04 April 2023, Mumbai

Liberty Shoes, the popular Indian footwear brand, is expecting a 10-15% growth in sales this summer season.

Despite winter seasons contributing 55-60% of sales, the brand still expects to increase sales with lower-priced open footwear during summer. The brand witnessed a 20% growth this year, with sports and athleisure products accounting for 25% of sales and school shoes contributing 20-25%.

In terms of manufacturing, Liberty Shoes produces 35,000 to 40,000 pairs of shoes daily, with 80-85% of production occurring in-house. The brand is working on upgrading its manufacturing facilities and reducing imports.

Currently, Liberty Shoes runs 450 exclusive brand outlets, and plans to open 50-100 stores annually. While online channels make up 20% of sales, 80% come from offline retail channels, with North India accounting for 65% of sales.

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09 March 2023, Mumbai 

ASUS India has opened its 200th store in Nehru Place, New Delhi, which marks a significant milestone for the company.

The store, which is spread across 500 square feet, will strengthen ASUS India's retail presence and showcase its commitment to the Indian market. The company's strategy includes an aggressive marketing approach, attractive pricing, a variety of products, and rapid retail expansion in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, resulting in a robust brand strategy.

ASUS India, believes that India is an important market for the company, and they are opening stores in high-traffic locations that are easily accessible to meet the diverse needs of consumers. And the in-store purchase experience is crucial in engaging with customers and surrounding them with incredible solutions.

ASUS aims to add at least 20 stores every quarter this year, with the goal of reaching 300 stores in total. The new store will also have designated ROG gaming zones equipped with the latest technology tools required for esports, which gamers can enjoy free of cost.

The brand currently has eight ROG exclusive outlets in the country. Additionally, ASUS is targeting suburban markets in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to establish multiple touchpoints, providing convenience and accessibility to its customers.

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 01 April 2023, Mumbai

Luxury multi-brand retail store The Collective, a venture of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd, has expanded its footprint by opening a new store in the city of Ludhiana in Punjab.

The store is located at the Grand Walk Mall, covering an area of 4800 square feet, and offers luxury fashion brands for both men and women.

With this new store, a curated selection of the best of international fashion is now at Punjab’s doorstep and global brands like Paige and Evisu have made their entry into the Indian market. The store also features other popular brands such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Karl Lagerfeld, Ted Baker, Hugo, Love Moschino, and many more.

The Collective claims to be India’s largest luxury multi-brand retail concept with stores and an online platform present across several cities in India. With this new store, The Collective aims to cater to the growing demand for luxury fashion in Ludhiana, Punjab and provide customers with a unique shopping experience.

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17 March 2023, Mumbai 

THG Ingenuity and GOAT Brand Labs have entered into a partnership to assist direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands in India to improve their digital presence and reach global audiences through e-commerce channels.

THG Ingenuity has an established track record of driving e-commerce growth for leading global brands and hopes to replicate this success with Indian brands.

As part of the collaboration, THG will work with Indian DTC brands to help them make informed decisions backed by data and expand their global reach through e-commerce channels. The partnership aims to help Indian brands grow exponentially in the e-commerce sphere and become market leaders in their respective categories.

GOAT Brand Labs, founded in 2021 by Rishi Vasudev and Rameswar Mishra, has a diverse portfolio of brands, including fashion, personal care, beauty, jewellery, sports, and nutrition. The partnership with THG Ingenuity is expected to help these brands strengthen their DTC presence in India and expand their global footprint, particularly in the US and GCC countries.

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 08 March 2023, Mumbai 

Luxury rental services are becoming increasingly popular in India, as more consumers look to access high-end fashion without paying the hefty price tag.

The luxury rental market is set to expand at a CAGR of 11 per cent globally from 2021 to 2031, with many players entering the market to cater for products such as high-end bags, shoes, clothes, and more at a fraction of the cost of the product.

The luxury rental market is driven by Gen Z and millennial consumers and the growing popularity of luxury brands in India. The market is also seeing equal participation from men, who are practical about their wedding attire and understand they will probably never re-wear it.

However, the rental business model still faces inventory problems, transportation issues, and the need to ensure authenticity and quality of rentals over an extended period. Cheaper replicas also eat away at the business, with bustling lanes of Delhi offering second-hand copies at affordable prices.

Despite these challenges, luxury rentals can help combat the overconsumption crisis by offering a more cost-effective alternative to traditional retail. Additionally, the luxury rentals can also serve as a way for consumers to "try before they buy," potentially leading to increased sales of full-priced items in the long run.

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25 March 2023, Mumbai 

Behno, a sustainable luxury handbag brand, has announced a new partnership with Bollywood celebrity Katrina Kaif.

Katrina Kaif is not only the new face of Behno's latest campaign, but she is also an investor in the label. This move is a significant step for the brand, as it seeks to increase its focus on the Indian market and celebrate its manufacturing units in India.

Behno was launched in 2013 in response to the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh and has since focused on creating classic-style leather tote bags and handbags using sustainable methods. The partnership with Katrina Kaif is a significant milestone for the brand and demonstrates its commitment to ethical and sustainable fashion.

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15 March 2023, Mumbai

Brand Concepts Limited’s Bagline, the premium multi-brand travel and lifestyle store, has announced its expansion into South India with two new stores opening in Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

The Bengaluru store is situated on the second floor of the Mantri Square Mall, while the Hyderabad store is located on the first floor of the Sarath City Capital Mall in HITEC City.

The new stores will showcase the exclusive Tommy Hilfiger Travel Gear collection, featuring an extensive range of luggage, backpacks, business cases, and wallets, to the South Indian market.

Bagline currently operates retail stores across several cities in India, with 24 exclusive brand outlets nationwide. The expansion into Bengaluru and Hyderabad is a significant part of Bagline's robust expansion plan to cater to the South Indian market.

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04 March 2023, Mumbai 

Decathlon, the French sportswear brand, is currently in discussions with the Indian government to allow it to retail products from other brands in its brick-and-mortar stores in India. This move would make the company a multi-brand retailer, which is the model it operates in several other countries.

Decathlon has been operating in India for some time now, but they have only retailed their own labels so far. This is because the Indian Foreign Direct Investment regulations prohibit 100% FDI in business-to-customer multi-brand retail. This means that international businesses must either partner with Indian companies for their B2B multi-brand operations or cater exclusively to the business-to-customer market. The government has implemented this policy to prevent foreign brands from undermining local businesses.

Decathlon believes in offering the widest choice of sporting products and categories will benefit consumers, including products from other local and global brands. Therefore, they are requesting that single-brand retailers in India be allowed to offer up to 20 per cent of their inventory from other brands across their sales channels.

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 23 March 2023, Mumbai 

Reliance Retail has announced the opening of the fifth store of its premium fashion and lifestyle brand, AZORTE, at Airia Mall in Gurugram.

With 22,000 square feet of retail space, the store is set to cater to all consumer segments and revolutionize shopping experiences in Gurugram. The AZORTE store has been designed with the shopper in mind, offering industry-first tech-enabled interventions such as mobile checkout, smart trial rooms, fashion discovery stations, and self-checkout kiosks to ensure a seamless shopping journey.

Additionally, smart fitting rooms allow shoppers to complete their look and request additional sizes and other products at the touch of a button. Customers can also choose to use self-checkouts instead of queuing up at manned counters.

The store will feature the latest global and domestic fashion trends, with a unique twist on style that includes footwear, fashion accessories, and more. Interactive screens placed strategically across the stores are RFID-enabled and act as virtual styling assistants.

Reliance Retail stated that the AZORTE store offers an elevated customer experience through tech-aided solutions, with the added benefit of in-store fashion consultants who provide a human touch.

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10 March 2023, Mumbai 

Pariz is a fashion and lifestyle metaverse to be launched that provides immersive and authentic experiences of shopping and collaboration through multichain technology.

The Pariz metaverse promises to offer an exceptional experience to users, particularly fashion enthusiasts, by bringing the shopping and socializing experience to a virtual platform. The Pariz metaverse is set to revolutionize the way people shop, collaborate and interact in the fashion and lifestyle industry.

The launch will also mark the unveiling of MetaStores, a platform designed for the first cohort of fashion brands within Pariz metaverse. With MetaStores, fashion brands will have access to a global audience, allowing them to connect with customers and showcase their products in an immersive and engaging manner. The aim is to connect with a younger audience, particularly the GenZ market.

Trace Network Labs, a metaverse company, has announced launch of Pariz through its partnership with YourStory, a media technology company for startups.

Pariz metaverse would be launched at Techsparks, one of India's leading startup-tech events, on March 22, 2023.

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