Fashion Marketing Environment
MAJOUR PROJEC
PANCHALI LIYANAWADUGE
The concept of ODEL began to shape in 1989. It was when Otara Gunawardene started
selling clothes to her family and friends, from the boot of her own car. Although she
stumbled across the fashion retail industry quite by chance, Otara saw something only a few
could see-the immense potential for retailing a range of stylish clothing to the fashion-
conscious Sri Lankan. And then it happened in 1990. The launch of Sri Lankan’s most
innovative brand – ODEL
Housing the latest and most fashionable trends in the country, ODEL is most premier
shopping destination especially when it comes to clothing. ODEL is Sri Lanka’s first and only
department store that blends the best of sophist iced and style. ODEL offers and unrivalled
fashion and lifestyle products which is elegant, cozy, casual and definitely stylish. ODEL
serves the costumer with the best needs with rich quality. This has become the reason for
most of the local and foreign customers to buy want they desire to a considerable price.
ODEL is one of the largest company is selling ladies wear, menswear, kids wear, Home wear,
delight-sweet indulgences from chocolates to exoticness, perfume, shoes, handbags ,jewelry
and accessories, luggage, food, stationery, gift wraps. The Sri Lankan their main product is
they have branches in Colombo, Kohuwela, Nugegoda, Kandy, Panadura, and
Baththaramulla.
“ODEL is synonymous with fashion. It is
defined by a unique identity and is a
destination in itself. It is a brand loved,
followed and enjoyed by MANY”
Sri Lankan fashion boosted in the late 90s,
developing into the gigantic industry that we see
today. This is the result of a complex marketing
communication mix. Sri Lankans have adopted the
European and American fashion designs and the
market for fashion in Sri Lanka is not second to any
other. The local market with the frequent introduction of
new brands are more focused in providing Sri Lankans with ideal
clothing that suit local conditions. ODEL is a leading innovative brand in Sri Lanka,
recognized for its quality clothing and state-of-the-art trends. Being the most premier
shopping destination for locals and Foreigners alike, ODEL is Sri Lanka’s first and only
departmental store that blends sophistication with lifestyle.
ODEL has been always ahead of its competitors in the marketing game. When considering
the STP model, the aim of the marketing team could be seen clearly. They have launched
sub-brands such As Luv SL, exclusive for foreigners, Backstage, jewelry and Embark, a brand
that provides better living Conditions and support the adoption of stray dogs. With branches
in most of the major cities, their Majority of stores are in Colombo. This is an excellent
example of segmentation. Colombo, being the Commercial capital and the largest city of Sri
Lanka, is quite different from the other cities. With a high Population density and generating
40% of the GDP of Sri Lanka, it is one of the most prosperous regions
In South Asia. The proportionate income of individuals living in Colombo is higher than that
of any other city and the lifestyle is similar to that of a developed country. The ODEL team of
marketing has taken the model of targeting to a new level. Sub-brands such As Luv SL are
only open in cities that are packed with tourists, with Colombo having more than 5 stores in
different districts. Embark products are designed mostly for children and teenagers, to gain
more Awareness on the living conditions of stray dogs and adoption. New trends in clothing
are first available In Colombo where they are quickly grasped by the public and then they
are relocated to other cities. Product positioning has been excellent from ODEL. They are
known nationwide as the most innovative departmental store, offering designer and high
street fashion to both genders, adults and children alike.
The Fashion Marketing Environment
The ODEL team of marketing has taken the models of targeting to a new level. Sub-brands
such as Luv SL are only open in cities that are packed with tourists, with Colombo having
more than 5 stores in different districts. Embark products are designed mostly for children
and teenagers, to gain more awareness on the living conditions of stray dogs and adoption.
New trends in clothing are first available in
Colombo where they are quickly grasped by the
public and then they are relocated to other cities.
Product positioning has been excellent from
ODEL. They are known nationwide as the most
innovative departmental store, offering designer
and high street fashion to both genders, adults
and children alike. They also provide accessories
to their clothing such as jewelry, and perfumes
and cosmetics at the same location. Larger
departmental stores in major cities also include sections such as home ware, luggage books
and music. For all the major stores that are not located in malls, the surrounding is adjusted
to include food and refreshments from well-known local outlets. This creates an
atmosphere of satisfied customers, enjoying their shopping and relaxing while consuming
food. Using outlets in major stores in wealthy neighborhoods is an extra source of income
for the organization.
MARCOM
Using the MARCOM mOdel, the aspects of Advertising, Personal Selling, Discounts and
Promotions, Direct Marketing, Public Relations, and Event Sponsorship will be covered by
the following paragraphs.
Advertising plays a key role in market communications, as this is one of the simplest ways to
get into the mind of the public. ODEL does this using a number of methods, primarily by
using public figures. They are mostly placed in billboards and TV advertisements, and
sometimes on social media. Social media advertising is done on a whole another level.
Glamorous pictures of existing clothing items being tried on by mOdels are promoted to be
viewed by millions of social media users and the choice is given to consumers to buy that
piece of clothing with a click of a button. A whole new interface has been formed by social
media where consumers can check the availability, sizes and communicate with the
organizational staff to ensure the best fit.
ODEL has seasonal sales and offers discounts for a variety of items, creating another class of
customers. While increasing their sales numbers, this creates awareness and brings in
another wave of customers. ODEL issues its own loyalty card and helps customers
accumulate loyalty points when purchasing in ODEL stores. Using this card, the customer is
able to earn 1 loyalty point for a purchase of Rs.100. At the point of redemption, one loyalty
point equals Rs.1, a highly considerable sum when comparing with the other loyalty card
schemes.
Direct marketing involves first-hand communication with the customer. This is done initially
when obtaining a loyalty card, where the phone number is necessary for getting one.
Whenever a seasonal or promotional sale is going to take place, ODEL informs their loyalty
card customers via a message to their phone numbers. The second instance is when signing
up for an account on their website. An email address is necessary for registering and again,
during seasonal or promotional sales, all the customers with registered accounts get an
email to be aware of the ongoing sales. Another instance is live chat, when entering on to
their website or their social media pages. Sales staff are available to be interacted with and
to obtain any information needed.
Embark, a sub-brand of ODEL is famous in Sri Lanka for their services offered to stray dogs
and their care. This is one of the most prominent charities where you can adopt or sponsor
a dog. Through this theme, ODEL has merchandise with the brand Embark where a
percentage from each purchase goes to the charity. Certain events are held to raise
awareness of the conditions of stray dogs and they also keep frequent vaccination clinics
and ‘adoption days’ for the public to come view and adopt their preferred pup. The
vaccination clinics are kept in different locations in one city for 3 to 5 consecutive days,
moving about the city finding stray dogs and making sure they are healthy, and the clinics
are free of charge for everyone.
ODEL hosts fashion shows to display their new trendy collections almost thrice a year, and
these events are massive. With the gathering of fashion designers from all over the world,
these shows take place in prominent locations. A small number of the public are allowed to
take part in these shows and the press swarms gives a full-time coverage of the event. ODEL
also hosts the International Retail Conference in Sri Lanka, the world’s largest association of
department stores. ODEL is the only Sri Lankan member of this exclusive group and this acts
as a platform of interaction between CEOs, senior manager and specialists of member
organizations. This is a three-day conference that generates valuable exposure for the
country’s retail sector.
All these events, promotions, marketing and advertising has taken ODEL from a local stage
to a global platform. The concept of ODEL took shape in 1989, when Otara Gunawardena
started selling clothes to her family and friends. She recognized the potential for retailing a
range of stylish clothing to the fashion-conscious Sri Lankan. Now it’s a global brand with
branches in most of the major cities.
Marketing Mix
Product is the item that is produced or supplied to satisfy the needs of consumers. ODEL is
not the only department store in Sri Lanka but it is the store where the latest trends in
fashion are found. The tidiness of the clothing and accessories and the brightly colored
entrance is supposed to give a warm welcome to all customers. The clothes and accessories
found in ODEL are kept up to date with the world fashion trends and only merchandise of
the best quality is provided. The logo is designed to be remembered by consumers and a
trip to ODEL is unforgettable. This has been established as a brand loyalty.
Price is the only source of income since all the other elements are cost generators. Prices in
ODEL are reasonable, and there’s no evidence of compromises in terms of quality. In
comparison with other fashion stores, the prices in ODEL are convenient with the quality
they provide. ODEL also provides seasonal and promotional offers.
Place is the process of moving products from the producer to the intended user. ODEL,
being the largest departmental store in Sri Lanka, has venues that are convenient and easy
to find for any consumer. With easy access to refreshments outside and inside and huge car
parks, the customer is always relaxed and free when entering into a store. After finding the
right outfit, there’s more than enough fit-on rooms to try it on and sufficient sales staff to
help you get the right outfit.
ODEL Promotions are mostly driven through, social media interactions and advertising. They
are the main ways which strengthen their customers minds shopping at ODEL. Throughout
all these interactions and communication processors ODEL’s only aim is to inspire their
customer and enhance purchasing form ODEL with amazing variety of selections and prices
which service with the best quality and brand. In 2011, they have introduced the ODEL
loyalty card and is expected to play a focal role in propagating repeat purchases. This loyalty
card helps the customer to accumulate loyalty points when purchasing at ODEL stores.
Using this card, the customer is able to earn 1 loyalty point for a purchase of Rs100. At the
point of redemption one loyalty point equals to Rs 1. So, this loyalty card scheme is highly
considerable when comparing to the other loyalty card schemes. In addition to this point,
loyalty card also gain access to numerous seasonal promotions and discount offers.
Moreover, there are other ways which ODEL promote themselves like in Annual Fashion
show of ODEL, also they use personal selling which is one of the most expensive promotion
tools. Furthermore, in addition to the above promotion methods they also do special
campaigns at Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger to promote special days and seasonal
promotions
Vision and Mission Statement
ODEL’s vision is to inspire the world. And their mission is to provide a complete Mind, Body
and Soul experience as the premier fashion and lifestyle retailer promoting sustainable and
unparalleled levels of retail experience.
The Odel brand has grown and is now expected to reach greater heights with Group
synergies coming together. Odel’s stakeholder network has widened to over 800 employees,
over 1,000 suppliers and 200 plus factories locally and globally supply Odel with the diverse
range of products.
Odel believes in and work consistently towards ensuring that the merchandise, ambiance
and management quality and innovation are not only effective, but also evolving. This ethos
continues to be the driving force behind our success. The Company revolves around a
simple, yet winning philosophy: a relentless search for the highest quality products and
services, together with superior customer service that ensures consumer satisfaction and
loyalty.
Customer Audit
Sri Lankan fashion has come a long way since the beginning. There are roughly around a
hundred stores that are fashion related in any city, so the choice is up to the customer as
there’s a variety of shops available. Therefore, to stand out from everyone else, ODEL has a
competitive price for high quality clothing and fashion accessories. ODEL offers a wide
selection in the range of clothing and fashion accessories to the consumers, and the
seasonal and promotional sales present a golden opportunity for customers to get a high-
quality piece of clothing at a discounted price.
Customers these days are intelligent. They don’t usually buy whatever they see, their
decision process is complicated. From the technology available, the consumer is well aware
of the current trends and prices. Therefore, the quality of the fashion items and clothing in
ODEL are superior to that of competitors and available for a reasonable price. This enables
the customers to regard the product of ODEL as a higher-grade merchandise and provides
them with the satisfaction that their purchases have been worth.
With this satisfaction, consumers grow closer to ODEL and their perception of the products
of ODEL changes. Their loyalty elevates, and they become regular visitors to the store. This
also proves to be customer attracter, as the loyal customers advertise ODEL using the word
of mouth technique and this attracts more customers to ODEL.
Market research
Sri Lanka is a developing country in South Asia with a male to female ratio of 0.97:1
(estimated). The service sector is more sought-after as it is the pinnacle of the country’s
economy, and the majority of Sri Lankans either work for the government or for private
organizations. This has a great influence on the market of fashion in Sri Lanka.
The choice in fashion is up to the customer and the market supplies a large range of
fashionable clothing to those who seek them. The adoption of fashion depends on
demographic factors such as age, race, income and gender as well as other socio-cultural
factors such as lifestyle and religious beliefs.
A while back, Sri Lankan males were not intrigued in fashion with regard to females. This has
changed in the current day and age where men and women alike flock to fashion stores to
pick up the latest of trends. Therefore, the fashion market has changed to incorporate the
male fashion fantasies as well. However, there still is a group of people, predominantly the
older generation, that believe that fashion is only for females and not for males. But this is
not the situation we see today. The streets of urban areas are packed with males and
females alike, in parts where fashion stores are. Even though, this is the case, the market is
still hugely controlled by the female casual and office wear stores.
Target Market
ODEL is a leading Brand among consumers today and it is the most premier shopping
destination especially when it comes to clothing. ODEL is Sri Lanka’s first and only
department store that blends the best of sophisticated and style. ODEL has identified the
needs and wants of the target market because not everyone who buys a product has the
same needs or wants the same benefits from it. Needs-based or benefit-based
segmentations is widely used approach because it identifies distinct market segments. With
market research, customer audits, marketing mix, STP and MARCOM a target market was
able to be identified. There are four segmentation types which are Geographic,
Demographic, Behavioral and Psychographic.
➢ Geographic Segmentation Criteria > Region: Asia > Country: Sri Lanka > Province:
Western, Eastern, Central and Southern > Density: Urban, sub urban
➢ Demography Segmentation Criteria > Gender: Male and Female > Age: from Infants to 62
years
> Income: Low income, middle level income, high income earners > Occupation: Students,
employees, professionals
➢ Behavioral Segmentation Criteria > Degree of loyalty: Hard core, habitual, switches,
splitting
> Shopping: Regular, potential and rare
> Benefits sought: Cost effectiveness, time effectiveness, and brand quality
➢ Psychographic Segmentation Criteria >Social class: Low class, middle class, high class
ODEL has segmented its market as presented in above by grouping the market based on
their geographic, demographic, behavioral and psychographic factors. Apart from the above
factors considered, ODEL has also taken great care to look into offers and unrivalled fashion
and lifestyle products which is elegant, cozy, casual and definitely stylish. ODEL serves the
customer with the best needs and with rich quality. This has become the reason for most of
the local & foreign customers to buy what they desire to a considerable price.
Another segment of the target market is for the sub-brand Luv SL. This is primarily for
tourists and visitors to Sri Lanka. The merchandise available are eye-catching and reflect the
culture and charisma of the Sri Lankan society and available attractions. These stores are
usually packed with foreigners and rarely, a local. Luv SL stores are located in cities where
there are a large number of tourist attractions.
Reference
https://www.academia.edu/29993856/Case_of_Odel.docx
https://www.superbrands.com/lk/pdf/05_consumerSB2.pdf
http://www.wikiwealth.com/swot-analysis:odel
