Ray-Ban has transformed its Indian website making it an e-commerce platform as the brand wants to fight off imitations that the online marketplaces are obsessed with. Earlier, the website was only a reference point.
Ray-Ban is the most recent brand among a slew of global firms such as Adidas and Puma to launch their own e-commerce marketplaces in the country. Especially, this move is carries out when the online retail segment is growing swiftly.
Since last November, India lets global single brand retail companies that sell products under a single label to provide their offerings via their own e-commerce portals. Ace Turtle based in Bengaluru was appointed by Ray-Ban to manage the online platform. The company will also manage the e-commerce websites for lifestyle and fashion of French Connection, Flying Machine, Puma, and Evok, a furniture seller among other brands.
Ray-Ban has been badly affected by the proliferation of the fake products that are available on the online platforms. In 2015, Luxottica Group, which is the parent organization of the eyewear brand dragged online marketplace ShopClues to the Delhi High Court. The site was accused to have hosted counterfeit products and misled customers with heavy discounts.
This January, Luxottica had filed lawsuits against a slew of online retailers such as Sytlemyway and CraftsVilla for allegedly selling counterfeit Ray-Ban products. Luxottica received court injunction in April to stop a local firm from copying the eyewear products from Oakley that are worn and promoted by cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli.
Akash Goyle, the country manager at Luxottica India, stated that the company is committed against counterfeiting and the same is evident from the numerous activities that it has taken. It is involved in the constant monitoring of the major suppliers of counterfeit products and partnered with the local law enforcement as well as custom operations to seize the offerings.
