Danish premium footwear brand ECCO is sharpening its focus on India as rising disposable incomes and growing appetite for luxury products drive demand in the premium footwear segment. The company plans to expand its retail footprint to 50 stores in the country by 2028, while remaining heavily focused on offline retail and top metro markets.
The company, which entered India in 2019 with two stores, currently operates nine outlets and aims to scale this up to 20 stores by the end of the year, alongside nearly 80 points of sale across multi-brand channels.
“India was ignored for a very long time, but today it is one of the most high-potential markets for us,” said Sumeet Lohia, Country Manager – India, ECCO. “Given the rise in disposable incomes and the growing aspiration for premium products, India has become a seed market that is getting equal focus from our global headquarters.”
ECCO, which sells footwear priced upwards of ₹10,000, said its strategy will continue to be offline-heavy as consumers in the premium segment prefer physical experience before making purchases.
“We will always remain offline heavy because our customer wants to touch, feel and try the product before buying,” Lohia said. “When somebody is spending ₹20,000 on a pair of shoes, the store experience becomes extremely important.”
The company said quick commerce is not part of its immediate strategy, though it may evaluate the channel for shoe-care products in the future.
India’s luxury consumption story, especially in metros, is also shaping ECCO’s expansion strategy. The company expects nearly 80% of its business to come from the top eight cities and does not plan to aggressively chase lower price points despite increasing competition in the sneaker and footwear market.
“We are not playing the price-conscious game,” said Lohia. “Our focus is on building a premium walking brand. Once customers enter the ECCO ecosystem, they stay with the brand because of the comfort, craftsmanship and technology.”
Globally, women account for 55 per cent of ECCO’s business, but in India the split is currently skewed towards men at 75:25. The company expects the women’s category to gain share over the next few years as premium consumption broadens further in the country.