Orchids Retail, a dealer and a retailer of international clothing brands, opened its exclusive outlet at Labim Mall, in Lalitpur, on Saturday. The outlet was inaugurated by Mukesh K Shah, managing director of Orchids Retail, amid a programme. The newly opened outlet offers clothes and accessories from different brands available under Orchids Retail. Orchids Retail’s products are available online on the shopping platform Daraz as well. In an interview with The Kathmandu Post, Shah talked about the different brands available at Orchids Retail, its expansion plans, and its festivals offers, among others. Excerpts:

Tell us about Orchids Retail.

Orchids Retail is a multi-brand clothing and accessories store. It is the first store of its kind in Nepal, on this large a scale.

We provide branded products on readymade garments and accessories.

We ventured into the retail business in 2009, in Nepal, with our first exclusive brand outlet of Gini and Jony. The idea of launching Orchids Retail came after we observed that there weren’t any stores that supplied multiple brands to consumers.

All the international readymade brands imported to Nepal are manufactured in India.

The different brands of Orchids Retail have been offering elegant and trending clothing and accessories items in kids, men and women wear.

What are the international brands that the company has been offering to customers? Where are your outlets available?

Currently, we offer international brands like Gini and Jony, 109F, Madame, Imara, Pepe Jeans, Red Tape, Fusion Beats, Turtle, Wrogn, Lee, Wrangler, B.I.N.G.E, Gric Kidz, Longhorns and London Bridge. We started our first outlet in Hattigauda Complex and Labim Mall inside the valley. Outside the valley, our outlets are available in Pokhara and Dharan. Similarly, we operate exclusive brand outlets for Madame, 109F and Gini and Jony.

What do you make of the fashion scene in Nepal?

Nepal is a highly fashionable country. We have found a huge number of brand-conscious youth in Nepal. They are drawn to branded apparel for its guarantee in quality and latest fashion trend. The brands that we offer give customers a chance to keep up with the latest fashion trends.

There is a presence of other international clothing brands in the country. How do you view this competition?

Nepal as a market has not yet matured in terms of penetration of international clothing brands. So we still have an untapped, and very large, market to bank on. It will take some time for stiff competition. Till then, we have time with us to expand and generate a good amount of business.

There is a thriving market of non-branded products, which could be viewed as competition. But, I believe that people are becoming more selective about what they wear, and sooner or later they will switch to using good brands. This business is surely going to grow.

Any plans for to introduce new brands?

Some more Orchids Retail stores are set to open in various places such as Chhaya Mall in Thamel (in Kathmandu), and places outside the valley like Ithari and Birtamode. A second outlet will open in Pokhara soon too. Similarly, we are in talks with many other brands and we will be introducing new brands in time.

What is the price range of the products that you sell? Do you have any festive offers?

The price range starts from Rs999 to Rs25,000. The prices vary according to the brand. Every customer shopping at Orchids Retail will receive an attractive cash voucher according to the number of purchased goods.

As for our Dashain scheme, it will come into effect from October 8. Dashain sales contribute 42 percent extra income.

How has the market responded to the brands that you have introduced?

We are receiving a good response from our customers. People are admiring our fabrics and the brands that we have introduced.