A heritage of six decades, Cambridge brand marked its presence in the apparel industry in 1960. Back then, owning a readymade shirt was a luxury that would cost thrice as much as a tailored one. To make it more accessible and remove the common notion related to luxurious clothing, Cambridge started offering readymade shirts at affordable prices. While sharing their journey, trends and the conscious efforts they are making, Prashant Bhatia, managing partner, Cambridge, informs that in Pune itself, they are present for the past 30 years.
“We received the same love as any other local retailer. We have become a part of the city’s heritage. And our philosophy of giving products at reasonable prices helps us get loyal customers who believe in us and have grown with the brand,” he tells. Currently, Cambridge is present in the city at Paud Road, Tilak Road, Karve Road, Viman Nagar, Hadapsar, Kothrud, JM Road, Wakad, Chakan, Deccan, Pimpri, Khadki, Sinhagad Road, Bibvewadi, Kalyani Nagar, Baramati, and Urli Kanchan.
On the 60th anniversary of the company, the brand is planning to launch 20 more outlets across the country and reach up to 100 stores by the end of this financial year.
QUALITY AND VARIETY
The brand has to offer a wide range of menswear in different categories like formal wear, casual wear, casual business wear and accessories. “There are many companies and brands offering different clothing options for different age groups and gender. Since the past 20 years, we have witnessed menswear as an evolving category. A man wears a different pair of clothes for the office, he changes into a comfortable dressing to go for a coffee, to go to bed, he wears something more relaxing, for wedding or reception, there’s wedding wear, there’s gym wear. Hence, we make sure to serve one category with the best quality and service,” says Bhatia, adding that Cambridge has always believed in offering maximum variety.
CONSUMERS IN THE CITY
Pune has been a good market for the brand. Cambridge gets 12 per cent of its business from the city itself. Also, the city welcomes people from across the nation with their different sets of demands. “There are hard-core Punekars along with many who appreciate its culture but are also ready to experiment and accept new things. Punekars don’t just love to consume locally grown or manufactured products, they are ready to use material from across the nation. They have become more brand conscious and do not want to be left behind. However, old school Punekars also know about us as we are here for the past three decades,” Bhatia says. He adds that Cambridge has a good customer relationship as any other local brand.
PLANS IN MOTION
Sticking with their core belief — affordability, Cambridge is providing a wide range of menswear. Formal designed cotton shirts, printed formal shirts, printed casual shirts, solid colour casual shirts, casual t-shirts, formal and cotton trousers, denim, and accessories like handkerchiefs, ties, belts, and cufflinks. The brand is also launching business casuals which is nothing but pairing your formal shirt and blazer with casual denim or cotton pants, a perfect go to attire for casual meetings.
“We are trying to be relevant to the new age consumer. We are upgrading our retail experience by interacting with them on a personal level. It is extremely critical to be digitally relevant at this age, hence we are focusing on that as well. However, we are marking our presence online, not to sell but to educate the customer, to let them compare and choose the right brand and spend wisely,” Bhatia says.
The materials are sourced from different parts of Maharashtra. “We are upgrading our retail experience while retaining the traditional values of service,” he adds.
CONSCIOUSLY SUSTAINABLE
Sustainability, nowadays, has become an essential part of any brand. Cambridge too has its fair share of involvement in the cause. “There are 100 per cent cotton apparels, but we also buy ethically sourced, eco-friendly yarns and blend them with the cotton to make certain apparels. This increases the shelf life of these clothes which is a very small contribution to the cause,” says he, adding, “We also try to make our employees aware of the cause and our ethical steps. They might not be 100 per cent aware of sustainability, but on a personal level, slowly and steadily they are avoiding plastic consumption or throwing garbage on road.”