Indian footwear manufacturer and retailer Bata India will drive massive expansion this year, planning to open 70 large format stores across India.

Bata India targets tier II and III cities for its future locations, with two recent store openings in Kolkata.

“Today’s consumer has multiple footwear needs for specific purposes, like dress, sports, outdoor, comfort, party, sports casual etc. Our updated and improvised shoe line is now better segmented to adapt to the ever changing needs of the consumers,” said Bata India Group MD Rajeev Gopalakrishnan.

The new stores to be set up will be fitted with quality fixtures and latest retail point of sale tools to be designed by experienced architects. The company says store layouts will aim to offer customers more ease of movement inside the store.

Brands to be sold will include Marie Claire, Weinbrenner, Bata, Scholl, Hush Puppies, North Star, Comfit and Power. According to Gopalakrishnan, Bata India sells more than 50 million pairs of footwear yearly.

“Without compromising on quality, design or style, the products are reasonably priced, making Bata the ideal value for money footwear brand,” said Gopalakrishnan.

Established in 1931, Bata India is a subsidiary of Switzerland-headquartered footwear retailer Bata Shoes. It has now more than 1250 stores in more than 500 cities nationwide.