Glendale-based Weyco Group Inc. is partnering with Samar Lifestyle to expand production and distribution of Florsheim footware in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.
The licensing agreement calls for Samar Lifestyle, part of the Sara Group, to open a flagship Florsheim store in India in 2018 and add five more stores in 2019. The Floresheim collection is also supposed to be available at more than 100 points of sales across India starting in the spring.
“We are excited to work with Samar Lifestyle to grow our business in India and Pakistan,” stated Tom Florsheim Jr., Weyco Group chairman and chief executive officer. “Their expertise in both footwear manufacturing and retail distribution will allow us to deliver the perfect consumer experience.
Weyco typically purchases finished shoes from suppliers in China and India and then distributes them from its warehouse in Glendale. Most of the company’s revenue comes through its North American wholesale segment, but about 16 percent was from Australia, Europe, South Africa and Asia Pacific areas in 2016.
“Florsheim is an iconic brand and has a great history in India and we are looking forward to building on its legacy and heritage,” said Kayum Dhanani, Samar Lifesytle managing director – “Florsheim enjoys great brand loyalty amongst customers and trade partners alike and combined with our strong product and brand management capabilities, and understanding of the Indian consumer, we are confident we will build another success story.”
