You can't shop for clothes on Monday

Garment stores across the country will remain closed to protest the 10% excise duty announced in budget 2011

Shopaholics, stay put on Monday, for you will not be able to buy clothes anywhere in the city, or the country for that matter. And you have the finance minister to thank for it.

As sources revealed to MID DAY, the clothing industry has called an all-India bandh against the 10 per cent excise duty on branded readymade garments proposed by the Union Budget 2010-11 last Monday.



"Garment manufacturers in the city will down shutters on Friday and assemble for a morcha at 11 am at Azad Maidan, while garment retailers will down shutters on Monday," said Viren Shah, president of the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association.

"Even clothing sections at malls won't sell any garments. Well-known malls, which have their in-house brands will also participate in the bandh," added Shah, who is also vice chairman of the Confederation of All India Traders.

Kishore Biyani, CEO of Future Group, expressed his support for the pan-India remonstration.

"I think we have to show solidarity with the bandh. After all, we are part of the trade," he said. The company's clothing brands include John Miller, Lombard, Bare, DJ&C, Buffalo and RIG.
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So you know what to tick off the shopping list, in case you were planning to venture out shopping on Monday. However, if you're one with a penchant for foreign brands, you may go forth.

Sources said that imported garment brands are not affected by the proposed 10 per cent excise duty and, as such, have not been approached by organisers to participate in the bandh.

Rahul Mehta, president, Clothing Manufacturers' Association of India, justified the decision to call a bandh.
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"Our organisation does not believe in any confrontation. We believe in sitting across the table and finding an amicable solution.

But our smaller members are extremely agitated with the proposed duty and we plan to take up their cause."

The trade and industry bodies also plan to lobby consistently to get the government to withdraw the excise duty on garbs.

"We will visit Delhi next week to meet Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the Union Finance Secretary, and officials from the Central Board of Excise and Customs.
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We are also taking it up with industry associations like CII and FICCI," Mehta said.

When MiD DAY visited Phoenix Mills in Lower Parel for a reality check, none of the retail outlets were aware about the bandh on Monday.

International stores like Zara, Hugo Boss and Diesel in the mall denied that they will shut down. And local brands, like Big Bazaar and Pantaloons, claimed they had no idea about the bandh, and that they had not received any such information from their top bosses.

But Shah said, "While the local garment and retail shops have pledged to extend their support, I am not aware about foreign brands."

Industry speaks

Due to the proposed imposition of excise duty, imports have become cheaper and the local Indian industry will be adversely affected. We will shut shop as a token protest so that the government hears our voices.u00a0
Nikhil Chaturvedi, Managing director, Provogue India

Yes, all our outlets across the country will remain shut. We would like to express solidarity with the bandh.
Govind Shrikhande, Managing director, Shoppers Stop

If there is a unanimous industry bandh, then I guess we will support it.
Pradeep Hirani, Chairman and managing director, Kimaya Fashions

Our 200 outlets all over country will remain closed on Monday to support the bandh.
Kewal Jain, Managing director, Keval Kiran Clothing (Killer Jeans)

I do not know what my office has decided and I will be able to give you an answer only by tomorrow.
Chetan Shah, Managing director, PJL Clothing India Ltd (Pepe Jeans)

We have got 28 stores all over India and our garments sections would remain closed to express solidarity with the bandh.
Vinay Nadkarni, Managing director, u00a0Globus Stores

20,000
The number of garment manufacturing units the city is home to, which form 20 per cent of the clothing business industry in the country

Open and Shut
Outlets that will down shutters on their garments section: Provogue, Shoppers Stop, Pantaloons, Kimaya, Killer Jeans
Outlets that will remain open (garments section only): Zara, Hugo Boss, Diesel, and other foreign brand outlets

Outlets that will down shutters:
Provogue
Shoppers Stop
Pantaloons
Kimaya
Killer Jeans
(Garments section only)