Bata Bangladesh organized Annual Sales Conference - 2012

Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. has recently organized Annual Sales Conference 2012 for both Retail and NRSD at Bata Tongi office. Tongi office premise was decorated. Bata Bangladesh invited all the store, depot, operation and area managers to participate in the conference.

Mr. Muhammad Qayyum, Managing Director of Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. welcomed the store, depot, operation and area managers and officially inaugurated the program. Mr. Bishwajit Roy, Retail Manager, Mr. Ruhul Amin Molla, Non-Retail Sales Manager and Department Managers of the company were present on the occasion. Mr. Bishwajit Roy addressed the store, operation and area Managers and emphasized about their team work and participation in achieving last year’s target. He also encouraged them to work harder and with more efficiency to meet the new challenge of 2012. Mr. Ruhul Amin Molla also praised the depot, operation and area managers for their hard work and dedication to achieve good results in 2011. Both the manager motivates all the managers to capture the increase demand of the customers. They recognized the store, depot and area managers for very good business in last year by giving awards to the Best Performers.

The Conference meeting concluded with Cultural program including Fashion show. The program was very much exciting and created tremendous sensation among the store, depot and area managers of Retail and NRSD.

New Bata Shoe Store opened at Nazimuddin Road, Dhaka

Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. has recently opened a new family store in Nazimuddin Road at the heart of Old Dhaka, which is very populated area. Bata Bangladesh has opened this store to satisfy the increasing demand of the target customer groups in that area.

Mr. Muhammad Qayyum, Managing Director of Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. officially inaugurated this new shop. Mr. Bishwajit Roy, Retail Manager, Mr. Ruhul Amin, Non-Retail Sales Manager, Mr. Arbabur Rahman, Store Operation Manager, Mr. Razib Jahan Ferdous, Advertising Manager and other officials of the company were present there with distinguished guests to grace the program.

This internationally designed shop having 2,500 sq-ft area has many international branded footwear like Bata, Power, Marie Claire, North Star, B.first, Bata Comfit, Weinbrenner and Bubblegummers exclusively to assure the increasing need of the customers.

Bata Bangladesh reopened a family store at Halishahar, Chittagong

To satisfy the growing needs of the target customer groups, Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. has recently reopened a family store in Halishahar, Chittagong.

Mr. Bishwajit Roy, Retail Manager of Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. officially inaugurated this store. Mr. Saiful Islam, Store Operation Manager, other officials of the company and landlord of the store were present there with distinguished guests to grace the program.

This internationally designed shop having many international branded footwear like Bata, Power, Marie Claire, North Star, B.first, Bata Comfit, Weinbrenner, Bubblegummers & Scholl exclusively to satisfy the growing need of target customer groups.

Bata Bangladesh organized Scholarship Award Ceremony

Scholarship Award ceremony program was organized on 14th December, 2011 at Tongi,  where five recipients were awarded who attained academic excellence in the year 2011.

Mr. Muhammad Qayyum, Company Manager of Bata Bangladesh distributed the cheques among the recipients. Mr. M Habibur Rahman, Head of HR, other Senior Managers and parents of the recipients also attended the program.

Under the scheme children of the workers of both Tongi & Dhamrai plant who accomplished excellent scores in the Secondary School Certificate examination became eligible for nomination for two year. Bata Bangladesh feels proud for them.

Sisters Doing It For Themselves

A mere five years ago, Grameen’s ‘phone ladies’ and Unilever’s Project Shakti were the darlings of the world’s press, having apparently proven that money can be made by investing in entrepreneurship among the world’s poorest women. Muhammad Yunus won a Nobel Prize for supporting them with microloans in Bangladesh. C. K. Prahalad encouraged production of products for ‘the bottom of the pyramid’. Scores of young entrepreneurs set off for the developing world with a single great idea – to sell in impoverished communities.

Today, even Grameen cannot locate the phone ladies and Project Shakti is troubled. Concerns about the impact of microfinance have dimmed its appeal in the eyes of the public. Agencies like USAID have become sceptical of the ‘one trick pony’ scheme to sell a cool product to the world’s poor.

Nevertheless, important experimentation in entrepreneurship still occurs among poor women on the ground in developing nations. Twin forces fuel continued interest in so-called ‘entrepreneurship networks’. On the one hand, many in the international development community still believe that empowering women economically is the best way to fight poverty – since women often cannot work in structured jobs, entrepreneurship is a quicker way to draw them into the economy. On the other hand, multinational corporations, especially consumer goods manufacturers, are pressured to expand in the developing world to support their continued growth – and they can already see that, beyond the easier wins in big cities, it will eventually be necessary to reach the rural communities that often comprise 65 to 70 per cent of the population.

Increasing attention has therefore focused on a model we have been studying since 2008: a rural system of female entrepreneurs built by CARE Bangladesh. This interesting hybrid solves several issues that have caused other failures, while still offering the development benefits that first inspired the world community, and has the added attraction of providing unrestricted income to a major non-governmental organisation (NGO). Thus far, the CARE Bangladesh system has attracted several companies already experienced in this area – Unilever, Bata, Danone and Grameen – as participants, yet they are now drawing completely new entrants like Bic and Ajinmoto. Multinational corporations looking to grow businesses in the developing world have much to learn from this system, as do NGOs and social entrepreneurs looking to increase economic opportunities for the poor.

Three problems have haunted microenterprise networks: the high cost of recruiting and managing personnel, the need for a balanced ‘basket of goods,’ and the imperative to mitigate funding risks. The CARE Bangladesh system shifts recruitment and management to an NGO, while allowing a consortium of manufacturers to share the costs of distributing a suitable variety of goods.

Building such networks takes a long time and maintaining them is extremely costly. Whether multinational corporations or small enterprises, most companies simply do not have the money, the time, or the skills to pull it off. Usually, the staffing requires recruitment and training of women who are minimally literate and numerate. Many of them have never worked except at home and need the most basic sorts of job training and confidence building. Corporate managers normally have no experience that allows them to select appropriate candidates from among such a pool, to know how and what to teach, or to deal with the myriad problems that occur in a scarcely resourced environment. Once recruited, managing the group is a continuing, hands-on and costly affair. Employers often must run interference with local governments, clergy and even family.

Shifting this challenge to an NGO with 50 years’ community experience cut Unilever’s distribution costs in half from 17 per cent to 9 per cent. Danone spent three years training 300 women to sell fortified yogurt, suffering large losses due to constant turnover and high management costs. Within one quarter, CARE women were selling 15 per cent more per day and management costs were cut in half.

Product offerings must suit use and distribution conditions while balancing margin, size, weight and technology. Grameen’s ‘phone ladies’ simply disappeared when prices for ‘phones and time dropped, eliminating their margin. Expensive one-off purchases, such as stoves or solar lamps, quickly peak in a village, leaving the woman with nothing further to offer or earn. Infrequent purchases, such as the Bata shoes with which the CARE system began, must be offset by smaller items with high margins or frequent repurchase rates. Single-use sachets pioneered by Unilever are perfect complements to slow-turning items, but poor consumers often have no experience with the products: even washing with soap is unfamiliar in some places. The CARE system now includes ‘brand ladies,’ who go from village to village, teaching about brands, products and practices.

Vigilance about funding is imperative. It has become the norm to expect third parties to provide microfinancing to buy inventory in such programs. Repayment remains strong, but the typically very high interest rates make it hard to earn a livable income off the margin from sales, leading to costly churn in the network—and severe public concerns. CARE Bangladesh encourages women to borrow from relatives instead and advises overall to keep borrowing to a minimum. Only an organisation with the depth of understanding and breadth of involvement such as CARE has in Bangladesh are in a position to help advise on such matters.

Monitoring the success, safety and well-being of the women in the system is probably the single most important ingredient. CARE personnel watch how well women are working, but also what they are able to earn. CARE advocates for the women to distributors and suppliers, thus providing a unified voice and bargaining position the women would not otherwise have. For this, they receive a donation as a per cent of sales that keeps selling costs equal to or below the norm for urban distribution arrangements, yet provides an unduplicated channel. The donation stream thus earned is unrestricted, unlike the funds that come from big donors like the Gates Foundation or from government agencies like DfID (Department for International Development). The money gives CARE flexibility to experiment with more innovative ideas.

Currently, CARE International is working with other large multinationals, such as Procter & Gamble, to plan similar networks elsewhere in the world, including Africa. It seems likely that arrangements of this sort will provide the kind of earning power first seen in microenterprise, but with a level of stability and potential for growth that has been missing.

Linda Scott is DP World Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School.

Talented Step Up Program and DiSC Training 2011

Talented Step Up Program Course–Promising People Masterclass and BSO Assessment followed by DiSC Training held in Bata Bangladesh from 11-20 December 2011.  The highly interactive and practical program is designed to equip participants with the necessary knowledge, skills and know how to progress from being a manager to a leader.

Ms. Elena Rizzo, Organization and Development Manager, Bata Brands SA conducted both the programs. The Talented Step Up Training Course consists of Introduction and Business Fundamentals, Effective Leadership and Effective Presentation skills where 15 participants from Merchandising, Product Development, Retail, NRSD and Production are participating. While the DiSC training was about discovering style of behavior, strength-weakness for effective communication and better output.

Mr. Muhammad Qayyum, Managing Director Bata Bangladesh inaugurated the programs on 11th December 2011 in the Human Resources Training Center of Bata Bangladesh while Mr. M. Habibur Rahman, Head of Human Resources and Mr. Rana Kaiser Ahmed, Employee Relations Manager were present.

Some participants expressed their feelings about the programs:

Mifta Naim Huda, Merchandiser
Participant of Step Up Training Program
“We worked on a number of instrumental factors that will help us become better professionals and also learned there is always room for continuous self improvement. Special thanks to Elena whose interactive sessions made the training enjoyable and enriching. I also thank our management in Bata Bangladesh for selecting us and hope our other colleagues will also get such an opportunity in the future programs.”

Sabera Haque, Merchandiser
Participant of Step Up Training Program
'The training has been a a very good learning experience. It has helped me to find out my strength and improvement areas. It was interactive, fun and also enlightened the areas of my personality which were in shadow before. Finally, thanks to the Ms. Elena for her valuable guidance.'

Md. Rezaul Haider, Senior Brand Officer
Participant of Step Up Training Program
“What an amazing experience. I had my best five days in my short career time in Bata. I always believed that our HR department tried to develop our professional insights and shape up our skills from the starting of my career in Bata. Elena Rizzo is the best trainer I have ever met in my life. She got unique technique to provide knowledge and make people learn. She worked with each and every trainee on their weakness and worked hard to make improvement. I am very thankful to our HR Department to bring a world class trainer like Elena and organize such effective training program. I will wait to see Elena in another training program in the near future.”

Raqib Mahmud, Senior Brand Officer
Participant of Step Up Training Program
"This sort of pragmatic training with full of real life demonstrations is truly unprecedented to me. Trust me! Having completed this training now, I feel I'm apparently more confident, powerful and better equipped than I was ever before."

Shadab Azim Syed, Senior Brand Officer
Participant of BSO Assessment & DiSC Training
“Firstly I would like to thank BATA Bangladesh, BSO and BATA Brands to arrange this amazing training, and giving us the opportunity to participate in the DiSC assessment. It was a great experience.

The training was fantastic. It gave us exceptional insights into our skills, abilities and interpersonal abilities. There are many aspects that were present within us and now with this training we got the opportunity to articulate the dimensions. It was a great learning curve that we can apply both professionally and personally. I believe with this training we can identify measure and rectify our shortcomings.”

Bata BD organized 'Big Sale''

To attract additional customers in our outlets and to clear the aged merchandise, Bata Bangladesh organized 'Big Sale (Upto 60%)' promotion in all retail outlets & selected DSP stores highlighting the price decrease articles for all the customers.

We have prepared new Banner, Dangler, Showcard & display shoe infront of the stores with baskets & Umbrella to create a big impact in our outlets. Radio commercials & Press Ad in national dallies started from this weekend to catch the attention of large number of customers and inviting them to visit our stores.

Bata Family Stores reopened after complete renovation

Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. has recently reopened two family stores at Ali Plaza & Kalibari Road, Hobigonj.

Mr. Bishwajit Roy, Retail Manager of Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. officially reopened these shops. Mr. K. Nazesh Mirza, Real-Estate Manager, Mr. Saiful Islam, Store Operation Manager & other officials of the company were present there with distinguished guests to grace the program.

These shops located in commercial places to attract additional customers. Different international branded footwear like Bata, Power, Marie Claire, North Star, B.first, Bata Comfit, Ambassador, Weinbrenner, Bubblegummers & Scholl are there exclusively. The opening ceremony made extensive consciousness in the locality.

Bata Bangladesh received Dun & Bradstreet corporate award

Dun & Bradstreet, a company that offers information on business, awarded 14 companies as emerging businesses of Bangladesh. It awarded the corporate houses in eight categories: ceramics, pharmaceutical, textile, leather and footwear, steel, engineering, fast moving consumer goods and diversified companies. Bata Bangladesh received the award in leather and footwear category as Bata is the leading footwear company in the country.

The second edition of Dun & Bradstreet's Bangladesh's Top 500 Companies was also launched at the event at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka recently. Commerce Minister, Faruk Khan and Industries Minister, Dilip Barua was the special guest.

Mr. Muhammad Qayyum, Managing Director of Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. received the award from Mr Dilip Barua, Honorable Minister of Industries on behalf of Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. in front of invited guests and media personnel.

Distinguished Business personalities, Government officials, Journalists attended the ceremony. The Award giving ceremony has received extensive coverage in press and electronic media.

New Exclusive Bata City Store opened at Savar

To satisfy the growing needs of the target customer groups, Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. has recently opened a new exclusive city store in Savar New Market at the heart of Savar.

Mr. Muhammad Qayyum, Managing Director of Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. officially inaugurated this exclusive shop. Mr. Bishwajit Roy, Retail Manager, Mr. Aminul Islam, Store Operation Manager, Mr. Razib Jahan Ferdous, Advertising Manager, other officials of the company and landlord of the store, Mr. Farid Ahmed Bhuiyan were present there with distinguished guests to grace the program.

This internationally designed shop having 5,000 sq-ft area has many international branded footwear like Bata, Power, Marie Claire, North Star, B.first, Bata Comfit, Weinbrenner, Bubblegummers, Hush Puppies & Scholl exclusively to satisfy the growing need of target customer groups.

The opening ceremony received extensive press, TV coverage and made extensive consciousness in the locality.

Bata shoes for the students of Shishu Polli Plus

The Sreepur Village, Bangladesh (Shishu Polli Plus) is a small non-religious, non-political organization which funds and runs the Sreepur Women & Children's Village. The Village presently houses 500 babies and children and over 100 destitute women. It provides a loving environment, food, clothing, education, and vocational training so that they can look forward to an independent adult life.

Bata Bangladesh provided 1,060 pairs of School Shoe to the poor children of Shishu Polli Plus under Bata Children’s Program (BCP). Mr. Muhammad Qayyum, Managing Director of Bata Bangladesh handed over the shoes to the management and children of Shishu Polli Plus. Concern officials of both Bata Bangladesh and Shishu Polli Plus were present in the program.

Bata Bangladesh received Prestigious Award

Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. has recently received a prestigious award from Bashundhara Mall Authority for best seller during Eid period. Bata Bangladesh got the first prize for best ever coupon selling outlets.

Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. has the “World’s largest Bata Shoe store in one floor” at Level-7 of Bashundhara Mall, Dhaka, one of the most elegant shopping mall in the Dhaka Capital City. The store has space of total 20,000 sq-ft area. ‘Shop in shop’ has been created in this large format outlet with our international brands. The total environment of the store has an elegant look with our latest new arrivals has created tremendous customer sensation during Eid period.

This year during Eid, we have a big campaign in Bata Shoe store at Bashundhara Mall, along with all over the country. The store has sold 55,000 pairs with a turnover of US $ 1.2 million during the Eid campaign, which is a record sale at footwear segment in one store. Even in a single day this store sold US$95,000 which is an all time record.

Mr. Bishwajit Roy, Retail Manager of Bata Bangladesh received the award on behalf of Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. in front of invited guests and media personnel. The program received extensive press & media coverage. We feel very proud for Bata Bangladesh receiving the award.

Bata Fashion Show at Bashundhara Mall, Dhaka

An exclusive footwear fashion show was organized recently by Bata Bangladesh in front of our store at Bashundhara Mall Shopping Complex, Dhaka to highlight the new arrivals of different brands & to create hype among the target segments.

The Fashion show segmented by different categories (Mens, Ladies, Children) & different lifestyles following the latest trend and the country's top fashion models ramped there. The fashion show introduced the existing brands - Marie Claire, Weinbrenner, Northstar and Bubblegummers of Bata Bangladesh and creates a positive impact on the Brand Awareness. The quality of the footwear & different colorful collections comes out from this fashion show which lunches different new arrivals by Bata.

Mr. Muhammad Qayyum, Managing Director, Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. inaugurated this auspicious occasion. Mr. Yee Siew NG, CFO, Mr. Bishwajit Roy, Retail Manager, Mr. Ruhul Amin, Non Retail Sales Manager, Mr. Omar Faisal Chowdhury, Logistic Manager, Mr. Iraz H. Siddiqui, Merchandising Manager and other high officials of Bata Bangladesh were present in the program with several journalists, media persons & huge number of customers.

The program received extensive press & media coverage.

Bata Bangladesh organized 'Big Sale (Upto 60%)' promotion

To attract additional customers in our outlets & to clear aged merchandise, Bata Bangladesh organized 'Big Sale (Upto 60%)' promotion in all retail outlets & selected DSP stores highlighting the price decreased articles for all the customers.

We have prepared Banner, Dangler & Showcard to create a big impact in our outlets. Radio commerial will also be starting from this weekend to catch the attention of large number of customers and inviting them to visit our stores.

Bata Bangladesh organized “Puja” promotion - 2011

Like previous years, this year also Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. organized Puja promotion in selected outlets. Bata Bangladesh participated this grand festival for Hindu community in our country sponsoring Puja Mandap (Place) at Uttara & preparation of Gate on Dhaka - Mymensingh Main road incorporating Bata logo.

We have prepared Showcard, Dangler, X-banner, Street banner to create a big impact in our outlets. Radio commercial was also airing and there are several Magazine ads in top circulated magazines for attract the target customer groups and inviting them to visit our stores.

ONE STORE!! ONLY ONE MONTH!! SOLD USD 1.2 MILLION!!

From the Largest BATA Shoe Store in BANGLADESH — Bashundhara Mall City

Bashundhara City is a shopping mall located in Dhaka, Bangladesh with a rotunda architecture and is the largest shopping mall in the country. The mall is located at Panthapath, near Karwan Bazar, in Dhaka city, which is very important & potential commercial location. The mall has space for 2,500 retail stores with cafeterias and also possesses a large underground gymnasium, a multiplex styled movie theater and top floor food court along with an indoor theme park. The fully air-conditioned shopping mall with rooftop gardens is considered a modern symbol of the emerging city of Dhaka. Almost 100,000 people of all age groups visit the mall daily.

Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. has the “World’s largest Bata Shoe store in one floor” at Level-7 of Bashundhara Mall, Dhaka, one of the most elegant shopping mall in the Dhaka Capital City. Mr. T.G. Bata, Chairman, Bata Shoe Organization officially opened this historic Bata City store. The store has space of total 20,000 sq-ft area. ‘Shop in shop’ has been created in this large format outlet with our international brands.

This year during Eid (August, 2011), we have a big campaign in Bata Shoe store at Bashundhara Mall, along with all over the country. We have decorated the store as like festive look with relevant promotional materials and branding with different brands. We have separate corners for different types, ages and segments of customer with very pleasant shopping environment.

The total environment of the store has an elegant look with our latest Eid collections has created tremendous customer sensation during Eid period. The store has sold 55,000 pairs with a turnover of US $ 1.2 million during the Eid campaign (August’11), which is a record sale at footwear segment in one store. Even in a single day this store sold US$95,000 which is an all time record. Bata Shoe store at Bashundhara Mall is our pride!

Bata donated school shoes for the students of ABC School, Dhaka

The ABC Charity School, Dhaka, Bangladesh, is a school for street children inspired by Ms. Eglal Rousseau, a teacher of the American International School, Dhaka, whose love for these street children gives them an opportunity to make a difference in their lives. Here education is seen as a means to break the cycle of poverty and destitution for these street children.

A total of 100 students from the families of the poorest of the poor study here. Students are provided with the free education, uniform, lunch and medical facilities. It is administered by a board composed of volunteers from the U.S. Embassy as well as staff members and parents from the American School in Dhaka.

Bata Bangladesh provided 100 pairs of School Shoe, with special discount under Bata Children’s Program (BCP). Mr. Muhammad Qayyum, Managing Director, Bata Bangladesh handed over the shoes to Ms. Gloria Khan, Administrator, ABC School on September 18, 2011. Mr. Rana Kaiser Ahmed, Coordinator Bata Children’s Program & Mr. Hasan Maimoore, Superintendent-Institutional & Industrial Sales of Bata Bangladesh were also present in the program.

Manufacturing Modernization Meeting held in Bangladesh

Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Limited has organized a six days long Manufacturing Modernization Meeting from September 5 to 10, 2011. A total of 23 participants from Bata Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Colombia, Bolivia and Bangladesh were participated in the program.

Mr.  Jorge Carbajal, President, Bata Emerging Markets inaugurated the program at Radisson Water Garden Hotel. Mr. Fernando Garcia, Group Managing Director, Bata Emerging Markets (West), Mr. A.H.M. Ehsanuzzaman, Group Manufacturing Manager and Mr. Muhammad Qayyum, Managing Director of Bata Bangladesh were present on this occasion.

Bata unveils more than 400 New Designs of Shoes for Eid

A “Meet the Press” on new collection of Eid-ul-Fitre – 2011 was organized recently by Bata Bangladesh in Hotel Ruposhi Bangla, Dhaka. This year Bata Bangladesh unveiled more than 400 new designs of shoes for the target customer groups.

Eid-ul-Fitre is the largest festival of Bangladesh. During Eid time every one prefers wearing new pair of shoes with their new clothing. In Bangladesh, shoes have turned as synonymous with the “Bata” brands. So, as the pioneer footwear manufacturer and marketer, Bata has always continued its effort in the development of new shoes according to tastes of men, women, and children throughout the country.

Mr. Muhammad Qayyum, Managing Director of Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. formally unveiled these new Eid collections in front of a good number of invited guests and media personnel. Mr. Bishwajit Roy, Retil Manager, Mr. Ruhul Amin, Non Retail Sales Manager, Mr. Omar Faisal Chowdhury, Merchandising Manager, Mr. M. Habibur Rahman, Head of Human Resources and other officials of Bata Bangladesh were present in the program.

The program received wide press and media coverage.

New Bata City store opened at Sanmar Market, Chittagong

Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Ltd. has recently opened a new exclusive city store at 997 CDA Avenue, Sanmar Ocean City, Chittagong for the increasing demand of the target customer groups in the area.

Mr. Muhammad Qayyum, Managing Director of Bata Bangladesh officially inaugurated this new shop. Mr. Bishwajit Roy, Retail Manager, Mr. Omar Faisal Chowdhury, Merchandising Manager, Mr. K. Nazesh Mirza, Real-Estate Manager, Mr. Rehan Ahmed, Store Design Manager and other officials of the company were present there with distinguished guests to grace the program.

This shop has 6,000 sq-ft area and located in a commercial place to attract additional customers. The opening ceremony received extensive press & media coverage.