Right footsteps for right returns

The demand for Indian footwear has transformed from need based to accessory based. Growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15% this industry has immense scope for growth. Anupam Bansal, Executive Director, Liberty Group talks about the changing face of footwear industry and the brand’s plan to penetrate into smaller towns and cities apart from the metros.

When did you start franchising?

We started our operations in domestic market in 1982. We took franchise route in 1990.

In which all places are you seeking expansion?

In the Northern area we wish to wish to expand across New Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pardesh. In the Western market, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Goa are our focus areas. In the East we are targeting Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, West Bengal, Sikkim and Orissa. In the Southern market we are focusing on Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. We wish to expand across Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand at the Central front. Andaman and Nicobar, Pondicherry, Chandigarh, Lakshadweep and Daman and Diu are also on our expansion list.

What is your current number of franchise outlets?

Presently we have 500+ franchise outlets. We are looking forward to expand our base at both national and international front.

How important is location for taking up a franchise?

Selection of location with appropriate retail potential is the key to run the store successfully.

What are the challenges in this industry?

Footwear industry comes under heavy taxation which is a major challenge for the industry. So, heavy taxation should go. Also, GST should come into play and there should be inter-tax parity.

What sort of training and support do you provide to your franchisees?

For certain topics we have manuals and for the rest we use local franchisee’s expertise. Franchise training is provided on site and some sessions are held at the head office.

Franchise facts: