Quiksilver confirms that it signed a long-term licensing agreement with Reliance Brands to introduce the Quiksilver and Roxy brands in the Indian market as well as in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. Quiksilver is the first leading action sports company to move into the potentially appetizing Indian market.
Reliance said the brands would be marketed chiefly through mono-brand stores. The first of them will be opened toward the middle of this year, offering apparel, footwear and accessories. The company plans to have six of these stores by the end of the year, all leased and operated by Reliance, and it has already found locations in Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad and Chandigarh.
To begin with, Quiksilver and Roxy will be positioned as adventurous lifestyle brands for urban youngsters, but Reliance also wants to introduce a boardsports culture to the country. It may start the process by promoting skateboarding through the two brands in shopping malls, which have become fashionable hang-outs for the hip and affluent part of India's urban youth.
Darshan Mehta, chief executive of Reliance Brands, indicated that it would further explore opportunities to sell the two boardsports brands through e-commerce and duty-free stores at Indian airports. This is an increasingly interesting channel of distribution in India, as several airports are getting a radical makeover and new airports with appealing shopping areas are popping up around the country.
Part of Reliance Industries, a huge Indian conglomerate, Reliance Brands was launched in 2007 to distribute and build international brands in India. It already has agreements with brands from Diesel to Timberland, Paul & Shark and Ermenegildo Zegna. The company said it intended to open 45 stores for all these brands this year and it announced last year that it was preparing the launch of its own brand.
Separately, the Reliance group is also involved in the sports business through Reliance Footprint, a retail chain that has an exclusive distribution agreement with Asics.
