Market conditions are now positively biased towards organised footwear players and this is evident from the shift in consumer interest towards branded footwear, said Thomas Mani, executive director footwear manufacturer Paragon.
“Many brands are now bringing down the prices in highly preferred segments to match the unorganised footwear category. As against the price difference of Rs 150 a few years ago, it is now Rs 15,” said Mani.
For Paragon, which is present across 100,000 touch points pan-India, he said the focus this year would be on improving sales in the women category. The segment currently accounts for 35 per cent of the total annual revenue of Rs 1,375 crore. “We want to double the sales contribution in this segment in the current fiscal,” said Mani. The major markets for its products are Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
He was here today to launch new styles in Solea range for women. The company has roped in Telugu actress Samantha for endorsing the range nationally.
With no presence in the leather segment, coupled with a recent entry in sports footwear, it plans to gear up with new launches in both the categories in the next 2-3 years, said Navin Thomas, executive director of marketing.
