For nearly a century, Bata India has been a symbol of trust and quality for Indian consumers. Throughout this journey, Bata has continuously evolved to cater to its customers’ diverse needs and preferences to become the country’s largest footwear retailer and manufacturer. Its expansive retail network comprises 2,150+ stores (Company Owned, Franchise and Store in-store point of sales). Augmented by thousands of multi-brand outlets and a robust omnichannel presence across D2C and marketplaces, Bata India sells close to 50 million pairs annually.
Bata India’s mission is to make global trends and premium fashion accessible to all consumers through its extensive retail network. It is redefining the intersection of fashion and comfort through its various brands – Bata Red Label for on-trend global styles, NineWest for high-fashion footwear & accessories, Bata Comfit for technology-enabled comfort in daily wear, athleisure brand Power for fitness sneakers and apparel, NorthStar for sneakers inspired by global youth trends, fashionable range of clogs and slip-ons under Floatz, kids brand Bubblegummers that has won the trust of parents while inspiring fun, and Hush Puppies the global brand that epitomizes comfort and elegance to name a few.
Style Strategy
Bata has evolved as a contemporary fashion brand and is taking big strides to become a hub of style and innovation. The brand is building strong style credentials for itself to cater to fashion-conscious consumers through levers like premiumisation of product portfolio, elevating the customer experience and revamped communications. Keeping with the growing trend of casualisation, it has strategically expanded its casual footwear offerings and set up dedicated Sneaker Studio concepts in over 655+ stores. To further elevate customer experience and offer an international shopping experience, Bata has revamped its owned stores with the new Red 2 concepts which follow a modern colour scheme, superior lighting, music, contemporary furniture and consumer journey-based layout.
Retail Network & E-Commerce
Bata has been nimble in accelerating expansion via Franchise & Distribution, aggressively increasing its presence in Tier 3 – 5 cities. In FY23, Bata’s distribution business expanded its reach to 1,100+ towns and the FA2A business continued to be the fastest-growing business channel. Backed by internal tech-enabled replenishment, automation of its in-store availability increased to 70%. The success of the B2B model is marked by repeat orders and new customers reflected in Bata products being available in 30,000+ MBOs in 1200+ towns.
In February 2024, Bata launched its 500th Franchise store in India, marking a landmark achievement in the footwear retail industry. With the inauguration of the store in Bangalore, Bata India’s retail footprint expands to 2,150+ stores nationwide, comprising a diverse mix of Company-Owned Company-Operated (COCO), Franchise stores and Shop-in-Shop (SIS) stores.
Bata’s Franchise model has played an integral role in its expansion strategy, serving as a pivotal engine driving growth and accessibility across diverse regions of India. Its dynamic approach has enabled the brand to penetrate deeper into untapped markets while fostering entrepreneurship opportunities for local partners. The success of the program is validated by the high return rate for Franchise partners who have opened and continue to open multiple stores with Bata. For aspiring entrepreneurs in search of a proȃ table and prosperous venture, Bata India has established itself as an exceptional choice. The opportunity to be part of this remarkable channel partner network, backed by a trusted and celebrated brand, awaits those who dare to dream big.
Bata’s vast retail network is further strengthened by a robust omnichannel presence across various marketplaces and our Direct-to-consumer (D2C) platform bata.com. Bata India has expanded its digital footprint, reaching a milestone of 20,000+ pin codes pan India through our D2C website bata.com. Bata India is equally invested in e-commerce to offer customers a deeply connected and robust omni-experience at all touch points. As a result of the deeper penetration, there is an increased adoption in Tier-3 and Tier-4 cities.
Global Partnerships
Strengthening its portfolio of fashion footwear and accessories, Bata India signed a licensing and manufacturing deal with Authentic Brands Group (Authentic), winning rights to manufacture, market and distribute Nine West footwear and accessories across India.
Renowned for its on-trend fashion designs, Nine West boasts a global presence across more than 40 countries. This strategic partnership is in line with Bata India’s overarching premiumization strategy, aimed at catering to a more fashion-conscious audience.
Redeȃ ning the sports shoes and activewear landscape in India, Bata launched Exclusive Brand Outlets for sportswear and lifestyle brand ‘Power’. Headquartered in Canada, Power is known worldwide for its high-performance sports shoes and apparel. This pivotal shift was a strategic business decision, driven by the increasing popularity of athleisure and the adoption of an active lifestyle by modern Indian consumers. With these new stores, Bata is making international technology-led footwear and apparel accessible to all and aims to open 50+ Power EBOs by the end of 2025.
Bata is building a strong innovation journey for its Power. The footwear giant expanded its product portfolio in activewear and athleisure clothing with the launch of ‘Power Acti-Wear’. With a focus on comfort and contemporary style, the clothing range brought the latest innovations and technology to fitness enthusiasts at accessible price points. By combining its expertise in innovation with a passion for style, Bata is setting up a new benchmark in the world of performance and athleisure in India.
Technology & Innovation
Bata has been agile in adapting technology and bringing innovation to the footwear industry. Bata was the first brand to bring ‘Lift & Learn’ technology and among the first to launch digital invoicing, Endless Aisle, E-pay wallets and in launching store staǹ – facing app ‘Find a Pair’ that helps the store staǹ in tracing the availability of the pair. It has added new experiences to its stores with 3D Holographic Units, Digital LED Screens, Jukebox innovation and QR codes for online experiences. New-age CRM technologies have been implemented by integrating WhatsApp. Ensuring amplification of brand storytelling, Bata has implemented digitisation of screens and anamorphic outdoor displays that bring products out in 3-dimension.
To bring out automation in supply chain management, Bata has partnered with Blue Yonder, a leading supply chain solutions provider, for an end-to-end planning suite that includes Merchandise, Financial Planning, Assortment Management, Demand Forecasting and Fulfillment. Additionally, the brand is investing in High-Performance merchandising and ERP solutions.
