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Bata Shoe (Singapore) Private Limited

Bata Shoe (Singapore) Private Limited is a member of the world-wide organisation, Bata Shoe Organisation. One of the earliest modern shoe sellers here, Bata opened its first store called Bata Shoe Store at the Capitol Building in 1931. Today, Bata Shoe (Singapore) Private Limited is a fledging company with a number of retail outlets here.

History
Bata history
Tomas Bata, born into a family of shoemakers in 1876, laid the foundation of Bata Shoe Organisation at Zlin in Czechoslovakia in 1894 at the age of 18. A pioneer in the modern shoe making industry, he established a network of stores or sales organisations in many parts of the world before his death in 1932. By 1938, Bata Shoe had established its presence in more than 30 countries. To arrive at his success, Tomas Bata first harnessed together an efficient production, distribution and marketing system to establish his company. The Zlin team devised a system called "The Bata System", which organised operations into autonomous workshops and departments. This system also allowed employees to contribute ideas and stimulate production resulting in many breakthroughs in footwear technology. It was later applied to all other Bata companies.

A philanthropist given to the cause of building schools, hospitals, and homes, Tomas Bata provided employment and footwear by establishing factories in developing countries where people walked barefoot. The organisation was later taken over by his son, Thomas J. Bata, and is today managed by Thomas J. Bata's son Thomas G. Bata as the Chairman. The Bata Shoe Organisation functions as a decentralised manufacturing and marketing operation; and today remains a fledging industry, with 70 manufacturing units, more than 6,000 stores, over 100,000 independent retailers and franchisees world-wide hiring more than 67,000 people in over 70 countries. Its corporate headquarters is based in Toronto, Canada since Thomas J. Bata and his family moved to Canada in 1939.

Bata Singapore history
Bata Shoe Organisation opened their first shoe store in Singapore in 1931 with a retail outlet in the Capitol Building on Stamford Road. On 25 August 1931, the company was officially incorporated in Singapore. In 1939, Bata Shoe (Singapore) Private Limited opened the Bata Building on North Bridge Road next to the Capitol Building, which became a prominent landmark in that area. The building not only housed the store but also the factory and the offices. As one of the early affordable modern footwear shops in Singapore, Bata shoes became a huge success. The company began production of leather shoes in 1939. The war years saw the company suffering heavy losses with the Bata factory being completely destroyed. However, Bata resumed business on 2 January 1946 soon after the war, and since then there was no looking back. Bata became synonymous with good quality, medium-priced footwear and soon grew to be a household name.

In 1964, a modern Bata Factory was constructed on 66, Telok Blangah Road. An extension was added to the factory in April 1975. At the same time, Bata retail outlets in Singapore gradually extended to all parts of the country. The main Bata store at Bata Building was renovated, and when the store re-opened on 3 November 1966, the modern outlet was the only store in Singapore with an escalator for customers between the two shopping floors. The first Bata store in an HDB area was opened in 1966 as well, in Margaret Drive.

In 1979, the Bata Building had to be demolished to pave way for the construction of the Peninsula Plaza Shopping and Office Complex. However, Bata continues to occupy a portion of the Peninsula Plaza Shopping Complex. The escalator feature too is still present in this shop. The shop was refurbished and reopened in September 2003. The year 2003 also saw Bata opening a new city store at Plaza Singapura featuring non-footwear merchandise as well including shirts, bags and sunglasses. In that year, the number of Bata stores in Singapore reached 47.

Singapore today is home to the Regional Office for the Far East Region for Bata Shoe Organisation. Bata is most popular for its school shoes of which it sells about 650,000 pairs each year. The company has assimilated into Singapore so well that many people tend to think that it is a home-grown organisation, not a multinational one.



Author
Naidu Ratnala Thulaja



References 
Labour shortage seen hitting Bata's short-term profitability. (1993, January 8). The Business Times, p. 10.

Long, S. (1998, June 14). The whole world's in his shoes. The Straits Times, p. 6.

Seah, L. (2003, September 14). Bata trade; no longer just a place kids went to get footwear for school, Bata is poised to move into the lifestyle market with its new concept stores. The Straits Times, Life!

Bata International Group. (2003). Bata International Group. Retrieved February 26, 2004, from www.bataintergroup.com

Bata Limited. (2004). Bata history. Retrieved February 26, 2004, from www.bata.com/about_bata/history.htm


Further Readings
Asian franchise market "set to take off'. (1993, October 14). The Straits Times, p. 36. 

Bata going private with name change. (1994, March 19). The Straits Times, p. 47.

Seow, S. (1992, August 6). Canada-based Bata Shoe seeking SES mainboard listing. The Straits Times, p. 40.

Wee, T. (2003, February 24). Baring our soles; don't think me a heel, but I won't tip-toe around the fact that I'm a sneaker pimp who says shoes help a man dress for success. The Straits Times, Life!  

The information in this article is valid as at 2004 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Commerce and Industry>>Industries
Business enterprises--Singapore
Footwear industry--Singapore
Business, finance and industry>>Industry>>Services>>Retail and wholesale
Business, finance and industry>>Business organization>>Business enterprises



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