Shoemaker Bata to focus on style with comfort in 2024

The move follows the company's success last year, when it increased sales by 17%, making it the market’s fastest-growing brand for the second consecutive year, despite a market slowdown in the second half of 2023.

Concerned that the overall footwear market in Thailand will remain dormant this year due to lower spending power and reduced economic confidence, Wilasinee emphasised the importance of Bata being aggressively proactive this year.

Instead of opening more branches, she said that Bata will focus on developing products under the “Style with Comfort” concept for all shoe categories, including sandals, sneakers, court shoes, high heels and dress shoes, for men, women and children.

After opening 10 new branches last year, Bata now has 253 branches nationwide, which Wilasinee believes is sufficient.

As a result, focusing on product development will be key to serving the market, as most customers seek stylish and comfortable shoes of good quality at reasonable prices.

"Bata's target audience is diverse, as we offer a wide range of shoes. But we could say that our target is premium mass, which means that we value quality shoes that aren't too expensive and thus affordable to most, while also having stylish premium shoes to serve customers with more purchasing power,” she explained, adding that families make up the majority of Bata's customers.

Bata’s target consumers include mothers, who make purchasing decisions for their households, as well as office workers and millennials, for whom Bata specifically designs shoes to fit their lifestyles.

“When people look for Bata shoes, they should expect them to be comfortable, trendy, stylish, and affordable,” she stressed.

This year, the company will expand this line to a wider customer segment to match the brand positioning of ‘Shoes For All’, meaning that everyone can access attractive, good quality and comfortable shoes.

"Moreover, Bata's products will also be available through more sales channels,” she said.

Among these channels is the new service “You Shop We Ship”, which allows customers to shop at a retail store and have products delivered directly to their home.

Meanwhile, Bata will relaunch its Bata Club Loyalty Programme with new features to maintain loyalty among its over 2 million existing customers.

Furthermore, the company is considering launching a “Pocket Franchise” in which members can earn 15% commissions on product sales that they recommend via their social media account.

Bata expects to grow its business by 12% over the next three years, totalling 3.5 billion baht, which will allow it to reclaim its position as the leading shoe brand in time for the company's 100th anniversary.

According to Euromonitor, Thailand's footwear market is currently worth 95 billion baht, with over 10,000 brands on the market. Bata is ranked fourth behind Addidas, Nike, and Adda.

Bata was the market leader in 2014, with a 4% share. Wilasinee pointed out that the position was lost over 10 years as a result of Bata's failure to communicate and market effectively with its customers.

“But we are back with a proactive strategy and continuing to tell customers that Bata stands for quality shoes made in Italy but worn locally," she said, hoping that the strategy will help the company prepare for potential market growth this year as foreign tourists return.

She said that prior to the Covid pandemic, the Middle East, China, and India were among the top Bata spenders.