Brands
Timex Group India reports 26 per cent Q3 growth as profits triple in FY26
MUMBAI: Timex Group India Limited tightened its grip on the Indian watch market in Q3 FY26, posting robust double-digit growth as premiumisation and brand-led strategy paid off.
The company reported total income of Rs 151 crore for the quarter, with profit before exceptional items and tax tripling year on year, driven by the flagship Timex brand and a buoyant licensed portfolio. Revenue climbed 26 per cent compared with the same period last year, while Ebitda before exceptional items rose 2.23 times and profit before tax before exceptional items surged 3.05 times, signalling sharper operational discipline and healthier margins.
Timex led the charge with 32 per cent growth, while fashion and luxury labels Guess and Versace delivered strong double-digit gains. Other brands posted steady increases.
Digital channels continued to fire, with e-commerce logging high double-digit growth on the back of sharper merchandising and trend-led assortments. Offline trade also held firm, reflecting resilient consumer demand and retailer confidence.
Timex Group India Limited managing director Deepak Chhabra, said the market was shifting decisively towards premium, design-driven and lifestyle watches. He pointed to the India launch of Aston Martin Watches, the expansion of luxury and fashion lines, and higher-value Timex collections such as the Atelier range as key growth drivers.
The quarter also saw rising demand for mechanical watches and global collaborations including MM6, Monopoly and The James Brand. New launches across Q Timex, Marlin, Waterbury, Fria and Vector sustained strong traction.
On the brand-building front, Timex became title sponsor of India Beach Fashion Week in Goa, underlining its growing fashion credentials. The company also scaled manufacturing capacity to around 10 million units annually through a double-shift model to support future growth.
For the first nine months of FY26, total income reached Rs 565 crore, up 40 per cent year on year, while profit before exceptional items and tax grew 2.3 times. E-commerce, including quick commerce, surged 70 per cent, while trade channels expanded 25 per cent. Timex clocked the highest growth at 52 per cent, with Guess and Versace rising 36 per cent.
With rising aspirations and stronger appetite for global brands, Timex Group India said it would continue accelerating premium offerings, strengthening omnichannel reach and deepening consumer engagement.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
