We prioritized on NOOS “Never Out of Stock” collection, best sellers and volume lines which included school shoes, Gumboots, Tomy Takkies, NorthStar, Ladies and Men’s Bata. We also changed our sourcing strategy to the regional (Africa) countries of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya and enjoyed considerable gains of (1) shortened lead times, (2) better pricing due to SADDC and COMESA trading bloc advantages (3) faster/shortened reaction periods (4) Minimal stock holding with improved gains on working capital management.
Marketing
We indeed had to observe a strict marketing budget. However, we invested in priority and must do exceptions including; (1) Back to school campaigns (2) Christmas campaigns (3) 3D launch of the 3D technology shoes which proved a success in our market and (4) Social media advertising with the use of platforms like Facebook and Instagram with minimal charges and a wide reach.
Retail
As one of the leading Retail chains in the country we have continued to lead by example. Even under the backdrop of a tight budget; (1) our stores were kept clean, hygienic and in strict adherence to Covid 19 protocols (2) Negotiated rental reductions and conversion of dollar designated leases to local currencies and (3) managed to maintain all the 55 stores country wide.
Non-Retail Sales Division (NRSD)
We continued to pride ourselves as the leading local producer of Gumboots in the country which is a key product to the various industries in the country like, hospitals, farmers, mines, hotels and many other institutions. Our range of industrial shoes have also continued to perform well in support of this business channel.
Information Technology
In the 4th Quarter we implemented Posworx which is a real time IT programme designed to connect our store operations with the related functionalities of Stock management, financial reports and business reports.
Production
Despite the challenges of the machine performance, we managed to produce over pairs 400,000 of Gum boots and kept the production workforce intact. Capex plans are underway for an additional production line due to increasing demand.
Human Resources
Staff are indeed our key assets and the company undertook strong initiatives to protect/ care for employees within and outside the company as well as provision of a healthy and enabling environment in the premises. This included; (1) conducting mandatory covid 19 testing on all employees on a monthly basis, (2) Temperature testing at the entrance of company premises (3) Disinfecting the offices daily and fumigation Daily disinfecting the offices every two weeks (4) Facilitation of vaccination to willing individuals etc.
Outlook
As we “Step forward” into year 2022 we have clear priorities which include the following among others; (1) Safety – safety of our employees and our customers comes first. With the continuing infections around the world, we need to stay cautious, adopt vaccination and other health measures as advised by the local governments. (2) Build Pride in our brands – making Bata shoes a proud and smart choice for all our consumers. (3) Comfort with Style – update our assortment in line with our consumer needs (4) Responsible Citizen – consolidate our social commitment in community support etc (5) Act as one team (6) Export business – expansion of gum boot business for export to neighbouring countries (7) Build a sustainable business model for Zambia Bata shoe company and expand and drive the business to monumental heights.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, we would want to sincerely thank all our customers, employees, board members and the Bata international group for all the unwavering support and rising to the challenge that the disruptions have caused during the year