The iconic UK-based footwear brand Clarks is coming back to India and it’s teaming up with homegrown retail giant Metro Brands to do it.
Context: Clarks first entered India in 2009 via a joint venture with Future Group, but shifted to Reliance Retail in 2022 due to Future’s financial woes. The Clarks-Reliance partnership lasted two years before ending in August 2024.
The deets: under a long-term distribution deal, Metro Brands will become the exclusive retail and digital partner for Clarks in India and neighboring countries including Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka. This means Metro will run Clarks’ offline stores, manage its India website, and handle all digital commerce platforms.
Clarks, famous for its heritage shoes and comfort-first design, is hoping to reconnect with Indian consumers through a more focused strategy. Metro Brands, which recently launched its 900th store in India, will now add Clarks to its robust portfolio of in-house and international brands including Metro Shoes, Mochi, Crocs, FitFlop, Fila, and Footlocker.
Zoom out: Global brands are increasingly choosing Indian partners to re-enter or expand in a fast-growing $12 billion footwear market. With Clarks’ legacy and Metro’s scale, this alliance could set the tone for how heritage brands localise successfully in India’s diverse retail landscape.
