Bata steps up plan for nationwide concept stores

KUALA LUMPUR: Bata Malaysia plans to open 15 new concept stores nationwide next year.

Bata Malaysia managing director Hernan Vizcaya said the new stores will complement the existing 250 stores it currently operates.

"However, we are now revamping the 80 stores that we have into family concept stores by next year, whereby it will have something for everyone including children," Vizcaya told reporters after the launch of the family concept store in Tesco Mutiara Damansara here yesterday.

He said the cost to redesign the new family store would be RM150,000 per store.

"Within one-and-a-half-years, we plan to revamp all our 250 stores into family concept stores," Vizcaya added.

He said the company's market share currently stands at 10.5 per cent and that it sold eight million pairs of shoes ofall brands annually.

"Our growth rate per year is between seven and eight per cent for pairs of shoes sold in a year," Vizcaya said.

Vizcaya said Bata Malaysia expects a double-digit growth in revenue this year, fuelled by the new family concept stores.