Style is a way of expressing oneself without having to speak. The advertising slogan — Trending in Paris, now at Apex — by Apex Footwear rationalises the global styling spirit, as everyone now knows what is trending by virtue of the internet. “When a product is talk of the town in Milan, we will make it available simultaneously at the Apex store in Dhaka to give the customers the same essence,” said Rajan Pillai, chief operating officer of Apex, in a recent interview with The Daily Star. “We supply to the biggest footwear companies in the world. That is how we are linking the world,” Pillai said. Apex is a pioneer in the manufacture and export of leather footwear from Bangladesh to major global shoe retailers, producing 25,000 leather products a day, he said. The retail industry in Bangladesh is still at a nascent stage, but has great prospects, he added. Many global retail brands will enter the Bangladesh market in the next few years, which will intensify competition, Pillai said. “This will be a blessing for the local industry as it will meet international standards and brands can compare quality between brands.” The company’s local retail wing was established in 1997 to give Bangladeshi consumers an opportunity to experience quality leather footwear designed according to the latest market trends and technology from Europe. “Continuous design innovation is one of the secrets of our success. We have our own product development team and planning is design-centric. We have offices in Italy and Taiwan and our local team monitors and tracks what is happening in the local market.” Pillai believes that style evolves every day. “Each day is a page in the fashion story, so we keep innovating and that is why people keep coming back to us.” “We consider our customers as our partners. They are the bread and butter of our business.” Pillai said they have a total of ten brands to meet the need of every customer. Customer loyalty and brand experience are the two key components to success in retailing, according to Pillai, who has an MBA majoring in international business. Every individual of the Apex family has a contribution to the growth of the company, he added. Pillai said there are many challenges in this journey to success, but he believes challenges are parallel tracks and part of everyone’s life. Sharing the company’s plan, he said there is scope for expansion. “Our aim is to reach 225 stores of our own by next year, which is now 200.” In addition, the company has 253 retail sales dealers that are franchisees of Apex. “We are evolving by learning from past experiences. We change the ambiance in our stores accordingly, to give customers a better experience,” he said. Apex has a fully functional effluent treatment plant, Pillai said. “We are going to venture into e-commerce. We can’t open retail stores everywhere, as it is not feasible,” he said, referring to the upcoming launch of www.apex4u.com. Cash on delivery, bKash, Visa and all other available channels of payment can be utilised to purchase online, he added. Apex is partnering in training programmes with Centre of Excellence For Leather Skill Bangladesh Ltd to help develop skilled professionals.
