Sole-searching Bata fancies youthful image now

120 YEARS AND COUNTING

NEW DELHI: If the shoe fits, wear it.

The realisation dawned on Thomas G Bata, chairman of Bata Shoe Company, when he recently met a restless boy reluctantly stepping into one of his stores with his parents goading him on.

“I don’t come to Bata stores,” the boy told the grandson of Tomas Bata, the company founder.

The boy spoke his mind and opened the 67-year-old The company sells premium brands such as Hush Puppies through its retail outlets, often ignoring its own — the Bata

company head’s mind.

The iconic Bata may still be a generic for shoes for most Indians, but the 120-year-old footwear brand needs a makeover because it doesn’t tug at the young generation’s heartstrings, or rather shoestrings. It sells about 50 million pairs annually and aims to grow about 10% annually with focus on sales through e-commerce

The company, with its headquarters in Switzerland, is now set to revamp its business model with a young team of designers and communication specialists, who will focus on casual fashion footwear.

“The men, our loyal customers, have grown old. We need to woo the young now,” Bata said.

He may soon bring daughter Charlotte, a communication specialist and blogger, to lace up the company’s poor internet presence.

Son Thomas Archer Bata takes care of the company’s operations in Chile, one of its bigger markets.

“There is a clientele that clearly will not go to buy Bata footwear as a first choice. But at some stage, they might,” Bata said.

Nostalgic and loyal customers still look out for a pair of Bata designs that saw their heyday 30 years ago.

But the hottest-selling shoes now — Adidas, Nike, Salvatore Ferragamo, etc., etc. — aren’t rolled up in a retro trend.

“What you will see us doing is developing the new brands which will be more casual and stylish. I am sure, we can fight back,” Bata said, hoping to strikes an equal chord with generations separated by a millennium.