US activewear brand targets India and UAE as part of aggressive international push, with 45 new stores planned and revenue target of $2 billion
TCF POST Report
US activewear brand Fabletics is accelerating its international expansion, placing Asia and the Middle East at the centre of its next phase of growth as it prepares to enter India and the United Arab Emirates while expanding its retail footprint across other emerging markets.
The Los Angeles-based company plans to significantly increase its international retail presence during 2026 and 2027, targeting high-growth consumer markets where rising fitness culture, athleisure demand and premiumisation are creating new opportunities for global sportswear brands.
India will be one of the company’s most important Asian launches. Fabletics is entering the country through a long-term partnership with Reliance Brands Limited (RBL), with its first mono-brand store planned at DLF Promenade in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, alongside a dedicated India website. A second store in Mumbai is expected shortly afterwards.
The company plans to use an omnichannel model combining standalone stores, e-commerce and experiential retail, allowing it to establish a physical presence while retaining the digital-first approach that helped build the brand.
But India is only one part of the international strategy. The United Arab Emirates is also among Fabletics’ targeted new markets, giving the Middle East a prominent role in the company’s global retail expansion.
UAE opens gateway to Gulf market
The UAE is particularly significant because of its role as a regional retail and tourism hub. Dubai and Abu Dhabi attract consumers from across the Gulf, wider Middle East, South Asia and international tourist markets, making the country an important launchpad for international fashion and lifestyle brands.
For Fabletics, entry into the UAE provides an opportunity to test its activewear proposition in a market where international brands, shopping malls and lifestyle retail have a strong presence.
The company’s strategy also fits the wider evolution of Middle Eastern fashion consumption, where sportswear is increasingly moving beyond traditional exercise into everyday clothing. Activewear, athleisure and wellness-oriented lifestyles are becoming increasingly connected with fashion, particularly among younger consumers.
The UAE could therefore serve as more than a single-country retail market. A successful launch could provide a platform for Fabletics to build recognition across the broader Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.
This regional opportunity is especially relevant as major Middle Eastern retail operators continue to bring international brands into flagship shopping destinations. The region’s established mall infrastructure and sophisticated consumer base provide global fashion companies with an attractive environment for physical retail expansion.
India becomes Asian growth platform
India represents a different but equally important opportunity. Its huge population, expanding middle class, young consumers and rapidly developing fitness and athleisure culture make it one of Asia’s most attractive markets for sportswear.
Fabletics’ Indian collection will include women’s and men’s apparel for training, running, yoga and Pilates, alongside designs intended for everyday movement.
Sumeet Yadav, Head of Reliance Brands Limited, said the brand’s combination of accessible pricing and fashion-forward activewear makes it a strong fit for India’s changing consumer market.
Reliance Brands already has extensive experience bringing international fashion and lifestyle brands to Indian consumers. Reliance Retail’s latest annual report lists Fabletics among its exclusive international brand partnerships, reinforcing the strategic importance of the collaboration.
Meera Bhatia, President of Fabletics, said India represents an important step in the company’s international growth and that its combination of performance, style and value is expected to resonate with Indian consumers.
The launch in Delhi and Mumbai is expected to provide the foundation for wider expansion across India.
From digital-first brand to global retail network
Founded in Los Angeles in 2013, Fabletics has grown from a digital-first activewear company into a global brand with more than 125 retail locations.
Its product range includes sportswear, footwear and accessories for both men and women. The brand has built its identity around combining technical performance with fashion-led colours, silhouettes and designs.
Collaborations with personalities including Khloé Kardashian and Kevin Hart have also helped establish Fabletics at the intersection of fitness, fashion and popular culture.
The company’s international website currently highlights more than 100 brick-and-mortar stores and a global membership base, reflecting the brand’s transition from a predominantly digital model toward an increasingly integrated retail operation.
45 new stores as revenue passes $1 billion
Fabletics is planning a major retail expansion following annual revenue surpassing $1 billion. The company plans to open as many as 45 new stores over the next year, including international locations and 25 additional stores in the United States.
The international expansion will include India, the UAE, Colombia, Peru and markets across Central America. The company is targeting annual revenue of $2 billion within five years, making international retail a significant component of its long-term growth strategy.
E-commerce currently accounts for roughly 71% of the company’s revenue, while physical stores contribute about 23%. Fabletics has nevertheless accelerated store openings after reporting three consecutive years of double-digit same-store sales growth.
The strategy suggests that the company sees physical stores not as a replacement for digital commerce but as a way of strengthening brand visibility, customer engagement and omnichannel sales.
Implications for Asian and Middle Eastern sourcing
Fabletics’ expansion also has implications for the wider Asian apparel production and sourcing ecosystem.
Asia remains the world’s dominant manufacturing base for apparel, sportswear and technical textiles. As international activewear brands expand their consumer footprint across Asia and the Middle East, demand for performance fabrics, stretch materials, moisture-management products and technically constructed garments is likely to remain important for regional suppliers.
Countries such as China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and India have established textile and apparel manufacturing capabilities that can potentially support the growing global demand for sportswear and athleisure.
India’s role could become particularly interesting because it is simultaneously emerging as a major consumer market and production base. Bangladesh and Vietnam, meanwhile, remain important sourcing destinations for international apparel companies seeking large-scale manufacturing capacity and competitive production costs.
For Middle Eastern expansion, Asian sourcing could also provide an efficient supply chain for serving Gulf markets. Products manufactured in Asia can be distributed through established international shipping and retail networks into the UAE and other Middle Eastern markets.
Asia-Middle East corridor gains importance
Fabletics’ strategy illustrates a broader trend in the fashion industry: Asia is increasingly important both as a consumer market and as a production base, while the Middle East is emerging as a powerful retail and distribution hub.
India provides Fabletics with scale and long-term consumer growth potential, while the UAE offers access to an internationally oriented, high-spending retail market and a potential gateway to the wider Gulf.
The combination gives the company an opportunity to build a connected Asia–Middle East growth corridor rather than treating the two regions as separate markets.
With more than $1 billion in annual revenue, a target of $2 billion within five years and dozens of new stores planned, Fabletics is betting that the future of activewear will be driven not only by gyms and sports but by the broader convergence of fitness, fashion, lifestyle and everyday movement.
Company snapshot: Fabletics recorded approximately US$712 million in GMV in 2025 and ranked 417 globally. Its latest expansion plan makes India and the UAE two of the most important new international markets in its next phase of growth.