Bata opens largest store in NCR

Bata India, one of the largest retailer and leading manufacturer of footwear in India is currently

giving itself a shot in the arm with a major revival and expansion policy targeting metros and Tier I-II towns across India. The company has opened a whopping 82 new stores across India in 2010 and plans to open as many in the next year. It has also just launched its largest store in the national capital region (NCR) at Indrapuram in Ghaziabad which has a floor area of 4,400 sq. ft. at a cost of Rs 50 lakh.

The revival of the largest footwear retailer which has taken a slight beating over the last couple of years, thanks to the recession market and competition, is now dependant on larger stores in Tier-I and II cities where more and more people are taking to wearing Bata shoes. Bata India’s need for expansion was propelled by the fact that even in small towns like Ujjain, Dhanbad, Nagpur, Hubli and Patiala, there were customers wanting to buy Bata products and people were actually traveling to buy from nearby cities.

According to Marcelo Villagran, managing director, Bata India Limited they are witnessing growth from these cities and in the future will open more stores in these cities. Their plan is to open large stores which would have flagship Bata brand as well as other brands like Power, Reebok and Hush Puppies.
The aesthetically appealing new format of the Bata stores would redefine shoe retailing in the country with a large variety of brands, designs and spacious settings for the customers to try out their shoes. This model will have large Bata stores, which will be larger than 4,000 sq. ft. to allow enough space to present a large variety of footwear. The company sells over 45 million shoes per year.