ITC's Wills Lifestyle taps Franchise India to expand retail footprint across metros and Tier 2 cities

ITC's apparel brand Wills Lifestyle partners with Franchise India Brands to grow its store network via the franchise route, targeting pan-India expansion for its three sub-brands — Wills Classic, Wills Sport and Wills Clublife.

— FiledThu, 2 Jul, 2026, 05:33 IST·First seen Thu, 2 Jul, 2026, 05:33 IST·Source Financial Express · BrandWagon

What happened

ITC's Wills Lifestyle apparel brand partners with Franchise India to expand its store network across metros and Tier 2 cities via the franchise route, targeting

Key facts

  • 14 years

Why this matters

The Franchise India tie-up signals ITC's intent to accelerate Wills Lifestyle's footprint through partnerships rather than owned retail, opening potential for further franchise, licensing, or regional partner deals across its apparel sub-brands.

What to watch

  • Store-count disclosures in ITC quarterly / investor updates
  • Franchisee sign-up numbers and territory awards announced by Franchise India
  • Same-store sales or footfall commentary in ITC's non-cigarette FMCG/lifestyle segment
  • Competitive moves from Trends, Max, Zudio in same Tier 2 catchments
  • Any promo/discount intensity signalling inventory or demand stress
  • ITC to relaunch/refresh Wills Classic, Wills Sport, Wills Clublife line architecture to justify franchise economics
  • Franchise India to run investor roadshows and disclose unit-economics packs to prospective franchisees
  • Roll out omni-channel tie-in (online catalogue + store fulfilment) to support Tier 2 footprint
  • Negotiate mall and high-street LOIs in target metros ahead of festive season