Bata records a 20% growth in net profit for Q1 17-18

Company's focus on lifestyle segment, improved visual merchandising yielded an impressive 10% growth in same store sales and opening of 40 new stores resulted in 15% growth in retail turnover for this quarter.

European footwear major and India’s leading brand, Bata, announced its financial results for the first quarter ended June 30, 2017. The Company’s Q1 Turnover & Net Profit stood at INR 743.1 crores and 60.4 crores, respectively. Start of the 2017-18 fiscal saw the high decibel launch of SS 2017 collection which included international styles for women like Espadrilles and the exciting Bata Insolia range. Company’s focus on lifestyle segment, improved visual merchandising yielded an impressive 10% growth in same store sales and opening of 40 new stores resulted in 15% growth in retail turnover for this quarter. Additional footfalls were generated through various marketing initiatives including the recently launched TV Campaign. The company saw a gross margin improvement of 1% through introduction of value added products and change in the product mix.
 The first quarter of 2017-18 also saw the launch of a new image for Bata India with the latest women’s thematic TVC ‘Me. And Comfortable With It’.
 
Rajeev Gopalakrishnan, President, South Asia, Bata, said, “We at Bata India are thoroughly excited to continue our momentum in our evolution to a contemporary lifestyle brand. We took strategic steps in the last quarter like opening of 40 new stores, nationwide launch of Bata Insolia range of comfortable heels for women and a grand fashion event, a first for India. We ended on a high with our Brand TVC reaching out to the modern Indian women. All these initiatives generated additional footfalls and resulted in higher same store sales and better margins.”