Global sportswear major Reebok is betting big on the fitness market and has announced plans to open 10 gyms in association with Crossfit this year.
"We will be opening at least 10 Reebok-Crossfit gyms that we call 'Boxes'. We will be opening them this year itself. In 2013, we are looking at doubling it," Reebok Brand Director Sajid Shamim said here.
When asked about the investment to set up these 'Boxes,' he said, it depends upon the rentals and hence difficult to quantify.
The firm has 900 outlets spanning 325 cities in the country.
"Crossfit and Reebok came together and what we are bringing to our consumer is a new way to stay fit. It is a group activity that becomes a sport. What we are doing is infusing this element of sport into fitness," he added.
The company will launch accessories like kettle bells, fitness gloves, gym balls to start with the gyms.
Reebok, which has its own apparel and footwear ranges, also plans to introduce a Crossfit lines later. "By July, we will be coming up with Crossfit footwear and apparel ranges, which are very technical. We call them pinnacle products and are on the higher price points," he said.
Shamim further said Reebok has a marketing alliance at the global level with Crossfit, which fits well with its brand positioning.
"We do a lot of cricket here, but our core is fitness and we are enforcing it. This is not about the product, but it is what our brand stands for. This is about brand and product, which is incidental to the whole thing. We are also building a whole fitness community," he said.
Reebok brand ambassadors in cricket include skipper MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir.
On whether Reebok will look at operating independently after full FDI in single brand has been allowed, he said, "We still have to study that properly, as there are lots of clauses. We are still studying and evaluating it. Our team is already working on it, but we haven't come to any conclusion yet."
Last December, the government opened 100% foreign direct investment in single-brand retail with a caveat that at least 30% of product sourcing must be done from domestic SMEs.