Amazon India has become the exclusive retailer for Under Armour, the sportswear apparel maker headquartered in the U.S.
According to a report, Amazon India has indicated that the Under Armour brand will be hawked by its key sellers on Amazon India’s platform. “The inventory for the brand will be available in our [fulfillment centers], and we will support the brand with their India strategy by providing data on size, [color] and assortment, which do well in the India market. We are the only destination where the merchandise will be available in India,” said Arun Sirdeshmukh, head of Amazon Fashion India, in the report.
The executive noted that sportswear has seen two and half times growth year over year. “We will continue to add exclusive ranges and brands to the offering,” added Sirdeshmukh.
Under Armour’s Andrew Donkin, chief marketing officer, who was also quoted in the report, said the brand would start with core apparel, footwear and other products and will eventually expand the offering. “India is a very important market for us. Amazon has a strong retail presence in the country, and the 340 million smartphone users give us a young and vibrant customer base,” he said.
Amazon isn’t the only online retailer aiming to grow its business in India. Earlier this week, Alibaba, China’s leading eCommerce company, announced it raised its stake in Paytm E-Commerce Pvt., the Indian eCommerce arm of the payment company. Paytm is aiming to take on the leaders in eCommerce in India, which are currently Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal.
Unnamed sources in the report said Paytm intends to sell nearly one billion products from merchants in Southeast Asia. If successful, it will greatly surpass what its rivals are selling online. Paytm E-Commerce Pvt. raised $200 million in venture funding from venture capital fund SAIF Partners and Alibaba.
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