Mumbai’s first freestanding GAP store is launched by Reliance Retail.

New Delhi: Reliance Retail, on Friday, has opened the first freestanding Gap store in India at Mumbai’s Infiniti Mall, Malad, the company announced in a media release. This launch is in line with the long-term partnership of the two firms as Reliance Retail is the official retailer for Gap across all channels in India.

In this second phase, after opening over 50 Gap shop-in-shops since last year, Reliance Retail will help open a series of freestanding Gap stores across the country in the coming months.

Akhilesh Prasad, President and CEO, Fashion & Lifestyle, Reliance Retail Limited, said, “While the opening of freestanding stores is an important driver of Gap’s long-term growth plan in India, it also gives us yet another opportunity to bring world-class brands and a differentiated shopping experience to our discerning Indian consumers.”

Currently, Reliance Retail is India’s largest retailer with established competencies in operating robust omnichannel retail networks and scaling local manufacturing and driving sourcing efficiencies.

Through this partnership, Reliance Retail will bring Gap’s shopping experience to customers across India through a mix of exclusive brand stores, multi-brand store expressions and digital commerce platforms.

The global lifestyle retailer Gap, founded in San Francisco in 1969, said it has a strong vision of doing more than selling clothes.

Adrienne Gernand, Managing Director of International, Global Licensing and Wholesale at Gap Inc said, “Growing Gap’s brick-and-mortar business through the launch of freestanding stores and multi-brand store expressions enables us to increase accessibility for Indian customers and meet them where they are shopping.”