Revlon to rev up via franchising

We all agree to the fact that beauty and cosmetics industry is a sector that is eternal. Seeing the rising demand and even a better supply, most brands are taking franchise route for penetrating markets pan-India. In a dialogue, Rajiv Kumar Bobal, Director- Sales & Marketing, Modi Revlon Pvt Ltd spoke about E-commerce, franchising and much more...

When was Revlon established?

Revlon was launched in 1995 and it was the first internarional colour cosmetic brand to be launched in India during that time. Revlon was also the first brand to start the trend of beauty advisors for the retail stores in India. Modi Revlon wanted to a give choice of shopping of an international cometics brand to the Indian women.

What strategies you employ to maintain the standards of your company?

Modi Revlon strictly follows the quality norms of Revlon US, all the formulas and manufacturing techniques are as per the US guidelines. Revlon has always come out as one of the safest cosmetics, in various tests conducted by NGOs from time to time. 

What made you take franchise route now? Are you opening exclusive stores via franchisees?

Yes, we have started opening 'Revlon Exclusive Stores' this year via franchise route. Revlon provides its own trained staff and also provides paush interiors in the store to give the best of shopping experience to consumer.

What are your thoughts on the e-trend prevailing these days? Most big brands are taking the online way for selling products.

E-commerce has really caught pace in India. I think it's a channel that no brand can ignore. We have also entered this channel in a calculative way.

What are the basic requirements to become a franchise partner?

In our franchise model, a franchisee need not bother about selecting a property, sales staff, training the staff, getting the interiors built, software etc. as all of these hassles are taken care of by Modi Revlon. 

What kind of opportunities and challenges are seen ahead in this sector, considering the franchise sector, which is getting bigger with time?

With the changing times as the modern retail gets more sophisticated and efficient, quality of the franchise brands also needs to go up. Currently, most of the franchisees see this profession as an add-on business so, they don't have aggressive attitude towards growth. They don't have a good infrastructure or a professional team. I think there is a lot of scope to grow in this field, provided you can complement the complex organisational structures and understand the brand requirements.

Expansion plans for this year.

Revlon holds a vast presence in India via 1300+ shop-in-shops. We plan to open around 7-10 more stores in the fourth quarter of 2014 via franchise route.