American sportswear brand Under Armour plans to open 15 stores in India

The American sportswear brand, which came to India in 2019 Under Armour will open 15 new stores in India this year. These will come up in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, and Lucknow and will have an average size of 2000 sq ft. As of now Under Armour has 10 stores in India. These are in premier malls across Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Gurgaon, Noida, Surat and Guwahati. All of the stores are franchise-owned and operated. The company’s retail strategy is to open stores on the ground floor of premium malls as it gives the brand greater and faster visibility as people walk in.

The brand, is also expanding its offerings and plans to bring in more niche sportswear like hiking and outdoor/adventure sports in the Indian market. Currently, running gear and training gear are the two largest sports verticals in terms of sales for Under Armour in India. The company has been investing in Asia Pacific as there are long-term growth opportunities.

Most global sportswear companies, however, have found it difficult to crack the price-sensitive Indian market. The sector recently witnessed heavy restructuring, too, with several top companies laying off their employees and taking major functions out of India to cut costs.