Online shopping is today one of the most preferred ways to shop for apparels and accessories. A significant number of people in India are opting for online apps and websites that provide an extremely convenient way of buying everyday things.

The e-commerce industry in India has witnessed a notable number of alliances in recent times as brands are looking to expand their services portfolio, with the latest one being Flipkarts’s alliance with Authentic Brands.

Walmart-owned company Flipkart has recently announced a partnership agreement with Authentic Brands to license and distribute fashion brand Nautica across India. 

As per the agreement, the Flipkart group, which includes two lifestyle platforms Jabong and Myntra, will handle Nautica’s online and offline trade in the country via a network of franchises.

Analysts suggest that Flipkart operates 65% of the online fashion trade in India through its Jabong and Myntra portals.

It was reported earlier in May 2016 that clothing brand Arvind Fashion was in discussions with Flipkart to offload the India licenses of a range of foreign brands in its portfolio, such as Nautica, Ed Hardy, Gant and Izod.

For the uninitiated, Nautica is a New York City-based lifestyle brand that creates clothing for men, women and kids, The brand also sells various home products and accessories. The Authentic Brands group had purchased Nautica from VF Corporation in 2018. Apparently, Nautica currently has over 40 retail stores across India.

Flipkart will provide Nautica access to more than 160 million consumers and the group brings a high degree of technological expertise which makes them an ideal ally for Nautica, commented Jamie Salter, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Authentic Brands.

The push by Nautica indicates that a positive outlook for the apparel segment still exists among foreign businesses, even after global retailers such as Alcott, Boggi Milano and S Oliver had exited India a few years back following a failed attempt to penetrate the country’s retail market.

In May this year, Swedish brand H&M had reportedly partnered with Jabong and Myntra to peddle its apparel online in India. Spain’s clothing brand and retailer Mango had partnered with Myntra in 2017.

Jabong and Myntra hold exclusive rights over online sales of some of the other domestic as well as foreign fashion brands.

Source credit: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/flipkart-partners-with-authentic-brands-to-license-and-distribute-nautica-in-india/articleshow/70885668.cms