Ecco opens first exclusive brand outlet in India

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Nov 14, 2019

Danish footwear brand Ecco has opened its first exclusive brand outlet in India in Gurugram’s Ambience Mall and plans to open 20 concept stores in the country in the coming three years.

Ecco also plans to launch a dedicated Indian e-commerce store in the first quarter of next year as it sees high growth potential in the Indian market, Inside Retail Asia reported. The brand had previously only retailed through multi-brand outlets in India.

“We would like to take a long-term strategy to become a successful brand in India,” said Ecco’s global sales EVP Michel Krol. “That is why we will start with a small footprint to focus first on brand building so that the Indian consumer understands the brand’s narrative as to why the premium price we charge is justified.”

“We see a strong demand from consumers who know what they want, and who appreciate the quality and consistent brand experience they get from Ecco,” said Ecco’s CEO Steen Borgholm, reported by Inside Retail Asia. “We continuously work to understand our customers better and we hope to be able to convey the passion of our employees and our brand story to them.”

Ecco, which launched in 1963, owns its entire value chain including manufacturing and wholesale units. The brand had planned to set up a production unit in India before it first entered the market in 2005 but the brand told the Press Trust of India that year that it had decided against opening a unit in the country and instead brought in shoes from its China manufacturing centre.