Wool on India’s leading luxury e-retailer

PHOTO: XtockImages

After China, India is the largest importer of Australian wool, and the country is well-known for its premium textile manufacturing. But as well as being an important wool manufacturing hub, India is also an increasingly important consumer market for Australian wool.

The population of India last year surpassed that of China to make it the most populous country on the planet. Furthermore, its economy is the fifth largest in the world and one of the fastest growing.

To capitalise on the growing luxury apparel market in India, AWI’s marketing arm The Woolmark Company recently launched a 2½ month marketing campaign with India’s leading luxury e-retailer, Ajio Luxe, which has one million daily active users and customer growth of 140% during the past year.

“The campaign aimed to raise awareness of Australian Merino wool among luxury online shoppers and increase sales of Merino wool products from premium brands on the Ajio Luxe online retail platform during the country’s peak autumn/winter shopping season,” said AWI Regional Development Manager - Emerging Markets & India, Trudie Friedrich.

Successful marketing campaign

Promotional collateral on the Ajio Luxe e-commerce platform that points to wool apparel that customers can purchase.

The marketing campaign featured wool apparel from nearly 50 brands on the Ajio Luxe website and app.

Banners on the Ajio Luxe home page highlighted the wool campaign and pointed people to a special landing page that contained information about Merino wool, its suitability for the circular economy, and highlights of the platform’s best-selling wool apparel. Importantly, this special landing page pointed customers through to the area of the online platform where they could purchase wool apparel.

There was also another special page titled ‘The Wonders of Wool’, on which Ajio Luxe’s editorial team featured wool looks and explained the trans-seasonality of wool apparel, the eco-credentials and premium nature of Merino wool, and the fibre’s suitability for activewear. This page also directed customers to the online store to buy wool product.

The campaign was amplified by posts on Ajio Luxe’s social media channels, notifications sent to Ajio Luxe’s e-newsletter subscribers and app users, and posts by two famous Indian influencers to build resonance for the campaign and create conversations about wool.

“While consumer education about the natural benefits of Merino wool was a key aspect of the campaign, the foremost objective was to increase sales of wool product,” Trudie said.

And there certainly was an increase in sales. As a result of the campaign, Aio Luxe increased its sales of wool products by 92% compared to last season, well above the target of 22%. The total impressions for the campaign (the number of times that the campaign was seen) was 12 million, with 500,000 consumers engaging with the campaign page on the Ajio Luxe website and therefore showing an intent to purchase.

Collaboration with Reliance Group

Ajio Luxe is a part of Reliance Group, the largest business conglomerate in India. The Woolmark Company’s collaboration with Ajio Luxe has strengthened The Woolmark Company’s relationship with Reliance Brands Limited which could prove valuable for wool in India because the company is the exclusive master franchise of most domestic and international luxury brands in India.

“Ajio Luxe is proud to collaborate with The Woolmark Company, to weave a stylish narrative that champions the versatility of wool,” said Group Vice President-Business at Reliance Brands Limited, Deval Shah.

“With this campaign, we aim to position woollens as perennial wardrobe essentials; proving it’s not just a fabric, but a style statement for the modern generation. Together, our aim has been to knit a story that is not only fashion-forward but also advocates for the enduring allure of this natural fibre in our country.”

This article appeared in the March 2024 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.