At a time when India’s e-commerce space is buzzing with fresh investments pouring-in for e-retailing portals, adventure foot ware maker Woodland is eyeing tripling its online sales from its current six per cent of total sales over the next 2-3 years.

 

The outdoor products maker, Woodland has maintained its focus primarily on the company-owned retail outlets. The online sales contributed only 6-7 per cent of its total sales.

 

“We sell our foot ware and other products through our own portal as well as through other platforms too… Currently, about 6-7 per cent of our total sales are through e-commerce. But with online retail growing rapidly, there is good potential in this segment. In the next 2-3 years sales from online retail will increase to 20 per cent,” Harkirat Singh, Managing Director, Aero Club Ltd told BusinessLine. Aero sells outdoor products including adventure foot ware and clothing under Woodland brand.

 

However, Singh further added that online sale is not comparable with the physical retail outlets. “Retailing through brick and mortar stores is a tried and tested format. We will continue to expand our retail outlet network as well,” he said at a Woodland outlet in Ahmedabad.

 

The company plans to invest around Rs 130 crore for setting up 60-70 company-owned retail outlets across the country. In Gujarat alone, 6-7 new stores will be opened one each in areas like Navsari, Junagadh and Kutch. Woodland has 33 stores in the state.

 

Singh stated that the company will continue to open company-owned stores instead of opting for a franchise model. “However, we are not closed to the idea, but that has to match our service and quality standards,” Singh added.

 

Woodland will open at least 60 per cent of the new stores in smaller cities. The company has set a target to maintain its previous annual growth rate of 30 per cent. Company expects the turnover to increase from Rs 1,000 crore for 2013-14 to Rs 1,300 crore this fiscal.

 

Company will also expand its footprint in overseas market by opening new stores in Middle East, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) nations, Australia and Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC). Overseas outlets will be in the ‘shop-in-shop’ format, explained Singh.

 

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