Japan’s Asics keen on establishing brand presence in India

Sports shoes and apparel manufacturer Asics from Japan has decided against renewing its exclusive distribution agreement with Reliance Retail, which expires in March 2015. The company has decided go on its own in the country. So far the brand was retailed through Reliance Footprint for last five years. Asics founded in 1949, is globally known for its high-performance sports shoes especially for running exercise.

With fitness consciousness on the rise in India, the company is keen to leverage its popularity among professional marathon runners. It recently sponsored the Mumbai Marathon event and also runs campaigns around marathon events in New York, Paris, and Tokyo. The company reported consolidated annual sales of about 2.8 billion dollars (Rs 17,301 crores) in the year ended March 2014. Its range is priced between Rs 5,000 and Rs 12,500.

Amid competition from established sports-fitness-lifestyle brands such as Reebok, Adidas, Nike and Puma in India, Asics may find it difficult to carve a niche despite having clientele such as martial artist Bruce Lee, who sported Onitsuka Tiger training shoe in one of his movies in the 1970s and US President Barack Obama. The company is looking forward to build its image through other sports such as cricket, volleyball and tennis.