion runways were the biggest inspiration for retailers. In addition to these, the

designers and fashion buyers picked inspiration from various fabrics and embellishments

exhibitions. But from 1999 onwards, fashion photographers would publish pictures of latest

46

trends and the customers would have ‘knock – offs’ of what they saw on the runways

(Mintle, 2008).

Literature above on fast fashion implies the customers are becoming more fashion savvy and

demand change which is forcing retailers to provide right product at the right time at the

market.

The given review serves the objective of the project – to understand the needs of the

customers and make alterations to the existing collection of the brand, to meet customer’s

expectations and to bring in parity with its competitors. This was achieved by doing a

thorough research of the brand and its competitors, understanding customer’s demands and

proposing probable suggestions to the brand to increase its sales and value.

47

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Objective 1

To study the CORE

shirts category of

ARROW brand in

depth.

Secondary data: From

authenticated source.

Primary data: By

observing the store.

Research Objective 2

To do competitor

analysis (Louis

Philippe, Van Heusen,

Zodiac, Allen Solly).

Primary research:

Interviewing the store

managers of the

competitor brands and

understanding their

core range.

Research Objective 3

To study the consumer

behavior.

Primary research:

Questionnaires filled

by a sample size of

100.

Research Objective 4

To understand the

problem area and give

probable suggestions.

Secondary research:

Analyze questionnaire

results and the sales

data of the previous

season (AW15).

48

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Research objective 1:

To study the CORE shirts category of ARROW brand in depth.

Secondary data: From authenticated source.

I got an opportunity to attend the I-Summit and roadshow in the month of January and

February where I was responsible for booking orders for brands like Lifestyle, Shoppers

Stop, Central, Jabong.com, Myntra.com, Snapdeal.com, etc... During this period, I learnt

about customer’s response for core shirts, i.e. their demand in the market. After the

roadshow, I referred the records of the previous seasons of all the core styles and I also got an

access to the sales data of last season (AW15) which helped me in understanding the sales

and demand of the range in the market.

34 35 36

Source: Author

49

ARROW core chart

(Source: Author)

50

Primary data: By observing the store.

Once I understood ARROW’s core range, I visited different ARROW EBOs and MBOs. The

presentation of the merchandise is in such a way that all the categories are displayed

separately. Similarly, the core collection was assembled together on racks. I interviewed the

store representatives and the customers regarding the product and the changes they would

like to see in the merchandise in the future.

Research objective 2:

To do competitor analysis (Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Zodiac, Allen Solly).

Primary research: Interviewing the store managers of the competitor brands and

understanding their core range.

I started my market research in February. The first store I visited was Louis Philippe in Indra

Nagar. I interviewed the store manager about the ‘essentials’, i.e. product, fabrics, price

points, number of options and customer preferences. I carried out competitor analysis by

examining the ‘essentials’ at every store (Zodiac, Allen Solly, Van Heusen and Louis

Philippe) and analyzed the placement of ARROW in the market and worked towards filling

the gap by giving probable suggestions. Many interviews with store managers, store

representatives and customers were carried out during the process.

Core collection at Van Heusen (Source: Author)

51

Research objective 3:

To study the consumer behavior.

Primary research: Questionnaires filled by a sample size of 100.

After doing the competitor analysis, I prepared a questionnaire keeping the objective of the

project in mind which would help in deriving the desired result. In the initial stages, several

pilot runs on the questionnaire were carried out before carrying out the final survey. The

questionnaire was filled by the sample size of hundred. The results were calculated and

documented.

Results:

1. Age:

Fig: 3 Age

Source: Author

Findings: Most of the people who participated in our survey were between the age bracket of

20 – 30 years.

52

2. Which three options of formal shirts do you prefer the most?

Fig: 4 Most preferred formal shirts

Source: Author

Findings: According to the survey, option 22 was the most preferred followed by option 30

and option 20.

53

Option 20:

ARES0324A-FS-POINT

100% Cotton

Fill – a – fill

50’s x 50’s.

Regular fit

Option 22: LAMC - AUTOPRESS

ARES0362A-FS-POINT

100% Cotton

Fill – a – fill

50’s x 50’s

Regular fit

Option 30: TRAVEL SERIES - TEFLON

ARES0856A-FS-SEMI

100% Cotton

Poplin

50’s x 50’s

Reglar fit

54

3. What didn’t you like about the formal category? (In terms of

color/fabric/design/price/other factors)

Fig: 5 Characteristics not liked in formal shirts

Source: Author

Findings: This shows that most of the people didn’t find the colors appealing (65.5%) and

then the designs (52.7%). Only 7.3% of people disliked the fabric.

4. Which two options of casual shirts do you prefer the most?

Fig: 6 Most preferred casual shirts

Source: Author

Findings: Option 36 (44.8%) was the most preferred style followed by option 39 (31%).

55

Option 39:

ARES0875-FS-POINT

100% Cotton

Yarn dyed checks

40’s x 40’s

Manhattan fit

Option 36:

ARES0866-FS-POINT

100% Cotton

Oxford

40’s x 40’s

5. What didn’t you like about the casual category? (In terms of

color/fabric/design/price/other factors)

Fig: 7 Characteristics not liked in casual shirts

Source: Author

Findings: Majority of the people didn’t like the color palette and then the design aspect.

56

6. Would you prefer having a pocket on a casual shirt?

Fig: 8 Pocket on a casual shirt

Source: Author

Findings: According to the survey, 62.7% of the people wanted pockets on the casual shirts

and 37.3% of the people didn’t.

57

7. What kind of collar do you prefer the most on a formal shirt?

Straight Cutaway Wing tip tuxedo

Fig: 9 Collars

Source: Author

Findings: Most of the people prefer having a straight collar (78.6%) on their formal shirts

Very few prefer wing tip tuxedo.

58

8. What kind of cuff do you prefer the most on a formal shirt?

1 button 2 button French

Fig: 10 Cuff

Source: Author

Findings: People prefer one button cuff above two button cuff and French cuff.

Research objective 4:

To understand the problem area and give probable suggestions.

Secondary research: Analyze questionnaire results and the sales data of the previous season

(AW15).

59

PRESIDENT:

Best white and black:

Problem area:

Competitor brands offer their best white and black in 2 ply cotton with a sheen finish.

Best white of the competitor has the highest whiteness with a CIE index of 156.

Suggestion: As PRESIDENT is the best range of formals at ARROW, the quality of the

shirts can be improved to bring them at par with its competitors. The fabrics can be improved

to 2 ply cotton or Giza cotton and various finishes can be incorporated. The fashion range at

ARROW consists of 360° series which has four finishes on a shirt (anti-microbial, UV

protection, water resistance, autopress) or a stain resistant finish can be added.

VAN HEUSEN’s best black and white (Source: Author)

Houndstooth option:

Problem area: The customer response for this option was good in terms of their preference

for the pattern. However, the response received for the color options available was very

diverse.

60

Out of the 3 options, option 4 was the most preferred, followed by option 3. Option 5 was not

accepted that well, in terms of its color.

Suggestion: The houndstooth pattern is exclusive to Arrow, and the pattern was well

received. Addition of colors would make the pattern more subtle to suit the formal range and

improve the response.

Linen option:

Problem area: The feedbacks on the linen option were very diverse in terms of colors

offered.

Competitor brands offer 100% linen option in the same price range (2399 – 2999).

Suggestion: The customer response to this option may progress, if the range is offered in

100% linen without a severe change in the prices. Addition of more colors to the will also

help.

WHITE LABEL:

Problem area: Arrow has the most inexpensive shirt in the core range starting from Rs.

1199/-

Starting range of competitors:

Louis Philippe – Rs. 1999/-

Zodiac - Rs. 1999/-

Van Heusen - Rs. 1899/-

Allen Solly – Rs. 1699/-

Picture source: Author

61

Suggestion: Providing a cheaper range may damage the reputation of the brand as customers

may not be able to associate it with the brand’s identity. Improving the current option in

terms of its fabric quality and finishes and slightly increasing the price to be at par with its

competitors is recommended.

Fill – a – fill option:

Problem area: The range of fill-a-fills of Rs.1699/- got a good response both according to

the questionnaire and according to the sales data.

This range is also in par with the prices offered by competitors and gives the added benefit of

having the LAMC (liquid ammonia moist cure) finish which no other brand offers at the

given price.

Suggestion: In addition to the existing color palette of Blues, Blacks and maroons, it will be

good to add few pastel colors to the range to increase its scope.

Checks on twill option:

Problem area: The current range of checks offered on twill gained mostly negative

responses on the questionnaire, as a lot of people were of the opinion the size of the checks

were too big for the formal range.

Picture source: Author

62

Suggestion: Micro checks might be a better option for formal range. In addition, a single

color toned shirt (checks of the same color tone as the base color of the shirt) will look more

sharp and in sync with the formal range.

Stripes option:

Problem area: The stripes options 35 and 36 were the least preferred options according to

our survey. The colors as well as the pattern received negative responses. The competitors

offer narrow stripes in dobby which gives a formal appeal.

35 36 34

Source: Author

Suggestion: The two options of stripes can be put on hold while, more options of dobby

stripes like the option 34 can be introduced.

SPORT:

Checks option:

Problem area: Option 42 was well received by the people whereas options 40 and 41 were

least preferred as they felt the colors are not in sync with each other i.e. green and light blue

with navy.

Option 45: The size of the check for this option was not very appealing to many, as they felt

it was too big. Several people associated this with a design more suited for youngsters.

63

Suggestion: For the options 42, 43, 44, the colors of horizontal lines can be used for the

vertical lines too. For option 45, the size of the vertical lines can be reduced and limit to 2

colors (red and navy blue).

Checks option at ALLEN SOLLY Solid option at VAN HEUSEN

Picture source: Author

64

PROBABLE SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

PRESIDENT:

The current range of core shirts offered in the president collection gained quite a lot of

positive responses. The range offers patterns and finishes that are distinctive and makes the

brand stand out from its competitors.

The range however has an even wider scope for improvement, as ‘President’ collection is the

premium range of the brand, and if portrayed in the right way can be used to reflect the

brand’s identity in a positive light in the market.

Use of only high quality fabric (2 ply cottons, Giza cotton, etc.)

Finishes ( combination of several finishes like in 360 degree adopted in the fashion

line)

Dobby (Addition of more dobby options to this range)

Packaging and tagging (Black or white matt finish tags with golden calligraphy

explaining the unique features of the shirt)

WHITE LABEL:

White label being a little lesser priced that president, can have more options of closer stripes,

micro checks and simple dobby designs; and other unique design features like experimenting

with various kinds of collars that ARROW is best known for, with fabrics like fill-a-fills,

oxfords, twills etc. Finishes can be used on a moderate level on the options.

The option can also have a wider range of color options.

SPORT:

Sport collection received an average response according to our survey. The collection which

is the largest when it comes to the fashion range (approx. 200 styles) can have more options

in the core. The core range may work well if more options of single color toned checks,

changes in design feature like shirts without pockets etc., are included.

It may also be good to add few options of peached fabric shirts to the core range, to make it

exclusive for ARROW.

65

NEW YORK:

The New York range received an impressive feedback, scoring the most positive responses

on the survey. The range seems to be doing well in the market.

The price range, for which the range is offered at, is also very reasonable.

Addition of few color options may improve the scope of the range.

ARROW essentials – Brigade road store

Source: Author

66

Chapter – 5

REFLECTION

ARVIND doesn’t produce its products in-house. They are outsourced from Bangalore

Bangladesh, China and a very small percentage (2% - 5%) from Sri Lanka. ARVIND has

factories in the outskirts of Bangalore which also manufacture denim.

Every retail outlet needs to replenish its stock at the store. New merchandize is brought into

the store in three slots:

1st shipment – Drop 1

2nd shipment – Drop 2

3rd shipment – Drop 3

I learnt about I – summit and road show and understood what goes behind the process. I

understood the process and relevance of filing the swatches and other important documents.

I had an opportunity to attend I – summit and road show in Bangalore from 11/Jan/2016 to

15/Jan/2016 and 27/Jan/2016 to 31/Jan/2016 respectively and got to interact with buyers

from different MBOs and EBOs and I helped them place their orders. The buyers came in

from different regions like Chennai, Tirupur, Kerala, Hyderabad, Kukatpally, Bangalore,

New Delhi, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Nepal, Costa Rica and etc. During the process, I learnt

that Jabong.com, Flipkart.com and Snapdeal.com were their most important customers. I

observed the purchasing pattern of the buyers and I realized that the buyers place their orders

keeping in mind the weather, geographic conditions and preferences of the people in the

particular region.

While working on my project, I understood the need of having ‘essentials’ or ‘basics’ or

‘core’ at a store. Although a fresh range of fashion line is introduced to the store every

season, sometimes a customer prefers to keep his style simple and stick to the basic, classic

pieces. These ‘basics’ are present in the store 365 days a year. When I went to the

competitor’s stores, I got a chance to interact with store managers and customers and

understood how each store works on its ‘core’ collection and what the customer expects from

each of these brands. Their insights helped me in shaping my project.

67

On the personal front, interning at ARVIND BRANDS has been an enriching experience.

The work environment is very flexible and relaxed. My mentors, in spite of their busy

schedules, took out time and helped their interns in every way possible and also encouraged

us to interact with other departments. My seniors, the key accounts manager and the visual

merchandiser contributed a lot to my project. Our ideas and thoughts were taken into account

and each individual’s view points were given utmost importance.

68

ANNEXURE

1. Age

o 20 -30 years

o 31 - 40 years

o 41- 50 years

o >50 years

2. Which 3 options of formal shirts do you prefer the most?

o ……………

o …………....

o ……………

3. What didn’t you like about the formal category? (In terms of

color/fabric/design/price/other factors)

………………………………………………………………..

4. Which 2 options of casual shirts do you prefer the most?

o ……………

o ……………

5. What didn’t you like about the casual category? ( (In terms of

color/fabric/design/price/other factors)

…………………………………………………………………

6. Would you prefer having a pocket on a casual shirt?

o Yes

o No

69

7. What kind of collar do you prefer the most on a formal shirt?

Straight Cutaway Wing tip tuxedo

8. What kind of cuff do you prefer the most on a formal shirt?

1 button 2 button French

70

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