<p>The Timberland Company, a US based manufacturer and retailer of outdoor wear, especially footwear, has chalked out its plans to expand the number of stores in India, with partner Reliance Brands, a specialty format of Mukesh Ambani owned Reliance Retail Limited, with which it has a license-cum-distribution agreement.</p>
<p>Following the licensing agreement, Timberland runs six stores across prime locations in India, including Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and more recently Ludhiana. Their latest store in Ludhiana, Punjab is particularly designed to echo Timberland’s long standing commitment towards sustainability by incorporating recycled materials and other eco-conscious building practices in their stores. By the end of 2011, Reliance Brands Timberland will establish seven new stores taking the total store count to thirteen. These new stores will be set up in the cities of Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.</p>
<p>Timberland is known for its wide range of outdoor gears and footwear, especially those designed for activities like hiking and mountaineering besides the casual wear. They also carry apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The apparel designs showcase conventional and functional silhouette while the footwear is designed with anti-fatigue technology. They also create footwear made from recycled materials like rubber from recycled tire. Timberland is highly eco-driven and all its products, store structure, and activity programs are designed to incorporate a sense of environment sustainability and eco-preservation.</p>
<p>Reliance Brands, a subsidiary of Reliance Retail, is aimed to cater to high-end fashion and apparel category of retail in India. They have tied up with many international brands such as Diesel, Zygna, Paul & Shark, Steve Madden and Quiksilver to bring to India high end fashion experience. It has 18 specialty stores currently and plans to open 37 high-end footwear and high-end apparel stores by this year end.</p>