Ecco India has opened its first store in the country, located at Gurgaon Ambience shopping mall in New Delhi.
Steen Borgholm, CEO of the Danish shoe and leather goods brand, says the company sees potential in the Indian retail market, despite the challenges.
“We see strong demand from consumers who know what they want, and who appreciate the quality and consistent brand experience they get from Ecco. We continuously work to understand our customers better, and we hope to be able to convey the passion of our employees and our brand story to them,” he said.
Ecco India has an expansion strategy which includes opening 20 concept stores in major cities over the next three years. It will also launch an online store in the first quarter of next year, allowing approximately 1.3 billion Indians to shop its products from the website.
But first, says EVP for global sales, Michel Krol, the company will focus on positioning the brand in India, where the majority of the consumers are price sensitive.
“We would like to take a long-term strategy to become a successful brand in India. That is why we will start with a small footprint to focus first on brand building so that the Indian consumer understands the brand’s narrative as to why the premium price we charge is justified,” says Krol.
Founded in Denmark in 163, family-owned Ecco has more than 2250 stores worldwide, along with more than 14,000 points of sale. It owns and manages every aspect of the value chain from tanneries and shoe manufacturing to wholesale and retail activities.