Reebok, the footwear and athletic wear brand which had a new owner a few months back in Authentic Brands Group has a new partner in India and ASEAN markets – India’s among most respected business houses – The Birlas.
Aditya Birla Fashion, the retail powerhouse of the Birla Group has been specialising in the fashion and apparel retail Business after completely exiting Grocery Retail – More Supermarkets & More Hyper. The company which has been popular in India with it’s iconic brands Louis Philippe, Van Heusen and casual wear brand Allen Solly acquired the Pantaloons Department store chain from Kishore Biyani’s Future Group in 2012. As the company continued its focus on this category, it has been on an acquisition spree, including ethnic and Designer wear brands such as Tarun Tahiliani & Sabyasachi while also expanding it’s offline presence. On 14 Dec. ‘21, the company announced a strategic long term tie up to distribute Reebok in the region.
ABFRL operates over 3,200 Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBOs), present in over 7,000+ Department Stores points of sales and whopping 26,800 Multi Brand Outlets (MBOs). The company already has a license to manage marquee brands like Forever 21, American Eagle, Simon Carter, Ted Baker, Ralph Lauren and the luxury department store chain, The Collective. With Reebok, the company gets a shot in the much anticipated leisurewear and active wear categories.
Commenting on the transaction, Mr. Ashish Dikshit, Managing Director, ABFRL said, “As Indians get more active, athletic and health focussed, their consumption of apparel and accessories is expected to increasingly change in line with these trends, providing an opportunity to build iconic brands of global repute. Reebok is one of the leading brands in the sporting goods industry globally and has built a very strong presence in the Indian market over the last two decades. In partnership with ABG, we plan to accelerate Reebok’s business in India, combining its global appeal and salience amongst Indian youth. This transaction further strengthens the ABFRL portfolio and increases our ability to engage with consumers across various need spaces.”
This partnership helps further ABG’s global Reebok strategy of assembling a network of core operating partners around the world who are committed to driving innovation and growth while upholding the brand’s integrity and values. ABFRL will partner with Reebok Design Group (RDG), the newly- established global brand hub based in Boston, on all product design, development, innovation and creative direction to drive a unified brand voice and vision.
Interesting times ahead in the fashion and apparel retail space with Reliance Retail, Tata Westside and Birla Fashion in a three way race to conquer more wardrobe space of discerning Indian households.
