THE COMPLETE STUDY of RAYMOND
How does one even begin to trace the story of a legacy brand like Raymond which is even older than one’s grandmother or great grand mother ? … I have always been fascinated with legacy brands and their stories of evolution. When i asked my parents about Raymond, they said that, “If you wanted a suit stitched, its got to be Raymond, if you wanted to gift during wedding season, or anniversaries, it was always Raymond suiting and shirting”
So lets have a look at the story of this legendary brand RAYMOND, right from its start until 1970's.
CAREER GRAPH:
1925: The foundation of a legacy, Raymond
In 1925, propelled by the rising demand for clothing for soldiers in the Indian Defence Forces an old gentleman named Wadia had the foresight to build a small woollen mill in the primitive area of Thane, 40 km away from Bombay However, Wadia Mills was not destined to remain with him for long as destiny would have it. E.D. Sassoon and Co., a prominent Baghdadi Jewish industrial family of that time, took over . They renamed the company ‘The Raymond Woollen Mills’ the name was derived from Albert Raymond and his nephew Abraham Jacob Raymond who were noted members of the Board of directors, of E.D. Sassoon and Co. The little Mill spun a moderate quantity of woollen blankets and fabrics, and its future seemed secure, if unremarkable.
As the cold winds set in 1944 … three years before India became independent the JK Group became the proud owners of Raymond Woollen Mills. Lala Kailashpat Singhania took charge of this fledgling enterprise that was the foundation of the Raymond saga.
1956: Staying ahead of the game
Wool, which was a primary raw material for Raymond, had to be imported from Australia and other wool-producing countries …. The way forward was through modernisation of machinery and infrastructure …. and so, in what was to become a recurring pattern in the years to follow …. Raymond began consciously investing to upgrade their technology …. Gradually, the departments of spinning, weaving, dyeing and finishing were refurbished.
Even at that early stage … their fabric were designed to be of the best quality possible …. Striving for loftier standards …. Raymond launched its own research and development team to create new wool-based fabrics …. This effort resulted in the launch of the company’s first new wool-blended yarn ‘Terool’ in 1958 …. Terool turned out to be a breakthrough in the wool industry
1958: The first showroom
In 1958, at the age of 20 …. Vijaypat Singhania was formally inducted into the family business, which was being overseen by his cousin Gopalkrishna Singhania … 1958 also marked Raymond’s first venture into the retail sector.
The first exclusive Raymond Retail showroom, King’s Corner, opened in the JK building at Ballard Estate in Bombay ….. This was a golden beginning and the company’s retail presence in the country expanded exponentially.
1966–69: Brand Identity and Expansion
1966: The inception of a Brand Identity. By the mid-sixties Raymond had surged ahead and was leading the domestic market. Its lead over other competitors was not only due to the superior quality of its product but also because the company began a concerted attempt to reach a wider audience through consistent advertising and promotions …Raymond Woollen Mills ltd. entered the business of ready-made apparel in 1966.
In 1967, they expanded to Kenya …. Raymond Woollen Mills (Kenya) ltd., later known as Heritage Woollen Mills ltd., was set up in Eldoret in order to manufacture hand-knitting yarn, knitwear as well as knitted fabrics, blankets and garments.
In the late 1960s the company’s research and development efforts paid off again resulting in a new poly viscose fabric called “Trovine” which was launched in 1968 … making it the first textile manufacturers to use polyester wool.
1969: Reinventing garment manufacturing
The Indian market was still in its nascent stage and ready-made as a concept was confined to inner wear and shirts. Trousers and jackets … on the other hand traditionally fell into the tailored category … In 1970, a jacket line was commissioned This made waves in the Indian ready-made garment trade as a factory-made high-quality formal jacket had never been attempted before.
1973: Raymond expands to Mauritius
The success of the Kenya venture gave Raymond the confidence to take their business model to another country. Thus, the idea of expanding production capacity to Mauritius was proposed in 1973. The project took off to a flying start and they remained there till 1983 as an export based unit.
1977: Set the beginning
Raymond was the first company in India to introduce artificial insemination and embryo transfers in sheep in 1977. The research team also developed balanced but economical nutritional formulae for livestock.
- 1968 — Raymond setup a readymade garments plant at Thane. The readymade garments division of Raymond has since then grown rapidly. Raymond has now become the leader among readymade’s, in India, achieving a business turnover of over Rs. 2000 million.
- 1979 — A new manufacturing facility was set up at Jalgaon, to meet the increasing demand for worsted woollen fabrics.
- 1980: Dr. Vijaypat Singhania took over the reins of the company. He injected fresh vigour into Raymond, transforming it into a modern, industrial conglomerate.
- 1986 — Launch of “Park Avenue”, the premium lifestyle brand providing a complete wardrobe solution to the men who like to dress well & be current on styles & fashion.
- 1990 — The first showroom abroad for Raymond in Oman.
- 1991 — A new manufacturing facility was set up at Chhindwara, near Nagpur.
- 1995: Superfine pure wool collection under the Lineage Line
- until date: It produces suiting fabric, with a capacity of producing 31 million meters of wool and wool-blended fabrics. Gautam Singhania is the chairman and managing director of the Raymond group.
- The group owns apparel brands like Raymond, Raymond Premium Apparel, Park Avenue, Park Avenue Woman, ColorPlus & Parx. All the brands are retailed through ‘The Raymond Shop’ (TRS), with a network of over 700 retail shops spread across India and overseas, in over 200 cities.
- In addition, the group also has business interests in readymade garments, designer wear, cosmetics & toiletries, engineering files and tools.
