In NEW DELHI: In FY23, local retailer Metro Brands Ltd, which sells foreign brands including Crocs, Fit flop, and Skechers in India and owns the Metro, Walkway, and Mochi brands, expects to add 200 new stores.
Alisha Malik, president of Metro for e-commerce and marketing, was interviewed about the company’s plans to develop from its current 170-180 cities to 300 cities, the lessons learned from foreign businesses, and sustainable growth in online channels. Edited passages: We are solely responsible for Metro, Mochi, and Walkway’s whole range of offerings, including their products, retail locations, and marketing plans. We oversee the bulk of Crocs’ offline outlets as its national retail partner. That number is roughly 140, but since we open four stores on average each week, it keeps growing. changing. However, we operate exclusive stores, offline and online (channels), and even distribution for Fit flop, the premium open footwear brand in the UK. Therefore, we might even provide Fit flop to a rival. It’s sort of regarded as a woman’s brand internationally. In India, male dominance is a little stronger because a few South Indian stars prefer it. We don’t manage any operations for Skechers, but we are pretty much their biggest partner in all of India. It is a strategic partnership, but there is no binding agreement. We also received the peculiar Canadian brand Bion. Before selecting how to develop the collaboration, we have collaborated with them to debut in roughly 25 of our multi-brand outlets to gauge consumer reaction and brand acceptability. A couple of others that we’re talking with.
Which brands are seeing their demand increase?
Demand has returned across all categories—casual, ethnic, and athleisure are still fashionable and growing, and formals are back as people go back to work. We have a plan to open roughly 200 locations this fiscal year after opening 20 outlets in the first quarter.
Where will your new stores be located?
Depending on the brand, yes. As a result, Metro and Mochi have very strong market penetration in the metros. However, as new malls are built in these cities, we see great possibilities. 300 cities have been identified for expansion. Currently, we are between 170 and 180.
Are Crocs or Fit flops made in this country or imported?
Most of them are imports. We have no control over production. There may be conversations of producing their goods in India. About 95% of our manufacturing for our brands is done in India. With a vendor base of more than 200, our goal is to be adaptable and nimble.
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