CENTRO brings Purpose-driven global footwear and lifestyle brand, TOMS to India
Introduces iconic footwear to a new, socially engaged audience
HYDERABAD, India, April 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Centro Brands has announced an exclusive partnership with American lifestyle brand TOMS to launch its footwear in India. The launch of TOMS is part of CENTRO’s strategy to introduce several individual brands, each serving their target customers in different ways, especially GEN Z. One of the first global brands that they have tied up as a License for India is TOMS, launching in SS22, which resonates the brand’s plans for India.
TOMS® will introduce its iconic footwear collection to a young Indian audience that seeks to express their values through fashion while voting with their wallets. TOMS makes shoes for people who believe in moving forward, and the Alp was their very first design. Designed to get into all kinds of good, the iconic slip-on has a durable and flexible sole. Select Alp styles also have earth-friendly elements like uppers crafted in heritage canvas or recycled cotton canvas, and insoles with 50% eco content. The Alp is the ultimate throw-on-and-head-anywhere shoe—it’s pragmatic and uncomplicated and a statement of people’s values. Every TOMS purchase helps support efforts to build equity at the grassroots level. The packaging is earth-friendly with carton boxes/paper bags made from recycled paper and filling, making it a great gift for earth-conscious consumers.
The Alp and along with a wide range of fashion-forward and sneaker-ized iterations will be sold through India starting April 2022 with Spring Summer collections & planned to start 20 dedicated -Free Standing stores in the next three years. Currently, TOMS will be available online on Tata Cliq , Tata Cliq Luxe and coming soon on Myntra,Ajio Gold Nykaa and brand website TOMSSHOES.in Further customers can experience the brand in offline across Centro Stores and coming soon at Shoppers Stop, Regal, Venus Steps, D-lounge and in cities in India – like Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad Bangalore and more.
Magnus Wedhammar, CEO at TOMS, states: “We’re thrilled to partner with Centro, a distributor with a strong track record within the global footwear industry and a deep understanding of our brand’s mission to use business to improve lives. It’ll be exciting to see how they leverage their experience to introduce TOMS to a new audience.”
Madhav Bollam, Director of Centro Brands Pvt. Ltd., says: “We are ecstatic to announce Centro Brands’ exclusive partnership with TOMS for India. TOMS shoes are not only trendy and comfortable, but they are also socially responsible and purpose-driven. Their Earthwise range has ecological and vegan sneakers manufactured from recycled and recyclable materials that appeal to Gen Z.”
Look good, do good – TOMS’ impact strategy
Since its founding, TOMS has impacted over 100 million lives by giving shoes, sight, safe water and impact grants, and learning and listening along the way. Still grounded in their mission to use business to improve lives, in 2021, they announced a new impact strategy swapping out their original One for One® shoe giving model with a commitment to give at least one-third of annual net profits to grassroots goods working with passionate, informed leaders within the communities that they serve.
In India, the brand has historically worked closely with organisations such as Magic Bus, which provide a platform for entrepreneurial youth in India and training and funding to bring their ideas to life. While the initial support was based on the brand’s original One for One®model, it has now updated the support to align with the new grant-based model, helping support access to opportunities for entrepreneurial youth on the ground.
In it for the long haul
While the social impact is the brand’s main focus, the certified B-Corp continues to fuse profit and purpose by taking care of the place its community members call home, planet earth. With the belief that sustainability is a collective responsibility, TOMS continues to take a holistic approach with ethical and eco-conscious practices throughout the business. Through new and existing product offerings, processes, packaging and vendors, the brand works to make choices that benefit the customer, employees and planet.
About Centro Brands
Our Group understands branded footwear at all levels; our enviable brand portfolio resonates with a broad mix of consumers, meaning we can deliver footwear solutions to various levels including retail and e-commerce management, sourcing, design and technology for our brands.
Centro Brands Pvt. Ltd. is focused to be a house of footwear brands and operates as Master Distributor or License for India. Our target focus segment will be on youth culture predominantly Gen Z and Millennial segment. It will be our constant endeavour to work with like-minded brands, people and business associations.
About TOMS
TOMS has always been in business to improve lives. Since 2006, our community has had an impact on over 100,000,000 lives through support for the work of non-profit organisations all around the world.
Today, we operate with an evolved giving model, committing ⅓ of our profits in support of people who are working to build equity at the grassroots level, like organisations at the heart of their communities, driving progress from the ground up.
And because we believe in a future where all people have a chance to thrive, our support is focused on boosting mental health, increasing access to opportunity, and ending gun violence in the US – all elements we know to be essential for progress to take root.
