Company History:

Bata Ltd. is a privately owned global shoe manufacturer and retailer headquartered in
Ontario, Canada. The company is led by a third generation of the Bata family. With
operations in 68 countries, Bata is organized into four business units. Bata Canada,
based in Toronto, serves the Canadian market with 250 stores. Based in Paris, Bata
Europe serves the European market with 500 stores. With supervision located in
Singapore, Bata International boasts 3,000 stores to serve markets in Africa, the
Pacific, and Asia, Finally, Bata Latin America, operating out of Mexico City, sells
footwear throughout Latin America. All told, Bata owns more than 4,700 retail stores
and 46 production facilities. Total employment for the company exceeds 50,000.

Company Perspectives:

Shoemaking is one of the world's oldest crafts--shoes have been works of art and the
stuff of legends. Around the world, the Bata brand is reserved for well-made and
well-priced dress and casual footwear. We're devoted to designing, producing, and
providing our customers with the best in commercial fashion footwear for the whole
family.

Key Dates:

1894: The Bata family establishes a company in Zlin, located in what is now the
Czech Republic.
1932: Founder Tomas Bata dies in an airplane accident.
1939: The Company relocates to Canada after the movement of German military
forces into Eastern Europe.
1945: Czechoslovakia business operations are nationalized by the new communist
government following World War II.
1991: Bata returns to the Czech Republic following fall of the communist regime.
1994: Thomas J. Bata, the son of the company's founder, retires.
2001: Thomas J. Bata, Jr., becomes chairman

Present

After the global economic changes in 1990s the company closed a number of its manufacturing
factories in developed countries and has focussed its activities on expanding its retail business
there. In developing countries it still has a large number of manufacturing units and still produces
a significant number of shoes each year.:

Bata Store Wenceslas Square in Prague, the Czech republic - 2005

The company is currently headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, with 3 business units

 Bata Metro Markets, Lausanne

 Bata Emerging Markets, Singapore
 Bata Branded Business, Best, Netherlands

Current shoe brands are:

 Bata (Baťa in former Czechoslovakia)

  Bata Premium (handcrafted dress shoes)
 Bata Industrials (safety footwear)
 Bubblegummers (children)
 Power (athletic shoes )
 Marie Claire (women)

According to Bata, in 2007 the company served 1 million customers per day, employed over
40,000 people, operated 4,600 retail stores, managed a retail presence in over 50 countries and
had 40 production facilities across 26 countries.

Bata brands all over the world:

Premium Collection

Bata has been delivering hand-crafted quality footwear for well over 100 years. To
maintain and build on our heritage of creating high quality, comfortable and stylish
shoes, Bata has created the Bata Premium Collection of products in our design
centre in Italy. These shoes are the most international collection from Bata and are
available at selected Bata stores in Europe and in leading Department stores in Asia
and the middle East. They all incorporate innovative leading design with the
application of modern technology. They are our signature shoes for both women and
men.

Bata Industrials
Footwear beyond Safety 
Bata Industrials is a specialised division of the Bata Group producing industrial
and work-related footwear, hosiery and accessories. Bata Industrials is
present on 4 continents to efficiently serve industries in Africa from South
Africa, in Asia from Australia, in Latin America from Chile and in Europe from  
Holland.

Bubblegummers

Bubblegummers is the leading children's footwear brand in Latin America and has
developed an extensive presence in Asia and in Europe. Bubblegummers offers
quality, comfortable, funny and colourful shoes for the 0 to 9 old  that assure the
healthy growth of a child's foot.
 

Power
Power embodies diversity with ranges in running, training, court, basketball, football
and Outdoor that combine fonctionality with creativity. International pro-skaters
signature shoes designed to meet the demanding needs of skateboarding are
developed under the Power-Skate line. Power is sold across 5 continents via Bata
retail stores and distributors’ networks.
 

Marie Claire

Marie Claire shoes are for women with an active lifestyle who seek
contemporary modern styles. Marie Claire shoe stores successfully opened in
Latin America and  Asia. 
Bata Brands is the trademark owner of  Marie Claire for shoes worldwide  
(except in Japan and Korea).