Zippo®, William Penn tie-up to strengthen its footprint in India

The Iconic lifestyle brand Zippo is excited to announce its partnership with William Penn Pvt. Ltd., the largest multi-brand retail store chain of premium and luxury men's accessories in India. As exclusive distributor, WPPL will ensure Zippo's widespread availability of products at retailers throughout India, which will include new and iconic Zippo Windproof Lighter designs.

"We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to distribute Zippo lighters across

India, as well as sell them in all our own stores." said Nikhil Ranjan, Co-founder and Managing Director of WPPL, "The addition of an iconic brand like Zippo to the existing quality brands we distribute will enable us to work even closer and further strengthen our relationship with Indian retailers. We are always looking for ways to improve our performance and reach new customer bases, so I am confident that our association with Zippo will prove to be fruitful and one of immense success."

Zippo products are available in more than 160 countries, with India being a prominent focus for the brand. Customers in India will be able to choose from an extensive range of lighters offering the very latest designs and finishes.

WPPL plans to further develop the distribution base for Zippo products in India working with a variety of different retailers to ensure the brand has strong visibility in the key towns and cities across the country. Zippo products will also be available in the 28 William Penn stores and three shop-in-shop operations in 10 cities.

"A multi-faceted nation like India is one of the most sought after markets for global consumer brands like Zippo," said David Warfel, Vice President Global Marketing.

"WPPL has a proven track-record of distributing quality brands to other retailers. We believe they can have further success with Zippo products. The brand personality resonates with our own and we're enthusiastic about reaching new and existing customers by offering them a fantastic range of products and designs."

WPPL was present at this year's Gifts India exhibition from 19th to 22nd August at Nehru Centre in Mumbai, with a wide selection of Zippo products on display at their booth (1P and 2P on the Ground Floor) allowing potential retailers to explore the range and discuss the potential to stock Zippo products.

Zippo: more than a lighter

With over 80 years of history, Zippo has an influential and dedicated fan base. The brand

has transcended its functional benefits to become a cultural icon and regularly features in films around the world.

The unique designs, date stamping, affordability and rich history of the Zippo lighters make them a great item to collect. The number of collectors and lovers of Zippo lighters continues to increase daily. In the United States alone it is estimated that there are around four million Zippo windproof lighter collectors and there are 11 official collectors' clubs worldwide.