The panel discussed how retailers of occasion wear in South India integrate the art and science of retailing. 1) K.R. Nagarajan of Ramraj Cotton repositioned the traditional veshti as occasion wear through branding, celebrity endorsements, and product innovations to make customers comfortable wearing it. 2) Somesh Warakandan of VKR Silks retained long-term sales staff who know customer tastes and expanded into festivals by seeing the saree category "from the outside in." 3) Jagdish Sarda of Venfield said retailers must be where customers habitually shop both physically and online, and technology will increasingly replace entrepreneurs to allow businesses to grow. 4

1. Panel discussion: Retailing Occasion Wear in South India – the Art
and Science

2. K.R. Nagarajan, Founder
& MD, Ramraj Cotton
Somesh Warakandan,
Director, VKR Silks
Jagdish Sarda, Founder
& MD VENFIELD
S.Franklin John, Principal,
Nehru College of Management
Moderator: Bijou Kurien
ParticipantsParticipants

3. Opening RemarksOpening Remarks
• The art of retailing is intrinsic; the science, that which is structured and learned
• Owner retailer driven companies have retailing down to an art. Being an owner
and feeling a ‘sense of ownership’ are two different things.
• Owner retailers – feel the pain of profit and loss. The promoters owns money –
the professional, a sense of ownership, The owner knows how money works – in
terms of stock, customer service, employee satisfaction.
• When you build a business in a smaller city, where your family has deep
generational roots, you know the customer better and can ‘localize’
communication and marketing, without thinking about it as being marketing.
• The art of retailing is often transitioned over “dining table” conversations – it’s a
DNA level infusion.
Occasion wear is emotive and high value. It needs a blend of both the art and
the science of retailing.
Moderator: Bijou Kurien

4. • Converting the ‘veshti’ into occasion wear has
been our mission.
• When we started, in 1980’s – only the
cooperative movement produced dhotis (called
“Kadar” dhotis; Kadar means respect). However
these were low quality.
• Dhoti’s were associated with the blue-collar,
labourer class.
• In a bid to market the product, when I wore the
product and went to a five star hotel, I was made
to wait, while others (who were wearing formal
trousers) were allowed to enter.
• I realized that there was a need to re-position the
product.
How does your business integrate the art and science of
retailing?
How does your business integrate the art and science of
retailing?
Moderator: Bijou Kurien
K.R. Nagarajan, Founder
& MD, Ramraj Cotton

5. • So, I made it a point to associate, tangible ‘signs
of success’ with the ‘veshti’ – for example, I
would make it a point to be seen driving in a
Mercedes wearing the white veshti, I got temple
elephants to salute people wearing white veshtis
and made sure that there were people passing
them who wore that garment.
• We’ve also used the emotive appeal of actors –
from the Tamil and Malayalam film industries to
be our brand ambassadors.
• Focus: that’s been a critical component. We’ve
stuck to the message of ‘pristine, pure white’.
• We believe that consumers who wear white for
21 days, will not want to revert to coloured
clothes.
How does your business integrate the art and science of
retailing?
How does your business integrate the art and science of
retailing?
Moderator: Bijou Kurien
K.R. Nagarajan, Founder
& MD, Ramraj Cotton
“Our mission was to
create a status symbol
out of the veshti”

6. • While our range of merchandise spans mens
wear, our entire branding, positioning and
marketing is about the “power of white”.
• Our positioning of the veshti as ‘occasion wear’
was also deliberate. Festivals and occasions are
instances where people seek the comfort of
traditional and the familiar.
• We wanted the consumer to feel proud about
wearing ethnic, traditional wear.
• Lastly, we’ve used product innovation to get
people to adopt the category (example – veshtis
with belts, pockets, and inner boxers / drawers) –
all based on consumer feedback and aimed at
making the consumer comfortable about wearing
the dhoti.
How does your business integrate the art and science of
retailing?
How does your business integrate the art and science of
retailing?
Moderator: Bijou Kurien
K.R. Nagarajan, Founder
& MD, Ramraj Cotton
“Fashion is about
mixing habit with
comfort”

7. How does your business integrate the art and science of
retailing?
How does your business integrate the art and science of
retailing?
• For us the art of retailing is the art of “retaining”.
• Most of our sales staff have been with us for more
than 30 years. They are able to sell to three
generations of women customers and are able to
map merchandise to profile and taste.
• Customers no longer see us as “wedding saree”
sellers – they look at us as a place to shop for
festivals.
• That “outside in” differentiation is what helps us
expand our business.
Looking at the silk saree category from the “outside in” is what helped us
expand.
Moderator: Bijou Kurien
Somesh Warakandan,
Director, VKR Silks

8. • Retail is not about opening a big store, dumping
stock and pushing sales. Its about how you treat
your customer.
• You need to be present where the customers
habitually goes. In the past that was the temple –
today it’s the mall, and tomorrow it will be online.
• As an entrepreneur I am in love with “action” but
the business demands that – beyond a point - I
have to be replaced by technology – otherwise it
cannot grow.
Garments and brands both become commoditized, but service
endures.
Jagdish Sarda, Founder
& MD VENFIELD
How does your business integrate the art and science of
retailing?
How does your business integrate the art and science of
retailing?
Moderator: Bijou Kurien

9. • Handling the customer is an art, understanding her
is the science of it.
• Research tell us that we have two brains (right and
left) and two levels of consciousness (cognitive
and sub-conscious)
• Connecting with the consumer is a right-brain,
emotive, and a sub-conscious phenomenon.
• Retailers who forget this get lost in feedback
scores and their brands become ‘bland’.
When it comes to occasion wear, do not assume that price drives
value.
How can academia help retailers understand the art and
science of retailing?
How can academia help retailers understand the art and
science of retailing?
Moderator: Bijou Kurien
S.Franklin John, Principal,
Nehru College of Management

11. Panel discussion: Retailing Occasion Wear in South India – the Art
and Science