Inspite COVID-19 Outbreak Bata aims to add 100 stores in FY21

India is planning to open around 100 outlets of Bata, a major footwear company, during this financial year despite the COVID-19 outbreak, an official said on Wednesday. The shoemaker is currently occupied with 1500 stores across India, and its plan is to add 500 outlets by 2023 to strengthen its network in semi-urban and rural markets, he said.

India is planning to open around 100 outlets of Bata, a major footwear company, during this financial year despite the COVID-19 outbreak, an official said on Wednesday. The shoemaker is currently occupied with 1500 stores across India, and its plan is to add 500 outlets by 2023 to strengthen its network in semi-urban and rural markets, he said.

We will open around 100 stores this year and 80 per cent of these outlets will be opened through a franchise model in tier-II and tier-III cities,” Bata chairman Ashwani Windlass told PTI over the phone.

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The expansion of the network will be done mostly in the rural areas where economic performance has been comparatively better than in urban areas during the current COVID-19 crisis. another company official said.

To reach out to its customers in urban areas the footwear has taken new initiative of –Bata store on wheels–.Bata India CEO Sandeep kataria said this new channel allows customers to shop at their doorsteps. He said that currently the stores are setup at large residential complexes and condominiums, addingly he was of opinion that the new initiative offers convenient shopping experience to customers, especially children and elders, the people with most restricted due to pandemic.

Windlass said the footwear manufacturer has taken intiative of several digital marketing and hopes that the share of e-commerce sales will double by this fiscal.

According to Bata officials the share of online sales, through its own portal and third-party e-tailers is estimated at around five to six percent.

Bata India is expanding its e-commerce footprint by ramping up its presence in online market places, allowing delivery in over 1300 cities  and rolling out home delivery from more than 900 stores.

The shopmaker has rolled out an option for its customers to shop from the comfort of their homes via Whatsapp chats with employees in their neighbourhood stores, the officials added.