London: Italian sportswear major Lotto has signed a partnership agreement with India's Future Brands, part of the Batra Group, to distribute its performance and leisure lines in the UK and Ireland. The deal will see Future Brands launching with the Spring-Summer 2015 collection and distributing the footwear, clothing and accessories to specialised fashion stores, department stores, sport independents and selected e-commerce stores.
Future Brands Ltd is a part of the Batra Group, a global player in retail and distribution with a presence in Europe, as well as in North Africa, Middle East and in India. Established in 1949, the Batra Group now has over 2,500 points of sale worldwide.
"The UK and Ireland are two strategic markets in Europe and are among the most valuable in absolute terms. In the lifestyle segment it is in these countries that trends often first emerge to go on to be developed in other areas of the world, while on the performance side this is also home to some of the greatest sporting traditions, with the presence of the likes of the Premier League and Wimbledon, one of the most prestigious of all the world's tennis tournaments," says Andrea Tomat president of Lotto Sport Italia.
"To achieve the best possible results we have chosen a competent, well-motivated and reliable partner in Batra which has been working in the sports field for decades and is thoroughly conversant with the British market. I am sure that it is very well placed to develop our brand in that market, further strengthening brand identity, fully exploiting the authenticity and the history of Lotto," Tomat added.
Rajiv Batra, Director of Batra Group, said, "We are very excited to be working with one of the most iconic brands in sport, with a rich heritage in tennis and soccer."
