Tennis wear and lifestyle brand Lacoste has opened its first store in the state of Kerala to bolster its retail footprint in South India. The store is located in Kochi’s recently opened Forum mall and retails the brand’s men’s and women’s premium apparel and accessories. 

“Vanakkam Kerala,” wrote Lacoste India’s chief operating officer Abhishek Raj on Linkedin. “The first store of Kerala, now open at Kochi, Forum Mall.”
Along with clothing, the exclusive brand outlet retails Lacoste’s inner wear, leather goods, watches, and footwear collections. Lacoste plans to open 50 new stores in India in the coming five years. 
 
Real estate business Prestige Group opened Forum Mall as its first ‘Forum’ shopping centre in the state of Kerala as a joint development with Thomsun Realtors in August this year. The mall is located in Kochi’s Kudanoor district, measures 6.5 lakh square foot, and was built with an investment of Rs 700 crore. 

Lacoste first entered the Indian market in 1993 and now counts around 40 stores spread across 17 Indian cities. The brand was established in France in 1933 by tennis player Rene Lacoste and co-founder Andre Gillier and is known for its crocodile logo, which features on its signature colourful polo shirts.