Inside Retail spoke to Prasanna Bhaskar, Head of Asia Pacific Distribution and E-Commerce at Hoka, about what the brand achieved in 2023 and how it is preparing to navigate the retail landscape in 2024. The outdoor brand plans aggressive retail expansion while also continuing to expand its retail operations. Community building efforts. Inside Retail: What is the overarching vision driving Hoka's retail expansion into the Australian market? Prasanna Bhaskar: Hoka's online and wholesale business
Australia and New Zealand have seen 20% growth over the past year. We've seen the brand progress, enabling our retail teams to serve our customers and build strong communities. Following the successful launch of our Hoka concept stores in Asia, we are expanding our retail footprint with new products to continue to serve our customers and build the brand's presence in the performance and lifestyle categories in Australia. We see this as a growth channel. IR: What has the response been like since launching Hoka running shoes in Australia? PB: Australia is a very important market for Hoka. There, the outdoors is easily accessible and being active is a big part of the lifestyle. As a newcomer to the performance footwear space, we offer a difference in the way we deliver cushioning, overall comfort, and unique design. Whether he's running an ultramarathon, a fast 5K, or just walking around the block, the feeling he experiences when he laces up his shoes is unique to his Hoka. Australians have embraced a unique level of comfort as they refine and refine the original product with top running series like Mach-X and hiking styles like Anacapa and Caja. IR: Community-building efforts have long been part of Hoka's marketing strategy. Can you tell us the thinking behind this and some of your recent successful community-building efforts? PB: At Hoka, our reason for being is community. Our aim is to share the power of movement with as many people as possible. We've built a grassroots effort with retail partners that have been successful in connecting local runners and Hoka fans. We believe Hoka lives by the spirit of community. This year, we launched Hoka Fly Run Sydney, Australia's first large-scale community event. This event is a comprehensive running event with inspiring masterclasses and exciting product trials. This event revealed a huge demand for Hoka community events in the market. Within his first 24 hours of going live, the event was packed with hundreds of runners, from ultramarathoners to beginners. We plan to build momentum even further by offering masterclasses from our brand ambassadors and reaching a wider audience by partnering with running clubs that share the same brand purpose. Masu. IR: Hoka was one of the early adopters of SafeSize technology, which provides personalized shoe recommendations based on his 3D scan of each customer's foot. How do brands see the role of technology in customer experience? And how do they plan to continue investing in technology in 2024? PB: We want to provide our customers with a premium, personalized experience. We are committed to providing the following. Global partnership with SafeSize enables teams of running advisors at Hoka stores and events to perform ultra-fast 3D foot scans in less than two seconds, creating a unique and accurate foot profile tailored to each individual customer. It will be. Based on this technology, which provides an individualized foot profile, Hoka can recommend the best shoe, customized to your needs and preferences. SafeSize's use of his 3D foot scanning technology is in line with our brand purpose of providing a more personalized, efficient and accurate service. We will continue to invest in technology to provide consumers with the highest levels of comfort and performance based on their individual needs. IR: Looking back at 2023, what was the biggest challenge Hoka faced as a brand? PB: The pandemic accelerated fitness around the world, with consumers turning to the outdoors and running amid lockdowns. became. Supply was one of the key challenges as demand for Hoka continued to surge post-pandemic, reflecting consumers' shift towards a fitness lifestyle. Our DTC [direct-to-consumer] The channel is growing rapidly and we are pivoting to digital and focusing on a seamless consumer experience. Our teams and partners have played a pivotal role in becoming agile and further embracing digital in a post-pandemic world. IR: What were the biggest highlights for Hoka in 2023, either in the Asia-Pacific region or globally? PB: In June 2023, we launched the largest global integrated marketing campaign under the Fly Human Fly brand platform. We have started the campaign “Murmuration”. The campaign explores the concept of tweeting, the behavior of a flock of birds, highlighting the brand's belief in the transformative power of movement. We reinforced the concept of community through the introduction of the Hoka Fly Run, a community event aimed at celebrating the joy of movement. We brought the International Series to Australia's Bennelong Lawns next to the iconic Sydney Harbour. IR: Are there any big projects or initiatives that Hoka is working on for its Australian customer base in 2024? PB: Without giving too much away, we want to build on the community through brand experiential events and relationships with local running clubs. We will continue our construction efforts. We have exciting projects underway for Australian consumers. We will also explore aggressive retail expansion to offer consumers a unique Hoka experience in-store. IR: Hoka was founded to create a shoe for effortless downhill running. What is the next problem that Hoka is solving with its fundamental change principles? PB: We have consistently innovated and diversified in the outdoor and hiking categories. Our innovation and design team is always working on the next big thing. We'll just have to wait and see. This story first appeared in Australian Retail Outlook 2024.
