Share the kind of business opportunity ASICS offers to the potential entrepreneurs.
India has a huge potential wherein organised sports good market is growing rapidly at the CAGR of 18-20%. This segment is gaining the momentum from the rise in young urban population that is increasingly becoming more and more health conscious. We have a performance-oriented portfolio and India would be a key market for us. We are aggressively planning to open stores in key metro cities in next five years.
As the industry is expanding, at what point of time you thought of expanding via the franchise route?
All our Mono stores are through franchise route due to FDI issues. We expect to expand opening Mono brand stores in India.
Tell us about the inception and growth of the brand.
Incorporated in Japan in 1949, with a vision to promote health of young people through sport, ASICS Corporation, a global designer and manufacturer of sporting goods including performance athletic footwear, apparel and accessories is now planning to expand aggressively pan-India via the franchise route.
Brief us about the brand’s entrepreneurial journey in India so far.
ASICS India Pvt. Ltd. was established in April 2012 and has primarily offered marketing support and promotional activities for local sales agents. From January 2015, the company has announced launch of sales operations as a part of expanding operations in emerging markets. ASICS has been an official sponsor of India’s biggest running event, the Mumbai Marathon, since 2008, and has increased its appeal as a true sport performance brand among runners in particular. The company plans to further strengthen its running line-up and actively develop goods for locally-popular sports like cricket, tennis as well as indoor sports and gym training category.
What kind of training and support do you offer to your franchisee?
What is the major growth driver of your brand?
At ASICS, our efforts are focused on all people who train for health, as well as for sports in every age group. As a brand, we want to engage more with women and with a younger audience, but that does not mean we are exclusively targeting that demographic. We are working on various initiatives to find new and exciting ways to reach out.
