Rifle stays out as Gasoline, Pepsi Urbanwear pack off  ( August '14,2001, ET)

NOT BEING able to gain sufficient foothold in the branded garment and accessories industry, two well known international brands — Pepsi Urbanwear and Gasoline — have made a quiet exit from the Indian market, while a third, Rifle, was stillborn as it failed to even enter India.

Indus Clothing, the company which has the exclusive franchisee rights to manufacture and market European brand Lee Cooper, has dropped its plans of introducing Italian jeanswear brand Rifle in the country, even after getting the licence to do so.

The company has also surrendered the licence to manufacture and market Pepsi Urbanwear brand which was launched with much fanfare two years ago. Gasoline, another American brand, has bitten the retail dust for not being able to generate sufficient business.

Industry sources said that even though denim is slated to pick up in the international market, domestic industry is however not ready to bring in foreign denim brands in the country.

``We don’t expect the demand for denim to go up so dramtically in the domestic market, that new brands can fit in. The current discount sales was good for the industry but that doesn’t depict the true picture. We had expected the denim industry to look up last winter, but nothing of that sort happened,’’ says Narinder Singh, director of Indus Clothing.

Indus Clothing and Hi Fashion, the two sister companies would focus on Lee Cooper and desi brand Numero Uno and double their business rather than invest in a new brand.

Pepsi Urbanwear, which has done well for itself in Japan, South East Asia and America could not crack the Indian market due to the brand’s strong association with soft drink.

``Consumers could not relate to Pepsi clothing even though we provided good quality at attractive price points. Finally we had to give up the exclusive licence,’’ H P Singh of Indus Clothing said.

Industry sources said Gasoline in India ran into trouble as the franchisee company couldn’t ensure the right quality nor could it manage the brand properly.

Finally, Gasoline had to be withdrawn from the country. When contacted, G P Singh, the man behind Gasoline in India did not comment on the issue.