Bata India, a renowned footwear manufacturer, is currently engaged in discussions with the sportswear giant Adidas to establish a strategic partnership. This collaboration is expected to facilitate Adidas in leveraging Bata India’s extensive retail network to enhance its market presence within India, as per the provided report.
Bata India, which is the flagship subsidiary of Bata BN based in the Netherlands, boasts well-known brands such as Hush Puppies and Scholl. The company operates a network of over 2,050 stores across the nation, according to its most recent annual report. This development was prompted by a recent statement in the company’s annual report, wherein it highlighted its initiative to introduce more than 500 new sneaker styles across its stores to address the growing demand.
Bata India emphasized that sneakers remain a dominant product category for the company, fueled by the rising popularity of athleisure footwear due to sports and adventure events, as noted in its annual report. Despite the news, neither Adidas nor Bata India has issued an immediate response to a comment request from Reuters.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), Bata shares concluded at Rs. 1733.55, reflecting a substantial increase of 5.25%.