Following the news that Italian sportswear brand Lotto’s Indian association SSIPL Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd has partnered with omni-channel platform company Ace Turtle as part of plans to consolidate its presence in India’s growing athleisure market,

Shagun Sachdeva, Consumer Insights Analyst at GlobalData, offers her view:

“With this partnership, Lotto aims to capitalize on the digital tools and omni-channel marketing expertise of Ace Turtle at a time when consumers’ shopping habits are evolving and they are increasingly showing openness to the online sales channel.

“The strategic move by Lotto is an effort to move away from a shop-centric model to one that is customer-centric and virtually borderless by adopting a virtual presence. Ace Turtle is already a market leader in the omni-channel platform, therefore, the deal will be instrumental in laying the digital roadmap for Lotto and boosting sales through optimization of existing retail touch points. Along with diversifying its revenue streams and increasing its customer base in India, Lotto seems to be banking on the deal to achieve cost savings and upgrade its supply chain management systems and introduce real time asset visibility.

“Seeing the immense scope in the Indian retail market, Lotto has invested over the years in augmenting its in-house design capability and strengthening its operational processes. Its omni-channel strategy is not only about scaling its digital presence but also retail expansion under which it plans to add 60 stores every year.

“Various retailers in India are anxious to take advantage of this buoyant and hugely profitable omni-channel platform considering the current trend of digital transaction and structure of the online platform market. By leveraging this strategic partnership, Lotto will be able to play a pivotal role in providing a unique brand experience for evolving customers in India across various channels.”