Aeropostale is no longer exclusive to Amazon.in

US youth-based brand Aeropostale is now no longer exclusive on Amazon India’s e-commerce space. The brand, which forayed in India exclusively through Amazon India almost a year back, will now be available on Flipkart, Jabong, Arvind’s nnnow.com too. As Sumit Dhingra, CEO, Aeropostale India points out, the parting process was completely mutual. Arun Sirdeshmukh, Head, Amazon Fashion also thinks despite not being an exclusive brand with Amazon.in, Aeropostale will continue to retain its position as one of the top performing brands of the portal. Amazon also similar exclusive partnerships with other international brands like Mothercare, Marks & Spencer, Under Armour etc.

For Amazon’s strongest competitor in India, Flipkart, Aeropostale will be a good addition to their revamped fashion brand portfolio. It may be recalled that Flipkart had revamped its fashion category in January this year to reach out to masses with a better choice.

Aeropostale entered India in November 2015 following a licensing agreement with Arvind Lifestyle. Globally, the brand was facing bankruptcy then and relied on the huge Indian market gain lost ground. As per Dhingra, the brand has a history of entering into tie-ups with local players as they can help it to understand the demographic well. The brand only operates through company-owned stores in the US and Canada. For rest of the world, franchisee agreements have always worked best. After filing for bankruptcy in the US in May 2016, Aeropostale had shifted focus from brick and mortar retailing to online space. And adapting the new retail environment has been beneficial for them. In collaborating with more than one e-com partners in India, the brand is giving away hints that it is going to pay more attention to online route in India as well.