Superdry Sport partners RBL for debut standalone retail format in Mumbai
13 May 2026, Mumbai
Superdry Sport has teamed up with Reliance Brands (RBL) to open India’s first dedicated Superdry Sport store at Inorbit Mall, Malad, Mumbai, signaling a fundamental shift in the brand’s domestic strategy.
Moving away from its traditional multi-category flagship format, RBL is now carving out specialized performance-focused spaces to capture the surging premium activewear market, which is projected to grow at an 11.8 per cent CAGR through 2033. Unveiled by brand ambassador Rasha Thadani, the store addresses a critical consumer pivot where technical functionality is no longer a premium add-on but a baseline expectation. This category-specific expansion follows Reliance Retail’s record FY26 revenue of Rs 3.7 lakh crore, driven largely by a 11.8 per cent growth in its fashion and lifestyle verticals.
Technical engineering meets street aesthetics
The Malad outlet is architecturally designed around ‘performance zones,’ focusing on two distinct product pillars: Sport and Street N Style. The former utilizes high-grade moisture-control technology and 4-way stretch fabrics engineered for high-intensity training, while the latter caters to the ‘transitional\’ consumer seeking high-visibility logo apparel for everyday wear. This inventory diversification aims to capture the 56.8 per cent market share currently dominated by women’s activewear while addressing the rising demand for technical man-made fibers (MMF). By integrating AI-driven merchandising and real-time inventory tracking, RBL aims to optimize full-price sell-through, mirroring the 23 per cent increase in average bill value recently reported by its sister platform, Ajio.
Navigating the premium activewear landscape
The dedicated sport format allows Superdry to compete directly with global athletic giants entering the Indian market. RBL’s strategy leverages an ‘asset-light’ operational model, following its £40 million acquisition of Superdry's South Asian IP rights, which reduced upfront capital expenditure while securing long-term royalty streams. Despite global logistics volatility, the brand is maintaining its premium positioning by focusing on store-level EBITDA recovery and an immersive ‘content hub’ experience. With the Indian sportswear sector on track to hit $21.25 billion by 2033, the Mumbai launch serves as a blueprint for a nationwide rollout across high-growth Tier-1 clusters.
Performance Lifestyle Leader: Superdry Sport
Superdry Sport is the high-performance division of the British lifestyle brand Superdry, blending Japanese-inspired graphics with technical tailoring. In India, it is managed exclusively by Reliance Brands, operating over 200 points of sale. The brand is currently prioritizing standalone sport boutiques and a digital-first omnichannel strategy to capture the Gen Z fitness demographic.
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