The Making of Modern Bata: Premiumisation, Omnichannel and the Road to 3,000 Stores

For generations, Bata has been an integral part of India’s footwear landscape, earning the trust of consumers through its commitment to quality, comfort, and accessibility. Today, however, the company is undergoing a significant transformation as it evolves from a traditional family footwear brand into a contemporary lifestyle player. Driven by changing consumer aspirations, the rise of premiumisation, casualisation, omnichannel retail, and digital innovation, Bata is redefining its market position while staying true to the values that have shaped its legacy over nine decades.

With products priced above Rs 1,000 now contributing nearly 60% of its portfolio, a growing focus on younger consumers, close to 2,000 stores, over 700 franchise outlets, and an ambitious roadmap to reach 3,000 stores by 2030, the company is charting its next phase of growth around aspiration, accessibility, innovation, and experience-led retail.

In an exclusive interaction with IMAGES Business of Fashion, Badri Beriwal, Chief Strategy & Business Development Officer, Bata India, shares insights into the brand’s ongoing transformation, its premiumisation journey, omnichannel expansion, and how Bata is positioning itself to remain relevant in an increasingly competitive and aspiration-driven footwear market.

Excerpts:

Over the last few years, Bata has evolved from being perceived primarily as a family footwear brand to a more contemporary, multi-segment lifestyle player. What strategic decisions have been most instrumental in driving this repositioning?

Consumers today expect more from brands, and no single distinction can drive growth on its own. They want aesthetics, comfort and affordability that reflect their inner expressions. The average age of our consumer today is 32, which reflects how the brand is evolving. As India’s most trusted footwear brand, our approach has been to evolve the brand while retaining Bata’s strengths around comfort and accessibility. This has translated into stronger premiumisation, sharper design language, growth in casual and lifestyle categories and a more focused youth/GenZ strategy.

We have also changed how we engage consumers. Today, nearly 65% of our marketing spends are digital-led and increasingly built around creators, regional relevance and cultural moments.

Key Milestones

2,000 Stores | 700+ Franchise Outlets | 2.5 lakh+ App Users | 60% Portfolio Above ₹1,000 | Omnichannel Ecosystem

How would you describe the vision that guides Bata India’s growth strategy today, and how has that vision evolved since you assumed leadership?

Our growth strategy today is built around being available wherever the customer wants to shop while delivering style, comfort and durability. We have the largest retail footprint in the footwear category in India and that is something we are continuously building upon.

The evolution has been from scale-led growth to more integrated growth. That means deeper penetration into Tier 2 & 3 markets, stronger premium categories and building a seamless omnichannel experience.

In today’s time where alternatives are easily available, as a brand you must consciously improve and upgrade in terms of experience, availability and design.

How do you ensure the brand remains relevant to younger consumers while preserving the trust it has built over nine decades?

Being India’s most trusted footwear brand comes with responsibility: consumers trust us, but they also expect us to keep evolving and stay relevant. Younger consumers today do not want to compromise between aesthetics, comfort and value. That shift is visible in our products, communication and retail experience. We have consciously built stronger creator and culture-led communication with personalities like Kusha Kapila, Prajakta Koli, Niharika NM, Sanjana Sanghi and Taapsee Pannu to stay connected with different consumer cohorts. We have introduced AI in our marketing and advertising communications with consumers, so that they relate and look forward to it.

What role does premiumisation play in Bata’s (through brands like Hush Puppies, Nine West, Naturalizer) future growth roadmap?

Premiumisation is one of our biggest growth opportunities and for us it goes beyond price. We do not wish to be the cheapest in the market and deliver a product that does not resonate with our core values even if there are competitors providing products at a lower price point. Three to four years ago, products priced above ₹1,000 contributed around 40% of our portfolio. Today that number is close to 60%, and we expect premium categories to continue growing nearly twice as fast as the mass segment. Consumers are increasingly willing to pay for better design, comfort and quality and that is shaping our product strategy across brand.

Casualisation and athleisure continue to reshape footwear consumption globally. How has Bata adapted its product portfolio to capture these emerging consumer trends, particularly through brands like Power and Floatz?

Consumers today buy footwear for multiple purposes, not occasions. That shift has accelerated categories like casual, sneakers and athleisure. Power continues to benefit from changing lifestyle habits while Floatz is about to cross the Rs 200 crore milestone and has emerged as a strong growth category for us.

We are also seeing encouraging traction in newer formats like office sneakers that combine comfort with versatile styling that can be worn in the office and for a quick coffee run.

How do you view the omnichannel capabilities between physical retail, digital commerce, and customer experience in the next phase of retail evolution?

Consumers do not distinguish between channels anymore; they expect convenience and consistency. Today Bata is present across stores, marketplaces, quick commerce and our owned ecosystem. Our app has crossed 2.5 lakh users and supports same-day or three-hour delivery across 4,500 pin codes and next-day delivery across another 1,000. Nearly 80% of our stores are now hyperlocal.

Physical retail builds trust and discovery. Digital enables convenience. The future is about connecting both seamlessly.

The company focus has been on store modernisation, flagship formats, and experiential retail. What lessons have emerged from this transformation, and how are today’s Bata stores different from those of five years ago?

One of the biggest learnings for us has been that consumers no longer evaluate stores only on assortment; they evaluate them on the overall experience.

Over the last few years, we have transformed stores through initiatives like Zero-Based Merchandising (ZBM), Project Customer First and store modernisation programmes.

Today, stores are designed to be more intuitive with improved layouts, better bestseller availability, more walkable space and easier discovery. All stores have a set format of product placements which gives a sense of familiarity that you walk into any store around the country. Stores are now more spacious, which helps while trying on footwear and navigating the store.

Franchise-led expansion has become an increasingly important part of Bata’s network growth strategy. What opportunities do you see in Tier 2 and 3 and emerging markets, and how are consumer aspirations evolving in these regions?

Tier 2 & 3 markets continue to be one of the strongest growth opportunities for us. A large part of the footwear market in these regions remains underpenetrated and relatively unorganised, creating a strong opportunity for trusted national brands.

Today, Bata operates across almost 2,000 stores with over 700 franchise stores and nearly 70% of our future network expansion is expected to come through the franchise model. It also creates strong entrepreneurship opportunities across emerging markets.

How do you evaluate expansion opportunities today, and what factors determine whether a location becomes part of the Bata network?

Expansion decisions today are far more data-led than before. We evaluate markets based on catchment potential, consumer behaviour, store economics, right rent-to-revenue ratios and long-term growth opportunity.

With almost 2,000 stores across India, our objective is not simply to increase store count but to improve the quality of expansion. That is why we continue to focus on deeper penetration beyond metros while balancing company-owned and franchise-led growth. The goal is smarter growth and stronger productivity.

Over the last few years, Bata has reported strong growth in its casual, premium and digital businesses. Which consumer shifts have surprised you the most, and how have they influenced strategic decision-making?

The biggest shift has been how quickly consumers have moved from value seeking to value plus aspiration. Consumers today are more informed, trend-aware and willing to invest more if they see stronger design, comfort and quality.

This is visible in our premiumisation journey where products priced above Rs 1,000 have moved from around 40% of our portfolio to nearly 60%.

We are also seeing categories becoming lifestyle-led rather than occasion-led, which has influenced our investments across casualisation, digital and product innovation.

How is Bata leveraging AI, analytics, customer data, and digital tools to improve merchandising, forecasting, inventory management, and consumer engagement?

Technology today plays a role across every vertical of our business. One of the biggest examples is Zero-Based Merchandising (ZBM), which helps us plan assortments based on actual local demand rather than legacy allocation.

We are increasingly leveraging analytics and consumer insights to improve forecasting, inventory availability and faster replenishment. Through virtual audits, we can stay close to store operations and help our teams complete their tasks more efficiently.

Brand Repositioning: From Family Footwear to Lifestyle Brand

Sustainability is increasingly becoming a business imperative rather than a corporate initiative. How is Bata embedding sustainability into product innovation, sourcing, operations, and store development?

Sustainability today is becoming part of how businesses operate rather than a separate agenda. For us, the focus is on making decisions that improve long-term efficiency across sourcing, operations and retail. We have made strong progress on reducing waste across our operations, which is something I am proud of.

We also believe durability itself is an important sustainability lever, creating products that consumers use longer creates meaningful impact. Across operations, we continue evaluating opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce waste while ensuring growth remains responsible and scalable.

India’s footwear market is becoming increasingly competitive with the entry of global brands, D2C players, and specialist categories. How does Bata continue to differentiate itself in such a dynamic environment?

Competition is a sign of a growing market and we see it as an opportunity to evolve faster. What differentiates Bata is the combination of trust, scale and relevance. As India’s most trusted shoe brand with almost 2,000 stores, we have built relationships with generations of consumers while continuing to transform the business.

Over the last few years, our focus has been on premiumisation, stronger design capabilities, omnichannel expansion and delivering better consumer experiences. Our objective is not to compete on price alone; it is to remain the preferred choice across different age groups and genders.

The Indian consumer today is more informed, value-conscious, and trend-aware than ever before. How do you see consumer expectations evolving over the next five years?

Consumers today are far more aware and intentional in their choices. Over the next five years, we expect consumers to continue moving towards premiumisation — not necessarily higher prices, but higher expectations. Design, comfort, convenience and speed will become equally important.

Consumers will also become increasingly channel agnostic and expect seamless experiences across stores, digital and fulfilment. For brands, the opportunity will lie in staying relevant and responding faster to changing consumer behaviour on every platform.

Key Initiatives / Results

As India moves towards becoming one of the world’s largest consumption economies, what opportunities do you believe lie ahead for the footwear and accessories industry? If you were to define the next chapter of Bata India in three strategic priorities, what would they be?

India’s footwear market has significant headroom for growth driven by rising aspirations, increasing organised retail penetration and changing consumption patterns.

Categories are moving beyond utility towards lifestyle and expression. For Bata, the next chapter will be anchored on three priorities.

First, deeper penetration across Tier II and III markets through a balanced company-owned and franchise-led model. Second, strengthening omnichannel capabilities and ensuring consumers can access Bata across every platform. Third, continuing to elevate customer experience through better assortments, faster fulfilment and stronger retail experiences.

Looking ahead, how do you envision Bata India evolving by 2030, in terms of brand positioning, customer experience, retail footprint, digital integration, and overall contribution to the Indian retail ecosystem?

By 2030, we see Bata becoming even more consumer-led, digitally integrated and experience focused. Our ambition is to continue strengthening our position as India’s most trusted shoe brand while becoming increasingly relevant for younger consumers.

We expect our network to continue expanding with an ambition towards 3,000 stores while maintaining productivity and stronger market relevance. Digital will become more integrated into the overall retail journey and consumers will increasingly move seamlessly across channels.

The opportunity is not just to grow our footprint but to shape how footwear retail evolves in India.