Footwear Q1: Premium products, asset-light expansion to determine re-rating
While Relaxo and Sreeleathers reported healthy top-line growth YoY, Bata was the standout performer on the margin front.
Most consumer discretionary companies reported sluggish revenue traction in the quarter gone by on account of a high base in the same quarter a year ago, that saw a surge in buying ahead of the implementation of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) from Q2 FY18.
Barring Relaxo and Sreeleathers, other players in the industry exhibited modest top-line performance. On the margin front, Bata India was clearly the standout performer.
Company-specific review
Bata India
An increase in average selling prices of footwear was the main contributor to the company’s revenue growth, while year-on-year (YoY) volume growth was minimal.
Although advertising expenses doubled YoY, cost control measures and a higher percentage of sales from premium products helped its operating profit margin expand.
Khadim India
Revenue growth was muted because of slow traction in the company’s 'retail' segment, that deals in premium footwear. The 'distribution' segment, through which economically priced footwear is sold, maintained its growth trajectory.
High lease rentals, expenditure relating to branding and an increase in freight expenses led to a contraction in margins.
Mirza International
While the company’s branded footwear segment (primarily B2C in nature) sales witnessed strong growth, there was a sharp de-growth in the B2B footwear and leather segments. The weak top-line performance took a toll on margins.
Relaxo
The company registered good revenue growth YoY on the back of higher sale volumes. Cost efficiencies kept the disadvantage of high raw material and employee costs at bay.
Sreeleathers
Store additions and higher footwear volumes contributed to the company’s top-line growth. In spite of controlled staff spends, margin declined because of higher operating expenses.
Expansion
Addition of new stores enables footwear majors to tap new geographies and/or establish themselves more strongly in existing markets. This is particularly important not only in augmenting sales, but also tackling any future weakness in same-store sales growth.
Cost rationalisation
Company-owned company operated (COCO) outlets entail high capital investments and result in higher fixed overheads. This impacts profitability, especially when asset turns are lower than expected.
To offset this, footwear players are trying to keep rent expenses low by resizing stores and renegotiation of agreement terms with property owners.
Product launches
Introduction of new products/brands can be done keeping purpose-specific (sports, occasions, lounging etc), customer-specific (children, men and women of different age groups) or price-specific (economy, high-end) objectives in mind.
Considering how fragmented and diverse the Indian market is, the process could be challenging and generally involves high investments in initial years to position the product correctly in the minds of prospective buyers.
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