Brazilian shoe-maker Grupo Priority has brought its flagship men’s shoe brand ‘West Coast’ to India in a tie-up with the distribution arm of footwear retailer Metro Shoes Ltd.
In Brazil, the ‘casual Friday’ is very strong, wherein people look for shoes they could wear to work and head straight out into ‘happy hour’ with their friends.
India is seeing the same transition, from more black/brown type shoes to more colourful, casual shoes for work.
‘West Coast’ shoes brand is thus focusing on the premium casual men’s shoes segment.
There is a market for casual shoes in India and according to Grupo Priority, “We are rustic, we are casual, we do not make formal shoes.”
Existing premium brands in India’s shoe market have also been looking to cater to the premium casual segment in India.
Grupo Priority is in the premium space and is expected to open 150 stores at the end of the year. Consumers who aspire for branded footwear will be benefited by the store-based expansion and the Internet retailing as well.
