Fila on India retail expansion spree, opens first Chennai store

Italian sportswear brand Fila, which opened its first Chennai store in the city’s Palladium Mall, aims to reach a total of 100 exclusive retail stores in India in the next five years. The brand will concentrate on metros for its initial retail expansion but also aims to open in mini-metros and Tier II locations in future. The brand aims to launch one store a month to achieve its brick-and-mortar retail target and later increase this to two stores a month. The brand will also expand its shop-in-shop presence across the country. Fila is licensed in India through Cravatex Brands, part of the Batra Group.

Fila launched its first Chennai exclusive retail outlet recently with its latest spring/ summer 2019 Heritage collection that features designs inspired by the brand’s past. Bright primary colours and graphic prints mix with clean white fabrics and 90s silhouettes to create a look that is vintage-inspired yet decidedly modern. The collection features shell suits, crop tops, swimwear, cycle shorts, sweaters, and accessories.

Prior to Chennai, Fila opened a store in Bhubaneshwar’s Espalande Mall in February and the brand also runs stores in Mumbai, Pune, and Hyderabad. The brand announced last month that it expects to see 50 per cent growth in India fuelled by its omni-channel strategy.