MUMBAI: At a time when it plans to shut operations in Asian markets like South Korea and parts of Europe, in line with its broader strategy to focus on core regions, American retailer Foot Locker is placing its bets on India. The company, known for its wide collection of sneakers, is tapping into a market where the sneaker culture is yet expanding. Besides the big cohort of fashion-forward Gen Zs in India, now office goers and socialites have taken to pairing sneakers with their corporate and party outfits - something brands cannot overlook.
Mary Dillon , president and CEO at Foot Locker, said that India is the right place to be and that the country has the potential to become one of the brand's key growth markets. "As we think about the next 50 years, I am being very careful, making sure we place our resources and efforts in the right places and we think India is one of those. It is an amazing country in so many ways.
It's the fifth largest consumer market in the world...
we are always thinking about how to optimise...
where do we feel confident that we can invest to grow, where can we get the scale," Dillon told TOI in an interview. Foot Locker - which has chalked out an omni-channel business model for India - has partnered with Metro Brands and Nykaa Fashion for its foray into the market, with its first store opening in Delhi over the weekend. While Metro Brands will manage the operations of its India stores, Nykaa Fashion will run the brand's (standalone) online website a.
