India emerges second-fastest-growing market for Bath & Body Works

Garrison also said that the India business has doubled every five years and, in the short term, the growth could be even faster

The Indian market is showing the second-fastest growth rate for Bath & Body Works, a United States-based fragrance brand for personal care and home care. 

 

“From the global perspective, India is constantly in my top three to five. That’s where they perform,” said Tony Garrison, executive vice-president, in an interview to Business Standard.  

 

He stated when the firm first entered India in 2018 with Apparel Group and with its first few stores, the market was then among the top 10 and had now climbed up in rankings.

 

Garrison also said the India business had doubled in five years and in the short term, growth could be even faster. 

 

Talking about innovation, Garrison said: “Bath & Body Works is continuing to invest in a robust pipeline for innovation focused on elevated fragrances, enhanced body-care formulations, and more sensorial, ritual-driven experiences for consumers. Across categories, the brand is exploring richer textures, more luxurious fragrance profiles, and a thoughtful design that brings everyday indulgence and accessible luxury together.”

 

“As we look ahead, our focus remains on delivering innovation that feels both exciting and relevant to our consumers while staying true to the brand’s core strengths in fragrance, quality, and value.”

 

The Indian consumer has a preference for fragrances, he said, adding the company had the best of those in the world.

 

“We have the advantage of being able to design and develop a fragrance or a formula that is luxurious but accessible.”

 

In India, the brand has a presence in 25 cities and is looking at newer formats to expand beyond the top ones.

 

“We’re doing some tests in what I call secondary cities. We have a new format that’s going to be only for India. We’re going to call them ‘neighbourhood stores’. That’s a working title. But these will be smaller footprint stores that will really focus on our core businesses,” Garrison said. 

 

Also, the brand sees 50 per cent of its sales from digital, and this is higher than in other markets.

 

Growth in offline stores too is strong, he said.

 

“We’ve been on Amazon India for the past three to four years, and it does well for us. We couldn’t be happier than saying we are a brand that customers can find where they want to shop,” he said.