Italian fashion retailer OVS re-enters India, to open 5 stores by 2027

Italian fashion retailer OVS has identified India as its biggest potential market around the world as it debuts its first store in the national capital.

 

“India has a great international reputation. In Europe, it is considered the new future and that makes it the obvious next destination as we expand internationally,” Carmine Di Virgilio, global chief retail officer, OVS Global, who’s in India this week, told Business Standard.

 

This is OVS’ second innings in the Indian market. It had entered India in the late 2000s as a joint venture and has come in as a subsidiary now.  

 

The store, spread across 9,000 sq ft, will be followed by another store in Mumbai by April next year.

 

“We want to reach at least five stores in the country by 2027, focused in the national capital region (NCR) and Mumbai. This will be a learning curve for us and we will use those learnings to press the accelerator on expansion later on,” said Sundeep Chugh, managing director, OVS India.

 

Chugh was previously the president of ethnic apparel brand Biba Fashions.

 

India is only the second country, after Spain, where the Italian retailer will follow a direct selling method.

 

“It means we consider the best investment that we can do at this moment. We want to give the Indian customer the right quality and the right price,” Virgilio added without disclosing investment figures.

 

“The apparel market is witnessing modest growth, shaped by an increasingly dynamic environment. In such an ecosystem, long-term success will depend on how effectively a brand continues to differentiate itself and evolve — by constantly innovating across the entire value chain,” said Chugh, adding “Those who stay agile, authentic, and consumer-centric will be the ones to define the next chapter of fashion retail.”

 

With over 2,200 stores in over 30 countries, €1.63 billion in sales in 2024, and more than 6 million customers, OVS Retail has a market share of 10 per cent in Italy.

 

Priced between ₹799 to ₹15,000, the retailer has on offer everyday essentials along with its premium collections, including PIOMBO – a collaboration with Italian designer Massimo Piombo, the Gen Z focussed B.Angel, Les Copains, and Utopja.

 

The company, which also has a beauty line, hopes to eventually bring the collection to India.