Australian high-fashion, accessories and handbags firm Colette by Colette Hayman has inked an exclusive, 10-year, master franchise agreement with Gurgaon-based retail start-up firm Brand Access, to set up large-format stores in the country.

Brand Access MD Arka Dhar said the firm intends to set up 60 Colette stores over the next two-and-half years. “The first store will come up in Mumbai this month-end,” he said. “The stores will retail products about 40% cheaper than rivals and bring in new collections every week, which is the niche Colette is identified with in other markets,” Dhar added. The privately-owned Colette, which debuted in early 2010 in Australia, has 90-plus stores across Australia and New Zealand. Besides India, the firm is in the process of expanding to other markets in the Middle East and South Africa, its website states.

Brand Access, which also has offices in Singapore and facilitates entry of brands into foreign countries, has partnered with other fashion firms in South East Asia such as Colcci and Blake & Company.

Dhar said the firm is in talks with “multiple” global brands in the clothing and fashion space to ink franchise partnerships. “Our target is to bring in two non-competing brands into India a year,” he said.

Source: Indiatimes