Q3 results FY 20-21: Footwear major Bata posts 258 million net profit

Owing to the various customer-centric measures adopted in the wake of Covid-19, Bata India has been successful in getting back on its recovery path, with improvement in sales through its retail outlets and e-commerce platforms, and hyperlocal digftal channels- Bata ChatShop and Bata Store on Wheels.

Sales through digitally enabled platforms now make up 15°A of the total sales, growing by 3 times in the fast one year. In terms of portfolio-mix, the Formals (incl. School business) & Fashion categories continued to be subdued as expected due to prevailing market conditions, the Casual, Fitness & Essentials categories bounced back leading to company‘s overall volume reaching 88% of pre-Covid levels.

To spread positivity, Bata launched its first big campaign of the year — Kick Out 2020, along with its new collection — ’Ready Again.’ The launch helped the brand in uplifting customer sentiment and getting them to shop from its retail & online store during festive season. It also rolled out its first ever ‘Sneaker Fest’, which helped drive younger consumers to shop from its North Star & Power brands.

Sandeep Kataria, CEO — Bata Brands, stated: “Owing ro decline in Covid cases and vaccine rollout, the overall market sentiment is improving significantly. Backed by good festive 5o/es and our targeted Consumer outreach, our sales have recovered to 74Po of pre-Covid levels. As a result of our focus on omni-channel retailing and scaling up our digital presence via online marketplaces and our online store, 60°X› of our marketplaces’ orders today are fulfilled by Bata stores and 100°% for bata.in. "

"As we witnessed demand for footwear steadily grow over the lost 3-6 months, we kept expanding our reach through new franchise & multi-brand outlet stores. While we focused on reviving sales, we also kept focus on cost-savings measures across our network and enhancing productivity.

"Overall, we're encouraged by the increasing momentum during the December quarter and we continue to launch new ways to serve our customers better, offering them greater convenience and flexibility. All these measures have enabled us to revitalize the business and soon we expect to get into the thrive phase of our recovery plan.”

Bata India also continued to strengthen its brick and mortar presence in tier 3 & 4 cities by opening new franchise stores across the country, with 221 Franchise stores at the end Dec 2020.