The company, a subsidiary of Raymond Ltd, plans to launch around eight products under its two umbrella brands -- `Park Avenue' and `Premium'. JK Helene Curtis executive director NN Mehta told The Financial Express that the company will invest in people and the field force to double its retail network.

At present, the company has a strength of roughly over 70,000 outlets which will rise to almost 1,50,000 outlets by next year. This will in turn translate into better penetration for its products.

Mehta said the company is looking at bringing in products like soaps, deodrant sticks and body sprays, in the Park Avenue and Premium range. While the Park Avenue range mainly concerns the men's toiletry range, Premium is positioned as a family product.

The company's main aim is to concentrate and extendthe range under `Park Avenue' and `Premium'. The company's only other brand is Tru Tone, as the Tiara range of shampoo has been discontinued long back.

After having launched `Premium' perfumes, the company is looking at extending this range to body sprays as well. These will be shortly launched, said Mehta.

JK Helene Curtis posted a turnover of Rs 38 crore last year. Mehta said the company expects to post a Rs 50-crore turnover in 1998-99. Regarding its advertising spend which has been in the range of Rs 3 crore to Rs 5 crore per annum, Mehta said the company will stick to spending around Rs 4 crore per annum while ensuring that profitability is maintained.

"We need to maintain the balance between adspend, product launches, promotions and profitability. There is no point in hiking the ad budget extravagantly and eroding profitability," Mehta said.

Mehta also said that with the domestic market being very price sensitive, the company will offer value for money to consumers by pricing products at areasonable level.

The downturn in the Rs 1,500-crore cosmetics and toiletries market has affected companies so far as the increased number of consumer offers is concerned which has led to erosion in companies' margins.

Mehta said the company is on a cost reduction exercise. It aims to reduce the cost on raw materials and packaging by 10 per cent to 15 per cent this year enabling it to keep a hold on the price line.

Hair-dye brand to adorn new look

JK Helene Curtis is giving Tru Tone, its hair-dye brand, a face lift. Tru Tone, which was recently introduced in the powder form, will undergo substantial changes in its package design. Its product form will also be upgraded, executive director NN Mehta said.

Mehta said the company has sold 50,000 packs of the powder-hair dye. Tru Tone has a market share of around 30 per cent in the Rs 100-crore hair-dye market. Leading player Godrej Soaps commands a market share of over 50 per cent, industry analysts said.

The market for hair dyes is growing at25 per cent to 30 per cent in value terms. It has the potential for a quicker growth considering that only 10 million people of the country's 950-million population use hair dye.