Headquartered in Germany, Von Wellx is a footwear brand crafted through patented technology - 5 Zones by Dr. Mauch, and manufactured in only one unit in Italy. In an interview with Paulami Chatterjee, Ashish Jain and Purva Jain, the Indian promoters, discuss how the brand is upholding its tagline -- The Healthiest Shoes Ever - by promoting good health for the feet, knees and back.
What was the impact of Covid at Von Wellx in terms of sales, staff cutdown etc?
The impact in the beginning was severe but remained almost the same in the short term; sales has shifted more from offline to online. The recovery after the initial impact of Covid has more or less covered most of the numbers. We didn't have any major staff cutdowns from the company's side. The rentals have been renegotiated and have come down as per the demand supply curve.
We have had a plan to phase out most of our merchandise which we were using pre-Covid, because it has been lying for too long. We are looking forward to building a new core for the brand, something we have been very successful in the last season.
What are the steps towards brand building?
Awareness is the key for a brand like ours. So, we look at ways where we can communicate to our customers the health aspects of the brand effectively. We are using a mix of digital and offline strategies to effectively execute it. Once our customer is aware of the product and tries it, most of our job is done as we have very high rates of repeat buying. The toughest part is to make them try the brand once.
We work very closely with doctors, professional and medical associations so to make them aware about the benefits of our products and we have had phenomenal response to this. They understand the benefits and the technical aspects of the products very well and communicate to their patients in turn. In India, we are looking towards the EBO route to make people more aware about the brand.
Which other product categories do you plan to move into the future?
We plan to move into some categories of textile and garments in the coming future. We have been working on a very specialised technology in this area which we will be unveiling very soon globally.
What has been your growth story in the last three years (excluding 2020)?
We have been growing at a very rapid pace of over 15 per cent YOY in the last few years with Asia being the growth driver. We have added 12 countries to its portfolio in the last 3 years.
Which are the categories the brand is into? Who are your target audience?
Von Wellx caters to both men and women. Our target audience are people who want utmost comfort and healthy feet along with contemporary fashion. It is for both young and the aged who are looking for 12+ hours of comfort, wanting to relieve heel-knee-back pain, correct foot and body posture, strengthen muscles, or have foot pain due to arthritis, flat foot or diabetes.
Do you work with vendors for your manufacturing?
We do not manufacture any of our products through vendors. We look for strategic long-term partnerships rather than having vendors. We work on a licensee-based model. We focus on the technical aspects, local tastes, and long-term vision of the company.
How does your supply chain network work? What regions of the world is part of your supply chain?
We have 12 manufacturing licensees across the globe divided as per regions and construction. With the recent new collaboration in India, we are looking at India being the main pillar of our global supply chain. In India, we are working at Agra and Chennai.
Which footwear category sells the most?
Women's slip-ons sell the most. Casual and formal footwear also sell well as they provide health benefits along with extending comfort. The trendy footwear range is designed for weddings also has good occasional demand.
What are the price points for each product category?
Average price point is ₹2900 in India and $80 worldwide.
What is the annual production capacity?
Our annual production capacity in India will be 5 million pairs after the expansion.
What kind of machinery does your manufacturing facility boast of?
We are using state-of-the-art machinery and processes that have been developed in our company after years of research that helps us in achieving quality products. Our patented technology of 5 Zones is coupled with proprietary processes and machinery.
What is your retail presence like?
Von Wellx is sold in over 80 countries across 10,000 point-of-sale (POS) and have served over 100 million satisfied customers. It is retailed across over 600 POS in India, Middle East, South East Asia.
What is your retail expansion plan in future?
We plan to open 50 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) in India in the next 18-24 months. We also plan to open 20 company-owned EBOs, 30 franchises and increase our footprint in over 600 multi-brand outlets (MBOs).
How much is spent on machine up-gradation and maintenance annually?
We look forward to spending 4 per cent of our annual sales towards machine and technology upgradation including the maintenance. Since we are a technology driven company, it is very important for us to focus on this parameter.
Sustainability and circularity are the buzzwords today. How do you incorporate them into your product lines?
We are committed to using green sustainable practices and processes for all our company wide processes. We have been working towards reducing our carbon footprint in multiple ways.
We are increasing the use of a lot of sustainable components, outsoles, upper and fabrics in our product range. We are using outsoles made of micro rub eco-friendly material etc. We also use recyclable material for our packaging needs.
What is the Von Wellx online presence like?
The brand is available through its own website, and through our partnerships with Amazon, Flipkart, Mynta, Tata Cliq, Shoppers Stop, Metro Shoes etc.
What is the USP of your products?
Footwear at Von Wellx Germany is made of 5 Zones Reflex technology that:
Energises feet for 12+ hours standing by soft massage, muscle relaxation
Exercises foot (like barefoot walking on grass) by increasing blood circulation
Relieves heel, knee and back pain, flat foot by providing correct support
Protects joints and muscles by absorbing the pressure coming on them
Corrects foot position and body posture by balancing muscle tension
What are your long-term sustainability goals?
We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint by 90 per cent in the next 3-5 years and use only recyclable materials as and when possible.
Which are your major markets?
Europe, Middle East, and Asia are major markets for the company.
What is your market positioning?
We are positioned as one of the pioneers of healthy footwear in the world.
This article was first published in the February 2021 edition of the print magazine
Published on: 11/03/2021
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
