Established in 1975, Paragon has risen to prominence as a leading brand in the footwear industry, distinguished by its unwavering commitment to excellence, durability, and fashion. The brand consists of a comprehensive selection of footwear products, encompassing shoes, sandals, flip-flops, and slippers tailored to diverse age groups and demographics, from children to adults.
Brand Overview
The collective production power of Paragon, including both in-house and outsourcing efforts, results in an impressive annual output of approximately 140 million pairs of footwear. Paragon’s diverse range of products is easily accessible through an extensive network of multi-brand stores, both online and offline, ensuring that high-quality footwear is within reach for everyone. The brand’s distribution network encompasses 12 depots throughout India, contributing to effective supply chain management. Over the 48 years since its inception, Paragon has significantly expanded its in-house production capacity with the ability to manufacture 400,000 pairs of footwear daily, a remarkable increase from the initial 1500 pairs. This translates to around 14 crore pairs of footwear annually.
Unique Differentiators
Although the origin of Paragon is traced back to rubber footwear, a symbol of its enduring legacy, the brand has evolved to embrace a wide array of options, incorporating soles made from Polyurethane (PU), Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC), Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), and ThermoPlastic Rubber (TPR). The company’s exponential growth is characterized by a steadfast commitment to providing footwear that not only meets but surpasses customer expectations, guaranteeing that every stride taken in Paragon shoes is both comfortable and stylish.
Product Offerings
Paragon offers all kinds of footwear including Casual slippers, Sandals, School Shoes, Gumboots, Safety shoes, and Formal shoes. They also offer athleisure shoes and open footwear specifically catering to the youth segment with trendy designs and colour combinations with the PU range being the fastest moving of all their categories. The brand has put together more than 2500 unique designs in its portfolio. The brand has also entered into the youth category with a new brand called ‘Eeken’.
Product Development
Paragon approaches its design and development keeping in mind the ever-changing needs of its customers, guaranteeing durability, comfort, and style. The brand leverages its in-house production capacity and strategic outsourcing partnerships to offer comfort and style with each pair of footwear.
Paragon has launched a new range of products called ‘Dual Density’ under its Eeken brand that employs a new technology in its footwear. This technology offers utmost comfort with an extra soft insole that hugs feet and absorbs daily impact. Paragon is the first to introduce this technology in the country.
Market Presence
Paragon’s distribution network has 12 strategically located depots across India that supply more than 500 strong distributors. The brand operates around 90 exclusive stores across the country and they are rapidly expanding this fleet. Additionally, Paragon has expanded its global footprint with a presence in 18 countries, reflecting the brand’s reach and recognition beyond the borders of India. Although the brand sells primarily through its physical stores, its online presence is also growing slowly.
Marketing Strategy
Paragon operates three brands under their umbrella which cater to different target audiences and their marketing strategies are also different based on the brands. Their bread and butter ‘Paragon’ caters to the mass market with trendy and value-for-money products that offer the best quality. ‘Stimulus’ provides more comfort while having attractive designs and superior quality. And ‘Eeken’ caters to the youth with trendy and open footwear. The marketing strategy for each brand differs from one another, it is a blend of offline and online, based on the target audience.
Innovation & Technology
Paragon adopts a robust Sales Force Automation software that ensures seamless operations.
They also use dealer management software that provides them with clarity on their dealer network throughout the country. Additionally, they have been on SAP for the last 13 years.
Expansion Plans
With a focus on mass-friendly appeal, Paragon is rapidly expanding its retail presence and has set a target of establishing 150 exclusive stores by the end of this fiscal year. Their introduction of specialised sub-brands spanning closed footwear, premium leather options, and offerings for kids and ladies, underscores their dedication to catering to a wide array of consumer preferences. The brand is also in tune with the industry shifts towards sustainable materials and design and integration of technology into manufacturing footwear.
