So, with an aim to offer unique shopping experience, the leading sports shoe brand—Campus (since 1997) has launched its flagship showroom in Kamla Nagar in New Delhi. At present, the brand reaches its customers through more than 240 distributors and more than 12,000 retailers spread all over India. The brand even serves the global as well as Indian customers through its online outlet—campusshoes.com. Nikhil Agarwal, CEO, Campus Activewear, in an exclusive chat for Retail4Growth, shares the brand's expansion plans. Edited Excerpts.

What are your expansion plans?

We have opened our first Exclusive Brand Outlet in Delhi and in order to gain an extensive market, more stores are coming up in NCR, U.P. & Haryana.Our short-term plan is to open exclusive outlets in the country to target a wider customer base. We are planning to come up with 50 Exclusive brand outlets within this year. We are also planning to have a network of approximate 400 sale points all over India, mainly in high potential areas like Delhi/ NCR & state capitals like Mumbai, Jaipur, Patna  within the next five years.

What are your store formats?

Recently, we have undertaken re-branding initiative with a complete new logo. With our first Experiential store at Kamla Nagar, we are showcasing the new ‘Camptech’ technology-based products featuring slip resistance and high-rebound cushioning that are made with breathable high-density, shock-absorbing material. We are focusing on offering premium products at affordable prices to our customers.

What are the key outcomes you are expecting out of the design of your stores?

Retail design is a combination of interior décor, physical layout and advertising within a shop and it can be the difference between a space that is appealing and a store that is instantly forgettable. We believe there are various benefits of Retail design such as it increase sales, reinforces the brand and we can showcase our product as consumers especially those who seek to buy footwear still crave for the tactile experience of physical stores and regard the concept of ‘Look, touch and feel before you buy’.

What will be the format of the new stores? 

We believe in having our own model. At present, the brand caters to more than 12,000 Multi Brand Outlets (MBOs) pan India through number of distributors and the focus is on Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBOs). Our EBO business has started from Delhi / NCR and it will gradually penetrate into other parts of India. The format will be simple, ‘Look, touch and feel before you buy’.

In case, franchise, what would be the business model? (FOCO or other model)

Going towards the franchisee route is one of the options we are evaluating but have not taken any decision on it yet.