Please walk us through how Hopscotch came about.

Romana Abdullah: We launched Hopscotch in April, 2014. The main reason we started it was because we felt there was a gap in the market. After doing market research and being parents of young kids ourselves, we couldn’t find clothes that we wanted for our kids. We personally did not like shopping at the local brands that were available. I’m sure they are great but we didn’t like the wholesale watches product or quality. Moreover, the international brands that exist here are middle to lower-middle class brands in the West but are sold as super-premium here.

Harris Syed: The other thing we realised was that Pakistan is the fourth largest cotton producer in the world. Why then have we been unable to create an international quality world class brand? That was really the aspiration. We wanted to get best in class product at a really competitive price for the Pakistani consumer. We want to sell ourselves as an aspirational brand. Our products are made entirely in Pakistan except for a few items

How difficult is it for a brand in Pakistan to procure quality raw materials including yarn and fabrics?

RA: For knitwear it is easier because you can actually buy yarn locally and have it knit. The only problem is the currency fluctuation and its impact on raw material prices. We employ quality testing throughout the production process to ensure the best raw material quality.

HS: The problem is when you want more sophisticated knits. If you want specific items such as napping yarn for example, it is not readily available in Pakistan. On the woven side, procurement is troublesome too because you have to get the material from the market. Most of it is imported from China and you have to go through local vendors who are importing it from there.

Who are your main competitors? How does your pricing rank compare to them?

RA: We are the new kids on the block. When we started Hopscotch, it was from 0-5 years. The next year we went up till 8 years and now we are at a point where we cater to the 0-14 year’s age bracket. Our competitors are established brands that have been around for a while and include Minnie Minors, Outfitters, Breakout Kids and Leisure Club.

HS: Our pricing is very competitive now and in line with our competitors partly because we have learnt but also because we have scaled. Our main focus is quality, and for the wholesale home decor quality we give our pricing is excellent. Our exchange claims our very low and our number of repeat customers is quite high, which indicates high customer satisfaction.

How many stores do you have right now?

HS: We have 28 stores spread across 18 cities in Pakistan and we reached this mark in four and a half years.

How many of these stores are franchises, and how many do you operate yourself?

HS: Eight out of these are franchised and twenty are self-owned.

What are your plans for expansion?

HA: By April or June next year, we plan to increase to around 35 stores. It depends on the real estate cost. We don’t have a store in Karachi as yet although the most number of customers on our e-commerce site are from Karachi. It’s a huge market and we know it. However, we are waiting to find the right location in Karachi for our flagship store where there is relevant and sizeable customer footfall. The per square foot price in malls across Pakistan is exorbitant now.

RA: That’s true. The malls here price things that work for well-established women ethnic brands. For smaller players like us, going into malls just becomes a brand building exercise. The smaller cities are the ones that give you the profit.