Crocs opens 100th store in Chennai, but still feels under-penetrated

The new store, spreads across 625 sqft, is Crocs’ third store in the city and fifth in Tamil Nadu. India is currently the sixth biggest market for Crocs globally with a high double-digit growth year on year. Metro Shoes, the national franchise partner of Crocs India, will be operating the new store. The partnership with Metro Shoes began in 2014 which has helped the iconic footwear brand in expanding its reach to over 50 cities through its EBO operations.

Deepak Chhabra, CEO&MD, Crocs India, said, “We are excited on reaching the century mark in India. India is one of the rare markets where even after opening 100 stores we still feel under-penetrated. Our absolute focus for the next phase of geographical expansion will continue to be on top six metro cities across the country along with state capitals.

Exclusive brand stores are a significant part of our growth strategy. In addition to aggressively growing our EBOs, we will be strengthening our presence in tier-2 cities via MBOs and Kiosks. Further, e-commerce will be an integral part of our distribution strategy and help us reach out to consumers where our brick and mortar presence is limited. Region-wise South, due to its demographics and brand recall, contributes the highest amongst all regions in the country. Rafique Abdul Malik, CMD, Metro Shoes, said, “India has a high affinity for open shoes and sandals due to the climatic conditions, making Crocs relevant in this market.”