Pavers England strengthens India operations, plans to invest US$15 Mn in 2011

Pavers England Limited (PEL), a joint venture between UK based Pavers Ltd and the Foresight Smart Ventures, a division of London based Foresight Group, is set to expand its presence in the Indian footwear industry. The company has plans to introduce new product lines and launch unique services to strengthen its standing in the Indian footwear industry. Pavers England aims at further strengthen its retail presence by opening 25 new exclusive franchise outlets by the end of 2011, rolling out a customer oriented E-Store along with launching a premium women's footwear brand.

Following its initial phases of investment of US$ 10 Million and successful launch and operation of the brand since April 2008, Pavers Foresight Smart Ventures has committed another US$15 Million to develop the brand presence in India during 2011 as part of its next phase of investments in India. Pavers England has successfully established an integrated footwear retail presence across the country with its 10 exclusive franchise stores & 90 concessions present across MBO's like Lifestyle, Central, Reliance Footprints and Shoppers Stop. The company has further plans to add 25 stores in the Tier-I cities such as Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Delhi by 250 points of sale by 2012. In addition the company aims at expanding brand presence through stores like Reliance Footprints in the Tier-II cities and have finalized rollout in Baroda, Mangalore & Nagpur. In the chain of expansion Pavers England will shortly be strengthening its presence in Mumbai by opening exclusive franchise outlet at the Domestic Terminal -1 B in Mumbai within next two weeks.

Pavers England Limited is also rolling out its E-Store wherein the customers get an option of shopping online at their convenience through the click of the mouse. This follows the extremely successful Pavers European E Store- www.shoe-shop.com which sells more than 1 million pairs per annum. The website will feature the latest men's and women's footwear and accessories in sync with the latest international trends with separate dedicated sections for different collections and secure payment gateways ensuring hassle free navigation and online transactions. Additionally the customers will get their purchases delivered at their doorstep at no extra cost through an alliance with a leading courier company.

In addition, PEL plans to unveil an exclusive premium footwear brand for women customers in March 2011, which will offer footwear and accessories in sync with the latest trends in vogue. The brand will focus on providing exclusively designed high street merchandise and carving a niche in the excessively competitive fashion retail industry as the ultimate trend destination for women.

Talking about the company's expansion plans, Stuart Pavers, President & Chairman, PEL said "We have received overwhelming response from the India. As we enter the 4th year of operations in the country, we are delighted to share that we have been able to build a strong distribution and logistics team with three regional warehouses and a new purpose built 15000 sq. feet central logistics hub & HQ in Chennai for the brand in India, this third round of investment is another step towards our commitment to India after establishing a unique and successful presence in the retail stores across the country." He further added "We are delighted to share that Pavers England has reported a phenomenal growth and US$ 5 Million turnover in the last financial year 2009-10 by establishing an integrated footwear retail chain across the country."

Utsav Seth, CEO & Managing Director, PEL said "Pavers England is one of the most respected names in delivering handcrafted leather footwear in comfort technology with style & elegance. The collections are inspired by global fashion trends, keeping in mind the discerning customers in India. Today the brand is emerging as a destination where customers can get high quality fashionable products at a great value powered with a world class customer service "

Pavers England has presence across India in North: Delhi & NCR, Chandigarh, Jalandar, Ludhiana, Amritsar; West: Pune, Mumbai, Ahemdabad; East: Kolkata; South: Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Cochin, Vishakhapatnam. Pavers England is also present across India in all leading departmental stores & leading MBO's such as Reliance footprints, Lifestyle, Central & Shoppers Stop and is sold at over 110 point of sales.