Inspiring Personalities - Mr. Hanif Sattar & Mr. Suhail Sattar, Hasbro Clothing (BASICS)

It has been quite a long since I have updated my blog and here I am back with yet another inspiring story of the Brothers Mr.Hanif & Suhail Sattar. Only few will know about these gentle men,  But if I tell the brand name, almost all of you might know the brand name. They are the men behind Basics Clothing (Hasbro Clothing). This story is a perfect example for the proverb “Where there is a will, there is a way”. Hasbro clothing has got its own name reason. H stands for Hanif, S stands for Suhail and Bro for Brothers.

Many of us, atleast me, had a doubt in mind about “Why the number 029 has been suffixed with Basics?” The reason behind using 029 is It’s the Pincode of Aminjakarai in Chennai (Pin: 600 029) where they have started their business.

Here I go :

From a simple tailoring outfit begun in 1987 by two brothers Hanif and Suhail Sattar, it’s been one of Chennai’s most phenomenal brand and retail success stories. 1992 saw a shift from tailoring for others to the launch of their own brand Genesis - formal wear for men - started in a tiny 400sq ft shop in Prince Plaza. Genesis, in those early days, catered to the needs of men and provided wardrobe solutions, which were contemporary for those times. Recalls Hanif, The fortunate part was that the foundation in terms of customer base based on immense faith already existed in large measure.

AN ENVIABLE BRAND PORTFOLIO

Today, Hasbro Clothing, the company under which Genesis is part, boasts of three brands - Genesis ’Formal wear gentlemen prefer’ - which caters to the formal clothing needs of men; Basics –‘Jus b u’ is led by providing lifestyle solutions of the casual needs of men and Probase, a brand launched in the last two years, which is a combination of both brands in terms of solutions. Talking about Probase, the latest in their brand stable, Hanif explains, “This brand although the youngest in the Hasbro stable... has met with phenomenal success. This is also because it sports the sharpest price points amongst the three brands. Probase is priced at least 30% lesser than Basics and Genesis and very competitively priced against its peers in the market.”

Talking about the brands, Hanif says, “All fabrics and designs used in Genesis are exclusive to us. The designs are programmed by our designers keeping in mind current trends and local flavour. The last mile in marketing is given utmost importance by installing Shop in Shop counters at most/all mbo’s that can afford the space - this enhances the brand image due to uniformity of selling standard. In our own stores, distinctive variation is adopted to differentiate the formal Genesis line from the Basics line of casuals." The products under Genesis include shirts, trousers, suits, ties belts and kerchiefs.

“Basics is easily the most exciting brand in the Hasbro stable and has tonnes to offer in terms of lifestyle product range solutions to the customers,” says Hanif. In terms of casual clothing, this brand offers a staggering variety which very few of its competitors can match. The brand has also introduced a popular party line. The products include causal and smart shirts, trousers, T-shirts, denim and non-denim bottoms and tops, caps and belts. He adds, "Basics being a player in the casual wear segment has the potential to add as many products that it likes in its fold. Expansion of product categories is an ongoing affair.

EXPANSION PLANS ON THE ANVIL

Today, the company has 45 stores all over the South. “The plan is clearly to saturate the markets in the south totally in terms of Mbo’s, chain stores and standalone stores through increased presence in all these places and support it with ample advertising and awareness of the brands,” explains Hanif.

INTERNATIONAL STYLE STORES

Hanif is very excited about the revamping of the stores which is an ongoing process at the moment. He firmly states, “Stores are the last mile in retailing.

A good looking store will and can do wonders for the product.” He ticks off a list of parameters for a good store - lighting, fixtures, flooring, ceiling, visual merchandising of the apparel, fixtures on which the merchandise is displayed, music and mannequins to display the attitude of the clothing being retailed.

Hanif concludes with a revealing insight, “The consumer today is well exposed to international trends in both garment design/ trends as well as store design therefore its imperative to stay ahead of the curve or at least keep ourselves updated and to this end keeping abreast is not an option any longer.”

Source : The Hindu