\India is most significant opening for Gap\
Gap was launched in 1969 and it took the brand 46 years to finally land in India. Stefan Laban, Senior Vice President, Gap International says in Arvind Brands the specialty retailer has found a perfect match, and that the time is right for a significant opening in the country. Retailer caught up with Stefan and talked about the importance of having Arvind Lifestyle as a partner, the opportunity that India is and the casual brand’s online strategy.
What makes you associate with Arvind Brands in India?
What makes you associate with Arvind Brands in India?
Arvind has been a long standing partner for us. We have been in the business for the past 20 years from the sourcing side. They are also one of the best retail operators in India, so it was a pretty easy choice for them and for us to partner.
Talk to us about terms of this association from GAP Inc. standpoint.
It is a partnership and so we have some brand guidelines we get the local expertise in. In the end, what is important for us is Arvind knows the market really well, they know the real estate well. So, there are certain terms and conditions; we do a few things, they do few things and at the end, it is a true partnership.
What according to you is the difference between an Indian and a foreign national in terms of their behaviour toward fashion?
I am personally surprised at seeing how fashionable the Indian people are; they know their markets, their brands, the pricing and I find them very educated and informed when it comes to fashion.
Indian eCommerce market is at an inflection point. Why did you choose a brand like Arvind and not eCommerce giants like Myntra or Jabong?
We might! We are still working on our eCommerce strategy. We could be looking into eCommerce in the coming time. This could be in terms of having our own site or with a partner. Nothing is clear as of now, but we are planning to do it soon.
Will Gap offer to its Indian customers anything they haven't seen before?
I think we are a global brand and we have some great products. We are really excited about our categories. I am personally very confident that we will bring something new to the market. Denims are great, and so are our other products in the kids and babies' category. We have definitely brought newness and freshness into the Indian market this time.
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