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NEW DELHI: European shoemaker AstorMueller is charting a course to expand its retail footprint in India, a country from where it has been sourcing for its global operations for nearly two decades.
“India has a lot of young population, they like fashion. And the advantage for us is that we know the country well as we have been sourcing from here for long,” executive chairman Tim Mueller told TOI in an interview.
The company which makes the Bugatti and Bagatt brand of shoes and currently runs three retail outlets in New Delhi, Hyderabad and Indore plans to scale its presence to the top 10 Indian cities in 12-18 months. Given India’s size as a market and the scope it presents, the firm has not placed any cap on its India investments. “The opportunity for us in India is big. It should be the biggest market for us in the next five years. There’s no bar on the investment budget for the country,” said Mueller.
For the brand which positions itself as bridge to luxury, it should be fairly easy to establish a following. For instance, AstorMueller which has been retailing the shoe brands pan-India through online platforms has already found takers in places like Dhanbad and Siliguri, claims Sandip Kanti Baksi, COO, retail, India. “Offline is expected to be a big part of our India sales going ahead. We are targeting getting 75% of the sales via the offline channel. The challenge here, however, is to find the right kind of real estate,” said Mueller.
AstorMueller runs an office in Bengaluru and employs some 500 people in the country. “We are building capacities in India and have a strong management here. The country will also be a hub for managing other countries like the Middle East,” said Mueller.
“India has a lot of young population, they like fashion. And the advantage for us is that we know the country well as we have been sourcing from here for long,” executive chairman Tim Mueller told TOI in an interview.
The company which makes the Bugatti and Bagatt brand of shoes and currently runs three retail outlets in New Delhi, Hyderabad and Indore plans to scale its presence to the top 10 Indian cities in 12-18 months. Given India’s size as a market and the scope it presents, the firm has not placed any cap on its India investments. “The opportunity for us in India is big. It should be the biggest market for us in the next five years. There’s no bar on the investment budget for the country,” said Mueller.
For the brand which positions itself as bridge to luxury, it should be fairly easy to establish a following. For instance, AstorMueller which has been retailing the shoe brands pan-India through online platforms has already found takers in places like Dhanbad and Siliguri, claims Sandip Kanti Baksi, COO, retail, India. “Offline is expected to be a big part of our India sales going ahead. We are targeting getting 75% of the sales via the offline channel. The challenge here, however, is to find the right kind of real estate,” said Mueller.
AstorMueller runs an office in Bengaluru and employs some 500 people in the country. “We are building capacities in India and have a strong management here. The country will also be a hub for managing other countries like the Middle East,” said Mueller.
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