Reliance Retail unveils its first Gap store in Mumbai

HIGHLIGHTS

• Gap opens its first store in Mumbai
• The store will remain open for customers from from 11:00am – 9:30pm
• The Gap store will have denim, logo products, khakis and modern essentials for the family across women, men, kids and babies

American brand Gap unveiled its first freestanding store in India, via its partnership with Reliance Retail. The store, located at Infiniti Malad in Mumbai, opens at 7:00 pm on February 24 and will be available for customers on Monday to Sunday from 11:00am – 9:30pm, the company said in a statement. 

The store opening at the Infiniti Mall comes after the retail arm of Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Ltd. opened over 50 Gap shop-in-shop stores since last year.

In 2022, Reliance Retail stitched up a franchise agreement with Gap Inc to become its official retailer for GAP across all channels in India. 

Prior to the deal, the Reliance Retail-owned online fashion platform Ajio was already offering the Gap's men's, women's, and children's collections.

“The expansion of Gap’s India presence will include a series of freestanding store openings across the country in the coming months,” the company said in a press note.

The Gap store at Infiniti Mall will have denim, logo products, khakis and modern essentials for the family across women, men, kids and babies segment.

On the opening of Gap’s first store in India, Akhilesh Prasad, President & CEO, Fashion & Lifestyle, Reliance Retail Limited, said, “On visiting the new Gap stores, customers will not only discover a brand new retail identity, but a tech-enabled shopping experience including smart trial rooms, express check-out, and an omni experience, along with a better price value.” 

“We are excited to partner with Reliance Retail to continue growing our presence in India through our partner-based model,” said Adrienne Gernand, Managing Director of International, Global Licensing and Wholesale at Gap Inc.

Gap's original emblem is easily recognisable: three bold letters positioned in an arc across the chest. Gap, which was founded in San Francisco in 1969, continues to build on its denim legacy by connecting with customers online and in company-operated and franchise retail locations around the world. Gap ended its contract with its previous franchisee Arvind Fashions in 2020, citing bad business.

Recently, Reliance Retail reported 6.2 per cent year-on-year (YoY) jump in its net profit at Rs 2,400 crore for the December 2022 quarter. The retail arm of Reliance Industries had reported a profit of Rs 2,259 crore in the year-ago period. The company added 789 new stores to its physical store network during the October-December quarter, bringing the total to 17,225.

Also Read: Relief for Zee! NCLAT stays NCLT insolvency proceedings order over IndusInd appeal