“The company, which currently has 620 stores across the country, is going for a substantial increase in its distribution, which will see its sales going up by 30 per cent per annum,” Reebok India Managing Director Suvhinder Singh told PTI.

“Besides consolidating our existing position in metros and tier I cities, we are also going for a major expansion in tier-II and tier-III and lower-tier cities”, he added.

However, he refused to divulge any investment details. “It is not the company’s policy to reveal investment and sales figures,” he said on the sidelines of the Pure & Play Retail Summit here on Monday.

The company has grown six-time in the last five years and controls 53 per cent of Indian footwear market, Singh said, adding that they would be also bringing in new products.

“We want to maintain the current position and bring new innovation and formats in various segments. We are bringing out 20 new footwear models every quarter, besides a new apparel in every 45 days,” he said.

Reebok is also planning to open specialised junior stores for its young customers. As many as seven such stores will come up in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi among other cities.

The company would be aggressive on its marketing strategy as it plans to expand its business in the country.

“As part of our marketing strategy we have roped in Bollywood stars and cricketers as means of communication platform as Indian customers have a tendency to associate with them,” he said, adding that the company wants to utilise this for expanding into smaller cities.

The new stores of Bata will be primarily located in tier-I and tier-II cities like Sonepat, Kota, Jodhpur, Ludhiana, Kakinada, Berampur, Mandya, Gangtok, Hassan, Hubli, Ahmednagar, Nasik, and others, apart from the metros. This will help Bata to offer its contemporary and trendy footwear range to potential customers in small towns. These products are currently available in Bata’s international format outlets.

Announcing this, Bata India managing director Macelo Villagran said: “Bata India has opened over 150 new large format stores since 2006 and will continue to open 60 new outlets every year. Our retail expansion plans are aimed at meeting the shoe requirements of our customers across India. We thank our customers for their continued brand loyalty, which has helped us get this recognition from the industry.”

Bata India plans to open 240 new outlets across the country over the next three years with an investment of up to Rs 480 crore. According to the company, the cost of a new outlet would typically vary between Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 2 crore. Further, the company also plans to use the surplus cash for expansion and upgradation of 60 to 80 existing outlets.

Bata is the largest footwear retailer in India with more than 1,200 stores. The company is focusing on manufacturing shoes for defence and paramilitary personnel as well as airlines and hospitals to increase institutional selling.

The Indian footwear market is pegged at roughly Rs 10,000 crore in value terms and is growing at 10% annually.

With an investment of USD30 million from Lotte Group, construction of the new supermarket will start in April 2009 and is expected to be completed and opened on October 1, 2010. Covering an area of 36,000 square meters, the supermarket will focus on the sales of apparel, footwear, food, and home appliances. After the project is putting into operation, it is expected to realize annual sales of CNY400 million.

The coming of Lotte Mart will further add to the commercial functions of Weihai Economic and Technical Development Zone, which will benefit the creation of a business cluster in Weihai and will stimulate the development of service industry in the city.

Lotte Group currently owns 58 Lotte Marts in South Korea and with the implementation of its globalization strategy, the group plans to set up 300 Lotte Marts in China by 2018.

With an investment of USD30 million from Lotte Group, construction of the new supermarket will start in April 2009 and is expected to be completed and opened on October 1, 2010. Covering an area of 36,000 square meters, the supermarket will focus on the sales of apparel, footwear, food, and home appliances. After the project is putting into operation, it is expected to realize annual sales of CNY400 million.

The coming of Lotte Mart will further add to the commercial functions of Weihai Economic and Technical Development Zone, which will benefit the creation of a business cluster in Weihai and will stimulate the development of service industry in the city.

Lotte Group currently owns 58 Lotte Marts in South Korea and with the implementation of its globalization strategy, the group plans to set up 300 Lotte Marts in China by 2018.