Kontoor Brands partners with Ace Turtle to retail Lee and Wrangler in India

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Dec 9, 2020

U.S. business Kontoor Brands has signed up Bengaluru-based Ace Turtle to manufacture and retail denim brands Lee and Wrangler in India.

“Ace Turtle is taking the licence for India for more than 10 years,” a source told ET Bureau. “Ace Turtle will have the rights to manufacture products for both Lee and Wrangler to sell them here.”
 
Ace Turtle plans to pursue omni-channel retail for both Lee and Wrangler and has signed a licence for over 10 years, according to ET Bureau’s sources. Lee and Wrangler will join e-commerce solutions business Ace Turtle’s portfolio of international clothing brands, which also includes Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, and Emporio Armani, among others.

Kontoor had previously sold Lee and Wrangler in India through its wholly owned subsidiary in the country.

“To adapt to a market that is increasingly online and, as part of a strategy to ensure maximum reach and access to customers across India, our much-loved brands, Lee and Wrangler, will be sold through a digitally connected network of online retailers and branded brick and mortar stores,” said a spokesperson for Kontoor in an email response to the Economic Times.
 
Wrangler has retailed in India for over 10 years under a number of different licensing agreements. As the country’s denim and e-commerce markets continue to grow, Ace Turtle will aim to harness this to expand Lee and Wrangler.