When I was a kid, I was stupified...

I was stupified by the fact that Bata (M) Sdn Bhd is a dumb local shoe manufacturer on its own. Even the name sounds like a stone in malay! Even when I was younger, my dad himself would tell me myths that Bata is a Malaysian shoe company which can hardly work locally, but in Singapore is. Somebody did tell me that. Till then, I was stupified.

Bata was actually founded by Mr. Tomas Bata and two of his older siblings in the former country Czechoslovakia in the year 1894. Later one of his siblings was obliged to serve his country for World War 1 and another sister was married. Even before the establishment of Bata, the immediate family itself already making shoes for the people in a small scale for three centuries. Mr. Tomas then glorified Bata and today, Bata has operations up to 68 different countries, with over 4,700 company-owned retail stores spanning almost every continent, and over 100,000 independent retailers and franchisees distributing Bata shoes.


Bata - Venice

What made Bata so successful for so many centuries? For some who are still ignorant, Bata is still a dumb Batu-Bata shoe manufacturer. The secret of Bata is total customer satisfaction, and each country's operation is tailor-made to suit its own country's accent. Is that a reason enough to keep anyone blurred for so many years of ignorance that Bata is a local shoe company? I would rate this company the best company of disguise ever. Multi-national companies are now having the trend to suit their operations to the country's wants and needs - HSBC for example - the world's local bank. But, I still know it's an international bank finding its fortune in our soil. But for Bata, it's exceptionally original.

Bata first established its shoe factory in 1941, in Klang. Bata reported 10,000,000 pairs of shoes sold in the financial year ended December 2004, earning RM208 million in revenues. From its own market research, Bata has captured 22% of the market share - in which is beyond my comprehension. In every 100 people, 22 of them is/was wearing Bata shoes?

Bata has done alot of market research in Malaysia and found that most of the people demands flexible, durable and of its best quality at an affordable price - that's very true in every Malaysian's mind. On its own R&D, Bata also acquired a revolutionary Acquastatic shoes - where you will no longer be electrocuted by static shocks after wearing these shoes.

Amazing... +=