Global Sportswear brand FILA strengthens its omnichannel offerings in India

Cravatex Brands Limited the Licensee of FILA in India partners with Ace Turtle to consolidate the brand’s presence across all online channels

Bangalore, February 14, 2019: Cravatex Brands the Licensee of FILA, the leading global brand of high-end sportswear has partnered with Ace Turtle, Asia’s leading omnichannel platform company to strengthen FILA’s omnichannel strategy as it aims to reach out to more than 100 million online shoppers in India. Ace Turtle’s enterprise level technology that has partnered with more than 50 fashion and lifestyle brands in their omnichannel journey will play a critical role in accelerating FILA’s aim towards building a unified brand experience for its customers across multiple channels.

In India, FILA has an exclusive license agreement with Cravatex, the global Retail, Brand Licensing, Distribution and Sourcing company with presence across India, UK, Europe, North Africa and Middle East. Speaking on their association with Ace Turtle, Rakesh Singh Kathayat, Chief Operating Officer, Cravetex Brands. said “Over the last few years, FILA as a brand has constantly endeavored in resonating with the demand of millennials seeking for stylish and sophisticated collections in the sportswear segment. While, we have managed to achieve that objective, engaging with our customers across the country consistently through the channel of their preference is something we are currently focusing on. Partnering with leading omnichannel enablers such as Ace Turtle is a step towards that effort to showcase the omnichannel strength of our brand and seamlessly connect with our customers”.

As part of the new Heritage Store format, Fila has been opening one store a month and expects to keep this momentum going in 2019. In addition to its core focus footwear segment, the brand also has launched collections for its apparel range in India.

Speaking on this partnership, Nitin Chhabra, CEO, Ace Turtle said “By 2020, sportswear segment is expected to grow at an annual growth rate of 12 percent with sales expected to reach $8 billion. Having a well-orchestrated omnichannel strategy will play a critical role in accelerating the growth of leading brands in this segment in India. FILA, over the past few years has witnessed tremendous response from Indian consumer looking for highly sophisticated and premium sportswear collections. We are delighted to partner with Cravetex, to strengthen FILA’s omnichannel offering and confident that our best in class technology platform will add significant value to FILA’s plan of enabling a seamless online experience for its customers”.

India’s Sportswear market has evolved from a niche segment, which was exclusively aimed at Sportspersons, to a burgeoning consumer sector. The industry has witnessed rapid growth over the past few years, driven by growth in income levels, changing lifestyle and the entry of foreign brands in the recent years. In addition to this, the trend of using sportswear as casual wear has expanded the definition of target consumers for leading brands. Some brands also offer collections to cater to this demand for casual wear.

About FILA:

Over the last century, FILA has been there for iconic moments, accompanying extraordinary individuals in pursuit of true sport – those who courageously challenge limits and defy expectations through a seamless combination of power and grace. From its humble textile beginnings in Biella, Italy in 1911 to its historic introduction of colour on the tennis court in 1973, the brand has always taken pride in creating designs as bold and breath-taking as those wearing it. With a philosophy of innovation and a commitment to performance and sophistication, FILA continue to make a statement with styles that are novel in aesthetic and effective in function.

CRAVATEX BRANDS LIMITED

Cravatex Brands Limited (CBL) has a strong retail presence through its portfolio of brands in the retail, lifestyle and wellness spaces. CBL owns a long-term license to design, manufacture and distribute FILA brand footwear, apparel and accessories in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The brand house was founded in March 2017 as a subsidiary of Cravatex Limited in order to consolidate the company’s wellness and lifestyle brands under one umbrella. The company is chaired by Mr. Rajesh Batra and headed by Rohan Batra as the Managing Director of the organization.
CBL is part of The Batra Group, a diversified Indian conglomerate founded in 1949 by Mr. Ram Kumar Batra with headquarters in Mumbai, India. The group has operations in India, UK, Sri Lanka, Middle East and African territories.

About Ace Turtle:

Ace Turtle is a technology driven platform company that provides direct to consumer web commerce solutions for leading Retail Brands. Ace Turtle, with its proprietary platform, integrates online and offline retail channels automating and optimizing Omni-Channel fulfilment. The platform provides brands with a single view of inventory. It helps reduce the costs and complexity of Omni-Channel transformation for brands through automation by intelligent use of data. Ace Turtle’s solutions are currently used by brands such as Ray-Ban, Puma, Max, Arrow, Flying Machine, Ed Hardy, US Polo, Fossil and more. Ace Turtle’s Omni-Channel platform comprising of technology, logistics and customer support enables brands and retailers to improve the post-click commerce experience of their customers.

With offices located in India, and Singapore, Ace Turtle is backed by investors such as Singapore based Vertex Ventures, the venture arm of Temasek Holdings and C31 Ventures, the venture arm of CapitaLand,