British lifestyle brand Lee Cooper enters Bangladesh

British lifestyle brand Lee Cooper has entered the Bangladesh market with its stylish footwear through a local producer.

A licensee agreement was signed between Bangladesh’s Express Leather Products Limited that also sells Italian brand Lotto, and Lee Cooper in Dhaka on Monday.

British High Commission Robert Dickson witnessed the signing between the two managing directors -- Wayne Bebb and Kazi Jamil Islam.

Lee Cooper founded in East London in 1908 is present in more than 100 countries with its footwear and denim brand.

The Express Leather has footwear manufacturing units in Gazipur and EPZs where about 7,000 workers work. Its 160 retail outlets for Lotto across Bangladesh employ around 1,200 people.

High Commissioner Dickson welcomed Lee Cooper to Bangladesh and said its arrival “demonstrates some of the trends shaping the global fashion industry”.

“Garment production itself has largely shifted away from the UK to countries like Bangladesh. But two countries and industries work very closely together -- design and branding is often done in the UK, for production in Bangladesh,” he said.

“Even that is changing as Bangladesh moves up the value chain and the 8th largest country in the world, now growing at 8 percent, becomes wealthier.”

The UK is the second largest foreign investor in Bangladesh. Over 250 British companies are operating in sectors including retail, banking, energy, infrastructure and education. The UK is also the third single largest destination for exports from Bangladesh.

Wayne Bebb, managing director of Lee Cooper, said they always wanted to be here in Bangladesh because it is an “exciting growing country”.

“It’s really an inspiring place. We have spent a lot of time looking for the right partner. So, we found that now,” he said, about its Bangladesh licensee Express Leather.

“We are very happy to be here. It’s a market that is growing. It’s a market that has a huge opportunity,” he said. “I think the excitement of the market drives us here”.

“We have spent a lot of time researching the (Bangladesh) market, researching the consumers, understanding our partner and what they can do and what we can provide in terms of making it successful. We see Bangladesh as a significant global partner of Lee Cooper in future.”

Kazi Jamil Islam, managing director of Express Leather, said they will introduce Lee Cooper footwear in the market and then go for denim products.

“We will expand in phases,” he said, adding that foreign brands like Lee Cooper can help local Bangladesh brands to grow by educating them on new technology products.

He said young people who comprise about half of the 160 million population in Bangladesh are their target.

“We officially represent Lee Cooper here. We have 30 years of experience of making leather products. We have modern factories that employ 7,000 workers. We'll both import and produce Lee Cooper brand items.”

The annual turnover from Lotto sales is Tk 1.8 billion now, Islam said, adding that they expect more than that from Lee Cooper.