Fila aims to grow fivefold in 5 years, expand retail footprint through franchise network

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Dec 3, 2018

Fila aims to expand fivefold in the coming five years in India and will expand its brick-and-mortar retail footprint through creating a network of standalone franchise stores across India.

Fila has taken a rather unique approach to its India expansion. Arguably more than any other international sportswear brand, Fila has tailored its products and marketing specifically to its Indian audience. With a recent collaborative collection with Norblack Norwhite, the brand launched a range of desi athleisure exclusively in India. Fila has also worked with Indian artists for promotions and tailors its product releases too.

The brand is focusing on designing motorsports footwear for the Indian market using high abrasion resistant materials. This caters to the high number of people riding motorbikes in the country. The brand is also launching its Hexo and Comfortx technologies for performance footwear.

Fila, which currently has two standalone stores in India, both in Mumbai, that follow its new retail format. The brand is also present in over 250 large format lifestyle stores including Lifestyle and Shoppers Stop. In addition to this, Fila aims to expand with a franchise network of standalone stores across the country. Online, the brand is available on numerous e-commerce platforms such as Myntra and Amazon. India is an important market for Fila as seen by its creative focus on the country.