AUTHENTIC BRANDS TO BRING NAUTICA TO INDIA WITH NEW PARTNERSHIP
Flipkart Group, India’s leading e-commerce marketplace, has announced an agreement with Authentic Brands Group granting licensing and distribution rights in India for global lifestyle brand Nautica. As a part of this agreement, Flipkart Group will manage Nautica’s online and offline business, through a network of franchise partners, helping to strengthen the brand and its business in India’s ever-growing fashion landscape. This will open new avenues with the combined strength of Flipkart and Myntra, India’s largest online fashion destinations.
As per recent industry reports, India has witnessed an increased demand for international fashion and styles from consumers not only in metros, but tier two cities and beyond, who are constantly seeking to upgrade their wardrobe, while being influenced by global fashion trends. The specialty teams at Flipkart Group will bring their expertise in design, product development, merchandising and more, to address unique consumer demands of the market. The integrated approach across channels will lead to a refined shopping experience and bring industry-first practices including Endless Aisle, a technology solution that allows shoppers to virtually browse additional product offerings and self-checkout capabilities for convenience to Nautica stores.
Through this partnership, Nautica will mark Flipkart Group’s first global brand of such size and scale, to be managed end-to-end, with the aim of growing its existing customer base across India.
“Our goal is to bring the best of fashion to our consumers and the launch of Nautica under the Flipkart Group label is a direct reflection of this effort,” said Rishi Vasudev, senior vice president and group head of fashion at Flipkart, Myntra, Jabong. “The brand’s success on a global scale is admirable and we are very excited to lead this new growth phase for Nautica in India. This partnership further strengthens our position as the leading fashion destination in India and is a testament to our drive in bringing the best brands to millions of Indian consumers. We aim to grow Nautica’s business in India and offer consumers the best shopping experience by integrating our technology expertise across various consumer touchpoints.”
“Flipkart Group is the undisputed fashion market leader in India, providing Nautica access to over 160 million consumers across Flipkart, Myntra and Jabong,” said Jamie Salter, founder, chairman, and CEO of Authentic Brands Group. “In addition to extensive market reach, Flipkart Group brings a high degree of technological capabilities making them an ideal partner for Nautica. We are confident that this partnership will help us engage more customers and we look forward to growing Nautica’s presence in India, an important growth market for the brand.”
ABG acquired Nautica in May of 2018 with the intention of growing the brand’s international footprint by expanding into new key territories and strengthen its presence in existing markets such as the U.S. and Latin America. ABG has invested significant resources over the past year and successfully launched in China earlier this year and has been strategically focused on finding a partner in India, an important growth market for the brand.
In its partnership with Nautica, Flipkart Group not only has the opportunity to drive sales across a larger number of channels, but it also has an opportunity to use its learnings from online, work closely with the parent company ABG and bring more relevant styles to consumers, which are best suited for our consumers. Flipkart Group understands Indian consumers best and its partnership with Nautica in India is a win-win for both, while further strengthening Flipkart Group’s fashion portfolio.