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Relaxo Footwears has taken a significant step in its retail evolution with the launch of its next-generation store format in Vasundhara, reflecting the brand's continued focus on enhancing customer experience and modernising its retail network. As one of India's leading footwear companies, Relaxo has consistently expanded its presence through a robust mix of exclusive stores, franchise outlets and distribution channels while adapting to changing consumer preferences.
In this interview, Akash Koparkar, Vice President – Retail Business, Relaxo Footwears, shares insights into the vision behind the new retail concept, the company's evolving store strategy, its omnichannel approach, expansion plans, and the trends shaping the future of India's footwear retail market.
How has Relaxo's journey shaped its growth into India's leading footwear brand?
Relaxo’s journey has been fuelled by a simple belief and that is to make quality footwear available to millions of Indians. Over the years, we have developed a portfolio of brands that appeal to consumers across age groups alongside lifestyles and price segments. Besides manufacturing excellence, we have gradually enhanced our retail presence and deepened our reach through an extensive distribution network. Every phase of growth has been driven by changing consumer preferences. At the moment, our focus goes beyond selling footwear. We are creating experiences that enhance consumer trust while making sure every interaction with the brand is contemporary, consistent and rewarding.
What inspired Relaxo's next-generation Vasundhara store concept, and how does it redefine customer experience?
Retail is entering a new era where customers expect stores to be as intuitive and engaging as the digital platforms they use every day. This has forced us to rethink the whole shopping experience. The new format features a cleaner visual identity and a more structured layout that enhances product visibility and makes it easier to browse across our brands. Every detail has been considered to help the experience flow more easily through the store, while also enabling consumers to compare products more easily. The result is a shopping environment that is contemporary, inviting and much more immersive than a regular retail space.
How does Relaxo's new store format meet evolving consumer expectations and enhance the shopping experience?
Present consumers love to take their time to discover products. They want convenience, they want a visual feast and they want to feel in control. Especially younger shoppers are attracted to modern, easy-to-browse spaces that offer more product discovery. Our new format is designed with these expectations in mind. Well defined brand zones alongwith enhanced merchandising and a more open layout mean consumers can comfortably browse and experience the breadth of our offering. Whether a consumer has a specific purchase in mind or just wants to browse, we want to make every visit enjoyable, effortless and memorable.
How do Relaxo's retail formats and distribution channels together drive its growth strategy across India?
Relaxo has one of the widest retail footprints in the Indian footwear industry. We have more than 420 Exclusive Brand Outlets and our products are available through a wide network of franchise partners, multi brand outlets and general trade across the country. Each channel has a specific purpose and collectively they strengthen the overall ecosystem. Exclusive stores offer the full brand experience and product range. Franchise partners help accelerate growth in geographies with regional nuances. Multi-brand retailers further expand accessibility, allowing consumers to engage with Relaxo wherever they want to shop. Together, these channels form a strong and balanced retail network.
What role will the new format play in Relaxo's expansion?
The Vasundhara outlet marks the beginning of an important phase in our retail journey. Further we have already opened 10 new stores in the new concept within last few weeks. We already have more stores in the pipeline and this format will slowly become an integral part of our future expansion strategy. Our approach will continue to be measured and consumer driven. Each new location will be assessed through market potential, customer demographics, commercial viability and our ability to deliver a consistent brand experience. Expansion has always been about building the right stores in the right markets, and this philosophy continues to guide every decision we make.
How does Relaxo differentiate itself while maintaining leadership in India's competitive footwear market?
Competition forces every brand to do better and we think that is a good trend for the industry. Relaxo's core strength is its capacity to marry large scale manufacturing, trusted quality, democratic pricing and continuous product innovation. Along with this, we have built brands that target specific consumer segments while keeping a strong understanding of the Indian market. Our retail evolution is another key differentiator as consumers are increasingly judging brands based on overall experience rather than products alone. This combination continues to reinforce our leadership across categories.
How is Relaxo leveraging technology, data analytics and omnichannel capabilities to enhance in-store and online customer experiences?
Technology has become an essential enabler at every phase of retail. We are continually enhancing our digital capabilities by leveraging consumer insights and retail analytics to improve merchandising plus inventory planning and overall store efficiency. Our omnichannel strategy also provides a consistent brand experience across physical stores and digital platforms. Every improvement is aimed at making the shopping experience easier as well as faster & more personalised. As technology advances, we expect more opportunities to create seamless interactions that build long-term customer relationships.
What key challenges did Relaxo face while implementing its new store format, and how were they addressed?
Transforming an existing retail network needs to be methodical as each enhancement has to be an improvement for the consumer experience and operationally efficient. The overriding priority was to create a format that culminates creativity with functionality and can be replicated across a range of markets and store sizes. It also meant close collaboration between design as well as merchandising, operations and execution teams. Every facet was measured against consumer convenience and retail productivity. The result is a format that feels fresh, yet remains practical for longer term growth.
Which categories, consumer segments and markets will drive Relaxo's next phase of growth in India?
The footwear market continues to offer significant opportunities across both established and emerging regions. Demand for sports inspired footwear, casual everyday styles and fashion led categories continues to grow across urban as well as smaller cities. Younger consumers are also influencing purchasing decisions with their preference for trend driven products and elevated retail experiences.We believe premiumisation within accessible price points, stronger omnichannel engagement and growing aspirations across Tier II and Tier III markets will shape the industry’s next phase of growth.
Which product categories, consumer segments, geographies and emerging trends will drive Relaxo's next phase of growth in India's footwear market?
Our vision extends beyond expanding the number of stores. We want every Relaxo outlet to become a destination that brings together convenience, inspiration and a consistent brand experience. Over the next few years, consumers will see a stronger retail network, continued investment in modern store formats, deeper integration of technology and sharper product presentation across our brands. We will continue building on our manufacturing strengths while creating retail experiences that match the expectations of a new generation of consumers. For us, leadership means continuously changing alongside the people we serve.
