ABFRL bags exclusive rights to sell American Eagle products

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL) today said it has acquired exclusive rights of the global fashion retail brand American Eagle Outfitters and its sub-brand Aerie in the country.
The company will be allowed to operate offline stores and e-commerce site and sell products of these brands in India.
"The company has entered into a multi-store retail and e- commerce license agreement with American Eagle Outfitters, Inc," Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd said in a regulatory filing.
"By virtue of the agreement, the company has acquired exclusive rights to use the American Eagle Outfitters and Aerie brands to operate stores and e-commerce site and to sell products of these brands in India," it added.

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'Consumers willing to pay premium for prompt customer service' * Customers remain loyal if the brand delivers on quality and a good customer service experience and are willing to pay extra for superior customer service, says an American Express survey.

According to the KANTAR IMRB survey commissioned by American Express, if premium had to be paid, 53 per cent of respondents would pay a premium of 20-40 per cent in return for better customer service.
Moreover, delivering excellent customer service experience along with consistent quality is imperative for any brand to retain customers.
As 66 per cent of consumers would discontinue using a brand or product due to poor customer service, while 71 per cent would stop using if the quality of the product or service depreciates.

The online survey, which was conducted among 1,577 urban Indian customers across Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Delhi/NCR, revealed that Indian consumers give high preference to digital ways of interacting with the brands.
Around 81 per cent agree that they prefer to access product information digitally rather than in person or through a phone call, and 48 per cent prefer resolving their queries online while 47 per cent prefer resolving queries over a phone call or mobile SMS.
Besides quick access to customer care, Indians also want their experience to be delivered in a safe and secure environment.

As per the survey, 54 per cent of total respondents want the brands to incorporate more mobile security and authentication features. Talking about future capabilities, customers would increasingly like brands to present same day delivery option to them (56 per cent).