Dorothy Perkins eyes brick-and-mortar stores in India

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Dec 4, 2018

Dorothy Perkins is considering opening brick-and-mortar retail outlets in India after entering the online market four years ago with Jabong.

After signing a deal with Jabong to retail its clothing online four years ago to retail exclusively on the e-commerce platform, Dorothy Perkins is eyeing the possibility of opening brick-and-mortar stores in India. The UK-based womenswear brand is following the path of many international fashion brands that enter the Indian market -- to first test the waters online before entering into the offline space.

As reported by ET Bureau, Dorothy Perkins is not the only international fashion brand looking to branch out into offline Indian retail. Other brands including Under Armour, Replay, and the Dutch brand Scotch & Soda have tested the market online and are now planning brick-and-mortar store openings.

Replay previously sold its denim line online on Myntra and has now signed a deal to sell offline with Reliance Brands. Under Armour has also stated that it plans to open brick-and-mortar stores in India after selling online through Amazon India for the past two years and Scotch & Soda is also planning on going offline after launching online in India.

Testing the market online before foraying into offline retail has proven a wise strategy for international fashion brands in India. Brands are able to make a name for themselves in the country without the costs of offline retail so that when they do invest, they already have a strong customer base and brand identity in the country.