In India’s diverse apparel industry, there are a select few retailers and brands that have made their mark regionally or within specific states, but their reputation extends far beyond their local borders. Amongst these, Gurram Venkateshwarlu (GV) Textiles, based in Telangana, stands out. Since its inception in 1950, GV Textiles has grown to operate its chain of clothing malls known by the name of GV Mall, offering a diverse selection of formal, casual and partywear for men, women and children. Their offerings include a blend of Western, Indian and traditional South Indian attire. In addition to the mall outlets, GV Textiles has introduced distinct womenswear brands like Aakruti and Womany, as well as its menswear line, G-Men. With a total of 70 stores, the company has established a formidable presence in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Why GV Mall
Value retail is a continuously growing retail model segment in the booming Indian retail market and GV Mall is one of its shining examples. The company mostly caters to the middle-class and upper-middle-class groups through its malls while its in-house brands Aakruti, Womany and G-Men cater to nearly all groups. Though the company has not set any specific target for new store openings but since it is growing and expanding, adding more stores is definitely in the pipeline. Along with Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the company is also focusing on expanding in Karnataka.
The company’s strength
GV Mall has 15 malls spread over 20,000 sq. feet to 25,000 sq. feet area. It primarily deals in westernwear which contributes to 90 per cent of its business and the remaining 10 per cent of ethnicwear is majorly sold during the festival seasons only. These malls are located in top cities as well as in emerging cities of the states. To remain cost-effective and ensure amenities for its customers, the company strategically establishes malls near the main markets rather than being within the markets.
The same is the case with Aakruti brand which is purely a womenswear brand offering westernwear and fusionwear for all purposes right from work to weddings with a touch of classic designs in blooming colours and intricate patterns. Its significant portion comes from tunics, maxi and other variety of dresses. The brand has more than 50 stores (all franchise stores) which are normally of 3000 sq. feet to 4,000 sq. feet. With four stores as of now, G Men is the latest menswear brand from the company and is in the process of adding more stores.
| Aakruti is purely a womenswear brand offering westernwear and fusionwear for all purposes right from work to weddings with a touch of classic designs in blooming colours and intricate patterns. |
Vendor base and sourcing
The company doesn’t have its own manufacturing and sourcing base in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh. A few of its vendors are in leading apparel manufacturing hubs like Tirupur and Bengaluru. Many of them are medium level while few have large-scale operations. The company uses mainly 100 per cent cotton for its products while polyester cotton and viscose blends are also its focus areas.
GV Textiles should consider Bangladesh as a sourcing destination for three primary reasons. Murli Krishna G, the company’s Director, highlights these strengths as new designs, cost-effectiveness and improved quality. “As our sales and reach continue to expand, we’ll explore how we can leverage the advantages of sourcing from Bangladesh,” he explained. He further noted that while its current sourcing is entirely from India, it plans to start sourcing from Bangladesh on a smaller scale initially. Depending on its experience, it may increase the company’s sourcing from Bangladesh in the future.
