People are now leaning more towards Bangladeshi branded shoes rather than foreign shoes. This is primarily due to the fact that local manufacturers in Bangladesh are producing excellent quality products consistently and outshining foreign footwear brands. The Bangladeshi footwear industry is expanding and becoming one of the country’s primary manufacturing sectors. Many companies are now entering the local market with their own brands now. The footwear market in Bangladesh is rather substantial, and the consumer capacity is continuously expanding.
Bangladeshi Footwear Industry
In 2020, Bangladesh was the eighth largest footwear production and ninth-largest consumer market with 366 million pairs, according to the World Footwear 2021 Yearbook. Bangladeshi footwear producers are progressively gaining traction in global markets. Furthermore, Bangladesh ranked 16th in worldwide footwear exports in 2020, up from 18th the previous year.
The worldwide footwear industry was valued at $365.5 billion in 2020 and is predicted to expand at a 4% annual pace to $430 billion by 2031. Bangladesh manufactured 423 million pairs of shoes and exported 72 million pairs in 2020. The growing leather industry also puts a positive impact on the local footwear business. In the first seven months of the current fiscal year, leather exports increased by roughly 30%. And leather footwear was its main contributing category, accounting for 64.4% of total segment exports, with a worldwide value of $112.58 million in the period, exceeding the objective established for the time by 6.17%. Thus, the vast supply of high-quality leather and rich history of shoemaking will undoubtedly make Bangladesh a worldwide choice for shoe sourcing in the future years.
Top Footwear Companies in Bangladesh
1. Bata
When it comes to holding the top position in Bangladesh’s footwear businesses, Bata surely takes the cake. Founded in 1894, Bata owns about 6,000 retail stores and more than 100,000 dealers and franchisees in over 70 countries. Bata started its journey in Bangladesh in 1962, with a total of 226 retail outlets in 63 districts of the country.
Bata has two manufacturing factories at Tongi and Dhamrai in Dhaka, where every year 25 to 30 million pairs of shoes are produced. Now, Bata is selling multiple brands of shoes in Bangladesh. Among them are Bata, Ambassador, B-First, Ballerina, BubbleGummers, Comfit, Insolia, Marie Claire, North Star, Pata Pata, Power, Red Label, and Weinbrenner.
2. Apex Footwear
Syed Manzur Elahi who pioneered the rise of Bangladesh’s footwear industry founded Apex Footwear in 1990. Apex Footwear Limited is a Bangladesh-based producer and supplier of leather footwear to shoe stores in Western Europe, North America, and Japan.
Apex Footwear is currently one of the largest shoemakers in South Asia, accounting for around 15% of Bangladesh’s leather footwear exports. Apex Footwear made Tk 7.90 crore in profits in the first nine months of FY22, up from Tk 5.26 crore the previous year. They were able to increase profitability owing to decreasing raw material costs. With more than 250 retail shops, 275 franchisees, and 150 wholesalers across Bangladesh, Apex Footwear Limited is the country’s largest footwear retailer. Apex Footwear, which accounts for 15% of the country’s footwear exports and is also the largest shoemaker in the subcontinent, dominates the local market with over 3 million pairs produced each year.
3. Bay Emporium
Bay Emporium Ltd. is a “Family Footwear Retail Company” that was founded in 2003. It offers a wide choice of items for men and women of all ages, from infants to seniors. Emporium entered the local market in 2006 and now has around 75 outlets across the country. In the Organization Family of Footwear Retail Market, Bay Emporium Ltd. stands in the third position in Bangladesh.
Its first production factory was set up in Gazipur, and the second one is located in Mouchak, Konabari, with the most comprehensive and strategic planning, supported by sophisticated machinery, and cutting-edge technology. Their goal is always to provide superior quality products with high efficiency. Bay Emporium is one of Bangladesh’s top retailers and its target customer base is people with medium to high-income levels. The Bay footwear firm specialized in vulcanized shoes, which are mostly distributed in Europe and East Asia.
4. Jennys Shoes Limited
Founded in 1992, Jennys Shoes Ltd, is one of Bangladesh’s top retail shoe brands and a trusted name in the domestic leather shoe industry, with showrooms around the country. This company is represented by its Chairman and Managing Director Mr. Nasir Khan.
They have incorporated imported machinery and technicians, proper leather processing systems, dynamic craftsmanship, and many other procedures to produce high-quality shoes. They also export shoes to foreign countries like the UK, Canada, Japan, Australia, and many other countries.
5. Step Footwear
Step Footwear is a subsidiary of the Step Group. Shamim Kabir, Founder & Managing Director of Step Footwear launched the company in 2010.
Step has introduced a wide range of sandals for ladies, men, and kids including flip-flops, wedges, strapped sandals, and many more. The sandals come with squish technology, which softens and comforts the soles of the feet. Step has recently launched a new range of footwear targeted toward corporate females and young professionals. They have over 300 employees, with women accounting for around one-third of the workforce. Step Footwear has expanded into the international market, sending flip-flops to the Philippines, Singapore, Australia, and the United States. They have more than 80 retail outlets and 200 counters in Bangladesh.
6. Lotto BD
In June 1973, Lotto came into existence as a footwear manufacturer and the company started its business in Bangladesh in 2012 as the country’s first international sportswear brand. Kazi Jamil Islam, managing director of Lotto Bangladesh and Express Leather Products Limited is Lotto’s local partner. Lotto BD has been really popular among Bangladeshi people by providing high-quality premium products with a fashionable twist.
Lotto’s products are currently distributed in over 100 countries through specialist chain stores, independent sports article stores, and major retailers with dedicated sports sections. In Bangladesh, there are 150 Lotto stores and the company has 1300 active staff. Around 60% of the Italian sportswear manufacturer’s income comes from Europe, 40% from the rest of the globe, with Asian nations accounting for 30%.
7. Walker Footwear
Walker is another mentionable footwear brand that comes under RFL Group, whose managing director is R N Paul. Walker Footwear stepped into the footwear industry in 2017, and since then, they have been providing good quality footwear at a reasonable price to the mass people.
Little by little, Walker footwear is setting off to be one of the largest and most successful footwear brands in Bangladesh. They try to keep uniqueness and innovation in all of their product. Currently, they have 70 outlets all over the country. This footwear company also employs more than 500 efficient manpower to make sure they’re catering the best product and service to the customers. They have thousands of distributors plus world-class labs and R& D centers. Their motto is to provide good quality and comfortable shoes at an affordable price.
Bangladesh has the potential to generate a large amount of revenue from exporting footwear and leather items throughout the world, which will help to create jobs and enhance the economy. Demand for footwear is on the rise which is pushing businesses to step up their game to capture the market. The Bangladeshi footwear is market is expanding day by day. As we can see from the list above, Bata is no longer the lone business dominating Bangladesh’s footwear sector anymore as many other players have entered and are ready to take on the industry by storm.
8. Fortune Shoes Ltd.
Another manufacturer and exporter of footwear, Fortune Shoes Ltd was founded in 2010. They have two manufacturing factories and both of them are located in Fortuna Park which is in Kunia, Gazipur.
They have their own leather tannery, which can make a variety of leathers. Fortuna has opened their retail store in locations like Gulshan, Gazipur, Badda, Dhanmondi, Raifles Square, and Sylhet to sell leather shoes, bags, and other accessories. Besides, their footwear and bag production facility can manufacture 6000 pairs of shoes and 500 bags every day. They even have separate units to produce polyurethane (PU) leather, and so far exported 7,00000 pairs of such shoes to H&M.
9. Akij Footwear Ltd.
Akij Footwear Ltd is a concern of Akij Group that came into existence in 2005. Akij Footwear Ltd has the capability to produce 100,000 pairs of high-quality shoes per month. Their manufacturing factory is located 20 km away from Dhaka airport. Currently, Mr. Sheikh Nafis Uddin Fahim is the managing director of Akij Footwear Ltd.
Their world-class tannery, SAF Industries Ltd., is regarded as one of the greatest leather processing industries in Asia for finished cow calf leather and has been in operation since 1960. And their two shoe factories are supported by SAF Industries Ltd. They have 800 highly skilled staff and production at Akij Footwear Ltd. is overseen by international specialists, with highly qualified personnel and tight management. The annual turnover of Akij Footwear Ltd is US $12 Million.
10. ABC Footwear Industries Ltd
Founded in 2006, ABC Footwear Industries Ltd is the sister concern of Abedin Corporation. The founder of this company is Mr. Zainal Abedin Majumder. With over 750 dedicated staffs & workers, they produce 50,000 pairs of shoes for both men and women every month.
ABC Footwear employs a world-class level of imported machinery from Japan and Italy. And produces top-of-the-line footwear under the close supervision of Italian and Japanese technical specialists. Their factory is a four-story building with 25,000 square feet of floor area on each level and is located at Zirabo, Ashulia.
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