Benetton & Trent Ltd. form a strategic partnership for Sisley's expansion in India

The Group will boost its presence in the sub-continent, where it has operated for over 15 years and already counts around 140 United Colors of Benetton shops.

Mumbai, 18 September 2007.  Benetton Group and Trent Ltd., a Tata Group Company, have joined forces in a strategic partnership for the Sisley brand’s commercial expansion in India. The agreement was signed today by Alessandro Benetton, executive deputy chairman of Benetton Group, and Noel Tata, managing director of Trent Ltd.

Under this agreement, Trent will open and manage a number of Sisley stores in India’s major cities. The first shops will open over the next few months, starting with the top shopping streets in two of India’s most dynamic cities: Hyderabad and Bangalore.

The new partnership will enable the Benetton Group to boost its presence in India, a key market for the entire continent, where it has been operating for over 15 years and already counts around 140 United Colors of Benetton shops.

Trent Ltd. has over a decade of experience in the Indian retail industry with an existing portfolio of 39 stores across 3 formats targeting the value/mid-market segment.  Trent today operates the Westside departmental stores; Landmark, the largest books & music retail chain in India and Star India Bazaar, its chain of hypermarkets.

“Working with such a prestigious partner”, Alessandro Benetton commented, “will allow us to accelerate Sisley’s development and success in India. We immediately found ourselves in solid accord with Tata, based on our common goal to launch Sisley, a high-end brand with strong growth potential. Together, we can guarantee the quality of both the product and its distribution and consolidate the brand’s distinctive identity.”

Adds Noel Tata, “Our existing operations, across three diverse retail formats, have given us key insights into the business and the Indian consumer.  The partnership with the Benetton Group gives us the opportunity to tap the burgeoning premium segment of consumers.  We believe that Sisley has a high potential for growth and we will leverage our experience to optimise the tremendous opportunity.”

The agreement comes only a few months after the launch of Sisley’s first three pilot stores in Delhi which were an immediate and significant success with Indian customers. These three shops will be directly managed by Trent.

Sisley has more than 900 stores around the world. Its collections, distinguished by their strong fashion content, reflect the latest trends of the season. Sisley offers a wide choice of clothes for men and women, and this winter launches a new range that is even richer and more sophisticated: Sisley Limited Edition.

 

For further information:

+39 0422 519036
press.benettongroup.com
benettonpress.mobi

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Benetton & Trent Ltd. form a strategic partnership for Sisley's expansion in India