Powered by celebs, D’Decor aims to score 25% sales from sister brand FabriCare in 2025

The VP – of strategy, brand and business excellence at D’Décor also discusses the brand’s strategic use of celebrities.

D’Decor, one of the most recognised players in upholstery and home furnishing category, launched its high-performance soft furnishing brand 'FabriCare' in August 2023. The brand’s concept, 'beauty that needs no care', addresses a gap identified in the upholstery industry.

“FabriCare was born from consumer research. Over the years, we noticed that homes are no longer just necessities—they’re where life happens. People entertain more at home, and invest more in aesthetics, and with that comes the constant worry of maintenance,” says Nikita Desai, VP – strategy, brand and business excellence at D’Décor Home Fabrics.

Desai states that as people often find furnishing and upgrading homes daunting and overwhelming, they wanted to bring a sense of 'ease' to the space.

FabriCare, for example, has an Easy Clean range that addresses spills: “In the upholstery fabrics segment, high performance is becoming standard. Whether it's kids, pets, or general clumsiness, the fabric can be easily cleaned with just water and a cloth. We also have a range of washable curtains, addressing the issue of dry cleaning,” adds Desai.

FabriCare's innovative products are also helping to position D'Decor as a leader in the home textile market, catering to modern consumers' needs for durability and ease of maintenance. What makes FabriCare different from D'Decor is that it aims to cater to value-conscious consumers, with products priced between Rs 700 and Rs 2,000 per metre. In contrast, most D'Decor offerings are slightly more expensive with most items priced between Rs 700 and Rs 4,000.

According to Desai, FabriCare is on an exceptional growth journey and has been very well received by audiences, despite being in the market for only 18–20 months. FabriCare clocked in Rs 100 crore in its first year of operations. “FabriCare accounted for 15% of D'Decor's total sales. This year, we aim to reach 25%.”

In an earlier media interview, the brand's managing director, Ajay Arora, stated that they expect to generate retail revenue of Rs 1,000 crore in India in 2024, of which Rs 150 crore will come from FabriCare.

The Indian upholstered furniture market is estimated to be worth Rs. 9,213.2 crores in 2024 and is expected to reach Rs.12,838.4 crores by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 6.86% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

The upholstered furniture market in India has been growing at a rapid pace due to various factors, says Desai. For example, the increase in disposable household incomes, the rise in the number of middle-class households, and the rapid rate of urbanisation have contributed significantly to this growth. Moreover, upholstered items require less capital investment to refresh households compared to solid furniture.

FabriCare’s distribution strategy, according to Desai, is to scale its offline presence. FabriCare is available in over 500 multi-branded retail outlets across the country, as well as in all exclusive D'Decor stores. Currently, FabriCare doesn't have standalone stores, but Desai says that is something they are considering as the brand expands.

“Fabrics as a category are very tactile. Customers usually visit the store with an architect or interior designer and make several trips before making decisions. That’s why we don’t see as much merit in selling fabrics online yet. However, we do have a digital solution for our B2B customers, such as dealers, architects, and interior designers.”

Star-studded marketing strategy

Just like D'Decor, FabriCare is also relying on A-list celebrities for its marketing needs. Its launch last year was supported by a high-profile campaign featuring Bollywood stars Alia Bhatt and Shah Rukh Khan. Khan has been the face of D'Decor for almost 15 years, alongside Gauri Khan, an interior designer and his wife.

This collaboration has elevated FabriCare's visibility and appeal, aligning the brand with contemporary lifestyle aspirations and reinforcing D'Decor's reputation for quality and innovation.

A few months ago, the brand also brought the star couple Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor on board for a campaign. They also got Ranveer Singh on board for another sub-brand from the house called 'Sansaar'- a step towards conscious living and sustainability. When asked if featuring too many celebrities for a single brand might confuse audiences, Desai states that they strategically select different celebrities because each brand, while part of the same company, has its own distinct USP and positioning.

"D’Decor started with SRK and Gauri Khan 15 years ago, and last year we introduced Alia Bhatt for Fabricare, with SRK also being part of the campaign. This year, Ranbir Kapoor joined Alia as the face of Fabricare. Both are a power couple and are in the news for building their house, making them a perfect fit for the brand's image."

Speaking about the brand’s festive marketing plans, she adds that while the upcoming months are important for the category and they will slightly increase their spending, their strategy now focuses on maintaining a 360-degree presence throughout the year. She says building brand awareness and customer engagement is key.