We are one of the largest Indian footwear & accessories specialty retailers and are among the aspirational Indian brands in the footwear category. In 1955, we opened our first Metro Brands store in Mumbai and have since evolved into a one-stop-shop for all footwear needs, retailing a wide range of branded products for the entire family, including men, women, unisex, and children, and for every occasion, including casual and formal events. As of September 30, 2022, our company operated 766 Stores in 182 cities across 31 Indian states and Union territories.
Metmill Footwear Private Limited is our subsidiary, and M.V. Shoe Care Private Limited is our joint venture.
We operate on an asset-light model with third-party manufacturing through long-standing vendor relationships, optimum store size and layout, and long-term lease arrangements. We frequently introduce new designs through vendor engagements, based on our combined understanding of current trends and regional sensitivity.
We marketed our products through two websites and dedicated pages in seven major Indian e-commerce marketplaces as of March 31, 2021, and we catered to our online orders through a designated operations area at our warehouse. We own and operate our e-commerce operations in the same way that we own and operate our stores and we have invested in an e-commerce-specific warehouse management system that integrates our store network with our online platform. The integrated system streamlines order management, product picking, packaging, and shipment, to offer a seamless omnichannel experience to our customers. Our integrated supply chain is also enabled by the successful implementation of enterprise resource planning at our head office and warehouse.
Our retail operations are carried out through our stores and distributors as well as through online channels. We primarily follow the “company-owned and company-operated” (“COCO”) model of retailing through our own Multi Brand Outlets (“MBOs”) and Exclusive Brand Outlets (“EBOs”), to better manage the customer experience at our stores. We operate Metro, Mochi and Walkway branded MBOs and Crocs™ branded EBOs. Our company and our subsidiary Metmill also operate shop-in-shops (“SIS”) in major departmental stores across India. We also distribute products of third-party brands through MetMill and retail products through franchisees. In addition to our physical stores, we provide an omnichannel experience to customers through our websites, various marketplaces as well as social media platforms. All our brands are listed and sold on various leading B2C and B2B marketplaces.
We had 2,691 full-time employees as of March 31, 2021. In addition, we collaborate with 1,235 selling agents, their staff, and contract workers.