Bata launches revamp to attract more fashion-savvy buyers

Bata South Africa is repositioning and revamping its operation nationwide to be in line with the brand across the globe, with a specific focus on improving the overall shopping experience for the customer.

Retail and wholesale divisions have been under the spotlight this year, new appointments have taken place in senior management and the manufacturing division will be reviewed soon.

“Transformation of the brand is already under way, with the closing of some stores and the revamping of others,” says John Harman, Bata South Africa country manager.

“The aim is to reposition the shoe brand from being predominantly wholesaler to more of a retailer by improving the overall shopping experience for the customer,” says Harman.

The shoe brand’s offering of reliable footwear has made it synonymous with its school shoe range and now the challenge is to highlight its other products to appeal to the fashion-savvy shopper.

Having conducted extensive research, the company is rationalising its retail footprint and focusing on escalating its presence in “B” and “C”-grade malls.

“We would like to open more stores in the future that are similar to those in Durban’s Gateway, Pretoria’s Menlyn and Cape Town’s Canal Walk,” Harman explains.

Merchandise and brands carried by Bata are currently under review. “While we intend to retain our role as a supplier of affordable, reliable footwear, we are placing a lot more emphasis on promoting our trendy footwear lines,” Harman adds.

The well-known high-quality Toughees brand has been a mainstay of SA for decades and is estimated to hold 45% of the leather school-shoe market – that’s almost half of the nine million pairs sold in South Africa annually.