Fabulous Fabindia

Weekend
Published on December 1, 2006

By Francis P Barclay

How about shopping in an old heritage edifice with a homely ambience and a vintage decor, and where the products ranging from household furnishing to quilts to furniture to jams to pickle are available? Sounds interesting? Then, visit Fabindia's retail outlet at RS Puram in Coimbatore, a new entrant into the supermarket realm of the city.
An old heritage house on the TV Samy Road has been transformed into a colourful ethnic store. It is the 51st outlet of Fabindia. Fabindia offers a wide range of household items. ``You can be the decorator of your own home, it's easy with Fabindia'' says Rajani Gopi, in-charge of the home division. Also, to give a rustic touch to homes, there are furniture, cane baskets, lightings and painted pottery with high intricacy. Ready-to-wear garments are available for people of all age groups and gender. ``The specialty here is that cotton, silk, wool, linen and jute are the basic fibres used. No synthetic fibre is used,'' says Nandita, merchandiser for the garment
section.
Fabindia also offers organic products like jams, pickles, fruit concentrates, tea, coffee and spices. Besides, it has a burly section for cosmetics under the brand name Sana. The specialty is `all under one roof'.
Fabindia sources its products from over 7,500 craftsmen and artisans across the country. It supports the craft traditions of India by providing a market and thereby encourage and sustain rural employment. It has retail outlets in all major cities of India and also in countries like Rome, Italy, Dubai, UAE and China.
Says store incharge Preethi Balaji: ``Holding these major product lines together is our commitment to the rural and crafts sectors of India. Fabindia was founded with the strong belief that there was a need for a
vehicle to market the vast and diverse craft traditions of India and thereby help fulfill the need to sustain rural employment.''
Indigenous craft techniques are blended with contemporary designs to bring aesthetic and affordable products to today's consumers.
Products are sourced mainly from villages. Fabindia works closely with artisans by providing various inputs, including design, quality control, access to raw materials and production coordination. The vision continues to
maximize the hand-made element in products, whether it is textiles, printing, embroidery or home products.
However, the products carry a little higher price tags. ``It's because our products are organic and handmade,'' they say.
For more information call: 0422-4370101,02,03.