Within a week of opening its first store at Mumbai’s Infiniti Mall, American fashion apparel brand GAP has opened two more stores already. GAP is now managed in India through a master franchise arrangement by Reliance Retail.
On the opening of Gap’s first store in India, Akhilesh Prasad, President & CEO, Fashion & Lifestyle, Reliance Retail Limited, said, “We are thrilled to bring the iconic Gap back to India in a new avatar. On visiting the new Gap stores, customers will not only discover a brand new retail identity, but a tech-enabled shopping experience including smart trial rooms, express check-out, and an omni experience, along with a better price value. While the opening of freestanding stores is an important driver of Gap’s long-term growth plan in India, it also gives us yet another opportunity to bring world-class brands and a differentiated shopping experience to our discerning Indian consumers.”
“We are excited to partner with Reliance Retail to continue growing our presence in India through our partner-based model,” said Adrienne Gernand , Managing Director of International, Global Licensing and Wholesale at Gap Inc. “Growing Gap’s brick-and-mortar business through the launch of freestanding stores and multi-brand store expressions enables us to increase accessibility for Indian customers and meet them where they are shopping.”
After opening over 50 GAP shop-in-shops since last year, Reliance Retail has now initiated the second phase of the launch with the new stores at GS Road, Guwahati and Hyderbad’s Sharath City Mall.
The expansion of Gap’s India presence will include a series of freestanding store openings across the country in the coming months. Gap Infiniti Mall will serve as the fullest expression of the brand featuring denim, logo products, khakis and modern essentials for the family across women, men, kids and babies.
In July 2022, Reliance Retail had signed an exclusive and long-term agreement with GAP Inc to be its India partner. Earlier, the iconic American brand had an almost decade long association with DLF Brands. With an estimated turnover of Rs. 1 lakh crore pa, Reliance Retail manages the two extremes of the consumer spectrum with premium fashion brands such as GAP, Brooks Brothers, etc. on one end as well as reaching out to the masses with its Fresh, MART, SMART and Bazaar stores, selling food and grocery at low prices every day.
