Foot Locker to enter India

Foot Locker, a New York-based athletic retailer, has announced its entry into India through a long-term licensing agreement with Metro Brands and Nykaa Fashion.

 

Metro Brands has been granted the exclusive rights to own and operate Foot Locker stores in India. Nykaa Fashion is the exclusive e-commerce partner for Foot Locker. 

 

Foot Locker is a player in the sneaker market. With the Indian sneaker market expected to reach 6.6 crore pairs by 2028, the American brand saw this as an opportune moment to enter the country.

 

Mary Dillon, president and CEO, Foot Locker, said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Metro Brands and Nykaa Fashion to further elevate sneaker culture in India. The passion for sneakers in this market is tremendous, and we believe that with the combined omni-channel strength of our partners, we are uniquely positioned to appeal to the rapidly growing Indian market. Combining a strong understanding of the Indian consumer with Metro Brand’s extensive and well-established store operational excellence and Nykaa Fashion’s leading digital capabilities will allow us to bring the full Foot Locker experience and truly win over the hearts and minds of local sneakerheads.”

 

Nissan Joseph, CEO, Metro Brands, said, “At Metro Brands, our vision is to bring the finest global brands to India and cater to the complete shoe wardrobe of our customer. This partnership is a big step in that direction. It will also help us pave the way in revolutionising the sneaker market, enhancing the retail experience, and meeting dynamic needs of our customers.”

 

Adwaita Nayar, co-founder, Nykaa, and CEO Nykaa Fashion, added, “Nykaa Fashion has been at the forefront of bringing the most stylish and relevant curations and brands to Indian shoppers- from Global cult favourites to local hidden gems. Now, with our partnership with Footlocker, we are excited to bring the world's best sneaker brands and styles to feed an exploding sneaker culture in India. All of this with the same ease of discovery, platform comfort and seamlessness that has become synonymous with Nykaa Fashion and is expected by our discerning base of customers.”