AstorMueller Plans 50 Stores in India in 3 Years - Sandip Kanti Baksi, COO

The company is aiming to open six exclusive stores and over 20 shop-in-shops by the end of calendar year (CY) 2024

- Anagha R Ratna

European shoe-making company Astor Mueller is aiming to launch upto 50 retail stores in two to three years in India with an ultimate goal to reach out to the top 20 cities of the country with exclusive brand outlets (EBO) and shop-in-shops. AstorMueller's journey began in 1928, in a workshop in Schwelm, Germany. Today, It has a transcontinental administrative presence with offices in Switzerland, Romania, and India and has a 400-people strong team. The company has a presence in 40 countries across the world. It has more than 15,000 points of sales worldwide and is selling 7 million pairs annually.

Astor Mueller owns brands including women's footwear brand Bagatt, sneaker brand Nubeat and the sustainable shoe brand Elwin as well as holds the exclusive license for shoe brands such as Bugatti, Daniel Hechter and Salamander. The company acquired the exclusive global license for Swiss brand Bugatti shoes in 2000, Paris-based Daniel Hechter shoes in 2014, and German-based Salamander in 2023.

Presently, Astor Mueller retails Bugatti, Bagatt, and Nubeat brands in India. It brought Bugatti and Bagatt to the Indian market in June 2023. Today, Bugatti has six stores in the country located in Hyderabad, New Delhi, Gurgaon, Pune, Indore, and Bengaluru. Some of these stores also retail Bagatt products.

Recently, Astor Mueller's exclusive sneaker brand Nubeat, came to India in partnership with Myntra, in April this year.

Astor Mueller also retails its brands through multi-brand retailers such as Centro, Regal Shoes and Folio.

In an interview with IMAGES Retail, Sandip Kanti Baksi, Chief Operating Officer, Astor Mueller, discusses the footwear specialist's strategies tailored for the Indian market, long-term targets, insights into the industry outlook, and various other topics. Edited excerpts...

How does Astor Mueller's market in India differ from global markets?