With a massive turnover of over 60 crores this year, Suxus, a household name in men’s apparel in South India, has hit a major milestone in its storied brand journey: beginning from a shoestring investment of 5 lacs to a massive loss of over 1 crore, leading to the brink of bankruptcy to the current heights of success.
Riding this new wave of success, Faizal Ahamed CM, the founder of the brand has geared his vision to open 420 new showrooms by 2030, expanding the current base of 17 showrooms across major cities in Tamil Nadu such as Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Erode, Tirunelveli, Namakkal, Kanchipuram, Kumbakonam, Dindigul, Karur and many more.
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The rollercoaster ride of the brand started in 2006 when Faizal was 19. To pay off the debt that his family incurred, the teenage Ahamed paid heed to the advice of Pothiraj, a director of the popular retail chain Pothys, and started Suxus to supply clothing items for retail stores in Tamil Nadu. Drawing from generational business acumen and lessons of failures Faizal’s family business, Indian Cloth Depot, incurred, the Suxus brand grew successfully.
Owing to the growth of the business, Faizal decided to move away from the B2B (Business to Business) model to be an independent seller, opening stores in Madurai, Erode, Salem, Trichy, and Dindigul. In 2011, the brand’s strategy to sell the same, high-quality to the customer started to fail due to the wrong pricing strategy, and limited footfalls, despite a small but loyal customer base. On the brink of bankruptcy, the brand decided to hold a disruptive sale to clear off its stock in one of the locations it decided to close down. The disrupting sale of 7 shirts at Rs.999, advertised through word of mouth and WhatsApp messages, was the turning point. Not only did the stock clear in no time but also the demand and customer footfall increased dramatically thereby creating this Rs.30 to Rs. 399 business model once for all for suxus, leading to today’s turnover of over 60 crores. From then, there was no turning back for Faizal and team suxus.
The growing brand has not only garnered the love and interest of consumers but also academic curiosity. Many notable B-schools, such as the SP Jain School of Management, have started teaching the brand journey of Suxus as a case study. In addition to the case studies, the story of Ahamed's rise has gone viral on the internet via platforms such as Josh Talks and many youtube channels where the entrepreneur himself narrates the tale. Ahamed’s story has not only inspired many but also turned him into a popular motivational speaker and entrepreneurship mentor.
Whenever they opened a new store, their sales per average square foot turned out to be more than the highest average in the industry with big questions and crowds standing out of the store before the launch. Faizal says they are fetching a Return on investment in their new stores in less than 30 days.
Sharing his vision Mr. Faizal said, “We have won the hearts of customers in Tamil Nadu, who have continued to share that love by increasing our sales with every passing year. In the effort to touch as many clients as we can, every single day Suxus strives to bring the best quality apparel only between the price range of Rs.30 to Rs. 399. Taking our products to many more consumers, we have set out to conquer the South Indian market followed by an expansion plan to the north of India. With over 15 lacs direct customers in our database, and the robust expansion plan we are rolling out, we aim to not only be in prominent corners of the country but across the tier-two and tier-three cities, providing people with premium clothing options while being easily on the pocket. ”
Behind the success of Suxus lies its prime strategy of a lean operational cost, debt-free business model, very low investment, and a continuous commitment to excellence, as suggested by the brand name, Suxus, a witty twist on the word ‘success’. Having created a market worth 25000 crores along with a sharp focus to create a strong franchise, Suxus is on its way to being the leader and the pioneer in the low-priced affordable garments business.
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