New Delhi, Sept. 29 -- Just two weeks ahead of Durga Puja, Kolkata is already soaking in the festive spirit. On Monday, 'Raymond' announced their festive collaboration with Bengali stars Prosenjit Chatterjee and Abir Chatterjee. Satyaki Ghosh, CEO of 'Raymond Lifestyle Ltd', spoke to 'Millennium Post' about the festive collection, changing consumer preferences and the brand's evolving retail strategy.

What is the biggest shift you are driving in the business right now and where do you see the strongest growth opportunities?

'Raymond' is now a 100-year-old brand. After you score a century, you take fresh guard so that you can bat for another 100 runs and not get out because you are too full of yourself.

So, essentially, it's about making the entire 'Raymond' ecosystem cognisant of the fact that 100 is done... that is history. The next 100 is coming, so how do you reset for that? That is the reset. The reset is across everything, from governance to brands, products, go-to-market strategies and factories. The reset is everywhere.

'Raymond' has announced its Durga Puja celebration collaboration with Bengali stars Prosenjit Chatterjee and Abir Chatterjee. How are changing consumer preferences, especially among young buyers, influencing your products and strategy during the festive season?

Younger consumers are moving towards more casual looks. Instead of suits, they want jackets. Instead of 'bandhgalas', they want kurtas.

In Bengal, festive wear for men is different too. Of course, there is a strong preference for casual wear, jeans and T-shirts, particularly given the humid weather. Each of our brands is now concentrating on denims. 'Parx' is already quite strong in denims, while 'ColorPlus' is experimenting with corduroy this season as the new casual, the new expression of youth.

In ethnic wear, we are concentrating on kurtas. The other thing we are trying to do is reinvent the complete man. Who is the complete man today? The complete man remains, but the philosophy of what defines him changes.

In every sector, be it education, healthcare or retail, Tier II and Tier III cities are becoming increasingly important. How is 'Raymond' expanding its footprint in Bengal?

West Bengal is a very strong market for 'Raymond'. We have more than 70 'Raymond' shops across Bengal, including around 20 in Kolkata. Beyond that, we have 'Parx', 'ColorPlus' shops, 'Park Avenue' shops and made-to-measure outlets.

We may have around 100 stores owned across Bengal. And you will find us in every major retail store as well. So, we are very well distributed across the state.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.