Kontoor Brands to launch omni-channel strategy for Lee and Wrangler in India

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Jan 19, 2021

U.S.-based Kontoor Brands plans to transform the retail strategy for its denim brands Lee and Wrangler in India in partnership with Ace Turtle, and pursue an omni-channel strategy to double its sales over the next two years.

Kontoor Brands recently announced its decision to change Lee and Wrangler’s retail model in India from running a fully owned Indian subsidiary to a franchise model in partnership with Bengaluru-based e-commerce solutions business, Ace Turtle. 
 
As part of its shift towards online retail, Kontoor Brands is looking to shut a number of its stores in India, sources told ET Retail. In a bid to tap into the booming e-commerce market -- which has grown from strength to strength as shoppers remain home during the pandemic -- the business aims to rapidly grow its online business as a number of its competitors have done. 

“Our decision to partner with Ace Turtle in India is part of a strategy to adapt to a market that is increasingly online and ensure our much-loved brands are accessible to customers across the country through a combination of e-commerce and physical stores,” Kontoor Brands' Aisa Pacific managing director, John Gearing, told the Economic Times.

“The Indian retail market is evolving at immense speed and through this partnership, Lee and Wrangler gain a range of new and enhanced distribution channels, both online and offline."